“Business Development Executive,” “Manager of Business Development,” and “VP, Business Development” are all impressive job titles often heard in business organizations. Sales, strategic initiatives, business partnerships, market development, business expansion, and marketing – all of these fields are involved in business development but are often mixed up and mistakenly viewed as the sole function of business development. The following information explores the nitty-gritty of business development, what it encompasses, and the standard practices and principles to which business development adheres.
What Is Business Development?
In the simplest terms, business development can be summarized as the ideas, initiatives and activities aimed towards making a business better. This includes increasing revenues, growth in terms of business expansion, increasing profitability by building strategic partnerships, and making strategic business decisions.
Business Development Across Departments
Business development activities extend across different departments, including sales, marketing, project management, product management and vendor management. Networking, negotiations, partnerships, and cost-savings efforts are also involved. All of these different departments and activities are driven by and aligned to the business development goals.