Business Plans in 45 Days
Build your 2027 plan with purpose and without the overwhelm.
You’re juggling proposals, client work, and team needs, and NOW it’s planning season (again).
Let’s make it simple.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
IT’S NOT
JUST YOU
“We don’t have a consistent process. Everyone does it differently.”
“We’re already behind, and it’s only Q3.”
“We set goals, but never really track them.”
“Our goals are misaligned with BD and marketing.”
You are not alone. That’s why we built Business Plans in 45 Days.
BUSINESS PLANS ARE A COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION TOOL
Sometimes people confuse business plans with business development plans, regional targets, or strategic plans. Let’s break down the difference. That helps to simplify them and make sure people are on the same page about the purpose.
STRATEGIC PLAN
A strategic plan is typically a three to five year plan. It’s where the firm takes on big initiatives that further the mission and vision of the company. They may focus on internal systems or innovation to make your firm more competitive, ownership transitions or succession, and firm growth plans. The initiatives that come out of your strategy may be multi-year and if they are about how you will win work, they will touch your business plan at some point.
BUSINESS PLAN
The business plan is a written plan detailing how you are going to feed the business for the next 12 months. If you are organized by sectors, it will be a sector business plan. If you are organized by region, it will be a regional business plan. It involves leadership, business development, marketing, operations, and finance. The business plan is a holistic plan for 12 months.
What is in it
The business plan covers all aspects of the business, defined the way your firm defines it. It could be a region, a sector, or a profit center. Make a plan for how you are organized and measured.
Executive summary
BD plan
Market opportunity and industry analysis
Marketing initiatives
Target project
Targets and goals
SWOT
Who is involved?
Anyone involved in leadership, pursuing business, performance, and client satisfaction
- Regional or sector leadership
- Business development
- Marketing
- Project managers
- Key staff
What the 45 days look like
Forty-five days from your kickoff to a finished plan. Work backward from the date you want the plan in hand, and you have your workshop week.
| Week 1 | Meet with leadership to walk them through the process. Assign and distribute the checklist. Send out all appointments for the workshop. |
| Week 2 | People gather items from their checklist. |
| Week 3 | People gather and send in items from their checklist. |
| Week 4 | Format content for the workshop. |
| Week 5 | Workshop week. One workshop per region or sector. |
| Week 6 | Finalize the business plan. |
Two ways to run it
Both tiers give you the whole process, the videos, and every template. The difference is who runs your timeline and who stands up in front of your team on workshop day.
Start today and run it yourself.
Everything in DIY, and Sarah facilitates your timeline and your workshop.
Travel is not included.
| What you get | DIY | $2,500 | Facilitated | $8,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction video | Included | Included |
| Business planning summary | Included | Included |
| Business Plans guide video with Sarah | Included | Included |
| Business plan timeline | Included | Included |
| Pre-workshop checklist | Included | Included |
| Workshop PowerPoint template | Included | Included |
| Business plan report template | Included | Included |
| Sarah facilitates your 45-day timeline | You run it | Included |
| Sarah facilitates your workshop | You run it | Included |
Travel is not included in the Facilitated price.
What you walk away with
Who it is for
This is for you if you:
- Lead a region, market, or sector in an AEC firm
- Are responsible for business development, marketing, or planning
- Are tired of duct-taped plans and last-minute scrambling
What clients say
Sarah helped us put processes in place to search out appropriate projects, develop contacts with new firms, and enhance those we do have relationships with. Because of her efforts, we were able to consistently and effectively win meaningful work.
Questions we get
What is the difference between DIY and Facilitated?
The materials are identical. In DIY, you run the timeline and the workshop yourself. In the Facilitated version, Sarah facilitates both. DIY is $2,500, and Facilitated is $8,000; travel is not included.
How much time will this take?
Forty-five days from kickoff to a finished plan. Weeks 2 and 3 are for the gathering phase, which your team does around its own work. Week 5 is the workshop and it is the heaviest week.
Who from our firm should participate?
Regional or sector leadership, business development, marketing, project managers, and key staff. Anyone involved in leadership, pursuing business, performance, and client satisfaction.
Is this right for a firm that already has a planning process?
Yes. Firms with a process in place usually have the content, but no shared structure for turning it into a plan people use. That is what the workshop format and the report template provide.
What happens after the plan is complete?
You have a 12-month plan, a 90-day action runway so the work starts immediately, and a process you can run again next year without buying anything.
Can we run this for one region or does it have to be the whole firm?
One region, one section, or one profit center. The timeline is built around one workshop per region or sector, so you can run it for a single office and repeat it elsewhere later.
Can we start whenever we want?
Yes. Pick the date you want the finished plan in hand and work backward 45 days.
Does the facilitated price include Sarah's travel?
No. Travel is quoted separately once you have set your workshop date and location.
Sarah Kinard, Head Bird
With over 20 years of experience leading growth strategies and new market development, Sarah Kinard drives The Flamingo Project, a research-, strategy-, and growth-focused firm. She specializes in research-driven growth strategies and market positioning to help AEC firms thrive.
She is SMPS Foundation President 2026.
Pick Your Tier and Start
Forty-five days from now, you can have a written plan for the next 12 months, or you can be in the same conversation you are in today.