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A Guide to Preparing an International Business Plan

By: FITT Team

An international business plan acts as a framework that identifies goals and objectives, specific target markets and clients, resources required and strategies to be developed in pursuit of international business opportunities. The plan allows for the monitoring of progress via metrics against which success and failure can be measured. A comprehensive international business plan will be comprised of a number of integrated strategies related to business functions, including communications, sales and marketing, finance and production.

What Is an International Business Plan?

An international business plan is a valuable management tool that describes who a business is, what it plans to achieve and how it plans to overcome risks and provide anticipated returns. It can be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as to:

Set goals and objectives for the organization’s performance.
Provide a basis for evaluating and controlling the organization’s performance.
Communicate an organization’s message to managers and staff, outside directors, suppliers, lenders and potential investors.
Help the planner identify the cash needs of the business.
Provide benchmarks against which to compare the progress and performance of the business over time.

A comprehensive and detailed plan forces the planner to look at an organization’s operations and re-evaluate the assumptions on which the business was founded. In doing so, strengths and weaknesses can be identified.

Although highly dependent on the individual business case, on average it takes a three-year commitment to establish a successful presence in a foreign market. This process may require tremendous human, technical and financial resources during the developmental period.

International Market Entry Strategies Couse Banner

The Planning Process

An international business plan is subject to repeated adjustment and revision to keep it current with the changing circumstances of the organization. The plan is a feedback mechanism through which new information is continually incorporated into the organization’s operations. Planning always precedes action. Therefore, planning must be thought of as a continuous cycle. The analytical tools presented here are not intended to be used just once. If they are to be useful, they should be used repeatedly as part of a process of improvement and incremental adjustment.

Plan Preparation Guidelines

These 7 guidelines will help in preparing a comprehensive international business plan:

Clearly define the objectives for producing the plan : Who is going to read the plan, and what will they need to do? These objectives can help you decide how much emphasis to put on various sections.
Allocate sufficient time and resources to thoroughly research the plan : A plan is only as good as the research that went into producing it.
Show drafts of the plan to others : It can be very useful to obtain feedback from others, both inside and outside the business.
Create an original plan that is done specifically for each business case : A common mistake entrepreneurs make is to borrow heavily from a sample plan and simply change the names and some of the numbers. There are two big problems with this approach. First , the emphasis placed on various sections of the plan must reflect what is important to the particular business in question. Second , a good plan should flow like a story, with the sections working together to demonstrate why the business will succeed. Plans that borrow too heavily from other plans tend to be disjointed, with some sections contradicting others and various key issues left unaddressed.
Outline the key points in each section before the writing starts : These points must then be reviewed to ensure the sections are consistent with each other, there is little duplication and all key issues have been addressed.
Ensure financial projections are believable : For many readers, the financial section is the most important part of the plan because it identifies the financing needs and shows the profit potential of the business. In addition, a good financial plan will give the reader confidence that the author really understands the business.
Consider writing the executive summary as the last step in the process: It is usually easier to provide a concise overview after the detailed content has been created.

If you’re having trouble getting started with your business plan, try writing like it’s a series of tweets—one for every section of your business plan. To get your point across, 140 characters is all you need.

Forcing yourself to boil each section of your business plan down to one main point is an exercise in decision making and strategy all in itself. When you’re done, you’ll have everything you need to take your next step, whether that’s practicing your pitch to potential investors or a business partner, or sitting down to expand each tweet into a full section of a more traditional business plan.

Core Content

The international business plan is the culmination of all of the work done to determine the appropriate venture for the organization’s growth. As part of the feasibility process, the organization will have determined its own internal readiness, conducted comprehensive target market research and carefully analyzed any relevant risks.

Feasibility of International Trade Couse Banner

At this point, the organization can take all of this information and analysis and formally document the plan for moving forward. There are many different models and examples of how to put together a formal business plan, rather than one correct way.

The right format will depend on the organization, the venture being pursued and who will be accessing the business plan and for what purpose. However, there are some basic guidelines to follow.

One of the reasons business plans are developed is to convince investors and/or bankers to invest in the venture.

Increasingly, they are looking for a business plan to include two sections: one relating to online strategy (in terms of e-marketing, social media and ROI) and the second relating to corporate social responsibility (including quality, health, safety and environment policies).

The inclusion of these topics gives more credibility to the company by demonstrating its commitment to the community and to employees’ well-being.

Table 3.1 nternational Business Plan Content

Telling a Story

One trend in business planning is to use a narrative structure in the document, rather than traditional technical writing techniques. Storytelling techniques are increasingly being used throughout the business world to create personal and organizational brands, deliver marketing messages and develop persuasive plans.

Stories make presentations better. Stories make ideas stick. Stories help us persuade. Savvy leaders tell stories to inspire us, motivate us. That’s why so many politicians tell stories in their speeches. They realize that “what you say” is often moot compared to “how you say it.

Instead of using bulleted points and cold, technical language, organizations employ a “beginning, middle and end” narrative style. This engages the audience by establishing the context, describing the conflict or obstacles and arriving at a successful resolution.

The Executive Summary

Usually the last step of preparing the international business plan is to develop the executive summary, a short overview of what the plan proposes to accomplish. For some purposes, a one-page business plan can also be useful.

There is not a great deal of difference between an executive summary and a one-page business plan. The most significant distinction is the one-page plan must completely fit on one page in a readable font, while an executive summary may spread over two or three pages.

One-Page Business Plan

There is a trend towards the one-page business plan, especially if the plan is to be presented to potential partners for their consideration. Audiences for the one-page plan will be looking for a “quick hit”: a clear and concise description of what the opportunity is and how it is being pursued.

For example, a one-page business plan might include the following topics, as described in Noah Parson’s article “How to Write a One-Page Business Plan” on the website Bplans :

Customer problem/opportunity
Your solution/approach
Business model (how you make money)
Target market (who is the customer and how many are there)
Competitive advantage
Management team
Financial summary
Funding required

The one-page plan (or the executive summary, if used in place of the one-page plan) may provide the first impression the audience has of the business. This is the most important document generated out of the business planning process, and significant effort and care should be taken in its creation.

There are many websites the provide blank samples of one-page business plans, including Bplans , the GoForth Institute and Startup.com.

A Note on Strategic Plans

A strategic plan covers many of the same points as a business plan. However, a strategic plan sets out the detailed action plan to be followed to achieve the objectives of the international business plan.

It must outline specific activities, their due dates and who is responsible for each activity. It is a project plan with a critical path. A strategic plan ensures any venture is carried out in a coordinated, informed and systematic way.

A key consideration in action planning is how quickly to enter the market, which is driven by the chosen market entry strategy. If market entry is done too quickly, the potential for costly mistakes increases. However, if it is completed too slowly, opportunities may be missed and competitors will have more time to react.

The Planning Cycle

Attaching the word “cycle” to planning implies that it happens more than once. International business plans need to be reviewed periodically because new information that has an impact on both planning and operations is continually coming in.

All plans, including international business plans and strategic plans, need to be reviewed every time there is a major event impacting the business, such as civil unrest, a currency fluctuation or the presence of a new competitor.

About the author

Author: FITT Team

The Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) is the standards, certification and training body dedicated to providing international business training, resources and professional certification to individuals and businesses. Created by business for business, FITT’s international business training solutions are the standard of excellence for global trade professionals around the world. View all posts by FITT Team

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What is Global Marketing? See 13 Businesses with Brilliant Strategies

Published: June 22, 2023

Global marketing is no longer reserved for brands with deep pockets, nor is it a hassle for marketing managers who handle all marketing efforts.

best marketing strategies used by companies; business marketers discussing amongst themselves

A global presence is possible for any business with a creative strategy and an understanding of world markets. Let's go over what a good global marketing strategy looks like and the best examples worldwide.

What is global marketing?

Global marketing entails packaging your products to meet a universal marketplace's needs and preferences. It involves creating, consolidating, positioning, and promoting your products and services, focusing on global consumers.

Global marketing isn't a new concept. Established companies like Coca-Cola have been using this strategy to reach their international consumers for decades.

With the invention of social media, websites, and other online advertising agencies, global marketing has become very easy. Both small and large businesses can use this approach to broaden their consumer base.

This marketing approach requires strategies to help you master the global markets and connect with the consumer in the most acceptable way.

That starts with proper new marketing research to understand who your consumers are, the countries they're from, what form of your products or services appeal more to them, and the best approach that will work for them.

The marketing process may also require localizing your brand to reflect the needs and desires of the people the strategy means to reach.

With that said, localization is critical for every global marketing plan. Some brands opt for a global standardization strategy, meaning it’s the same for everyone.

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The Global Marketing Playbook

Fill out this form to access the guide., global standardization strategy.

A global standardization strategy refers to the ability to use standardized marketing messaging and campaigns across markets, countries, and cultures.

The world's biggest brands, such as Adidas and Coca-Cola, use a global standardization strategy to create a consistent brand experience across regions and languages.

The experience and imagery are virtually the same regardless of where you visit those brands.

In contrast to localization, where there's a more differentiated marketing approach to each market, global standardization provides significant cost benefits. This approach requires less messaging and fewer campaigns.

However, the key is to know when a global standardization strategy will be effective. You'll need to research whether customers use or think about your products differently depending on their market.

A global standardization approach is practical if there's no difference between the usage and understanding from country to country.

Choosing localization or global standardization is one aspect of creating a great global marketing strategy.

To give you an idea of what a great global marketing strategy looks like, we've compiled a list of brands that totally "get it."

From adapting their social strategies to translate across multiple languages to adjusting their menus to appeal to the cravings of a diverse group of people, these brands are taking positive steps toward creating a solid presence across the globe.

So, if you're looking for inspiration to craft a successful international marketing strategy and expand your business's reach, check out these examples from the world's most successful companies.

Global Marketing Strategies

Dunkin Donuts
World Wildlife Foundation

Pearse Trust

Innocent drinks, traffic ticket clinic.

Airbnb launched the campaign to bring its worldwide community of hosts and guests closer in the wake of COVID-19. The company referred to the campaign as a way to highlight "the magical experiences hosts bring to guests."

To create the campaign, Airbnb took real videos and photographs of guests and put them in a video to create the "sense of nostalgia" we feel when we travel.

Over 3 million people have engaged, created content, or talked about the campaign. Just one of its videos has over 3.5 million views.

How to Imitate Airbnb's Strategy

Airbnb is inherently an international brand. Even if you identify as a more local brand, there are ways to globalize your efforts.

First, bring the focus to different customers in different regions when you create a testimonial or case study. You can also ask your international customers to contribute a photo or video of your product in use and feature that in your social media content.

