Your business plan shouldn’t be something you create and forget about after you start your business. Instead, you should think of it as a flexible strategy that will give your business the best opportunity for success. When you take the time to update your plan, you can account for changing factors affecting your ability to reach the goals you have for your business.

Meet Customer Expectations

One reason to update your business plan is to analyze your intention to meet a specific customer need by selling your products. By reviewing customer feedback and looking at which specific products are selling in greater quantities, you can determine if your business is still meeting that need. If not, use the data you collected to determine what needs you should be meeting for your customers.

Determine Your Need For Help

In starting a new business, it’s wise to limit the number of employees you hire. If you’re like most entrepreneurs, this means you have had to wear many hats in your organization. However, if your business has grown since you first opened its doors, it may be time to add more employees to help keep up with customer demand.

Create a New Sales Forecast

Initially, the sales forecast you predicted for your business was probably based on the performance of similar businesses within the same market. Now that you have been operating your own business, you can create a more accurate forecast by looking at your sales data. The trends in your own business’ performance can help you to predict future sales growth better. Just be sure to account for special circumstances, such as holidays or changing seasons.

Determine Your Future Funding Needs

You can better manage your business’s financial stability by taking this time to consider your business’ future needs. How many new employees will you be hiring? Will you be upgrading the equipment in your business? These are just a few of the factors you should consider in determining if you’ll need additional capital. If so, you’ll have to choose between multiple options, such as crowdfunding, peer lending, or angel investors.

While updating your business plan requires taking time out of your busy schedule, it’s still something you should do regularly. Depending on your business’ growth, you should update your plan every six or 12 months. This will ensure you’re keeping your business on track to meet your goals consistently.