This is Part 5 in our 5-part New Business Plan.

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With your finances in order, it looks like you’re ready to launch your business!

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Of course, that opening is still months away, and there is much work to be done. Its time to get yourself organized and develop a schedule of things to do.

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There will be 4 considerations to your schedule.

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List of Activities

Start by creating a list of things that must be done. If it helps, create categories of related activities, like Marketing, Staff Hiring and Training, Installation of equipment, etc.

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Duration of Activities

Then determine how long each activity will take. It is likely that many external suppliers will be involved in your schedule, so be sure to consult them on their anticipated length of time and their availability.

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Dependent Activities

Many activities cannot begin until a separate task has been completed. For example, the frame of a house can’t be built until the foundation is complete, the electrical wiring can’t be installed until the frame is complete, and the drywall can’t be installed until the wiring is complete. Sort your activities in order of dependency.

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Milestones

When planning a project, aside from listing your tasks from beginning to end, you’re inevitably going to want to mark key dates, or milestones, along the way. Milestones not only help your team stay on track, they are also useful to accurately determine if your schedule is on track. Generally, a milestone marks the completion of a significant stage before another stage can begin.

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Delegation of Responsibilities

Finally, you may be the Project Manager, but you will not be responsible for completing many of the activities. Therefore, make sure each activity is delegated to the person responsible for completing the task. Resist the temptation to assign one task to multiple people, as you will want to hold one person accountable.

Once your schedule is complete, you must issue it to all parties involved so they are working to the same timetable.

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NEXT: Write your Executive Summary and Mission Statement