Chapter 2
Developing a business plan A business plan takes the idea you have for your business and helps you turn it into an actual business, and may be necessary for financial investment/loan. It allows those lending you money to see how the business will hopefully generate a return on the investment, and provides a level of assurance regarding its viability. Generally, it involves thinking through the various parts of your business to make sure everything will work. It is a fairly lengthy piece of work and may take a few weeks to complete. This chapter covers what you should consider in your business plan.
Your business and key objectives This section should describe your business and its core services and products. It should also provide an overview of the aims your business is trying to achieve and over what length of time this will occur.
Your skill and experience This section should provide an overview of your experience in relation to the business. This is where you might detail your experience, not just as an optometrist or dispensing optician, but skills that relate to managing a team of employees and actually running a business. If they are optics related, great, but even if they aren’t, don’t worry, you may have transferable skills that are equally as relevant. In essence, you are showcasing why the people lending you money can be confident that you can deliver. 12 
Independent practice guide
