Toolkit

Writing a business plan is a very helpful exercise to conduct to clarify and distil your thoughts into a viable proposal. Having to articulate the concept, no matter how many times you’ve discussed it, makes you aware of the full set of variables. Writing down the justifications, thinking about the risks and opportunities and committing to deliverables and measurable targets help you to understand the gaps in your existing strategies and knowledge. This process forces you to think about the strengths and weaknesses of your plan in a concrete way, and it can serve as a guideline to keep track of progress and performance as well as stay in line with your timeline and vision. Investors need to know your exact proposal and whether the business has the potential to generate the kind of social, environmental and financial return they seek. Other stakeholders, such as the government, may need to know that you comply with the regulations in your sector, and the greater community may need to know what their involvement is and how your work affects them.

Here are a few tools to aid you in the development of your social enterprise plan: 

| Virtual Interactive Consultants, "Developing a Business Plan" 

| International Finance Corporation and IBM's "SME Toolkit" offers software, business forms, training, and more to help small businesses in emerging markets grow and succeed.

| Avantage Ventures, "Business Template", guided questions for developing your social enterprise ideas.