Page 29 - Grapevine JanFeb 2022

In The Winery

is easily digestible for you, your core team, your ● When will it be done?
partners, and/or investors. As an example, a gen-
eral outline for your business plan will appear as ● Who will get it done?
follows:
● How do these tactics define our success and
I. Executive Summary how that success will be measured?
This is the point in planning where your key per-
II. Business Description formance indicators (KPIs), otherwise known as
the metrics used to measure your business’s suc-
III. Marketing Plan cess internally, become a vital element of your
business’s future success or failure. If you haven’t
IV. Sales Plan already created KPIs use the SMART method:

V. Winemaking/Vineyard Operations Plan ● S: Specific

VI. Management and Organization ● M: Measurable

VII. Finances ● A: Actionable

VIII. Appendixes ● R: Realistic

Incorporating all functional plans of your winery ● T: Time-bound
or wine business into one unified document is
where the results of each prior phase gets pulled Each metric used to measure your business’s
together. This business plan will serve as the guid- success should contain a logical sequence of tasks,
ing document for your business’s entire organiza- goals, and milestones, and should take into account
tion, as it coordinates each sub-plan together to your possession of the right resources and relation-
prepare them for execution. ships to carry your organization forward through
periods of growth.
When aggregating each sub-plan into your unified
business plan, remember to collectively review With these final elements outlined, you can now
your business’s strategic initiatives and incorporate incorporate all of your strategic initiatives and tac-
them into the business plan according to each ini- tics into one final plan: your operating plan. This
tiative’s specific function to ensure that your busi- plan will serve as your business’s roadmap and a
ness’s structure — including its capital structure working document for each strategic initiative, and
and financing — are geared for long-term growth must also contain each actionable tactic listed as a
and success. supporting factor to those initiatives which will help
you achieve your goals.
Step #4: Develop Tactics and
the Operating Plan Concluding Thoughts

The last key step in forming a solid plan for your There is no single business or operating plan that
winery or wine business is to develop tactics and universally supports each winery or wine business
its operating plan. Though similar to a business operating today. In order to create the clearest and
plan, your operating plan is less an outline for your strongest plans possible, it is your responsibility as
business as you envision it in the future and more a a business founder or owner to understand your
roadmap for how you will get it there. business inside and out. Once you do, you will be
better positioned to formulate and integrate a plan
As a rule of thumb, the tactics you create for your that serves your unique business and its goals for
business must include (and clearly answer) the fol- continued success and future growth.
lowing criteria:

● What will be done?
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