How to Imitate Nike's Strategy

Partner with other brands, influencers, and ambassadors in your international target markets. Choose them carefully. For instance, Manchester United is a prominent cultural force in the U.K., which helped Nike grow in that country.

If you sell a consumer product, why not give the option for your audience to customize — and resell — the products as well? You'll end up capturing a much larger audience, and consumers from different regions will capture their region's preferences and tastes much better.

No, that's not a typo. McDonald's brings a local flavor to different countries with region-specific menu items. For instance, McDonald's offers McArabia, a flatbread sandwich, in its restaurants in the Middle East.

McDonald's has also introduced macaroons to its French menu.

This approach will get you on the radar of those who enjoy those foods daily and help you spread the word in other markets.

innocent drinks, global marketing example

While global expansion and rapid growth can sometimes distract a company from consistent branding, Innocent Drinks has remained true to itself.

By ensuring that the brand's voice is interpreted the same way worldwide, Innocent can create a more recognizable brand.

How to Imitate Innocent Drink's Strategy

Stay true to your brand voice even as you expand to other markets. Innocent Drinks is immediately likable because of its tone on its website and social media. Friendliness makes you feel more approachable—and thus more accessible to a global audience.

Plus, if your brand is consistent across the board, audiences across regions won't feel like they're getting cheated out of everything your brand can offer.

Traffic Ticket Clinic is a traffic ticket law firm that defends drivers in the state of Florida. Not very global, right? Well, the Traffic Ticket Clinic understands America is a melting pot, and that Florida is bursting at the seams with different cultures and languages.

Though a domestic service, the firm's website is available in English and Spanish. With those options, Traffic Ticket Clinic can cater to Florida's nearly 4.4 million Floridians who speak Spanish . Don't miss out on expanding your client base—sometimes, you don't have to look far to attract business.

How to Imitate Traffic Ticket Clinic's Strategy

One of the easiest ways to begin global marketing is by offering your website in different languages. If you own a WordPress website, you can use a translation plugin .

But remember: Look at your target market first to determine the best languages you should offer on your site. For instance, don't offer Swahili if you don't serve East Africa.

Coca-Cola is an excellent example of a brand that's well-known for its international marketing efforts. Though a large corporation, Coca-Cola focuses on community programs and invests in small-scale charity efforts.

For example, in Egypt, Coca-Cola has built 650 clean water installations in the rural village of Beni Suef and sponsors Ramadan meals for children across the Middle East.

In India, the brand sponsors the Support My School initiative to improve facilities at local schools. The brand sticks with selling an emotion that can't get lost in translation: happiness.

How to Imitate Coca-Cola's Strategy

Try to promote your values in your marketing efforts by investing in communities worldwide. You can start small, such as with a yearly sponsorship or recurring donation, and then work your way up to launching a charity effort on the ground.

Try to appeal to a universal human feeling as well. If you're a marketer at a hospital, you might appeal to grief and hope in a 1-minute video about a hospital visit.

These are feelings that transcend countries and languages, automatically helping you reach a global audience.

By changing how they describe their content, Spotify satisfies habits and lifestyles that people share worldwide. That allows international artists to access listeners from other countries simply because their products are categorized differently.

Spotify now has offices in more than fifteen countries around the world.

How to Imitate Spotify's Strategy

Spotify's example is a winner because its global marketing strategy is entirely product-based. It offers music, podcasts, and media in so many languages. The audiences in those countries couldn't help but start using the product.

If your product lends itself to that, try featuring items or products that appeal to people from different regions and countries.

2023 Global Marketing Trends

With 2022 ending, the only thing that has remained constant in the global marketing sphere is change. Here are some global marketing trends to watch in 2023 .

Many brands are working for a more explicit purpose and personification.
More bands are adopting User-Generated Content (UGC) marketing strategies.
Improving the entire consumer experience is an excellent way to beat the competition and encourage users to engage with your business.
Video remains the most significant in marketing strategy.
Answer-based content marketing improves user engagement and helps with SEO.

Start Global Marketing in Small Steps

Suppose you have global aspirations for your business. In that case, you need to find out what customers in different communities have in common—and how to localize your product for these different markets.

Your first step? Take inspiration from one of the businesses above. Start small, then work your way up as your business grows.

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Global Business Strategy Plan Template

What is a Global Business Strategy Plan?

A global business strategy plan outlines the strategies, objectives and tactics that an organization or company plans to implement to achieve its global business goals. It is designed to provide a roadmap for the company's direction and serves to align the company's employees and stakeholders with the vision of the business. It also outlines the steps required to achieve the desired outcome and the resources necessary to carry out the plan.

What's included in this Global Business Strategy Plan template?

3 focus areas
6 objectives

Each focus area has its own objectives, projects, and KPIs to ensure that the strategy is comprehensive and effective.

Who is the Global Business Strategy Plan template for?

This global business strategy plan template is for companies or organizations of all sizes and industries looking for an effective way to create and execute a plan for their global business strategies. The template provides a comprehensive framework for defining, measuring and monitoring progress towards your goals and objectives.

1. Define clear examples of your focus areas

A focus area is the area of your business that you are looking to improve or grow. This could be anything from improving operational efficiency, to increasing customer service, to developing new digital engagement strategies. It is important to clearly define your focus areas before you start setting objectives and KPIs, so that you can ensure that your plan is aligned with your overall business goals.

2. Think about the objectives that could fall under that focus area

Objectives are the steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the goals of your focus area. They should be specific and measurable, and should be set in such a way that they can be tracked and monitored. Examples of some objectives for the focus area of Improve Operational Efficiency could be: Reduce Shipping Wait Time, and Increase On-Time Deliveries.

3. Set measurable targets (KPIs) to tackle the objective

KPIs, or key performance indicators, are the metrics that you use to measure the success of your objectives. These should be set to ensure that progress towards the objective can be tracked and monitored. An example of a KPI for the focus area of Improve Operational Efficiency could be: Decrease avg shipping wait time from 2.2 days to 1.5 days.

4. Implement related projects to achieve the KPIs

Projects are the actions or activities that you will take in order to achieve the KPIs that you have set. These should be specific and measurable, and should be set in such a way that they can be tracked and monitored. An example of a project related to Improve Operational Efficiency could be: Streamline Shipping Process.

5. Utilize Cascade Strategy Execution Platform to see faster results from your strategy

Cascade is an easy-to-use strategy execution platform that allows you to quickly and easily create, track, and monitor your strategy plan. With Cascade, you can easily define objectives and KPIs, assign tasks and projects, track progress, and monitor results so that you can see faster results from your strategy.

What Are the Components of a Global Business Plan?

Small Business
Business Planning & Strategy
Elements of Business Plans
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How to Create a Business Plan & Where Should the Executive Summary Be Located?

How to write a business plan template for a cable channel, how to internationally outsource manufacturing.

How to Write a Business Plan Outline
How to Write a Business Description

Global business plans define mission and procedures.

Global business plans resemble local and regional business plans in format. Global business plans differ from other business plans by serving as a company's communications vehicle for its global operations. Components of a global business plan, which differ from other focus on global customers, global pricing and currency issues, and international market legal factors, to name a few distinctions listed by Allegro Invest. The University of Houston Small Business Development Center offers workshops and seminars on all aspects of small business development, including creating business plans (See References).

Executive Summary Component

Executive summaries establish goals and targets.

An executive summary describes the owner's goals and targets. An executive summary includes components, including but not limited to, a business overview, which describes the company, the projected market and the intended product or service. Include financial results, such as capital growth and profits, advises Allegro Invest. Provide any investment requirements for business operations. In an example offered by the website, BPlansWest, Pacific Marketing opens its Executive Summary, "West Pacific Marketing Consultants aims to provide marketing services to targeted business environments in Indonesia, Asia, and the west Pacific region."

Market Description

A market description for a global business reflects an in-depth international market study and offers analysis of the study findings. Key factors in a market description for an international company include "market size, share positioning of products, and competition, explains Allegro Invest. Allegro Invest advises entrepreneurs and executives to energetically research their targeted international market (See References).

Operations And Management Component

An Operations and Management Plan discusses operation factors. Operations components include, but are not limited to supply, production, marketing and distribution. This section will distinguish itself from a non-global business plan. You will discuss your research into the complexities of the global markets you are targeting, including how you plan to supply your product or service in targeted countries. If you plan to produce your product overseas, explain that dynamic here. Explain how you plan to market to the countries you will initially introduce your company. Include your management plan with strategies for global growth and successful attainment of international goals. For example, if you plan to start in one country and grow over time into other regions, discuss that plan.

Organizational Structure

The section of your global business plan on organizational structure describes your management model. Detail your organization's hierarchy of personnel, Allegro Invests advises. Potential investors want to know that their investments go to qualified executives and management. The people at the helm of your company must be savvy in your kind of business at an international level. Provide each person's credentials.

University of Houston Small Business Development Center: Workshops and Seminars
BPlans: Global Marketing Business Plan

Alyson Paige has a master's degree in canon law and began writing professionally in 1998. Her articles specialize in culture, business and home and garden, among many other topics.

How to implement a global business plan, essential elements of an international marketing plan, define a business plan, define global business plan, how to create a business plan as an entrepreneur, differences between a multidomestic & a transnational company, quick step process business plan, how to write a comprehensive business plan, how to prepare business plans, most popular.

1 How to Implement a Global Business Plan
2 Essential Elements of an International Marketing Plan
3 Define a Business Plan
4 Define Global Business Plan

How to Write an International Business Plan: Example Included

Ivy N. McQuain MBA
Categories : Entrepreneurs , Business
Tags : Office entrepreneurs topics business planning

Your ambition has led you to start your own business and now it is moving you to expand your business to an international level. You know your company is going to instantly become a success but you are unsure of how to present your company to an international investor or even how to effectively market to customers in other countries. You may have a basic business plan which enabled you to gain start-up capital and other immediate and initial necessities, but now you are at a point where you can rightfully look into expanding into other areas including the international fronts.

There are many components to a standard business plan that you should have carefully crafted to your particular industry and targeted customer base. This article with an international business plan example will give you insight to writing an international business plan based on the criteria of a simple business plan. The formatting will assist you with establishing the sections of an international business plan and direct you on how to include the needs of positioning your company in another country.

I. COMPANY (BUSINESS) PROFILE - This profile is essentially a detailed overview of your company. It should address the who, what, where, why, and how of your company so that potential investors are able to gain insight.

A. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION – You want to state the mission and vision of your company; detail the business model, which tells why you are not like your competitors; outline your short- and long-term objective strategies; discuss current strategic relationships which will prove beneficial in your overall company success; and outline your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ( also known as a SWOT Analysis ).

