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BUSINESS ADVISOR
each possibility. Be as detailed and clear as you can in this section because, outside the executive summary, this part should be the second most studied section of the report and should include the financials (see "Format Financial Feasibility Like a Pro").
9. Timeline
Lay out the proposed schedule for making the change, from start to finish. If it's migrating coding and billing to an outside vendor,
list each step and the target date for the change. If it's hiring another staffer, put the dates by which you'd complete interviews, make a hiring decision and have someone in place. If it's a project that would involve construction, such as retrofitting to accommodate a new laser, get target stage-completion timelines from the vendor to use in this
section. This section should clearly show the sequence. Don't write paragraphs and paragraphs, just clearly delineate what each stage is, how long each should take, and the proposed dates by which you would act. This is a good exercise, because it gives you a solid framework to use if approval is granted.
10. Recommendation
You know more about this than anyone else. Objectively, what do you recommend? Be prepared to justify your recommendation to those who disagree with you. Your recommendation should be included as the last (short and to the point) paragraph on your executive
summary. Nothing wishy-washy, no caveats: "I recommend contracting with a billing service." Or, "I recommend hiring an additional staff member in the billing department." OSM
Mr. Earnhart (searnhart@earnhart.com) is the president and CEO of
Earnhart & Associates in Houston, Texas.
