How to make a project plan and allow enough time, money and resources to prevent budget blowouts or delays.

If you’re about to start a project, it’s best that you invest enough time building a plan first.

Project management means you’ll need to manage resources, timeframes, budgets and other constraints to deliver a specific outcome.

Before you start any project, you should create a project plan which will help you to stay on track and avoid getting distracted by ‘scope creep’ and budget blowouts.

Spend at least 30% of your time to planning the project, before you begin. However there’s also the balance between over-strategising and just getting stuff done.

So spend as much time as you need to get started, making sure you factor in a reasonable buffer for your resources (sometimes people need time of work, or experience burnout) and budgets (economic pressures might increase the price, and supply issues might cause delays), and allow time for rework.

Also, allow enough time and budget for the unexpected things which may occur:

• If you’re building a project plan to renovate your kitchen, allow extra budget for decorative touches which I’m sure you’ll decide to do towards the end.
• If you’re implementing a software solution at your company, allow extra budget for additional security tools or automation plugins which may be needed for a complete integration.

Remember a Project Plan is a plan. Plans should be designed to help you control the outcomes, but uncertainty may arise, so you must allow for rescheduling, or additional funding.

By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive plan that will help you successfully complete your project.

How to create a project plan

To create a project plan, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Identify the goal of your project and define the objectives that will help you achieve that goal. This will give you a clear idea of what needs to be done and how you will measure the success of your project.
2. Create a timeline for your project. This will help you keep track of the different tasks that need to be completed and the deadlines for each task.
3. Identify the resources that you will need to complete your project, including people, materials, and equipment.
4. Create a budget for your project. This will help you plan for any expenses that you will incur and ensure that you have enough money to complete the project.
5. Create a risk management plan. This will help you identify potential risks to your project and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.
6. Create a communication plan. This will help you keep stakeholders informed about the progress of your project and address any concerns they may have.
7. Monitor and review the progress of your project. This will help you ensure that you are on track to meet your goals and make any necessary adjustments to your plan.

Remember, creating a project plan requires careful planning and attention to detail.

Which software should I use to manage my project?

Here’s our recommended tools for managing any project.

• Monday.com — Highly effective teams choose monday.com to manage their work.
• asana — Asana organises work so teams are clear about what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.
• Hive — The tool for productive teams. Thousands of companies all over the world are moving faster with Hive.
• Productive.io — Manage your agency in one place, end-to-end.
• Project Express App — Over 35,000 people worldwide trust Project Express to manage projects, at work and at home.
• Teamwork — At last, easy-to-use project management software you won’t outgrow
• Trello — From high rises to the home office, the way your team works is unique—accomplish it all with Trello.
• Wrike — Only Wrike’s work management platform gives your team full visibility and control over all your tasks and projects.
• TickTick — Join millions of people to capture ideas, manage to-dos and make the most of your life with TickTick.
• nTask — Project management software that enables your teams to collaborate, plan, analyze and manage everyday tasks.
• Adobe Workfront — Connect, collaborate, and simplify workflows using Adobe Workfront to launch campaigns and deliver personalized experiences at scale.
• Accelo — Accelo is a cloud-based software platform that helps businesses manage their projects, clients, and teams.
• JIRA — JIRA is a project management and issue tracking software developed by Atlassian.
• ProjectLibre — ProjectLibre is an open source project management software that provides users with a comprehensive suite of tools to help them manage their projects.
• ProofHub — ProofHub is a project planning software with every tools your team needs to get work done faster, together. No per user fee. Free trial. No learning curve.
• Workfront — Workfront is a cloud-based project management and work collaboration platform designed to help teams and organizations manage their work more efficiently.
• FreeAgent CRM — #1 User-Rated Alternative to Salesforce
• Google Tasks — Google Tasks is a free task management app that helps you organize and prioritize your to-do lists. It’s easy to use, with features like drag-and-drop, reminders, and subtasks. Get organized and stay on top of your tasks with Google Tasks.
• WorkOtter
• Rock.so — Create a space for 1:1s, group conversations or projects. Add anyone, inside or outside your organization, to a space so they can participate in a conversation, work on tasks, read notes and access any file they need.
• Redbooth — Redbooth helps teams manage tasks and communication so projects get completed faster and easier.
• FreeAgent — FreeAgent’s powerful and easy-to-use accounting software for UK businesses brings everything together – from invoices and expenses to Self Assessment tax returns, payroll and MTD-compliant VAT filing. Take a free trial today!
• DeskTime — DeskTime time tracker software lets you to track time and analyze productivity to see how your and your team’s time is spent. Try the free 14-day trial today!
• Basecamp — Trusted by millions, Basecamp puts everything you need to get work done in one place.
• HubSpot — HubSpot’s free CRM powers your customer support, sales, and marketing with easy-to-use features like live chat, meeting scheduling, and email tracking.
• BugHerd —
• Vendasta — From agency to enterprise, the Vendasta platform is the only end-to-end management software for selling digital solutions to local businesses.
• Slack — Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It’s faster, better organised, and more secure than email.
• Nozbe — Best personal and team productivity collaboration tool. Use Nozbe – task management software and increase productivity.
• Toggl — Stress-free time tracking software, project-planning, and hiring. Designed by and for teams that work from anywhere.
• Adam.ai — One place for teams to run efficient meetings, create collaborative agendas, record decisions, and assign tasks.
• CobbleStone Systems — Cobblestone Systems is a software development company that specializes in creating custom software solutions for businesses. They provide services such as web and mobile app development, software integration, and cloud computing. Their team of experienced developers and designers work together to create innovative solutions that meet the needs of their clients.
• Podio — Build powerful low-code business solutions to customize work and communication. Start for free.
• Todoist — Join 25 million people and teams that organize, plan, and collaborate on tasks and projects with Todoist.
• ClickUp™ — ClickUp’s mission is to make the world more productive – Tasks, Docs, Goals, and Chat.