Panaderia Planning Documentation, Part 3 
This is the final post to present this example document. Another important section of the document deals with the finances required for the project. That is what we will highlight here. The currency is the Peruvian Nuevo Sol.
Implementation
1.1.The oven………………………………………………………. S/ 2,500.00
1.2.Mixers………………………………………………… S/ 1,500.00
1.3.A cutter………………………………………………. S/ 1,400.00
1.4.Scales / timer……………………………………. S/ 250.00
1.5.Work tables………………………………. S/ 1,200.00
1.6.Basic Utensils………………………………………… S/ 600.00
1.7.Government registration……………………… S/ 150.00
1.8.Initial ingredients………………….. S/ 2.200.00
S/ 9,800.00
Capacity—initially production is assured at 2,000 loaves of bread per day, then projected as a goal after a year is 5000 / day. The oven has a capacity of 500 per 45 minutes, so there is not an equipment bottle neck with this plan.
Location is not a problem as we have members willing to use parts of their homes to install the ovens and equipment. Space will be rented for sales at a cost of S/ 350.
Salaries are oriented for daily payment and a monthly wage contracted for each member for their time. To assure three people full time at the start will mean a monthly base salary of S/ 500. The rest of the people will have a commission based on their sales. This is customary in the city for sales people.
For an initial volume of production at 5000, at 0.10 per bread, income will be 500 soles/day making a total of 15,000 per month. Variable and fixed expenses will be 370 soles/day for a monthly total of 11,100, leaving a net of 130 soles/day or 3900 nuevos soles monthly. Allowing an additional 25% for variables would yield a monthly net of 2925 soles.
Financing
Local Church…………………………………………….. S/ 1, 500.00
External Support…………………………….. S/8,300.00
S/ 9,800.00
Rate of Exchange with USA dollar is 2.92 soles/dollar
For the external support, there are two possibilities. One is donation, which would allow us to use income to enlarge and improve operations. The second is repayable support, which would slow the process of reaching sustainability.
Other details are included in the plan as well, including timelines for implementation, etc.
These three posts have represented actual planning that has been performed by this missionary team in Otuzco, Peru, directed by Pastor Javier Martinez.
If you would like to provide support for this wonderful work, please write to me at lmeeker@atctraining.com and I will send you the information and directions for the sponsoring church. Your involvement would truly be a blessing to them and greatly appreciated.
Blessings,
Larry
| Panaderia Planning Documentation, part 2 
Today we continue reviewing the actual planning document prepared for this bakery in Peru. This piece provides important background information essential to the decision to proceed.
II. Social Economic Assessment – (This is an important element of planning for a BAM project. It gives the planners and potential investors the background of the area in which the business will be established. This is an important element in assessing the potential viability of the proposed business.)
The local church initiating this project is under the direction of Pastor Javier Martinez Rojas, who directs the mission in Otuzco and its two additional missions: El Alizar and Santa Cecilia in the District of Usquil, Province of Otuzco, Peru. He and a team carried out this assessment study about the social economics of the church in the context of the City of Otuzco. Through that study the following results were obtained:
2.1.Population, Otuzco is a city located 65 KM from the city of Trujillo, capital of the Libertad region of Peru, at an altitude of 2640 meters above sea level. The population is approximately 33,000 inhabitants. The majority of the population is young, with more female than male.
2.2.Social reality
This city has a strategic location for tourism, with many visitors both from this nation and foreigners. At the same time it is a key commercial point in this part of the province, already having a concentration of inhabitants from the districts of Uzquil, Huaranchal, Coina and others in order to exchange commercial specialties on Sundays.
The occupations are dedicated basically to commercial and agriculture. 75% of the inhabitants profess to follow the Catholic religion. Issues of religious questions are fluid, permitting consumption of local products.
2.3.Economic reality
The economic level of people here is between the middle and lower levels. That is why it is necessary to create work opportunities that permit us to help the local homes/families.
Next time we will provide additional components of the document, continuing to reveal important parts of the plan and process.
Blessings,
Larry
| Panaderia Planning Documentation, part 1 
I will take the elements of this plan slightly out of order. Part 3 of the planning document is actually the section that highlights the purposes for this BAM Project. Let’s start with it. In terms of the thinking process, this should be one of the first elements to be developed for the project. (The original document is in Spanish.)
III Proposal
The proposal is to create a business that generates economic profit that will help different families within the local congregation at the mission in Otuzco, selected by evaluation, with their economic needs. It will serve similarly for the pastor family, in advancing the missionary effort. It will achieve self sustainment of the Mission going forward over time.
