Mr. Robey,
Campaign promises are great, then realization sets in "go along - get along". I have attached an interesting article that sums up all the why & why not's of a Business Plan. An interesting read is examples of bad advice, many of these examples must have been written by Sun City's business manager. Nowhere in any plan is room for excuses for failure as suggested by the STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN, SUBMITTED BY: BOB DE DOELDER.
DAK
If you don't know where your business is going, any road will get you there.
What is a Strategic Plan?
Entrepreneurs and business managers are often so preoccupied with immediate issues that they lose sight of their ultimate objectives. That's why a business review or preparation of a strategic plan is a virtual necessity. This may not be a recipe for success, but without it a business is much more likely to fail. A sound plan should:
- Serve as a framework for decisions or for securing support/approval.
- Provide a basis for more detailed planning.
- Explain the business to others in order to inform, motivate & involve.
- Assist benchmarking & performance monitoring.
- Stimulate change and become building block for next plan.
For inspiration (and a few smiles), have a look at some of the quotations and examples of bad advice included in other pages!
A strategic plan should not be confused with a business plan. The former is likely to be a (very) short document whereas a business plan is usually a much more substantial and detailed document. A strategic plan can provide the foundation and frame work for a business plan. For more information about business plans, refer to How to Write a Business Plan, Insights into Business Planning and Free-Plan: Business Plan Guide & Template.
A strategic plan is not the same thing as an operational plan. The former should be visionary, conceptual and directional in contrast to an operational plan which is likely to be shorter term, tactical, focused, implementable and measurable. As an example, compare the process of planning a vacation (where, when, duration, budget, who goes, how travel are all strategic issues) with the final preparations (tasks, deadlines, funding, weather, packing, transport and so on are all operational matters).
A satisfactory strategic plan must be realistic and attainable so as to allow managers and entrepreneurs to think strategically and act operationally - see Devising Business Strategies for further insights.
Pasted from <http://www.planware.org/strategicplan.htm#1>
Posted by: "Bob Robey" BobRobey@cox.net robroy33
Wed May 5, 2010 5:58 am (PDT)
Dear Scoopers,
First I apologize for the length. I don't post like I used to, so hopefully
you will read this and understand how hard it is to find the pea under the
walnut shell. Smoke and Mirrors obfuscate $500,000.
At the April 5, 2010 Board meeting there was a great agenda item.
Here is the motion with the update as to what happened.
Motion for Discussion by de Doelder
2. Proposed motion for a vote at the April 19, 2010 BOD meeting to authorize
the preparation of a strategic business plan for SCSCAI. The plan will be
completed and coordinated by Bob de Doelder, Finance Committee Chairman.
The back-up material provides a proposed structure and process as well as a preliminary outline to be considered. The deadline for completion is December 1, 2010 or before. Any action recommendations that arise from the planning program on a periodic basis would be presented to the BOD for approval, including the final results and recommendations. Any input from the BOD, staff, committee and club members, residents and other community organizations will be solicited and considered throughout the process.
Removed from the Agenda at the beginning of the meeting. Board of Directors Agenda 04-05-10 Meeting
So much for campaign promises.
Here are two sentences from a page of the Backup for April 5, 2010 Board
meeting.
SUBJECT: STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN
SUBMITTED BY: BOB DE DOELDER
r. INTRODUCTION:
Our largest source of revenue (golf operations) has suffered due to a variety of conditions including the economy, resident activity and golf course overbuilding in the LV area. Future residents interested in playing golf are desired but our "older" community has not ,successfully competed against developers of "new" golf communities, both here and in other retirement destinations
There are many more!......
I would like to opine that our largest source of revenue is not golf. It is the Assessments paid by the Owners of this Association. Here are the figures from the 2009 Budget.
Memb Inc 7,433,103
Golf Revenues 4,317,086 You must remember that golf was budgeted to lose.
(1,867,261)
Now for the same accounts for the 2010 budget.
Membership income: 7,918,508 an increase of about $500,000.
Golf Revenues: 4,048,331 a decrease of about $300,000 Now Golf is project
to lose. (1,312,350) This is about $500,000 less then last year.
Folks, I ain't no rocket scientist, but I see our dues going up $500,000 and projected golf losses going down $500,000. I will be most pleased to learn how golf can lose income, yet, not show a growth in loses. Did water go down? Have we laid off employees? Did we reduce the use of electricity? NOPE!!!!! We moved grass from the golf courses to the non-golf maintenance account. We have a new account line item called:
Allocations to Landscape (559,037) Golly I would never have guessed it to be about $500,000.
Ok, Accountants. I will listen to how wrong I am. And Mr. de Doedler, where is your plan? Mr. De Doedler sure did it right when he identified the problem as golf revenue. Then dropped the agenda like a hot potato.
Robey
Created with Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
One place for all your notes and information
One place for all your notes and information
No comments:
Post a Comment