Strategic Planning in the Small Business

Unit

3

Content

Process

STAGES

OF SMALL BUSINESS

DEVELOPMENT

Three stages

of small business

develop- Put up

TP 3-10: Stages of Small

Business

ment

w'.l be considered.

Development.

As the

business moves from

one stage to

another,

its emphasis shifts.

As such, dif­

ferent strategic

postures seem appropriate

tur different stages

and conditions within

stages.

Startup

Stage

Objective-survival

Proper posture­

* Single

product/market posture.

If either

product and industry

attractive­

ness or

relative competitive

strength are

low, the firm should

consider...

a

A niche posture

Simultaneously

it may want

to search for

and

develop new areas of

concentration.

Stabilization Stage

Once the business

becomes established

and survival seems

probable, a critical

decision

stage is reached.

A primary consideration

is the personal

goals of the

business owner.

(rrowth Stage

In the growth

stage, the business

has

weathered
the storms of
early business life

and has gained a level

of consumer accep­

tance and

establishment.

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