Business Planning - Pillar 3: Operations

You’ve nailed your idea. You’ve defined your market. Now it’s time to get practical: how will your business actually run?

Operations are the nuts and bolts—the behind-the-scenes systems that keep everything moving. It’s not the flashy part of entrepreneurship, but it’s the part that makes or breaks whether your business runs smoothly or collapses under its own weight.

Think of operations as the engine room of your business. You don’t see it from the outside, but if it stops working, the whole ship goes nowhere.

Why Operations Matter

Without a clear operations plan, even the best idea with the strongest market fit can stall. This is where you map out:

• How you’ll deliver your product or service.

• What tools, processes, and systems you’ll rely on.

• Who’s doing what (even if “who” is just you at the start).

• How you’ll scale up when demand grows.

Operations give your business consistency, efficiency, and reliability—all things your customers will quickly notice if they’re missing.

The Day-to-Day Engine

Start simple: what does a day in the life of your business look like?

• For a product-based business: How do you source, make, package, and deliver your product? Who are your suppliers, and how reliable are they?

• For a service-based business: How do you schedule jobs, manage quotes, deliver services, and follow up with customers?

• For a hybrid or online business: How do you process orders, manage customer communication, and handle support?

Writing this down doesn’t just clarify things for you—it helps spot gaps before they become problems.

Systems and Processes

Good operations are built on repeatable systems. These don’t need to be high-tech or complicated at the start.

• Checklists – A simple way to ensure consistency (e.g., every bouquet leaves the florist wrapped the same way).

• Scheduling tools – Calendars, booking apps, or job management software to keep your time under control.

• Accounting software – Xero, MYOB, or even a basic spreadsheet to track money coming in and going out.

• Customer records – Even a simple CRM or shared document can help you track enquiries, jobs, and follow-ups.

The key is to make things as streamlined and foolproof as possible, so you’re not reinventing the wheel every day.

People and Roles

At the start, it’s often just you. That means wearing every hat—sales, admin, delivery, finance. But even if you’re solo, it helps to define the roles in your business.

Ask:

• What do I do daily?

• What do I do weekly or monthly?

• What should I eventually outsource or hire for?

When the time comes to expand, you’ll already know which roles to fill first.

Scaling Up

Operations are also about future-proofing. As your business grows, the systems that worked at the start may not hold up.

• Will your suppliers cope if you triple your orders?

• Can your booking system handle double the clients?

• Do you have a plan for hiring or outsourcing?

Thinking ahead here saves you from bottlenecks later.

Real-World Example

Take an electrician starting out. At first, they may use their personal phone, jot jobs in a diary, and do invoices in Word. It works—for a while. But as jobs pick up, the cracks show: missed calls, double bookings, lost invoices.

A strong operations plan would map out:

• Moving to a job management app for scheduling.

• Using accounting software to send quotes and invoices.

• Setting up an after-hours voicemail to triage urgent vs. non-urgent calls.

These steps mean they can focus on the work itself, not just the admin chaos around it.

Keep It Lean, But Keep It Clear

Operations don’t need to be complicated, but they do need to be deliberate. A business that runs on clear systems will outpace a competitor who’s constantly flying by the seat of their pants.

Because at the end of the day, your idea gets people interested, your market brings them in—but your operations are what keep them coming back.