Operations

Without getting too technical, give the reader some idea of how your business operates. What items are present that allow your business to function the way that it does and what things you are considering improving in your operations. This helps provide some idea of the capital costs and value of your organization and where this might be trending moving forward. You may want to consider additional information in this section that is more industry or geography specific that would be important for a reader to see and critical to your operations.

Provide the physical location of your business, but also some details on that space, its costs, and advantages.

Give the reader some indication of the capital currently owned by your business.

Readers, especially funders will want to know what expenditures are coming down the road.

Give the reader some indication that you’re looking forward and trying to find ways to improve your business; this doesn’t have to be some quantum shift, but you should be aware of the best practices in your industry.

Outline the environmental regulations that your business is complying with; does your organization enforce any policies related to environmental well-being.

This space could be used to expand upon other operations relevant to the business including storage, regulation, transportation, or safety.

Timeline

Business plans should be forward thinking documents that are updated frequently. For this reason, there should always be a relevant timeline in your business’ plans. This is especially important for a start-up as it will outline the steps towards getting your business off the ground. However, for existing businesses, creating specific plans related to expansion, big projects, or longer term operations is a good practice that keeps you checking in on your business.

If you’re planning on introducing a big project, or developing the business, work with a professional business developer that can help you properly identify an adequate timeline based on your resources and capacity. Setting realistic goals for your co-op will manage the expectations of members and outline steps that can be celebrated as the community moves forward.

This example provides a timetable for an incorporated, financed producer co-operative that is expanding into a new market.