The Difference Between Business Plan, Strategic Plan & Operational Plan

A lot of business owners are aware of and appreciate the importance of the business plan. It is a crucial part of the start-up and fundraising process and acts as an essential element of your company’s foundation. But, it is only a part of the tale. To understand the full picture and to have a structure in that you can build your business, you’ll need the strategic plan and operational plan.

What is a business strategy?

In its most basic form the business plan outlines how you will manage the “who” and the “what” of your company. It describes who’s running the company and the activities that the company performs. It outlines the services and products that your company sells as well as who your customers are.

What is a strategic plan?

A strategic plan goes beyond the basic elements of a business’s plan to clarify”the “how”. It describes the long-term objectives of the business as well as how it intends to accomplish these goals in the long run. The strategic plan outlines the potential products and services your company could offer as well as potential markets to expand into. The plan describes the strategy you have for expansion and growth.

What is an operational strategy?

A plan of operation focuses on the specifics of your business to describe how you are likely to meet your short-term objectives. It’s an important part of the “when” and “where” of the planning procedure. The operational plan outlines the details of your marketing campaigns, product development for the short term and goals for the immediate future, and projects expected to take place within the next calendar year.

What’s the distinction between a strategic plan and a business plan?

Let’s first take a look at the differences between a company and a strategic plan. In case you’re wondering:

The business plan is what is the “who” and “what” of the company. The strategic plan outlines the long-term objectives and describes “how” the business will achieve them, giving the long-term perspective.

In general terms the business plan reveals to us who it is by showing:

Who runs the company? What qualifies them? What are they bringing in the room that is valuable to them?

Who are the competitors? What do they have to offer and what sets you apart?

Who are your customers? How big is your market? What are the main players? What are they looking for? And what can you offer to them? In addition, how will you reach out to your customers?

The business plan provides”the “what” by telling us:

What are the service offered by the company and the way it’s delivered?

Products, services, and operations are described to help readers understand the way in which the needs of customers are addressed.

Strategic plans, on other hand, provide long-term goals and”the “how”, focusing on the following points:

What will the company look like in 3 years, 5 years, or even 10 years?

What are your plans to expand to provide a variety of products and services in the course of time?

Your industry and market will alter over time and how will your company react to these changes?

How do you increase your market and connect with new customers?

What is the most important thing to do so you can reach your objectives? What resources are you requiring to achieve your goals?

What are the best ways to measure the success of your business? What metrics are important and how can your track them?

The business plan describes what you’re doing today. The strategic plan you have created outlines your future goals and how you intend to move your business from where it stands currently to where you’d like for it to go in the next. The strategic plan lets to look further into the future, and also outlines the essential steps you must take to realize your goals.

What’s the distinction between strategic as opposed to operational plan?

While strategic planning considers the long-term and provides the broad strategies you have to grow The operational plan looks at the short-term. It details what your company plans to accomplish and how it will do it in the coming twelve months or as. An operational plan covers details like:

What are the steps you must take to meet your business objectives?

When will each task occur and who will be responsible for it and at what time are you required to hit particular goals?

What will be the business’s operating procedures? Which suppliers will you be working with? When should you get them on board?

What campaigns for marketing will you launch and how much do they cost?

What investment plans will you make with your products and services this year?

In the final word, the operational strategy is your short-term plan of action for your company. It’s the objectives that you must complete, the milestones, and steps that will propel your company ahead. Typically, an operational strategy provides specifics for a one-year period and a strategic plan considers a 3-5 year timeframe, or sometimes longer. It is the plan of action to help you implement an overall strategy.

How do you utilize your business plan to guide operational and strategic growth?

A good business plan should include both the fundamental plans for your business as well as the long-term strategic plan and the short-term operational plan. Utilizing a lean approach to planning allows you to tackle the 3 phases of planning. It will also allow it to be easy to revise and review when your business expands changes, evolves, and grows.

Begin with a simple strategy

The lean planning method begins with a basic 30-minute business plan that defines the basic tenets of your company: how you got there, the things are you doing, and who your clients are. It’s an excellent way to give a quick outline of your company.

Extend your plans

You can then add your long-term strategy. In addition, you can add more details to certain parts of your plan that will define the long-term goals, milestones, and how your services and products are likely to change and evolve over time in order to keep up with evolving market circumstances.

Then, your lean strategy includes financial forecasts, which contain monthly information on short-term expenses and revenue, and longer-term annual reports of your financial goals including future potential profitability, loan, and investment.

Utilize your business plan to run your business

Whatever strategy you’re creating, you require the help of a team of experts who can help to develop, design, and implement both strategic and operational plans. Be aware that your business requires to be the ability to establish an established foundation and an idea of direction. Additionally, it can aid you in identifying the precise work that needs to be done to help you achieve your long-term goals.

Find out how LivePlan can help you create an effective business plan that describes your business, provides the strategic goals and monitors the ongoing activities. It’s easy to share the plan with your team members and all the relevant participants, look at scenarios, and modify your plan according to the actual outcomes. Everything you require to turn the business strategy into an instrument to grow.