CHECKLIST FOR AFRICAN SEED COMPANY DEVELOPMENT

Strategic Planning• What do you want to accomplish (in terms of volume, growth, financial,

reputation)?• Where do you plan to compete (which market segments are you targeting,

e.g., geographic, product, customer type, other)?• How do you plan to beat the competition? Why will customers buy? Why

will they buy from you versus a competitor?• Answer the above questions and also develop your plan for executing

major elements of strategy, including: Developing and protecting your reputation Determining your economic business model (How will you make a

profit?) Managing your rate of growth (You don’t want to stall, but you don’t

want to expand too quickly and crash and burn either.) Balancing bulk sales vs. direct retail sales Role and scale of research and development Networking, joint-venturing strategies Creating business opportunities (new linkages)

Product Management• New products/product line planning• Inventory management• Quality testing and assurance• Packaging • Seed treatment• Communication of technical information, training sellers

Production• Planning• Input acquisition (including foundation seed)• Contracting/outgrower systems• Planting, crop management, harvesting• Quality assurance during growing• Cleaning, packaging, storage• Risk management, including cost analysis• Certification

Market Planning…

• Knowing your customer

• Demand forecasting

• Market information and research

• Industry and competitive dynamics

• Cost/benefit analysis

…and Marketing

• Customer education and demonstrations

• Field days

• Pricing

• Sales

• Distribution Model/approaches Economics (e.g., commission structure)

• Promotion (e.g., brochures, signs, posters, radio, etc.)

Finance• Financial accounting systems (what the accountants want)• Management accounting (numbers the managers use, e.g.,

ratios, product margins, etc.)• Financial controls, including planning for collections• Budgeting• Working capital management (the money you need to bridge

the gap between when you spend for production and when you get paid by your customers)

• Capital expenditure planning (for items such as equipment, vehicles, etc.)

• Financing (bank loans, capital investments, etc.) Plan Obtain Maintain

Human Resource Management

• Skills analysis

• Hiring

• Compensation structure

• Training needs

• Coaching and development

Other

• Extension work/agronomic support

• Information technology (IT)

• Legal requirements

• Facilities management

• Advocacy re: policy and regulatory

PASS Meeting Output, Dec. 2007 (George Bigirwa, Issoufou Kapran, Joe DeVries, Rob Tripp, Richard Jones, Ashington Ngigi, Jane Ininda, Acar Toure, Ed Mabaya, Chris Kaijuka, Aline O’Connor Funk)