B. PRODUCT OR SERVICE DESCRIPTION - When you give a description of your company you want to describe what product or service you are offering to customers. If you are producing a product then you want to detail your method of manufacturing or distributing. Your goal in this section is to be as detailed as possible regarding what your company is offering to the market and customers.

C. LOCATION AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DESCRIPTION – This section is important to an international business plan because it details the projected location of the company or warehouses; details the copyrights, trademarks and patents and other important documents needed to prove ownership.

D. LEGAL STRUCTURE AGREEMENT – In this section you want to describe what your company is legally registered as. For instance if you are a warehouse distributor you cannot enter into a market selling services only. You should, if applicable, include resumes of key personnel and detail their strengths in this section. How you secure and insure your business internationally should be included in this section.

E. MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL – Investors want to know who is running the company and if they are capable of effectively running it. This section lists the people who are or will be operating the company internationally. A resume is usually a supporting document. Since you are entering international areas you want to address who you want working for your company, their projected salaries, and any future needs for your company, given growth projections . You can also include your external consultants such as accountants and lawyers.

NOTE: Developing a business plan for an international company requires more research than in your current country. You need to do your best to know the country in which you desire to enter into. The wording of your business plan must be specific to the country of entrance to avoid confusion and delay in investor participation.

Image Credit: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Continue to page 2 to view more sections included in the international business plan example.

II. MARKETING OVERVIEW – Marketing your company is one of the single most important aspects of a company and internationally it will prove to be even more significant. Your marketing overview should address how you plan to inform your target market about your company’s offerings.

A. MARKET ANALYSIS – In this section you should explain who are in your target markets; your competition; trends in your targeted market; and any conducted market research. The primary goal of this section is to allow you to understand, as you research, who you are in competition against and if you have a strong enough company to compete with.

B. MARKETING STRATEGY – How do you plan on informing customers that you are open for business? This is the primary function of this section. As you explain each product or service your company offers customers you will need to give a brief description; how you plan on selling or distribution it; packaging needs, if applicable and branding; your sales and advertising strategy; and any media communications you will perform. You can also include your approach to customer service in this section.

C. IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT OF MARKETING STRATEGY – While not pressing to write an effective business plan you should include this section so that you are capable of informing investors how you plan to implement and monitor your marketing strategy. This enables investors and yourself to make corrections and changes if needed.

NOTE: When preparing your company to move internationally you need to know how effective your marketing overview will be. Common research methods such as Internet use and other minimalistic approaches will not give you a full understanding of the actual area you are seeking to enter into. The effective implementation of your marketing strategy is dependent on facts and accurate forecasting data.

III. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW – This section informs your investors, if you are seeking funding, of what capital you currently possess and will have. You cannot accurately forecast your profits and expenses until you have developed your marketing strategy and costs associated with being an international company. You will include several documents or sheets to show that you are worthy of the risk which include a balance sheet, your credit reports, financed agreements and contracts, financial statement analysis, income statements and other pertinent financial documents.

A. CURRENT AND PROJECTED BUDGET – Regardless if you are seeking funding or not you need to have a current and projected budget sheet detailing how you are handling your current finances.

B. PROJECTED INCOME SHEET – This sheet is based on the projected sales and revenue of your product or service. This sheet is subject to change and depends on the market.

C. FINANCIAL HISTORY – You should include this information in your business to show what you have earned from the start of your business to its current state.

NOTE: If you are unsure how to effectively complete your FINANCIAL OVERVIEW section then you should consult an international accountant. You want to include the currency exchange rate in your FINANCIAL OVERVIEW in order to determine if you will earn a profit, break-even or lose money from being in an international environment.

Continue to page 3 to view the last sections included in the international business plan example.

IV. INTERNATIONAL TRADE - This section is dedicated to understanding the needs of an international market. You must perform due diligence when you are seeking to enter into an international market. In this section you want to address any export/import requirements and counseling; your company’s readiness to export/import products or services ; any agreements with distributors; an evaluation of the risks associated with international set-up or trade.

NOTE: You must describe your plan to enter and capitalize internationally. This section is applicable to each international market you are seeking to enter.

V. OTHER – The primary function for this section is to include any supporting documents you may need for your business plan’s validity. You can inquire with the different international trade offices to determine its specific document needs.

When you put together your business plan you want to have it reviewed by an attorney with international business law skills so that you are including the correct terminology and following all applicable country and international laws. You also may want to include a cover sheet which gives pertinent contact information for your company; an executive summary which is an overview of the business plan and should not be composed until you are finished with the business plan; and a table of content to provide for an easy read.

Now that you understand how to effectively write an international business plan you must remember to first perform the task of due diligence and research your targeted international market. There are many rules which apply to every country and you must ensure that you are above reproach when you seek to enter into these markets. Not every country operates on the basic business principles therefore you need to understand the risks involved. Consult all manners of professionals who are well versed in international business, finance and law to avoid losses. International business opportunities are available and now you know how to write the plan to take part of what is available.

Here is an example of an internationally position business plan which is retrieved from www.bplans.com . Included is an outline to assist you with composing your international business plan:

International Travel Agency Business Plan Outline

• 1.0 Executive Summary

o Objectives

o Keys to Success

• 2.0 Company Summary

• 3.0 Services

• 4.0 Market Analysis Summary

• 5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary

• 6.0 Management Summary

• 7.0 Financial Plan

You can read more about this international business plan example at: https://www.bplans.com/international_travel_agency_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.cfm?CMP=AFC-entrepreneur_com&affiliate=entrepreneur_com#ixzz0tmD3ig1d

MBA 541 - Global Business Plan Project Resource Guide

Phase One: Choosing a Company and Global Business Opportunity
Phase Two: Planning the Global Enterprise
Phase Three: Organizing Global Business Activities
Phase Four: Implementing the Global Marketing Plan

Resource Guide Overview

Every organization conducts research to plan and implement a business idea. This resource guide is designed to help you find the resources necessary to build the foundation for an international business plan. These steps offer flexibility for many settings related to global business enterprises. The guide may be used for planning global expansion of an existing product or service or may be used to research a new foreign business opportunity. Each phase and section in this guide contains a research component or goal that will help you build your Global Business Plan for MBA 541.

The final result of your global plan may be in one of the following formats:

a written report with supplementary tables and visuals
an oral presentation with visuals
a summary in a poster format or other visual display (website, video, newsletter)

For more information about this project, please refer to your online course shell. Please direct any questions about assignment expectations or requirements to your instructor. Any questions about resources or research tips presented in this guide can be directed towards Ask a Librarian.

Note about research

Keep in mind that you may not explicitly find the information for every component listed in this guide. Rather, be prepared to create data by extrapolating, inferring, estimating, and making judgments based on related and relevant information. Lastly, while research starters and recommend resources have been included under each section, many of the resources and reports can be applied across multiple steps. Be flexible with how you use and apply the information you find throughout the research process.

Next: Phase One: Choosing a Company and Global Business Opportunity >>
Last Updated: May 14, 2024 4:20 PM

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International Business Plan Structure

Is your business missing the opportunities in the international markets? Are you struggling with where to start your international expansion and how to go about it?

International Business Plan outlines corporate goals and steps towards foreign markets entry. It is also called the Export Business Plan . At Win Global, we apply a 3-step approach to your international expansion.

Step 1: Building a Solid Foundation for International Business Plan

During this phase we determine the readiness of your business to the international expansion and help you to build four pillars of the successful international expansion:

Selection of the product, service or solution to expand internationally
Defining global value proposition for the selected product, service or solution
Profiling ideal buyers or distributors of the product, service or solution
Target market selection

Step 2: Analytical Phase of International Business Plan

This is a very important stage of the preparatory period for entering the international markets. It summarizes all the information collected from foreign market research and risk assessment. Based on obtained information a company checks the feasibility of continuing international business planning and makes a first go-or-not-to-go decision.

Step 3: Planning Phase of International Business Plan

This is the final stage when we put together a foreign market entry plan for our clients and consider all steps that must be taken in order to succeed in international business. The typical content of International Business Plan is:

Executive Summary of International Business Plan
Corporate Global Vision and Goals
Four Pillars of the International Business Expansion
Foreign Market Research Summary
Risk Assessment
International Business Strategy At this stage, we identify the best strategy that will help our client to enter each particular foreign market of interest. The examples of international business strategies are exporting, licensing (franchising), joint venture, foreign direct investments, etc.
International Business Action Plan Based on an International Marketing Plan and the project approach International Business Action Plan contains activities, milestones, estimations, resources, performance measurement and evaluation criteria.
Cost and Benefit Estimate .

Contact us now to schedule a free and no-obligation discussion about your issues in international expansion and determine if we can help you. Fill out the contact form now .

Don't bother with copy and paste.

Get this complete sample business plan as a free text document.

Global Event Planning Business Plan

Start your own global event planning business plan

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc.

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. (GlobeSpan) will be formed as a company specializing in the representation of meeting planners from all industries. The founders have over 17 years experience in the hospitality industry working with both domestic and international meeting planners. GlobeSpan will allow the founders to utilize their expertise with meeting planners while working with hotels and resorts across the globe.

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners will partner with HelmsBriscoe, the industry’s largest and finest meeting and conference resource firm thus placing a full service meeting operational division at GlobeSpan’s disposal.

Global event planning business plan, executive summary chart image

1.1 Mission

It is the mission of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners to be the top producing member of the HelmsBriscoe meeting planning alliance by providing the highest quality service to our clients. By providing a total meeting resource including hotel/resort site searches, rate and contract negotiation, as well as recommendations for complete event planning, on-site management, airline assistance, and cruise assistance at no cost to the client, GlobeSpan becomes a time-saving “one-stop shop.” GlobeSpan is a perfect, no-cost alternative to the hassle of in-house meeting planning. GlobeSpan will be compensated by the hotels/resorts, and by the complete event planning/airline/cruise assistance offered by HelmsBriscoe’s Resource One at the rate of six percent of gross revenues generated, paid in commission. GlobeSpan provides an easy, valuable alternative for its clients, and a flexible work environment with equitable compensation for its founders.

1.2 Keys to Success

There are four key elements we will accomplish to succeed:

Utilize the unique expertise of both owners to offer increased value to the client.

1.3 Objectives

To completely repay small business loan of $50,000 by July 1, Year 4.

