ABSTRACT
Once the strategic choices have been made, and the objectives have been determined and agreed, the next phase involves the tactical decisions, that is the staged implementation of the strategies in the medium term. The first question that springs immediately to mind is ‘What resources will we need to do it?’ Broadly speaking, we are talking about premises, space, plant and equipment, transport, office equipment and computers, communications equipment, raw materials or stock, packaging, advertising materials, staff and managers to make productive use of it all, and of course the money to pay for everything. However, before the acquisitions can begin there are still a large number of crucial decisions that have to be made, as many of these purchases will involve substantial long-term capital investment, and few businesses (particularly smaller ones) can afford to make expensive mistakes.
