In my career as a sales and marketing professional, I’ve seen everything. Small contractors. Giant national contractors. A kettle corn machine manufacturer. Insurance claims service providers working with both domestic and london markets. Restaurants. You name it—I’ve helped it.
I’ve worked with bizdev budgets so small they could fit in a shoebox, and others big enough to fund a small country. And across all of those businesses, there’s one universal truth:
Every company needs a business development plan and a budget.
Not vibes. Not “we’ll figure it out later.” A plan.
Because without a plan, you’re basically running your business like a toddler with a credit card.
Here’s what you risk:
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Reactionary Sales & Marketing – Buying ads, tools, and subscriptions because “someone on Facebook said it works.” (Yeah you probably saw this on Facebook… leave me alone.)
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Overpaying – When you don’t compare costs, suddenly that $9,000 website “deal” doesn’t feel so deal-ish.
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Lost Opportunity – You might be throwing money at marketing that makes zero sense for your industry (looking at you, contractors running TikTok dance ads).
So… what actually belongs in a business development plan?
Perception & Promise
What do you want people to think when they hear your business name? And what promise are you making to every customer?
Achievable Goals
Geographic goals, new customer goals, growth goals—the kind that don’t require fairy dust to achieve.
Market Research
Who else is out there? What are they doing? And how do we do it better without copying their homework?
Marketing Tactics & Budget
Where to spend, how much to spend, and how to avoid lighting money on fire.
Event Research & Budget
Which events are worth it, which ones are a waste, and which ones just serve really good snacks.
Need help putting a real business plan together?
Kevin Gallagher – Head Honcho of GBD (yes, that’s my official unofficial title) – helps small businesses build high-level, high-impact business plans and go-to-market strategies that actually work.
Shoot us a message.
Let’s build something awesome before your marketing budget ends up in the “mystery expenses” category again.