The resources plan must also consider physical properties such as office space, warehousing, and other site locations. With facilities, there always seems to be too much or too little. A common problem in rapid-growth companies is the lack of office space. Many company office buildings are so crowded I wonder how much effective work is done in a single day. Stories of people having to share desks are common in many company facilities. One solution to expensive office space is the home office. Some employees find working from home can be quite effective, given their job requirements. These mobile employees work out of their home base but spend most of their time at the customer’s location. Or the employee works from a computer at home in the same fashion as would be done in a company office.
The only major differences in working from a home office are the length of time it takes to get to your desk and your dress code options (you can work in your pajamas). At the other end of the scale is the problem of excessive space. Vacant warehouse space is costly. Should your company keep the extra space in anticipation of growth? If you need a new manufacturing facility, when is the time to buy the land and break ground? How far out should you project growth to be able to properly plan your facilities requirements? This is a case where the need for a longer time span in your business plan becomes self-evident.
For a resources plan to be complete, projections of facility requirements must be matched to the business plan. This is a point in the plan where accuracy of forecasting is critical. The numbers and support requirements found in those big stretch goals become even more magnified. To get the projections and targets wrong by even a little bit has serious consequences. Since resources are committed against these numbers, they need to be right the first time.