Foundations for success: building a business plan

So, you’ve got really good business idea. This can be an exciting time, often accompanied by a whirlwind of thoughts, ideas, and questions. While your instincts may send you in different directions, it's crucial to harness this enthusiasm and add some structure – time for a business plan!

Whether it's scribbling down ideas or crunching numbers, a business plan provides clarity amidst the chaos. It can take many forms but it's your chance to map out everything and form a blueprint for your dream venture, organise your thoughts and anticipate potential challenges before they derail your journey.

In this two hour interactive workshop we will delve into the intricacies of crafting a business plan, navigating through the essential elements of strategic planning. We will use a diverse toolkit including the Business Canvas, Pitch Deck, and comprehensive business plan templates, to offer you options to fit with your aspirations and objectives.

We'll emphasise the integration of sustainable practices into every facet of a business model. The idea of building a business plan can be overwhelming, so we will offer some time-tested strategies and tips that will help you to actually get stuff done and prioritise the actions you need to take as you progress.

What can a robust business plan offer? Here's a snapshot:

• Provide a structured framework for articulating your business concept.
• Conduct thorough market analysis and assesses the competitive landscape.
• Project financial forecasts and outline risk mitigation strategies.

Amy Morse is a creative entrepreneur who has mentored thousands of startups and small businesses over the years. She reads and writes extensively on sustainability, viewing it from a holistic perspective: balancing both environmental and economic sustainability. Amy is an avid allotmenteer, who has worked and volunteered with various community organisations, including city farms and community gardens.

In advance of the meeting we will send out a brief questionnaire so that you can tell us some background information on your business idea, to help us tailor the session and to confirm your business details or pre-start plans.

All of our support is fully funded and is therefore free to access.

It is a requirement of our funding body that we record every organised interaction with pre-start and start-up businesses at BIPC Bristol. Please therefore take a few moments to provide us with the relevant information needed so we may provide our service.

Starting a business requires dedication, hard work and perseverance. It also involves learning and developing a myriad of new skills and understanding. This programme of interactive 2 hr workshops will focus on building up a range of skills over a number of core business needs including:

• Business essentials for pre-starts, planning, IP & research
• Marketing
• Accts/bookkeeping
• Sales
• Start-up sustainably
• AI
• Email marketing

These workshops will run on a regular basis throughout the year. In addition. we will supplement these core areas with a range of additional stimulating 1-1s and workshop sessions covering other areas like recruitment, branding, website design and build, planning and even business coaching These will change over time with new ones being added. Keep an eye on our Eventbrite page or sign up to our newsletter to stay connected.

At BIPC Bristol we help and support aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Bristol and the surrounding area. We offer a range of business services across four main themes:

• Intellectual Property guidance, help and legal advice
• free access to business intelligence resources and databases including market research, grants, company data and reports
• one-to-one sessions with advisors and experts, workshops and networking events
• spaces to meet, study and research your business planning

The Business & IP Centre Bristol supports people to start, protect and grow their businesses. Visit Bristol Central Library to access our free market research and intellectual property databases and take part in our regular programme of workshops and events.

BIPC Bristol is part of Bristol Libraries and the BIPC National Network.

This course is provided by BIPC Bristol and is free of charge for residents and businesses based in Bristol and the surrounding area.

This workshop will be held face to face in Bristol Central Library public meeting room. Numbers will be strictly limited. We anticipate that the course will be oversubscribed and that there will be a wait list. If you book and later find you cannot attend please advise us ASAP so that someone else can benefit from your place. Please register at the BIPC desk on the ground floor next to the café.

Tea and coffee will be provided, alternatively there is a café on site.

What is your refund policy?

Our events are free, but places are limited and events are usually oversubscribed. Please give two working days’ notice via email if you wish to cancel.

Can I attend if I'm not a member of the library?

Absolutely! Any Bristol and surrounding area based business or person with a business idea is welcome. Though we always recommend joining the library as it's free and will make accessing our databases, books and publications much easier.

How can I find out about any news & upcoming events?

Follow us on Eventbrite and you can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and events. For more information on BIPC Bristol check out our web pages: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/BIPC

After you have attended one of our events we ask that you complete a short feedback form. We will use the information you provide to improve the services we offer in line with our legitimate interests. This information is collected and transferred to us by our third-party processor, Impact Reporting using their Impact Assessment Tool. Impact Reporting will retain your data to save time when completing any future feedback forms we may send you. For more information about how they use personal information, please see their privacy policy online at https://impactreporting.co.uk/legal/privacy-policy/

For information about how the British Library will use your personal data, you can view our Privacy Policy at https://www.bl.uk/about-us/privacy-policy

For information about how Business & IP Centre Bristol will use your personal data, you can view our privacy policy at: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/about-our-website/privacy

Host or Publisher Business & IP Centre Bristol