You should regularly review and update your business plan. Each business is different, but it is important to remember that your business is a constantly evolving entity, regardless of its size or structure. Accordingly, your business plan should reflect the dynamism of your business. If you treat your business plan properly, it will act as a living document that changes as your business changes. While each review may not result in an update, a yearly review offers you the chance to consider the need for an update and also allows you to monitor your progress with respect to your current business plan.
Of course, you don’t need to wait for a scheduled review in order to update your plan, and any number of changes in the circumstances of your business might require an update of your business plan. For example: Has the marketplace suddenly experienced a dramatic upward or downward turn? Have you identified a consistent problem for your business that should be reflected in your business plan? Have you acquired (or lost) a substantial account that dramatically alters the financial forecast set forth in your plan? There are any numbers of changes that may cause you to rethink your business goals, so don’t be afraid to revisit and revise your business plan. The business plan is an extraordinarily effective tool for a successful business, but only if it accurately reflects the business.