Business Climate

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners is a knowledge-based small business start-up on the cutting edge of what has been deemed the “new economy” by The Wall Street Journal . Selling expertise, they go on to say, is the basis of the present and future economy. Start-ups are growing at three times the rate of the national economy. In addition, The Wall Street Journal states “creativity is overtaking capital as the principal elixir of growth.” Cognetics, a business information tracking firm, calls the surging significance of small to mid-sized businesses the economy, stressing the significance of this new segment of businesses.

Additionally, in a recent study by Credit Suiss First Boston, knowledge is now acting as a substitute for physical assets for the new businesses. They are also quoted as saying “in a knowledge-based economy, there are no constraints on growth.” These are all excellent indications that the economic foundation is strong for the launch of GlobeSpan.

Specifically, the $100 billion meeting industry is strong and GlobeSpan will be a profitable player within the industry.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

GlobeSpan, in strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe, will provide a time-saving and valuable event planning service to companies who have a lack of destination/meeting planning knowledge, are understaffed or unable to take on the time consuming task of site selection/meeting planning, or want to take advantage of our free expert site selection. With hotel/resort partners worldwide, as well as cruise/air/production/program planning partners at Resource One, the best fit for the clients’ needs will be found while generating maximum revenue for GlobeSpan.

3.1 Company Ownership

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. will be a privately held Arizona S corporation based in Goodyear. The company is currently in the process of filing for incorporation with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The owners, Tracey Latkovic, former Director of sales of a major Arizona resort, and Kerry Feltenberg, former director of catering/conference services of a major Arizona resort, will have equal shares in the company.

3.2 Start-up Summary

Start-up costs are $4,800 and will be financed by the owners. An additional $50,000 is needed to cover the first six months of client searches. The following chart and table outline the assumed distribution of expenses, assets, investment, and loan liability.

Global event planning business plan, company summary chart image

3.3 Company Locations and Facilities

The company will be located in Goodyear, Arizona, with a second office in Avondale, Arizona. The owner’s home offices will be linked electronically to ensure real-time communication.

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners does worldwide hotel/resort searches, and provides recommendations for those which best match the client specifications free to the client, as GlobeSpan is compensated by the hotel/resort. Additionally, GlobeSpan refers clients to Resource One to provide in-depth meeting planning, production, airline, and cruise assistance.

4.1 Service Description

GlobeSpan plans to provide two basic services to its clients:

Other Services : GlobeSpan will take advantage of the strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe’s Resource One and have available all of the resources of a large meeting company. GlobeSpan will recommend airline and cruise bookings, management of hotel room blocks, and full-service meeting production. GlobeSpan will be compensated by HelmsBriscoe by commission on a per program basis.

4.2 Competitive Comparison

There are three categories of competitors, all of which have distinct weaknesses compared to GlobeSpan Meeting Planners:

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Small “mom and pop” competitors, which are solely owned and operated by one individual, offer site searches to the client. GlobeSpan has the advantage over this type of company by offering a more professional service to the client and the buying/full-service power of the HelmsBriscoe alliance.

4.3 Sales Literature

As part of the benefits of the alliance with HelmsBriscoe, a full-color brochure describing the business with client testimonials, as well as a four-1/2 page color insert describing the features and benefits of the site selection service will be provided by HelmsBriscoe to GlobeSpan. Additionally, four inserts, each four-1/2 page color, describing Resource One, Housing Solutions, Cruises, and Air Partner, will be provided by HelmsBriscoe to GlobeSpan.

Letterhead, with our logo is also provided by HelmsBriscoe, will be used to send customer-specific sales letters and tailored proposals. Shell sales letters and client proposals will be established. Request for proposal letters with an area for hotels/resorts to acknowledge payment of commission will also be established.

Online “brochures” will be created to email to clients. A regular monthly newsletter will be created to email to clients as a reminder of services offered.

All collateral pieces will convey the features, benefits, value, service, and professionalism of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners.

4.4 Fulfillment

We will fulfill the clients’ needs by dividing tasks based on the area of expertise of each owner.

First, by providing professional salesmanship, customer service and follow-up based on the specific needs of the client.

Second, by providing detailed, knowledgeable interaction with the hotels/resort to match them with client needs, as well as understanding and recommending additional services such as air, cruise, production, room block management, etc.

4.5 Technology

Technology is essential to today’s meeting planner. GlobeSpan Meeting Planners will stay on the cutting edge of technology.

Other Technology . Utilizing communication advantages such as Caller ID, call forwarding from office telephones to cellular telephones to ensure every call is answered, and a message system which allows callers who receive a message to page an owner for an immediate response. Additionally, the two home offices will be linked to ensure both calls and the database can be accessed in both places.

4.6 Future Services

Future plans for expansion have been discussed, and include the marketing of materials/books to meeting planners on the “how to’s” of event planning and selling those materials, both online and by offering “seminars” to promote the information.

Also, in the future, GlobeSpan may offer on-site lead conference management either alone or in conjunction with Resource One.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

From the past experience of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners’ founders, small- to mid-sized companies that are not located in major metropolitan areas (i.e suburbs, smaller cities, rural areas) are not primary targets for other event planning companies and hotel/resort chains, and in general, are more receptive to solicitation. Therefore, these areas will be targeted.

Additionally, strategically focusing on companies who have not been represented by meeting planning firms or utilized meeting planning search firms in the past should bring us new clients.

Those who have a need for event planning services are companies with a lack of hotel/resort/destination knowledge, no on-site meeting planner, and/or no time to concentrate on site search details.

5.1 Market Segmentation

Some potential client profiles are as follows:

Corporate In the corporate segment, internal corporate meeting decision makers range from designated meeting planners, to administrative assistants, to company presidents. These potential customers are planning corporate group (10 or more rooms) meetings which range from small board to national sales meetings and can range from one to several hundred meetings per year. The corporate window for event planning can be as little as one month to as long as several years.

Incentive Incentive planners are a subgroup of the the corporate segment specializing in reward-based high-end group travel. Again, the decision makers can vary from office to office. They plan group incentive trips to, generally, resort destinations which can range from the top ten company executives to several hundred sales personnel. Typically, the window for incentive travel is between three months and one year due to the “qualification” imposed by the company on the personnel to attend the meetings (i.e. meeting sales quotas, hitting budget, etc.).

Association Associations, according to their by-laws, must typically have a specific number of meetings per year. Thus, the association planner’s calander is set years in advance. Usually, an association will have a few board meetings and one or more large conventions/trade shows per year. The potential customer is typically an on-site meeting planner, the executive director or the entire board.

Social/Military/Educational/Religious/Fraternal (SMERF) This market segment, sometimes referred to by its acronym SMERF, represents events which are planned by designated individuals who may be somewhat unfamiliar with meeting planning, such as social committee members, military personnel, teachers, pastors, or fraternal organization officers. This market segment’s meetings are typically mid-range to low budgeted events (usually due to the diverse economic status of the members and the need to avoid excluding any attendees due to costs).

Global event planning business plan, market analysis summary chart image

5.2 Service Business Analysis

GlobeSpan is a meeting planning resource firm. Third party companies, as they are commonly referred to by hotels and resorts, consist of firms who represent a small group of specific hotels/resorts, and mega meeting/incentive “houses,” which provide full services including airfare, housing, and on-site program administration, as well as large and small site search firms.

Due to the strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe, GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. will be instantly recognizable to meeting professionals as part of the hospitality industry’s largest and finest meeting and conference resource firm. We will have the challenge of establishing ourselves with customers as a “client advocate,” not a hotel/resort representative, and separate ourselves from the mega-firms by the quality of personal service we offer.

5.2.1 Business Participants

The business presence in the third party portion of the meeting industry breaks down largely as follows:

Mega Meeting/Incentive Houses Advantage: These companies offer full service, from airfare to post-program follow-up, and offer the leverage and buying power of a large company because they have “preferred” vendors with whom they do large volume. Disadvantage: These companies are so large, they offer very little “custom” service for the client. Timely follow-up is always a concern when utilizing a very large company. The client will have many contacts for different services within the company. These companies often advocate the “preferred” vendors with whom they do more business than the actual client.

National Site Search Firms Advantage: These companies offer a time saving service to the client and are able to research any hotel/resort worldwide. Disadvantage: Many of these firms have become so large that the individual sales contact does not even remember which program from which client he/she may be working on at a given time. A resort may follow-up to propose a better offer for the customer, and the sales contact does not have the time or care to do any more than provide the initial information to the client. These companies are limited to site searches and can offer no other event planning assistance/value to the client.

Small Site Search Firms Advantage: These companies can offer good customer service and timely follow-up to the client. Disadvantage: These companies are so small and independent, most do not have the knowledge to offer the correct assistance to the client. Additionally, they do not have any leverage/buying power with hotels/resorts and lack a network of associates to offer any other information than what is presented by the hotel/resort salesperson to the clients.

5.2.2 Competition and Buying Patterns

As previously mentioned, the Professional Convention Management Association reports a rising trend to use third-party services. Planners are choosing that route for various reasons. They are finding that mergers within the hotel/resort industry are creating a more profit and less service-oriented business climate. Third-party planning companies are chosen to provide expert advice/recommendations. Overall, in the competitive atmosphere of third-party companies, there are several reasons why certain companies are chosen over others:

Personal Service. Potential customers do not want to feel like they are one of many other clients. They want personalized service.

5.2.3 Main Competitors

GlobeSpan’s competitors include:

Note: All competitors names have been removed for confidentiality.

5.3 Target Market Segment Strategy

Prospecting is the key to success. We must consistently bring in new customers to use our site selection service and who we can potentially upsell our other alliance services. To increase the success of prospecting, we must create targeted lists which fit the criteria of a future client. These lists will be compiled utilizing resources available to GlobeSpan Meeting Planners including, but not limited to, the Official Meeting Planners Guide, Meeting Planners International Directory, Executive Women International Resources, etc.

After ascertaining a potential customer by prospecting, we must follow though with efficient site recommendations based on the exact client needs, and always remember to upsell the additional client services to add value to our services for the client and increase possible revenues.

5.3.1 Market Growth

The growth potential in the meetings industry is strong. Currently, over $100 billion is spent annually on meetings, according to MeetingNews. In a study by Deloitte & Touche, conventions, expositions, meetings and incentive travel is listed as the twenty-second largest contributor to the gross national product. This spending is expected to grow between 2.9-4.2% per year, according to the Convention Liaison Council.

All indicators seem to predict growth within the meeting planning industry. In the Convene Magazine 8th Annual Market Survey, 89% of meeting professionals reported flat or increased meeting attendance expected for 1999 versus 1998. Likewise, PriceWaterhouseCoopers reported that upscale and full-convention hotels recorded over 70% occupancy in 1999, versus the average of 64.5% occupancy reported in 1997.

