Marijuana Business Planning: A Q&A with Mike McCulley
MasterPlans, a business planning firm based in Portland, Oregon, has more than 13 years of experience in the emerging cannabis industry. The firm has worked to develop financial models and business plans for new and existing companies that are looking to secure funding, grow partnerships, and manage their long-term strategies for success. They have created business plans for more than 100 companies at every level of the market, from cultivators to dispensaries, to businesses in packaging, security and tourism. They work with nonprofit ventures, investor propositions, commercial lending and self-funded companies.
“We know how difficult it is to launch a business in the cannabis industry, because we work with businesses in this field every day,” says Mike McCulley, VP of Sales at MasterPlans. Cannabis Industry Journal spoke with McCulley to learn more about some of the challenges that marijuana businesses face.
Cannabis Industry Journal: What are some of the biggest hurdles in launching a new grow operation?
Mike McCulley: Many of our cultivation clients say that the largest hurdle they face is in identifying the ideal location for their business. Grow operations need to factor in a wide range of concerns including cost, zoning, security, soil viability (for outdoor operations), energy costs (especially for indoor operations), and proximity to schools and similar buildings. Location can really make or break the success of any grow operation, and this is often the single largest cost incurred when launching this kind of business.
CIJ: What are some key ingredients in a successful marijuana business plan?
McCulley: It probably goes without saying that a successful business plan for a company in the marijuana field first has to execute all of the elements that every business plan needs to include: Detailed financial projections, accurate market analysis, [and] a comprehensive overview of strategies and goals. Marijuana business plans in particular need to also address the key issues and challenges that are unique to operators in this industry. How will your company be impacted by state-level regulations, and how will your operational model address those? What steps will you take to ensure the security of your product? How will you accommodate the complicated issue of accounting while federal regulations are still impacting the way marijuana companies manage their banking? These issues should be acknowledged and addressed if you hope for your plan to be compelling.
CIJ: With the growing schism between recreational and medical markets, how do you determine your target market and meet those customers’ needs?
McCulley: Determining a target market can be difficult before launching operations, but it’s not impossible. A key tool to help work through this question is up-to-date census information or demographics for the area in which your company is serving. Recreational markets provide a much broader audience to become potential clients, but medical markets can also offer lucrative opportunities if an operator can launch in an area with a high concentration of eligible patients. Accurate market data plays a key role in this process, and close analysis of that data can help operators determine their best course of action.