How to Write a Business Transition Plan

Kevin Johnston reports:

"Transitioning your business to a new phase requires a [roadmap] in the form of a transition plan that clarifies the new direction, the resources you need and the results you expect from making the change. You can write an effective transition plan if you methodically include important topics that have worked for other businesses and then adapt the essentials of the plan to your company's needs...Start writing your transition plan by making a list of deliverables you need to complete the transition. Your deliverables could include studies, analyses, a revised business plan, projected sales for after the transition, new policies and procedures, the method used to determine what new departments are needed and a succession plan for new executives. Using this list, write a paragraph or several paragraphs that include the reasons the deliverables are important to the transition...When you describe how the transition will blend with the way you operate currently, you generate a clear picture that can smooth the transition. This demonstrates to those who are skeptical how the business can be transformed with minimum disruption...Include a section in the transition plan about any new staff the company will need and describe how new employees will be mentored or trained. This section can include a rundown of possible training programs, or it can describe a mentoring program in which seasoned employees work with new hires. The focus in this section should include explicit statements about how the training or mentoring relates to the transition; only discuss knowledge that is necessary to complete tasks during and after the transition...Your transition plan can discuss new or upgraded systems needed for the new approach to your business. These systems can be software or organizational charts, or they may simply be new rules for granting permissions for projects. After you give some thought to the systems that will make the transition smooth, write in detail about how the systems work."