Growth within the corporate, association, incentive and SMERF market segments are conservatively estimated to grow at a rate of three percent, two percent, and three percent, and remain flat, respectively over the next few years.

5.3.2 Market Needs

Our target potential clients have a need for assistance in meeting planning/hotel/resort/destination expertise. They are looking for no-cost time saving options to allow them to prioritize other company tasks for which they are responsible. They have a need for a “silent” partner (GlobeSpan Meeting Planners) which will make them “look” better to their company. They range from secretarial level to company president and have the same information gathering and time-saving needs for different reasons. Those employees responsible for meeting planning want you to communicate with them on their terms. They require whichever mode of communication is most comfortable for their busy schedule, including email, fax, telephone, cellular telephone, messaging, and paging options. They want buying power with hotels/resorts, preferential treatment with their dates/patterns, knowledge of all destinations worldwide, and efficiency in the presentation of site search findings.

Within the target marketing segments, corporate, association, incentive, and social/military/educational/religious/fraternal (SMERF), the following situations may exist, creating a need for the services offered by GlobeSpan:

Meeting Planners who need to concentrate on internal meeting content and have little or no time to complete the time consuming task of site selection and/or airline coordination, on-site production, hotel room block management, etc.

5.3.3 Market Trends

More meetings are being planned by key corporate industries, such as the pharmaceutical, medical, automotive, financial, high technology and e-commerce industries, largely due to the success of these industries in the current bullish economy. Thus, a need to outsource some of the work associated with that increase. Additionally, associations are seeing an increase across the board in membership participation making industry meetings larger and more complex.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

GlobeSpan, with our strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe, will offer the great customer service of a small company; yet, offer the services of a big company to our clients. With aggressive prospecting, follow-up, and attention to detail, GlobeSpan will exceed the needs of the four target market segments. We will develop our niche market–those clients needing a “silent partner” to save them time and offer intelligent solutions–by targeted sales and service. We will commit to a consistent “review and change” process by which we can anticipate the needs of the marketplace and implement change to stay competitive.

6.1 Competitive Edge

There are several competitive edges that GlobeSpan Meeting Planners has over its competitors. First, over national representation firms, GlobeSpan has the freedom and ability to present any hotel/resort as a solution to the customer, we are not restricted to a few retainer hotels/resorts. Second, we can offer the services of a big company but are still small enough to offer great customer service to the fastest growing segment of businesses–small-to mid-sized. Third, while national site search firms are limited to just finding a destination for the customer, through our alliance with HelmsBriscoe’s Resource One, we have the ability to help with all aspects of the meeting, as well as offer assistance with airfare and cruises. Fourth, although small search firms can only offer limited knowledge and service, our alliance with HelmsBriscoe allows us access to over 180 associates and databases detailing the experiences at each destination.

Overall, GlobeSpan will offer the best of both worlds–small-company service with big company expertise.

6.2 Marketing Strategy

The owners’ 17 years experience in the industry will bring a wealth of contacts with whom to build a network of referrals. We will utilize the marketing materials offered by HelmsBriscoe as a foundation, and build upon the quality letters, proposals, newsletters and reminder cards. We will be able to market like a small company with big company clout. We will benefit from the national marketing efforts of HelmsBriscoe, such as national advertising, national partnership marketing with hotels/resorts, Web marketing such as HotDateHotRates.com, HelmsBriscoe.com, HBMeet-Market.com, FirstOptionHB.com, the HelmsBricoe quarterly newsletter, and several international industry events per year, such as the Industry Summit.

6.2.1 Promotion Strategy

GlobeSpan will consistently ask clients for referrals and will keep in contact with customers by direct mail to update clients with new information and reasons to utilize our services. We will concentrate on complete client trust and strive to exceed client expectations, which will ultimately cultivate repeat business and increase referrals.

6.2.2 Pricing Summary

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners will offer its services free of charge to the client. From the property in which the client books the meeting, GlobeSpan will receive a 10% of total rooms revenue commission. Between three and four percent of this commission will go to HelmsBriscoe in return for the services described herein. The total commission for the company will break down as follows:

Although it does not seem like a large jump, for example, one percent commission on $10 million would translate to $100,000 for GlobeSpan. So it does add up significantly as our revenue numbers grow.

6.2.3 Marketing Programs

Our marketing programs for the first five months of operation are listed in our milestones chart. Specifically, we intend to get the word out with direct mail. All other national marketing efforts will be handled by HelmsBriscoe. At the end of the five months, we will re-evaluate our position based on meeting/exceeding our sales forecast and will make adjustments for the next six months accordingly.

6.2.4 Positioning Statement

For those companies, associations, and organizations who need time-saving, reliable, honest, and intelligent assistance with site searches and meeting planning, GlobeSpan can provide the timely follow-up, integrity, advocacy, and custom solutions of a small company while offering the leverage, technical and meeting destination knowledge of a big company. Unlike the national representation firms, GlobeSpan is not on retainer with specific hotels/resorts and, therefore, can offer objective solutions to the client’s custom meeting needs.

6.3 Sales Strategy

The features of GlobeSpan, combined with it’s no-cost service to the client, will assist in closing sales. We must stress to the client that our commission will not increase the price paid by the client to the hotel/resort and ensure the hotels/resorts utilized are consistent with this promise. To ensure future sales, we must have incredible follow-up and personalized customer service. We must create so much value in our service that planning a meeting without us would be viewed by the client as a mistake.

6.3.1 Sales Forecast

Our sales forecast in the appendix of this plan details our anticipated commissions. This is a very conservative estimate based on the actual history of sales of one of the owners. Please note the plan outlines the quarterly nature of corporate sales (our major segment) and tends to be lower during the beginning of a quarter (January through March would be one quarter) and heavier toward the close of the quarters. We anticipate no referral commission at first, however, we do anticipate that that commission will slowly and steadily increase over time.

Example: To achieve a $3,000 commission in month one, we are anticipating closing $50,000 in rooms revenue or approximately one contract at, for example, 75 rooms for four nights at a rate of $175 actualized in August. This would yield a $3,000 commission which is 6% of $50,000. The rest of the forecast is figured with the same reasoning.

Global event planning business plan, strategy and implementation summary chart image

6.3.2 Sales Programs

Our sales programs for the first five months of operation are listed in our Milestones chart. Specifically, we intend to qualify our customers utilizing industry directories such as the Meeting Planners Guide and other relevant resources, create planner specific letters and proposals based on each segment’s different needs, follow-up with telephone solicitation and personal letters and perform future follow-up in the form of friendly direct mail and telephone calls. At the end of the five months, we will re-evaluate our position based on meeting/exceeding our sales forecast and will make adjustments for the next six months accordingly.

6.4 Strategic Alliances

We will form a strategic alliance with HelmsBricoe Performance Group. This alliance will allow GlobeSpan access to many helpful items:

By utilizing the “permission marketing” of HelmsBriscoe, GlobeSpan is immediately recognized as the country’s largest meeting and conference resource firm. No introduction or start-up advertising is necessary.

6.5 Milestones

The following table offers our benchmarks for success. GlobeSpan has assigned each task to an owner and have very specific completion dates for each task.

As demonstrated, we are focused on marketing and sales. By ending the milestones in January, we are demonstrating a business philosophy–constant evaluation and change for the better. It is our intention to spend a week every six months thinking and evaluating the current status of our business and designing a new milestone charge for the future, which integrates our successes and creates new ideas for the future.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The owners of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners have over 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry. With the knowledge of all aspects of event planning, from initial hotel contact to final hotel billing, we offer a solid base of information from which the customer can draw. The founders of GlobeSpan have worked with many potential planner customers already on the resort side and have demonstrated competence in meeting site selection and planning.

We will rely on Resource One to outsource any upsold services such as air/meeting development/program administration/destination management/production/on-site negotiations. Uniquely, GlobeSpan will earn commission on this outsourcing and it will provided at no charge to GlobeSpan.

7.1 Organizational Structure

The two owners will divide the responsibilities of the business. While both will decide on major company matters, the day to day operation will be divided into two major sections:

Hotel/resort contact, site selection and upsell of additional services.

Administrative work will be divided equally as necessary among the owners with a part-time administrative staff position becoming available as soon as deemed appropriate by both owners to free the owners for direct client/hotel/resort contact.

7.2 Management Team

GlobeSpan is committed to sales and service. Tracey Latkovic, former director of sales of a major resort, has taken on the sales role within the company. Kerry Feltenberg, former director of catering/conference services of a major resort, has taken on the service role within the company. This leaves no expertise out and provides a solid foundation for GlobeSpan.

Kerry Feltenberg reached executive level at [confidential], one of the most prestigious resorts in the nation, as director of catering/conference services. Her education includes the designation of CMP, certified meeting professional, which requires ongoing education, publication of articles in industry journals and public speaking engagements. A very successful professional, Kerry adds former President of Executive Women International to her list of achievements.

Tracey Latkovic is the former director of sales for [confidential], responsible for a five year personal achievement of over $21 million dollars in room sales. Her education includes a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering with a minor in mathematics. She has been honored by Today’s Arizona Woman Success Magazine as one of the Top Ten Women in Business and Industry.

7.3 Personnel Plan

The table below outlines our payroll for the owners over the next three years. In year one, we are planning on a modest salary of $4,000 per owner per month to cover existing living expenses. This salary will increase a modest 4.8% in fiscal year 2002 and again a modest 4.8% in fiscal year 2003. We feel our dividends from growth will supplement our income in year two and three. The detailed monthly personnel plan for the first year is included in the appendix.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

As a service or knowledge-based corporation, GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. will begin with very little start-up costs, and one long-term loan to allow the owners the ability to establish the company. As indicated on the following charts and tables, GlobeSpan will grow to need fewer funds over time to maintain growth. By year five, GlobeSpan will be completely debt-free and working with nearly the same overhead as it did on day one.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The following table of General Assumptions outline our conservative general assumptions on an annual basis. A monthly outline of the important assumptions is included in the appendix. Overall, we are assuming the forecasted business climate as outlined in the Business Climate Section will remain steady. Additionally, we assume our strategic partner, HelmsBriscoe’s positioning within the industry will continue to grow.

8.2 Key Financial Indicators

GlobeSpan shows, in the Key Financial Indicators chart which follows, three Benchmarks: Sales, Gross Margin, and Operating Expenses. We expect sales to grow steadily over the next three years while our gross margin remains unchanged and our operating expenses only rise slightly over the next three years.

Global event planning business plan, financial plan chart image

8.3 Break-even Analysis

The following chart and table summarizes our monthly break-even analysis, with fixed costs at approximately $10,200 and commission needed at the same to break even.

