Strategic Issues in Entreprenuerial Ventures

| Most successful companies utilize business strategic planning to set priorities and goals for the organization's future; outcomes include short-term goals and long-term strategies.  A clearly written, well designed strategic plan can align business units, divisions and employees so that the vision of the management team and the mission of the company can be fulfilled.  As companies evolve and the environment changes it is critical for companies to maintain a disciplined execution of the strategic plan.However, if they are not

In the economy today every business has a need for a strategic plan. Strategic plans are most vital for small businesses to have a strategic plan because they comprise the majority of local businesses and are more likely not to survive. No matter if the business is small or large it is important to keep this plan updated and evaluated to the businesses current standings. Typically a plan should focus on the following two to three years when it is being created.

Strategic planning determines three things for an organization. First, it tells the organization where it is going over the next year or more. Second, it explains how it is going to get there. Finally, strategic planning allows the organization to know whether or not it has achieved its desired outcome (Banyenzaki, n.d., para. 4). The focus of a strategic plan is usually on the entire organization, while the focus of a business plan is usually on a particular product, service or program (High performance coaching, 2005). When Hot Topic first came to life it was not as successful as what the founder, Orv Madden, had hoped for (Hot Topic, 2006). However, with a bit of strategic planning, his company would soon be moving forward into a future of net profit rather than net loss.

There is a reason the term “small business” is vague; it reflects the lack of a generally accepted definition. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has established numerical definitions of small businesses. These size standards vary to reflect industry

Strategic planning within a company is a tool used in companies that help mature areas in total quality management. This type of planning creates a cohesive management system for lower level employees to better adapt in. “Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how it 's going to get there. Typically, the process is organization-wide, or focused on a major function such as a division, department or other major function”(McNamara, 2008). In order to plan effectively one must first make a clear assessment of the plan and have an analysis on the corporations mission statement and objective.

Strategic planning can dictate the success of any organization if properly planned as well as the failure of an organization if not implemented as planned. Strategic planning is all about making choices. It is a process designed to support leaders in being intentional about their goals and methods. Simply stated, strategic planning is a management tool, and like any management tool, it is used for one purpose only—to help an organization do a better job. This portion of the strategic plan will explain why an

For a goal-oriented person, a strategic plan can set direction and serves as a template for consistent decision making that moves the organization toward its envisioned future (Zuckerman, 2013). On the other hand, Zuckerman (2013), poses a different perspective that states that strategic planning may not be strategic after all, becomes as I explained before, it can become a checklist technique that lacks innovative practices. However, the outcome of the strategic planning process relates further to the mission and vision of those who are developing the strategies than in the planning within itself. Therefore, the reality is that strategic planning can be as straightforward and complex as an organization wants it to be. Therefore, if an organization envisions growth, the proposal needs to provoke that, and if a team is only planning to organize itself; then, the plan can be subtler. Therefore, organization can review plans as often as yearly and can last as long as five

The decision to begin, enter, or continue with a business venture has a specific amount of risk associated with the undertaking and once begun specific goals and objectives need outlining and measurement devises put in place to confirm the future success of the entity. In a simple form, a strategic plan determines where an organization is going during the year to two years, how it will get there, and if it can reach the objective desired. There is a variety of approaches in a strategic plan but what need the most consideration is the leadership in an organization, organizational culture, and the organizational environment. One manner of ensuring the continuity and attainment of a

In his article, “The Fall and Rise of Strategic Planning,” Henry Mintzberg (1994) provides his views on the process of strategic planning. He offers that most companies and organizations start a strategic planning process with little understanding of the definition or actual purpose of planning. He tends to admonish much of the conventional understanding concerning strategic planning and proposes his interpretations. He states that “the most successful strategies are visions, not plans” (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 107).

This was just a definition on the basis of how many employees are present in the company. When looking at different countries and industries, the employees can range from 50 in Australia till 500 employees. Other factors that determine whether a business is small or not are net profits, assets or sales. There are many benefits of owning a small business but then again there are disadvantages as well. The business can be initiated with a small initial capital and can be advertised in any manner. The person is her or her own boss and there are no

Strategic planning can make or break a company. Business owners need to make sure and focus on the plans being implemented for their business as they are the ones who will suffer the consequences if the plan does not succeed. When choosing who will be planning and making decisions for a company one must first make sure that the person being put in this position can come up solutions fast, does well under pressure, and most importantly someone who knows how to take criticism

In order for a business or corporation to grow and expand at a calculated pace, they must be able to strategize the proper business plan to get there. A strategy is a set of analytic techniques for understanding and influencing the firm 's position in the marketplace (Raimundo, 2001). Having a business

Strategic planning involves making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies and how the organization decides to implement their goals (Bateman, Snell, Konopaske, pg. 113). Strategies help organizations to have a clear perspective on how to go about accomplishing the goals they have in place. All organizations have a clear vision of what their mission and purpose as a company is, they know how to fulfill the mission, vision, and purpose and they know how to ensure that they accomplish all their goals. However, the route the organization takes to define these things determines how effective they will be.

The Case Study concerning MacFarlane solutions is an interesting one to note down regarding strategic planning in an organization. From the information given, it appears that the small business expanded merely due to the insight of Bill MacFarlane and the planning that he gave forward. (McDonald 2011 pg. 736) Bill started off after working in a firm and having an experience of more than forty years. He specialized in what he knew and then gave forward what he was good out. There was risk in his ventures as the expert started out, however he trusted his instincts and went out with the planning.

Conclusion: This paper is intended to give clarity on the depths of small businesses, how they plan to succeed and get through possible adversity. The surviving mechanism it takes to maintain in a world where large businesses are expected to exist longer than small business.