The recent economic downturn it can sometimes feel like a crowbar pry it takes money from investors to help you grow your business desires. However, at a time when capital is tight, it's time to get creative. Companies that focus on systematically meeting their short-term goals usually discover that they also achieve long-term business success, with or without compensation, foreign investment.

So how do you quickly mobilize your current resources, capital, and the team achieve its goals and objectives? Prepare a plan of attack - more commonly referred to as a business plan. But dismiss any concerns about you have prepared it with a thick fancy verbiage and financial projections. business plan to achieve your short-term goals does not assess the severity or length of the site, but by the quality and clarity of strategy you commit to paper.

In this case, we recommend you prepare a business plan that fits on the back of a regular sized envelope.

may have returned to the preceding sentence for a moment and said: "Envelope How do I prepare a business plan on the back of the envelope?" It's a great question and there is a very simple answer: If your goal is to achieve an important internal goal, not to impress the audience of bankers, investors or strategic partners, the informal "envelope plan" may be the perfect solution. This allows you to quickly organize, document and communicate their business strategies and management staff. And in some cases, a short document is more effective than thirty plus pages of brilliant literature regarding the business plan - especially when your priority is your team rally around the cause for the upcoming month or quarter

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quick warning before we look at the steps to prepare the "envelope plan" for your business. If, in fact, your goal is to provide financial support from investors or lenders, then, of course, need to develop more robust business plan with a well-supported financial statements. more comprehensive plan, track record and qualified team is expected if you plan to gain the attention of the serious sources of financing for your business.

But, assuming that is your plan for short-term internal purposes, you can prepare a "plan of the envelope" in five simple steps:

Step 1: Explain the goal of

Start by creating a very precise, measurable statement of no more than one or two sentences to clarify the objective of your company will achieve. For example: ". ABC Cleaning Company will be increased revenue from repeat customers than 8% of total annual sales to 20% of total annual sales by the end of calendar year 2009 " Your goal should be clear, measurable and tied to a particular time period or deadline .

Step 2: Outline your strategy

The next step is to develop a bulleted list of the primary strategies will be implemented in accordance with your stated business goal. In this case, "What can I do to increase the ABC repeat business?" Examples might include:

Offer 5% discount for repeat customers To improve the quality of products / services offer impose additional training and standard of quality programs for all staff Implement service to monitor the process to increase the satisfaction and recommendation an obligation on time, every time Develop and maintain a database of clients and send weekly and monthly correspondence are using social media strategies for many clients to fully engage

Step 3: Identify your tactics

The third step is to write one or two rounds with the specific actions to be taken to make every strategy noted above reality. For example:

5% discount - consult Sales Manager new price initiatives better training - Investigate web-based training Customer Database - Find the right contact management software

4 Step: Perform a cost-benefit analysis

The fourth step is absolutely critical. Prepare a two-sentence assessment of financial costs and rewards the performance envelope of your plan. For example ... "The costs of execution of this plan, including cost reductions and other cost initiatives, was $ 37,000. a reward for the execution of this plan, assuming that the level of new customers remains unchanged and business with repeat customers increased by 20%, increasing annual sales of 875 000 dollars is expected. "Not a bad return on your money actually!

Step 5: Get buy-in

your final step is to share your "envelope program" with other members of his team to gain input and buy-in to the advantages of implementing your strategy. envelope plan appears simple, but it was short, action oriented and financial costs and flows back into your overall business objectives.

"envelope program" is not a solution for capital transactions purposes, but it is fast, organized and informal way to immediately focus his team on achieving short-term business goals. And after all, is not meeting business goals as a true business planning is all about?