8.4 Projected Profit and Loss

GlobeSpan’s projected income statement is shown in the following table. We show a conservative first year with approximately $120,000 in commissions; however, this grows to over $170,000 in 2002, and over $280,000 in 2003. With relatively low operating expenses, our net profits nearly quadruple in the second year, and almost double in the third. We have offered a detailed monthly outline of income in the appendix.

8.5 Projected Cash Flow

As demonstrated by the Projected Cash Flow Chart below, GlobeSpan’s cash balance is healthy, with our projected cash flow being negative for our first few months and then a slow recovery during the remainder of the year. Our net cash flow for fiscal year 2001 is -($21,600) with our cash balance at $28,000. Significant to note, in year one our long-term borrowing repayment will amount to over $12,800. A detailed monthly cash flow analysis is provided in the appendix.

8.6 Projected Balance Sheet

GlobeSpan has planned for success as outlined, this is evident in the projected balance sheet below. Our net worth will be a -($11,800) in year one to almost $127,000 in year three. We have outlined monthly estimates in the appendix.

8.7 Business Ratios

GlobeSpan’s projected business ratios are illustrated in the following chart. It is noteworthy that our net working capital will quadruple by year three and our debt to net worth ratio shrinks to an impressive 0.57 by year three. We look forward to healthy ratios for profitability, risk and return. The final column, Industry Profile, contains ratios based on the personal services industry, as defined by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) Index code 7299.

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Sample Export Plan

Sample export plan .

Completing an international business plan helps you to anticipate future goals, assemble facts, identify constraints and create an action statement. It should set forth specific objectives and implement a timetable and milestones. A strategy for entering or expanding into targeted markets is critical to your success in the global marketplace.

Conduct an “audit” of your company to determine how exporting will impact your operations. Consider the management issues for exporting, approaches to exporting, distribution channels and other important considerations that will impact your business.

Understand the key components of an effective, actionable export plan. Just as no two companies are alike, there is no one-size-fits-all export plan. Your export plan should be an extension of your overall business plan, if not infused completely into your business plan. Many of the same questions for your international sales strategies will apply to your domestic sales plan.

Have a clear idea of the information you need to collect and sources where you might find that information.

Creating an international export plan is important for defining your company’s present status and internal goals and commitment. It is also required if you plan to seek export financing assistance. Prepare a plan prior to requesting bank loans. This can save both time and money.

Sample Outline of an Export Plan

Part I: Export Policy Commitment Statement   

Part II: Situation or Background Analysis

Product/Service for Export

Export License (if needed)

Personal Export Organization

Products/Services to be Exported

Products that Qualify Under FTAs

Resources Outside the Company

Industry Structure, Competition, Demand Operations

Export Control Compliance

Product Classifications

Resources Inside the Company

Part III: Marketing Component

Identifying, Evaluating, and Selecting Markets

Product Selection and Pricing

Distribution Methods                                           

Internal Organization and Procedures

Sales Goals (Profit and Loss Forecasts)              

Terms and Conditions

Pricing with Consideration of Duties, Taxes  

Freight Costs, and Logistics Included 

Part IV: Tactics—Action Steps

Primary Target Countries

Indirect Marketing Efforts

Quarterly Accomplishments

Secondary Target Countries 

Part V: Export Budget

Pro-forma Financial Statements    

Marketing Materials

Travel      

Website Enhancements

Trade Show Visits

Other Costs

Part VI: Implementation Schedule

Follow-up

Periodic Operational and Management Review (Measuring Results against the Plan)

Addenda: Background Data on Target

Basic Market Statistics (Historical and Projected)

Background Facts

Competitive Environment

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10 Free Business Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

February 13, 2024

Turning your vision into a clear and coherent business plan can be confusing and tough.

Hours of brainstorming and facing an intimidating blank page can raise more questions than answers. Are you covering everything? What should go where? How do you keep each section thorough but brief?

If these questions have kept you up at night and slowed your progress, know you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together the top 10 business plan templates in Word, Excel, and ClickUp—to provide answers, clarity, and a structured framework to work with. This way, you’re sure to capture all the relevant information without wasting time.

And the best part? Business planning becomes a little less “ugh!” and a lot more “aha!” 🤩

What is a Business Plan Template?

What makes a good business plan template, 1. clickup business plan template, 2. clickup sales plan template, 3. clickup business development action plan template, 4. clickup business roadmap template, 5. clickup business continuity plan template, 6. clickup lean business plan template, 7. clickup small business action plan template, 8. clickup strategic business roadmap template , 9. microsoft word business plan template by microsoft, 10. excel business plan template by vertex42.

A business plan template is a structured framework for entrepreneurs and business executives who want to create business plans. It comes with pre-arranged sections and headings that cover key elements like the executive summary , business overview, target customers, unique value proposition, marketing plans, and financial statements.

A good business plan template helps with thorough planning, clear documentation, and practical implementation. Here’s what to look for:

Comprehensive structure: A good template comes with all the relevant sections to outline a business strategy, such as executive summary, market research and analysis, and financial projections
Clarity and guidance: A good template is easy to follow. It has brief instructions or prompts for each section, guiding you to think deeply about your business and ensuring you don’t skip important details
Clean design: Aesthetics matter. Choose a template that’s not just functional but also professionally designed. This ensures your plan is presentable to stakeholders, partners, and potential investors
Flexibility : Your template should easily accommodate changes without hassle, like adding or removing sections, changing content and style, and rearranging parts 🛠️

While a template provides the structure, it’s the information you feed it that brings it to life. These pointers will help you pick a template that aligns with your business needs and clearly showcases your vision.

10 Business Plan Templates to Use in 2024

Preparing for business success in 2024 (and beyond) requires a comprehensive and organized business plan. We’ve handpicked the best templates to help you guide your team, attract investors, and secure funding. Let’s check them out.

If you’re looking to replace a traditional business plan document, then ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is for you!

This one-page business plan template, designed in ClickUp Docs , is neatly broken down into the following sections:

Company description : Overview, mission, vision, and team
Market analysis : Problem, solution, target market, competition, and competitive advantage
Sales and marketing strategy : Products/services and marketing channels
Operational plan : Location and facilities, equipment and tools, manpower, and financial forecasts
Milestones and metrics: Targets and KPIs

Customize the template with your company logo and contact details, and easily navigate to different sections using the collapsible table of contents. The mini prompts under each section guide you on what to include—with suggestions on how to present the data (e.g., bullet lists, pictures, charts, and tables).

You can share the document with anyone via URL and collaborate in real time. And when the business plan is ready, you have the option to print it or export it to PDF, HTML, or Markdown.

But that’s not all. This template is equipped with basic and enterprise project management features to streamline the business plan creation process . The Topics List view has a list of all the different sections and subsections of the template and allows you to assign it to a team member, set a due date, and attach relevant documents and references.

Switch from List to Board view to track and update task statuses according to the following: To Do, In Progress, Needs Revision, and Complete.

This template is a comprehensive toolkit for documenting the different sections of your business plan and streamlining the creation process to ensure it’s completed on time. 🗓️

If you’re looking for a tool to kickstart or update your sales plan, ClickUp’s Sales Plan Template has got you covered. This sales plan template features a project summary list with tasks to help you craft a comprehensive and effective sales strategy. Some of these tasks include:

Determine sales objectives and goals
Draft positioning statement
Perform competitive analysis
Draft ideal customer persona
Create a lead generation strategy

Assign each task to a specific individual or team, set priority levels , and add due dates. Specify what section of the sales plan each task belongs to (e.g., executive summary, revenue goals, team structure, etc.), deliverable type (such as document, task, or meeting), and approval state (like pending, needs revisions, and approved).

And in ClickUp style, you can switch to multiple views: List for a list of all tasks, Board for visual task management, Timeline for an overview of task durations, and Gantt to get a view of task dependencies.

This simple business plan template is perfect for any type of business looking to create a winning sales strategy while clarifying team roles and keeping tasks organized. ✨

ClickUp Business Development Action Plan Template

Thinking about scaling your business’s reach and operations but unsure where or how to start? It can be overwhelming, no doubt—you need a clear vision, measurable goals, and an actionable plan that every member of your team can rally behind.

Thankfully, ClickUp’s Business Development Action Plan Template is designed to use automations to simplify this process so every step toward your business growth is clear, trackable, and actionable.

Start by assessing your current situation and deciding on your main growth goal. Are you aiming to increase revenue, tap into new markets, or introduce new products or services? With ClickUp Whiteboards or Docs, brainstorm and collaborate with your team on this decision.

Set and track your short- and long-term growth goals with ClickUp’s Goals , break them down into smaller targets, and assign these targets to team members, complete with due dates. Add these targets to a new ClickUp Dashboard to track real-time progress and celebrate small wins. 🎉

Whether you’re a startup or small business owner looking to hit your next major milestone or an established business exploring new avenues, this template keeps your team aligned, engaged, and informed every step of the way.

ClickUp’s Business Roadmap Template is your go-to for mapping out major strategies and initiatives in areas like revenue growth, brand awareness, community engagement, and customer satisfaction.

Use the List view to populate tasks under each initiative. With Custom Fields, you can capture which business category (e.g., Product, Operations, Sales & Marketing, etc.) tasks fall under and which quarter they’re slated for. You can also link to relevant documents and resources and evaluate tasks by effort and impact to ensure the most critical tasks get the attention they deserve. 👀

Depending on your focus, this template provides different views to show just what you need. For example, the All Initiatives per Quarter view lets you focus on what’s ahead by seeing tasks that need completion within a specific quarter. This ensures timely execution and helps in aligning resources effectively for the short term.

This template is ideal for business executives and management teams who need to coordinate multiple short- and long-term initiatives and business strategies.

ClickUp Business Continuity Plan Template

In business, unexpected threats to operations can arise at any moment. Whether it’s economic turbulence, a global health crisis, or supply chain interruptions, every company needs to be ready. ClickUp’s Business Continuity Plan Template lets you prepare proactively for these unforeseen challenges.

The template organizes tasks into three main categories:

Priorities: Tasks that need immediate attention
Continuity coverage: Tasks that must continue despite challenges
Guiding principles: Resources and protocols to ensure smooth operations

The Board view makes it easy to visualize all the tasks under each of these categories. And the Priorities List sorts tasks by those that are overdue, the upcoming ones, and then the ones due later.

In times of uncertainty, being prepared is your best strategy. This template helps your business not just survive but thrive in challenging situations, keeping your customers, employees, and investors satisfied. 🤝

Looking to execute your business plan the “lean” way? Use ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template . It’s designed to help you optimize resource usage and cut unnecessary steps—giving you better results with less effort.

