Health Literacy Consulting "How-To"
www.healthliteracy.com
May, 2010

Yes, You Do Need a Business Plan 

Regardless of whether you are proposing a health literacy project, building a community-wide coalition, or creating a new non-profit or for-profit entity, it always helps to begin with a business plan.

Since starting Health Literacy Consulting nearly 15 years ago, I have found that a business plan is one of the best ways to stay “on track,” assess progress, and accomplish goals. In a recent Health Literacy Out Loud podcast, I spoke with David Walsh about using business principles to move health literacy forward. This month’s How-To Tip looks at key components to include in your business plan. 

  • Define your purpose and goals. State clearly what you do including the products, services, or programs you plan to deliver. Walsh advises, “Make an effort to focus in on what you really want to do. It’s better to provide a couple of programs or services really well rather then trying to offer too much or too many.” Look outside your business for key marketplace “drivers.” For instance, if you are starting a hospital-based health literacy initiative then you might want to offer programs aimed at reducing errors and increasing patient satisfaction.

  • Know your primary audience or target market. Be clear about the people you serve. And then learn as much about them as you can. For example, your planning would be quite different if you are building a community coalition to serve adult literacy students, homebound seniors, or teenagers at risk for obesity.

  • Identify needed resources. What do you need to accomplish your goals? Think about all the many components including staff (paid, volunteer, or both), technology, and supplies. I’m always amazed how much “stuff” I need to run my own consulting business.

  • Find funding sources. For health literacy programs as well as most non-profit initiatives, there are two basic types of funding sources. One is “contributed support” that includes private donations, foundations, and research grants. The other is “fee for service” which means getting paid for your expertise, training, or services. Many health literacy efforts build on both types of funding.

  • Define measures of success. All good business plans have milestones and timelines about what goals to accomplish, and when. Walsh advises revisiting these goals at least once a year. “Whether or not you feel you’re doing great or doing bad, you should always go back and say, ‘Okay, here’s what we said we’re going to do. Now lets see how we did against those goals.’”   

Ways to learn more:

For permission to include Health Literacy Consulting Tips in your organization's newsletter, please contact Helen Osborne by e-mail at: helen@healthliteracy.com, or by phone at: 508-653-1199.