CHAPTER 5
Assembling the Working Group The work of the individual still remains the spark that moves mankind ahead even more than teamwork. – I G O R
SIKORSKI
TO PREPARE YOUR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN,
you will need to draw on the experience and talents of many people. In this chapter, we take a brief look at all the parties that might be part of the working group for your company’s international business plan. Central to the working group is the person who is tasked with preparing the plan—perhaps you, your department or someone within your chain of command. The plan preparer will need to draw on the expertise of various professionals to assess the proposed technologies and to support the practical feasibility of the plan. A financial expert is an essential member of the working group, as are the senior managers on whom depends the successful implementation of the plan. Presentation of the plan, including objective review, can be just as important as the content, and therefore, the working group should include those who have a gift for clarifying the communications of others: good editors and analysts.
You Presumably you opened this book because you’ve been asked to prepare an international business plan, review the work of another or are the owner of a small business enterprise. Business planning should be a priority in every business organization and command the attention of senior managers. The actual drafting might, however, be done by different people depending on the size of the company and available resources. Consider the following examples: ■
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In a small- to medium-sized business, which may have anywhere from one to 100 employees, the CEO may draft the plan. In turn, the CEO may ask the managers from one or more of the functional areas described below to provide additional information. In larger organizations, responsibility for drafting the international business plan may be turned over to a group of middle-level managers from different areas of the company, perhaps even including overseas subsidiaries. The end product will then be routed up to senior management for comment and action. An entrepreneur looking to start up a new business with an international focus may not have staff resources to help with research, nor a track record of domestic activity. Special care will need to be given in identifying actual market opportunities and potential risks. Regardless of who you are, let’s start with the basic point. If you are going to be preparing the first draft of the plan, be realistic about your skills, knowledge and expertise. If you are not mathematically inclined, don’t focus on financial
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