In the Plan Summary List view, list all the tasks that need to get done. Add specific details like who’s doing each task, when it’s due, and which part of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) it falls under. The By Priority view sorts this list based on priorities like Urgent, High, Normal, and Low. This makes it easy to spot the most important tasks and tackle them first.

Additionally, the Board view gives you an overview of task progression from start to finish. And the BMC view rearranges these tasks based on the various BMC components.

Each task can further be broken down into subtasks and multiple checklists to ensure all related action items are executed. ✔️

This template is an invaluable resource for startups and large enterprises looking to maximize process efficiencies and results in a streamlined and cost-effective way.

ClickUp Small Business Action Plan Template

The Small Business Action Plan Template by ClickUp is tailor-made for small businesses looking to transform their business ideas and goals into actionable steps and, eventually, into reality.

It provides a simple and organized framework for creating, assigning, prioritizing, and tracking tasks. And in effect, it ensures that goals are not just set but achieved. Through the native dashboard and goal-setting features, you can monitor task progress and how they move you closer to achieving your goals.

Thanks to ClickUp’s robust communication features like chat, comments, and @mentions, it’s easy to get every team member on the same page and quickly address questions or concerns.

Use this action plan template to hit your business goals by streamlining your internal processes and aligning team efforts.

ClickUp Strategic Business Roadmap Template

For larger businesses and scaling enterprises, getting different departments to work together toward a big goal can be challenging. The ClickUp Strategic Business Roadmap Template makes it easier by giving you a clear plan to follow.

This template is packaged in a folder and split into different lists for each department in your business, like Sales, Product, Marketing, and Enablement. This way, every team can focus on their tasks while collectively contributing to the bigger goal.

There are multiple viewing options available for team members. These include:

Progress Board: Visualize tasks that are on track, those at risk, and those behind
Gantt view: Get an overview of project timelines and dependencies
Team view: See what each team member is working on so you can balance workloads for maximum productivity

While this template may feel overwhelming at first, the getting started guide offers a step-by-step breakdown to help you navigate it with ease. And like all ClickUp templates, you can easily customize it to suit your business needs and preferences.

Microsoft Word Business Plan Template by Microsoft

Microsoft’s 20-page traditional business plan template simplifies the process of drafting comprehensive business plans. It’s made up of different sections, including:

Executive summary : Highlights, objectives, mission statement, and keys to success
Description of business: Company ownership and legal structure, hours of operation, products and services, suppliers, financial plans, etc.
Marketing: Market analysis, market segmentation, competition, and pricing
Appendix: Start-up expenses, cash flow statements, income statements, sales forecast, milestones, break-even analysis, etc.

The table of contents makes it easy to move to different sections of the document. And the text placeholders under each section provide clarity on the specific details required—making the process easier for users who may not be familiar with certain business terminology.

Excel Business Plan Template by Vertex42

No business template roundup is complete without an Excel template. This business plan template lets you work on your business financials in Excel. It comes with customizable tables, formulas, and charts to help you look at the following areas:

Highlight charts
Market analysis
Start-up assets and expenses
Sales forecasts
Profit and loss
Balance sheet
Cash flow projections
Break-even analysis

This Excel template is especially useful when you want to create a clear and visual financial section for your business plan document—an essential element for attracting investors and lenders. However, there might be a steep learning curve to using this template if you’re not familiar with business financial planning and using Excel.

Try a Free Business Plan Template in ClickUp

Launching and running a successful business requires a well-thought-out and carefully crafted business plan. However, the business planning process doesn’t have to be complicated, boring, or take up too much time. Use any of the above 10 free business plan formats to simplify and speed up the process.

ClickUp templates go beyond offering a solid foundation to build your business plans. They come with extensive project management features to turn your vision into reality. And that’s not all— ClickUp’s template library offers over 1,000 additional templates to help manage various aspects of your business, from decision-making to product development to resource management .

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

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5 International Business Examples to Learn From

Conference table with a map of the world illustrating global business

29 Jun 2021

Despite the rise in geopolitical conflicts and concerns around global health in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic , international business continues to thrive. According to a Profile Tree report , about 70 percent of international trade involves global value chains—meaning different stages of production are located across different countries.

“There has never in the history of the world been a more exciting time to be conducting business across international borders,” says Harvard Business School Professor Forest Reinhardt in the course Global Business . “The opportunities are enormous—to make money, to learn more about the world, and to make the world a better place.”

If you’re interested in entering this exciting sector, here’s an overview of what international business is and what factors can help make your company successful.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is International Business?

The term international business refers to any business that operates across international borders. At its most basic, it includes the sale of goods and services between countries.

Yet, other forms of international business do exist. For example, a business that produces components or products overseas but sells them domestically can be considered an international business, as can an organization that outsources services, such as customer service, to locations where labor expenses are cheaper.

For most organizations, decisions around building, producing, and selling products or services are informed by many factors.

Cost is an important one because businesses that primarily operate in developed markets, like the United States and Europe, can often source cheaper labor abroad.

Other factors play a role in decision-making, too. For example, an organization that makes a conscious effort to become more sustainable may produce its product as close as possible to the end user to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation, even if it might result in higher labor costs. Likewise, a business may take pride in sourcing local labor to create jobs and support the economy.

What Makes a Successful International Business?

Although international business can benefit the global economy, it also carries inherent risks. The fact that each country has its own government, regulations, inflation rates, and currency can complicate business models and must be weighed against the perceived benefits of operating internationally.

Some of the most common challenges of international businesses include language and cultural barriers, currency exchange rates, and foreign politics and policies.

“Although international business is extremely exciting, it can also be risky,” Reinhardt says in Global Business. “And it pays us to understand how to manage these risks.”

To be successful, international businesses must be resilient, adaptable, communicative, and resourceful. They need to have a deep understanding of international economics to anticipate how global markets will affect their bottom line and international marketing to effectively communicate their organization’s value to diverse audiences.

Are you interested in working with an international organization? Do you have plans and aspirations to take your business international?

Here are five well-known international businesses that have successfully—and not so successfully—navigated the global market.

Examples of International Businesses

Apple Inc., founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in the 1970s, is now considered one of the most influential international companies. Headquartered in the United States, Apple designs, develops, and sells electronics, software, streaming, and online services worldwide.

Apple opened its first international location in Tokyo, Japan, in 2003 after saturating the American market. Under Jobs, Apple touted ease-of-use, innovative design, and customer loyalty with the marketing slogan, “ Think Different ,” and it continues to use visionary strategic marketing and a tight ecosystem to overcome competition and attract creative audiences around the globe.

Apple not only sells products internationally but has supply chains from 43 countries that ship supplies to China for final production and assembly. By keeping a tight-knit and strong relationship with suppliers, strategic inventory, and a focus on sustainability, Apple stands as one of the world’s most successful companies.

2. Financial Times

The Financial Times is a formerly British daily newspaper that’s now owned by the Japanese holding company Nikkei. The Financial Times’ mission is to deliver unbiased, informed investment and economic information to empower individuals and companies to make secure investment decisions.

The Financial Times had a rocky start trying to break into the international market. Andrew Gilchrist, former managing director of the Financial Times , describes his experience at the publication in the online course Global Business .

During his tenure, the Financial Times prioritized entering the international market in India. Despite a large English-speaking population and strong government support, domestic journalism was considered culturally and legally suspect. In fact, the Financial Times was eventually tied up in legal knots because the local newspaper barons were able to challenge every move through the courts.

Eventually, the Financial Times’ attempt to go international in India led to an economic slowdown and sluggish company growth.

3. McDonald’s

Two brothers, Maurice and Richard McDonald, converted their drive-through barbecue restaurant in San Bernardino, California, into a burger and milkshake restaurant—now known as McDonald’s—in 1948.

The McDonald brothers focused on creating a better business system geared toward self-service and efficient and repeatable processes that relied on heating lamps instead of waiters. This model, known as “ Speedee ,” led to lower costs, cheaper products, and faster growth. It became the epitome of “fast food.”

Soon after, Ray Croc took McDonald’s a step further by bringing in franchisees and suppliers, leading to the creation of restaurants across the United States. McDonald’s model continued to expand, and, in 1967, the company opened locations in Canada and Puerto Rico .

McDonald’s has been internationally successful, thanks in large part to the consistency its business model allows. The fact that a Big Mac tastes the same regardless of which country you order it in is a testament to the company’s long history. Today, there are 38,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries.

4. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola was created by pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886 at a soda fountain in Atlanta, Georgia. It was used as a tonic for common ailments due, in part, to the addition of cocaine and caffeine derived from the kola nut, which was a major ingredient at the time. (This was later removed from the recipe in 1903.)

Although popular at its inception, Coca-Cola became the company it is today because of the marketing and business leadership of Asa Griggs Candler and future investors, who dramatically increased sales and expanded syrup factory production into Canada.

Eventually, an independent bottle company licensed the rights to Coca-Cola’s syrup production and distribution, streamlining production and generating massive profits. Coca-Cola later remarketed for Germany, China, and India, and it’s now sold everywhere except Cuba and North Korea .

Coca-Cola currently has over 900 bottling and manufacturing facilities worldwide , many of which are in North America, Asia, and Africa.

H-E-B is a popular American grocery company with more than 340 stores in Texas and northeast Mexico. It was founded by Florence Butt in 1905 and expanded into Mexico in 1997.

The primary driver of international expansion wasn’t a desire to capture greater market share, but rather, a desire to gain access to foreign produce markets in warmer climates, from which the company could source produce during its domestic suppliers’ off-season in the northeastern United States.

Craig Boyan, president of H-E-B, explains in Global Business that, upon becoming an international business, H-E-B bought blueberries from Chile and Peru to sell year-round. Despite it being expensive to ship blueberry crates to Texas, this enabled the company to continue meeting its customers’ needs. Since then, production has increased with demand, especially in Mexico, which has an ideal climate to produce blueberries year-round. H-E-B now sources blueberries mostly from Mexico, making them more available and affordable for customers.

Global Business | Thrive in today's interconnected, global economy | Learn More

Why Study International Business?

Many global businesses succeed by expanding their markets, production operations, and supply chains internationally. But doing so requires savvy business leadership bolstered by economic knowledge, an understanding of markets, and the ability to learn political and cultural trends.

Furthering your education in global business is an effective way to gain these skills.

