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Putting a business support plan together for your legacy business program
Before incorporating business support and training elements into your legacy business program, it is essential to speak with your legacy business owners to tailor your efforts to their needs. Your conversations and input from legacy business owners can help you develop a plan. There are several ways to build a plan, but here is a four-step process based on recommendations from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Framework and Guideline for Program Evaluation.
Steps for Planning Business Support & Training
1. Baseline Business Operations Survey/Audit
Meet with or survey your legacy business owners to understand business operations across the group. Use their input to create an outline for the standard components across the group. This could include components like marketing, sales, production, and customer service. Use these components as the basis for your support and training plan.
2. Tailored Training & Mentorship Program
Identify internal or external resources or partners (see Where to Look and Who to Talk To section for possible partners) who provide training aligned with your standardized components. Create an access strategy tailored to your owners' needs and skills (e.g., a website or portal, handouts, individual scheduling). Additionally, identify internal or external business mentorship programs (see Where to Look and Who to Talk To) that can assist your owners with day-to-day operations and improvements.
3. Technology Integration
Based on the owners’ skill level, understanding, and usage of technology, create a list of training, workshops, or classes that can be used to enhance technology integration. The needs of individual owners can vary greatly, so be sure to include a variety of options. This could include anything from digital marketing to inventory management and financial management tools.
4. Follow-up and Evolution
The success of your support and training program is not guaranteed; legacy business owners may struggle to find the time, struggle to understand, or find your formats difficult to use. Be sure and follow up with the owners to see how your program is working and if it has helped. This will help you evolve and improve by changing processes and offerings to meet needs better.