A plan is yours when you can explain each decision and show where its figures came from. A short log of revisions and sources is the simplest way to show that.
This lesson is part of student-owned business plan reasoning. It pairs with writing an original plan without copying assessed coursework.
What goes in a revision and source log?
Use four columns, and add one row each time you change something that matters.
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | the day you made the change |
| Change | what was different before and after |
| Reason | why you changed it |
| Source | where the information came from |
Keep it in the same file as your plan, so it does not get lost.
Worked example: Aiman’s log
Here is an original log for the fictional kuih stall.
| Date | Change | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar | Price of a box changed from RM7 to RM8 | Ingredient cost rose to RM4.20 a box | Receipt from the market, 2 Mar |
| 10 Mar | Weekly forecast lowered from 100 to 90 boxes | Oven allows only 80 boxes, so 90 needs a fifth day | Own baking record, weeks 1 to 3 |
| 17 Mar | Added a rainy-day pre-order list | Sales fell on two wet days | Tally sheet for 11 and 12 Mar |
Each row answers three questions: what changed, why, and how Aiman knows. If a teacher asks about the RM8 price, Aiman can point to the receipt.
How can I test whether a line is really mine?
Ask yourself four questions about any line in the plan.
- Can I explain it without reading it aloud?
- Can I say where the numbers came from?
- Would the line still make sense if the business name were changed to another business?
- Did I decide it, or did I only accept it?
If the answer to question 3 is yes, the line is probably generic. A line that fits any business is not yet your plan.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to keep only the final clean plan and throw away the drafts. The plan looks tidy, and nothing shows how it was made.
| Step | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Drafts | deleted | kept, with dates |
| Price change | RM8, no explanation | RM7 to RM8 because cost rose to RM4.20 |
| Source | none | market receipt, 2 Mar |
| If questioned | cannot explain | points to the log |
The log costs a few minutes a week and protects the plan.
Check yourself
You change your selling price from RM5 to RM6 after checking three similar stalls in the canteen. Write one log row.
Answer
Date: the day of the change. Change: selling price raised from RM5 to RM6.
Reason: three similar stalls in the canteen charge RM6, so RM5 was lower than the market and left a thin margin.
Source: own price check of three stalls on that date, noted on the tally sheet. The row should name the stalls or the page of the notebook where the prices are written.
What to study next
Read writing an original plan without copying assessed coursework for the next step. Then try the integrated practice set.
The business case answer planner can structure the plan itself. For a teacher who asks you about every decision, see online one-to-one Business tuition.