In the same way, the objective of the BAM is to strengthen and expand the Gospel mission of salvation for our brothers in the Andes, to strategic places that the mission of Otuzco proposes to reach in the confines of the province.
We like the purposes:
- Good work for members of the congregation
Our goal is to be a definite benefit to members of the church, who should be able to achieve an improved lifestyle and give a good testimony as children of God.
- Sustain and advance the work (the mission)
To begin, based on the budget of the local church, the project needs financial support to get started. In time the project should be self-sustaining and the bakery process should become more profitable as production is diversified.
(This proposal section on Purposes is simply stated, and it is very clear. The project will provide needed employment in a wholesome, Christian business environment. This meets a real need within the current mission church family. The profits will fuel the ministry outreach, not just in the community of Otuzco, but to other mission points in the Province. This church has already extablished two specific mission points and is currently finishing a mission church building in one of the locations. It is an amazing work.)
Next time we will include additional sections of their planning document.
Blessings,
Larry
| New BAM Project in Planning - Panaderia 
We are very excited to learn that one of our dear missionary brothers in South America is in the planning stages for a new BAM project. He has given permission to share with you via this blog the planning documentation that he and his team have prepared. In the next few posts we will print portions of that document, beginning with the purposes they have defined for the project.
This project would involve starting a bakery, known commonly in this part of the world as a panaderia.
Here are a few photos of an actual panaderia that we visited in Mexico earlier this month. These will give you a feel for the actual project.
Labor will be required in all aspects of the process, providing needed jobs for church and community people.
Space and materials are dedicated to allowing the different versions of bread to rise. These racks are for French style bread.
There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread coming out of the oven, by the thousands each day.
The selections from this panaderia in Mexico were incredible.
Next post we will start sharing the details. If you or others in your network of Christian friends find interest in the project and would like to provide support, we will connect you with the sponsoring church here in the United States so that you can contribute. That would be fantastic.
Blessings, and check back soon to follow this project as it is being planned.
Larry
| Vision Planning Step Four – Prepare Initial Action Plans 
Before this visioning meeting is over, in sub-groups or as a unit, pick a barrier or two and have them brainstorm actions and strategies to improve or eliminate the barriers. Consider how you will measure progress and success. This goal setting and action planning is critical. Leave the session with the group having "something to do," and something they will measure.
Subsequent meetings can involve reporting progress, and tackling additional barriers.
At some point, the team may want to take their categories describing their vision, and mold them into a team vision statement. This is optional, and should be pursued if it will be meaningful to the group. What is important is that they have a "vision for greatness", not just a nice vision statement to hang on the wall.
Follow-up, and follow through are important aspects of the visioning process.
Leaders and facilitators should help the on-going process by frequently asking the team for input and progress on their work. This demonstrates interest, and if done correctly, encourages accountability for taking action.
As actions are completed and progress is being made, the team can return to the vision plan and the associated barriers in order to plan the next action steps.
Blessings and best wishes for your vision action planning,
Larry
| Vision Planning Step Three -- Identify Potential Barriers 
Welcome back!
The next step in our process is to expose the barriers, or roadblocks to the "ideal" vision. This is important because it helps us define where we will need to work in order to move in the direction of the vision.
If it is a large team, divide up into sub-groups, with each sub-group taking a category. Normal brainstorming techniques work well for this phase of the session. Ask each sub-team to list the barriers to their category of the vision. Develop each list on a flip chart sheet.
When the lists are complete, have each sub-team present their list of barriers to the entire team. As the individual barriers are presented, have the entire group discuss how each roadblock should be categorized, depending on how much direct control the team can have on fixing the barrier.
D = team has direct control.
I = team only has indirect control.
N = team has no control over the barrier. (These are not ignored, they are elevated to the appropriate level for consideration and attention.)
This categorization of the barriers will allow the team to focus on working the issues that they most control.
- Our decision making will improve with this knowledge.
- Our motivation will increase as we make progress against the barriers.
Next time we look at planning for the initial actions.
Blessings,
Larry
| Vision Planning Step 2 – What Does the Ideal Look Like? 
The heart of the session is next. Prior to facilitating your team through this step, briefly review with them some elements that are already complete:
- The purposes for this BAM project
- The mission – the statement referring to the work that the BAM will engage in
- The values – the list constructed in the previous step
Now you begin the work to examine what the "ideal" world would look like for this BAM.
1. Have your team members work independently for 10-20 minutes, developing a list of items that describe their "ideal" picture of the future for this project and team. Encourage them to list as many ideas as possible. Allow them to walk around, go outside, or whatever might aid their creativity, but remind them to work individually on this step of the process.
