A business plan tells the clinic’s story—past, present, and future—moving from mission and goals to the planned growth and financial projections that will support the mission and goals.  The business plan can be the vehicle through which clinics enhance their strategic plan by defining actions, timelines, and responsibilities. The business plan will be put to practical use for communicating goals and objectives to others, including upper management, potential grant funders, banks from which you seek loans, and staff.

The business plan is also useful within the organization for evaluating achievements. Although those preparing to launch a brand-new clinic may not yet have all the information they need to complete a business plan, it is important to start writing the plan early on, because the process will help identify issues that need attention.

Standard formats have been developed for business plans used by for-profit businesses that sell products and services to customers. Business plan concepts can be employed in a format adapted for clinics to take into account the intended audience and the amount of time and money available for the business plan’s development.

The following elements of a business plan illustrate how a clinic might adapt the classic business plan structure for its purposes.

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