Acquiring them, along with experience, can lead to a successful career in global business. Some of these important skills include:

Strong communication skills
Emotional intelligence
Cultural awareness
Knowledge of finance and accounting
Entrepreneurship skills
Understanding of global economics

Which HBS Online Business in Society Course is Right for You? | Download Your Free Flowchart

Start Expanding Your Business Internationally

Regardless of the role, professionals must stay current on all business practices. A global business education provides a wide range of opportunities to create and capture value for organizations. To bring this value to the workplace, individuals need to understand the economic, political, and social factors that drive change and how decisions affect global markets .

Strategists and entrepreneurs should learn about the broader macroeconomic and political landscape of their organizations to grow their business internationally and manage global teams. Professionals in heavily regulated industries can also use this knowledge to develop approaches and frameworks to navigate their complex industries.

If you’re considering joining a global business or thinking about ways to expand your organization internationally, completing an online Global Business course is an excellent way to quickly gain those skills.

Are you interested in breaking into a global market? Sharpen your knowledge of the international business world with our four-week online course Global Business , and explore our other business in society courses. Not sure which is right for you? Download our free course flowchart .

This article was updated on April 23, 2024. It was originally published on June 29, 2021.

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Create a new presentation with Copilot in PowerPoint

Note: This feature is available to customers with a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license or Copilot Pro license.

Create a new presentation in PowerPoint.

Screenshot of the Copilot in PowerPoint button in the ribbon menu

Select Send . Copilot will draft a presentation for you!

Edit the presentation to suit your needs, ask Copilot to add a slide , or start over with a new presentation and refine your prompt to include more specifics. For example, "Create a presentation about hybrid meeting best practices that includes examples for team building.”

Create a presentation with a template

Note: This feature is only available to customers with a Copilot for Microsoft 365 (work) license. It is not currently available to customers with a Copilot Pro (home) license.

Copilot can use your existing themes and templates to create a presentation. Learn more about making your presentations look great with Copilot in PowerPoint .

Selecting a theme for a new presentation on Office.com.

Enter your prompt or select Create presentation from file to create a first draft of your presentation using your theme or template.

Screenshot of a warning in Copilot in PowerPoint about how creating a new presentation will replace existing slides

Edit the presentation to suit your needs, ask Copilot to add a slide , organize your presentation, or add images.

Create a presentation from a file with Copilot

Note: This feature is only available to customers with a Copilot for Microsoft 365 (work) license. It is not currently available to customers with a Copilot Pro (home) license.

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With Copilot in PowerPoint, you can create a presentation from an existing Word document. Point Copilot in PowerPoint to your Word document, and it will generate slides, apply layouts, create speaker notes, and choose a theme for you.

Screenshot of the Copilot in PowerPoint prompt menu with Create a presentation from file option highlighted

Select the Word document you want from the picker that appears. If you don't see the document you want, start typing any part of the filename to search for it.

Note: If the file picker doesn't appear type a front slash (/) to cause it to pop up.

Best practices when creating a presentation from a Word document

Leverage word styles to help copilot understand the structure of your document.

By using Styles in Word to organize your document, Copilot will better understand your document structure and how to break it up into slides of a presentation. Structure your content under Titles and Headers when appropriate and Copilot will do its best to generate a presentation for you.

Include images that are relevant to your presentation

When creating a presentation, Copilot will try to incorporate the images in your Word document. If you have images that you would like to be brought over to your presentation, be sure to include them in your Word document.

Start with your organization’s template

If your organization uses a standard template, start with this file before creating a presentation with Copilot. Starting with a template will let Copilot know that you would like to retain the presentation’s theme and design. Copilot will use existing layouts to build a presentation for you. Learn more about Making your presentations look great with Copilot in PowerPoint .

Tip: Copilot works best with Word documents that are less than 24 MB.

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IMAGES

Global business plan ppt diagrams
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN FOR COMPANIES
Global business plan 6
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN FOR COMPANIES
Global Business Plan Project by Elaine Ng
Global Markets Business Plan Template

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Top 10 Business Plan Software for General Contractors (2024)
BSM GLOBAL Business plan ! Updated #bsmglobal #mlmRajukhadka
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Team 1 global business plan and presentation
Business plan example
BUSINESS PLAN EXAMPLE

COMMENTS

A Guide to Preparing an International Business Plan
An international business plan acts as a framework that identifies goals and objectives, specific target markets and clients, resources required and strategies to be developed in pursuit of international business opportunities. The plan allows for the monitoring of progress via metrics against which success and failure can be measured. A comprehensive international business plan will be ...
PDF International Business Plan
1.1. Internal analysis (company) In order to make the most of your company's strengths and improve your weaknesses, the internationalisation plan begins with an analysis of the competitive capacities of the company in relation to the foreign markets in order to achieve profit maximisation. Some strengths which make international success ...
Global Marketing Business Plan Example
This business plan has been created on the basis of five years of market research. Data conclude the size and growth of the market and geographical segments, customer needs, perception, and buying behavior trends have been on the upswing, and are expected to continue in this trend for the next five years. West Pacific Marketing Consultants ...
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN
Download product. Price. 30,00 €. 30% Discount for the purchase of 2 or more products. The INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN is a practical guide and template for international market development used by companies, executives, consultants and students that require a practical tool for planning international activities.
PDF Developing the Global Business Plan
4. To be able to draft a global business plan from the outline and sample provided. 5. To be able to monitor and improve the business plan. Introduction. In today's highly competitive business environment, there is perhaps nothing more important than planning and, specifically, developing a business plan.
PDF OUTLINE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN
The first stage in developing an international business plan is to undertake a preliminary country analysis. Presented below are four separate sections to be completed for collection and analysis of market data and preparation of the plan: (1) Analysis: Cultural Environment; (2) Analysis: Economic; (3) Analysis: Market and Competitors; and (4 ...
Global Marketing Business Plan
Get the most out of your business plan example. Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample. 1. Don't worry about finding an exact match. We have over 550 sample business plan templates. So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details. Your business is unique and will differ from ...
International Business Plan Template
The International Business Plan template is designed for organizations of all sizes and industries who are looking to expand their operations and business into other countries. The template provides a comprehensive framework for businesses to establish effective international business relationships, utilize digital platforms, and recruit ...
What is Global Marketing? See 13 Businesses with Brilliant Strategies
Global marketing entails packaging your products to meet a universal marketplace's needs and preferences. It involves creating, consolidating, positioning, and promoting your products and services, focusing on global consumers. Global marketing isn't a new concept. Established companies like Coca-Cola have been using this strategy to reach ...
Global Business Strategy Plan Template
This global business strategy plan template is for companies or organizations of all sizes and industries looking for an effective way to create and execute a plan for their global business strategies. The template provides a comprehensive framework for defining, measuring and monitoring progress towards your goals and objectives.
How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)
Describe Your Services or Products. The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you're offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit ...
What Are the Components of a Global Business Plan?
For example, if you plan to start in one country and grow over time into other regions, discuss that plan. Organizational Structure The section of your global business plan on organizational ...
How to Write an International Business Plan: Example Included
Here is an example of an internationally position business plan which is retrieved from www.bplans.com. Included is an outline to assist you with composing your international business plan: International Travel Agency Business Plan Outline. • 1.0 Executive Summary.
MBA 541
The guide may be used for planning global expansion of an existing product or service or may be used to research a new foreign business opportunity. Each phase and section in this guide contains a research component or goal that will help you build your Global Business Plan for MBA 541.
Elements of a Global Business Plan
This section of the global business plan analyzes the business environment of the country in which the business wants to enter. Cultural, economic, legal, and political issues and how they affect ...
International Business Plan Structure, Sample, Content
The typical content of International Business Plan is: International Business Strategy At this stage, we identify the best strategy that will help our client to enter each particular foreign market of interest. The examples of international business strategies are exporting, licensing (franchising), joint venture, foreign direct investments, etc.
Global Event Planning Business Plan Example
1.3 Objectives. To book a gross sales commission of $30,000 by December 31, Year 1. To book a gross sales commission of $120,000 by December 31, Year 2. To book a gross sales commission of $284,000 by December 31, Year 3. To completely repay small business loan of $50,000 by July 1, Year 4.
Write a Business Plan in 10 Steps With Template
How to write a business plan in 10 steps. Now, let's dive into the 10 key elements of your business plan. 1. Create an executive summary. Even though it appears first in the plan, write your executive summary last so you can condense essential ideas from the other nine sections. For now, leave it as a placeholder.
Sample Export Plan
Sample Export Plan Completing an international business plan helps you to anticipate future goals, assemble facts, identify constraints and create an action statement. It should set forth specific objectives and implement a timetable and milestones. A strategy for entering or expanding into targeted markets is critical to your success in the global marketplace.
PDF 4 Developing the Global Business Plan
2. To be able to identify all the parts of the business plan and their purposes for each department or organizational function of the company. 3. To understand how each audience of stakeholders will use the plan and which section will be each stakeholder's key focus. 4. To be able to draft a global business plan from the outline and sample ...
What Is Globalization in Business?
Globalization is the increase in the flow of goods, services, capital, people, and ideas across international boundaries, according to the online course Global Business. "We live in an age of globalization," says Harvard Business School Professor Forest Reinhardt, who teaches Global Business.
10 Free Business Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp
In times of uncertainty, being prepared is your best strategy. This template helps your business not just survive but thrive in challenging situations, keeping your customers, employees, and investors satisfied. 🤝. Download This Template. 6. ClickUp Lean Business Plan Template. ClickUp Lean Business Plan Template.
5 International Business Examples to Learn From
Examples of International Businesses. 1. Apple. Apple Inc., founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in the 1970s, is now considered one of the most influential international companies. Headquartered in the United States, Apple designs, develops, and sells electronics, software, streaming, and online services worldwide.
PDF Developing the Global Business Plan distribute
1. To know the internal and external purposes of a global business plan 2. To be able to identify all the parts of the business plan and the direction for each department or orga - nizational function of the company 3. To be able to create a global business plan from the outline and sample provided
Free Strategic Plan Template and Best Practices
The strategic framework template simplifies the process by allowing you to define precise objectives and track the progress of three key results associated with each objective. Using this strategic plan template, you can streamline goal management and enhance productivity. 6. General Strategic Plan Template.
Free Business Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates
Investment Company Business Plan A business plan sets the strategy, resources, goals and plans for your company. If you focus on using money to fund new projects, get huge returns, make ideas possible and getting new forms of income, this template for investment companies is the one that best will reflect your ideals! With...
Create a new presentation with Copilot in PowerPoint
Select the Copilot button in the Home tab of the ribbon. Enter your prompt or select Create presentation from file to create a first draft of your presentation using your theme or template. Copilot will replace your current presentation with a new one. If needed, save a copy first and rerun the steps above. If you already have a copy, confirm ...