2. After the allowed time, have each member flag the 3 or 4 most important items on his/her list. Ask them to record each item on a separate index card or small piece of paper. Large post-it notes work very well. (If you have a very small team, you might increase the number of items each person can select by another 1-2.)
3. Have each member present/discuss each of their cards, and why they are ideal, and important.
If a following presenter has selected the same idea that someone else has presented, that is fine. He or she can select another item from the list.
4. Now spread the entire collection of cards out on the table. Have the team members all gather around the display of cards. Ask them to start moving them around, attempting to sort them into 3-5 categories; e.g. quality, customer satisfaction, teamwork issues, management issues, and so on. Encourage a lot of discussion, and a lot of participation. (If anyone wants to add an item, which they had not previously thought of, that is certainly all right, too.) Paste each category of cards on a separate flip chart sheet.
Once you have the ideas sorted into 3-5 categories, this is an important point in the session to allow the group to take a break, Provide them with 15-20 minutes to relax and put the discussion aside.
5. When returning from the break, allow a lot of discussion and reflection on what the team has created. A couple of key questions must be posed to the group:
· "Is this the accurate "picture" of an ideal future for our team?
· Is this worth striving for?"
Before leaving this step of the process, have the team develop a category heading for each group of ideas. Examples might include:
- Leadership
- Customer service
- Quality
- And so on
We will continue soon with the next step of the process, examining potential barriers.
Blessings,
Larry
| Vision Planning Step 1 – Examine your values 
The first step in the vision planning process is simply to develop a list of key "values" for the group involved in the BAM project. Values are the characteristics we use to gauge the "rightness" and direction of our activities. Things like ethics, honesty, quality, etc. are typical values.
Remember that there are values involved in many aspects of our lives.
- Spiritual values – influence our daily lives as we keep Christ in our work and activities
- Family values – affect our closest personal relationships
- Work values – make a statement about how we apply work ethic to our actions
- Education values – influence learning in our organizations
- Personal values – show who we are in terms such as honesty, integrity,…
You can easily engage your team in the process of creating this list of values. In your vision planning meeting, have each member develop an individual list of their own values. This will take about 10 minutes. Then have each member select the 3 or 4 they consider most important. Each member can discuss his or her 3-4 top values. Consolidate these on a flip chart. This is a list that you want in front of the group, as they work on the development of their vision. It is a guage, or touchstone, to keep things headed in the right direction.
Examine your list of core values in relation to the purposes and plan for your BAM project. Ask yourself a couple of key questions:
- Are these the values that are essential to project success? Why or why not?
- Are there any values missing that might be critical to the project? Explain these. For example, if your project involves a school, make sure that educational values are included in your value set. This might encompass or include values such as “learning by doing,” “quality and honestly of presentations”, and more
- How will you cultivate key values within your team?
This process of identifying values is a simple step, but it is important. If we begin to form a vision plan that is not congruent with our core values, that could be a serious problem.
Next time we look at creating a “picture” of the ideal for our BAM project.
Blessings,
Larry
| Vision – the Direction for your BAM project 
The recent postings concentrated on focus – understanding how God has positioned you and your team, both with gifts and provisions. We assumed that you have already created the purposes for your project. (The issue of purposes was discussed in the posting dated 10/23/2009.)
Those steps should give you a sense of your mission for the project and “where you are.”
- The purposes God has for your project
- The preparation God has made for you and your team in this work
Vision planning is important so that you will now have a sense of direction about where the project will go.
- Your mission defines the work of the project
- The vision gives you direction for where and how the project will move forward
As an example, consider a BAM project for beginning a school.
- The mission involves the creation and presentation of classes within the community – the work that will be done and services to be offered
- You need a vision now to guide your decisions about how to proceed:
- Types of education and classes
- Age groups
- Learning environment
- Teacher styles
- Christian outreach from the school
- Who in the community will be reached
- Much more…
A typical vision will include three to five categories of elements. As these take shape and are refined, your team’s ability to make good decisions and plan strategically will be improved. Decisions can be tested against the vision – if we do this, will it move us in the direction we are trying to move toward?
The vision planning process has several steps. This process can serve you well in other areas, too, not just in your BAM projects. It is important and beneficial in all organizational work to have vision, including churches.
Next time we will begin with the first step – examining your values.
It is very important that your vision be congruent with your values and those of your team.
Many thanks,
Larry
| BAM Focus 
Last time we looked at the hedgehog concept by Jim Collins in his popular book, Good to Great.
