Freelance Writing Business Plan - Outlining Operations

You’re writing a business plan and you’ve come to the Operations section. What on earth do you put in this section? You may be pleased to know this section of the business plan doesn’t have to be as discouraging as you might think.

The Operations section is merely a description of the physical needs you expect for running your business. This would include, but not be limited to, a location (it could be your home or a physical office), equipment (computers, printers, telephones, fax machines, etc.), and facilities. Think of this as a potential budget for the physical aspects of your freelance writing business.

Divide your Freelance Writing Business Operations section into two parts:

What you’ve already spent to get your business up and running. This would also show the potential reader you know what else needs to be done in getting your business.
What you expect to spend over the course of your first year to run your business. This would include expenditures you might make, from the smallest office supply to the cost of a new computer or printer.

Because the Operations section should demonstrate your knowledge of what your chosen business will entail, it would also be good to include the following:

• A description of the process you’ll use to create a finished product for your client. As a freelance writer, you may not have a physical product like someone making tennis shoes. However, there is still a process you’ll follow to provide your clients with quality articles, reports, or whatever you’re hired to do.

• An understanding of any requirements for your business. Are there particular licenses you’ll be required to have? Will being a member of a specific organization give your business more credibility as you’re starting out?

• What supplies will you need in an on-going manner? Where will you get these supplies? What other options do you have as a back-up?

• What operating expenses do you expect on a day-to-day basis?

• What are your planned office hours? Which utilities will your business need?

• Do you have the equipment you’ll need to do your work? If not, what will you need, where do you plan to get it, and how much do you expect it to cost?

• What expenditures will there be for advertising as a means to locate potential clients?

These are some of the more common questions you’ll want to answer within the Operations section of your business plan. Of course, these aren’t all of the questions, your operations will depend largely on how you want to run your business and the unique aspects of your freelance writing business, but they will give you an idea of what to include and may help you to think of other questions that would be pertinent for your own freelance writing business plan.