Business Planning Resources
Essential resources to help women entrepreneurs in Calgary plan and launch successful businesses.
Business Plan Templates
Comprehensive templates to help you create a solid business plan.
A complete business plan template with sections for executive summary, market analysis, operations, financial projections, and more.
A simplified business plan template focused on the essentials, perfect for early-stage startups and small businesses.
Excel templates for creating professional financial projections, including cash flow, profit & loss, and balance sheets.
Business Planning Guides
Comprehensive guides to help you plan your business effectively.
Learn how to conduct effective market research to validate your business idea and understand your target market in Calgary and Alberta. This guide covers primary and secondary research methods, competitor analysis, and market sizing.
What You'll Learn:
- How to identify your target market in Calgary
- Methods for gathering customer insights
- Analyzing local competition
- Understanding market trends in Alberta
- Using research to refine your business model
Learn how to use the Business Model Canvas to develop and document your business model. This guide walks you through each component of the canvas and helps you create a comprehensive overview of your business.
What You'll Learn:
- Understanding the 9 components of the Business Model Canvas
- Defining your value proposition
- Identifying key resources, activities, and partners
- Mapping customer segments and relationships
- Outlining revenue streams and cost structure
Business Planning Checklist
A step-by-step checklist to guide you through the business planning process.
1. Research and Planning
- Validate your business idea
- Conduct market research
- Identify your target market
- Analyze competition
- Define your unique value proposition
- Create a business plan
2. Legal and Administrative
- Choose a business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
- Register your business name
- Obtain necessary licenses and permits for Calgary
- Register for GST/HST if applicable
- Open a business bank account
- Set up accounting and bookkeeping systems
3. Funding and Finances
- Estimate startup costs
- Create financial projections
- Explore funding options (self-funding, loans, grants, investors)
- Set up a budget
- Establish pricing strategy
4. Operations
- Secure a location (if needed)
- Set up your workspace
- Source suppliers and vendors
- Develop operational processes
- Hire employees (if applicable)
- Set up technology and systems
5. Marketing and Sales
- Create a brand identity
- Build a website
- Set up social media accounts
- Develop a marketing strategy
- Create marketing materials
- Plan your launch