This time we consider a variation of the model that has a spiritual perspective.
Searching for our organization’s soul via these can illuminate and answer important questions.
1. What are the purposes of the BAM project? Our blog posting on 10/23/2009 addressed the issue of purpose for a BAM. You might want to look back at those examples:
- Penetrate the community with the Gospel
- Serve the people in the community
- Generate funds for the ministry
- Provide a means and place of Christian discipleship
- Provide meaningful work in a Christian environment
2. How has God uniquely gifted us (the ministry and BAM team) to fulfill that purpose? Develop a deep understanding of the talents and capacities within your team that will be critical to move forward with success.
3. What has been the provision for the project? Examine the things that God has provided that will fuel the BAM with the resources needed to be successful. This includes money, land, facilities, people, time, and more…
It is powerful to have a keen focus on these three areas. Imagine the potential improvement in decision making, in results, and in impact.
The process of defining and understanding these areas will require hard work. It is going to take time. It may require iterations of exploring the questions. Even as your project moves ahead, you will find that focusing on these areas is very useful—steps to refine, to learn, and then to adjust as you go.
Remember, and remind your team, the eternal end result will be worth the labor and time.
Blessings,
Larry
| Other BAM start up issues  Welcome back!
Last time we talked about questions important to considering what type of business might be appropriate for a BAM in your area or ministry.
Once you have identified some candidates, more questions become important.
- What is the competition in the community for the product and/or service you are considering?
- What might the competitive reaction be to your business?
It is certainly important to have full understanding of applicable regulations for businesses in the location:
- Tax codes
- Forms of companies allowed (e.g. corporation, sole proprietorship, partnerships, etc.)
- Differences between how “for profit” and “non-profit” businesses must be organized/managed etc.
These will vary from country to country, and possibly within a given country.
In addition to more or less standard opportunity analysis, prayer is a particularly important component in this studied approach to discovering BAM possibilities.
How will you create the business and manage it for His purposes? This requires prayerful planning.
Next time we will look at some actual examples.
Next posting is planned for Sunday, November 1, 2009.
Many thanks,
Larry | What businesses are possible candidates?  A BAM project is about starting a business. The purposes have Kingdom reach, yet we must still understand that it must be setup for success as a business. We need to examine what type of business might be successful in the community. Several questions are critical to the analysis.
- What potential markets exist in the community?
- Are there critical needs within the community that are not being met, and which of those are people willing to pay for?
- Are there large business/organizations that use materials and/or services for which they are currently dissatisfied or are having difficulty procuring them locally?
Questions regarding resources are important, too.
- What talent and experience exists within the ministry team and/or church that can be applied to a BAM?
- From where might important talent be obtained?
- Does the talent God has provided match the potential business opportunities in the community?
- What resources will be needed to start and continue to run the different business options that come into view?
- What provisions are available?
- What can be achieved through donations of time and money?
- What investment will be required?
As you can see, this step in the process involves finding and checking the market viability in the community, combined with assessing the gifts and provisions that the Lord has made possible for the project.
Next time we will explore more start up issues.
Next posting is planned for Thursday, October 29, 2009.
Many thanks,
Larry | Purposes for BAM  Posting 2 , October 23, 2009 – Welcome back
Business as Mission is about creating a profitable business with a Kingdom of God purpose, perspective and impact. Actually, the purpose is plural – purposes. It can include a range of items. Here are a few:
Penetrate the community with the Gospel – businesses touch a lot of people in a community. This can include employees, families of employees, vendors, suppliers, customers, and more. Each of these hold potential for showing and sharing the love of Christ.
Serve the people in the community – all communities have people with needs. This can range from basics such as food and water, to higher level concerns such as education and healthcare. These represent an almost infinite range of business service possibilities.
Generate funds for the ministry – God’s work requires resources. A successful business run as a mission can generate the money that fuels the ministry, from materials to church buildings and more. Financial return from the BAM can support growth of the church and ministry in the community.
Provide a means and place of Christian discipleship – a Christian workplace is a wonderful place to help people grow in their lives as Christians. Living out Christian values while working and serving the community is a wonderful way to increase our understanding of God’s Word and His Will.
Provide meaningful work in a Christian environment – a basic need in many communities is availability of jobs. A BAM, as with any other successful business, has the potential to create good work opportunities in the community.
Next time we will explore a sampling of issues important for evaluating businesses that might be candidates for a BAM.
Next posting is planned for Monday, October 26, 2009.
Many thanks for your interest,
Larry | | |
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