Development should include the five growth stages (i.e., existence, survival, early success, high growth, and maturity) and should describe the characteristics of the business during each stage and strategies to move to the next stage. Short- and long-term goals should be addressed throughout this development.
Process/Skill Questions:
- Why is it so difficult to persuade a bank to loan money to a company in its start-up stage?
- What motivates an entrepreneur to work long hours, often with little or no financial reward?
- Why do most businesses never reach the stage of high growth?
- How do short- and long-term goals affect growth?
- Why is it important to research the growth plans of other companies that have achieved recent success in one's own industry and beyond?