NAME OF YOUR

BUSINESS
Prepared for:
NAME OF LECTURER

Prepared by:
Your Name or group

YOUR ADDRESS OF COMPANY

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 This is a cover page
It contains this information:

Place your
logo here

Business Plan for:

Your Company Name

Your Mailing Address
Your City, Province
Your Postal Code

Your Phone:Fax: E-Mail:

Date Your Names

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 Table of Contents

I Executive Summary ............................................. Page #

II Company Profile ................................................... Page #

III Marketing Overview ............................................ Page #

IV Financial Overview .............................................. Page #

V Organization ......................................................... Page #

VI Operations ............................................................ Page #

VII Strategic Plan ........................................................ Page #

VIII Conclusion ............................................................ Page #

IX Appendix .............................................................. Page #

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 I. Executive Summary

Purpose of this Business Plan

Is this a guide for reference? Is it to be used for obtaining financing, a
tool for measuring progress, to be used as an information piece for
clients? Discuss your rationale.

Reason for the Business

Why does this business exist?

Summary of Key Elements (highlights) for the Business Plan

When will the business be profitable? Who are key clients or suppliers?
Are there special events? Milestones to be seen?.

Identification of Needs (if any)

Is a loan or other financing yet to be obtained? Equipment procured, a
location to be settled, other assistance.

Note: The Executive Summary should not be longer than 1 page.

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 II. Company Profile

Mission Statement
Clearly states what you stand for and usually includes a comment on
your business ethics.

Business Description
What do you do?
How do you do it?
Who do you sell to?
What makes you different?
Where does the business operate?
What are the goals?

Management Profile
Summary of your experiences as relates to the business.
Always written in the 3rd person.
Often written from your resume(s).

Industry Overview
A brief summary from your market research stating the current trends
in the industry. This should substantiate the viability of the business.

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 III. Marketing Overview

Market Research

Target Market (customer analysis)

Describe the primary and secondary buyers of the product or
service (what age, gender, work group). Include demographic,
psychographic and geographic information as well as a
rationalization for the selection. Why would they buy from you
and what are their needs?

Competition Analysis
Who is the competition, why are they in business (direct or
indirect), how will you take business from them and they from you.
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the competition and
outline your opportunities. What makes you different? Draw
conclusions from your analysis.
A chart is often the best way to show this.

Market Size
Quantify the market by dollars or units bought, geographic
parameters, number of purchases per season or year.

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Marketing Plan

Product or Service package(s)

What is your offering?
What are you selling?
What added value are you bringing to the market place?
Is it a single item or multiple items?
What does it look like or how would a client identify it?
Mention any items that differentiate you from the competition.
How will you position your offering in the mind of the customer?
What is/are the key benefit(s) to customers in using your
product/service?

Place (Business Location Analysis)

Where are you located and how does this give you an advantage?
If you are renting space outside of your home a table may best
show why you chose the location and how it works better for you.
Comment on how this ties in with your target market.
If you are providing a product, where will your product be found?
In what type of retail environment? Where within the retail
environment? Describe the physical shelf or setting, what
competitive products are near yours etc.?

Pricing and Costing, Sales Terms and Conditions

Cover how you determined the price you will charge for your
offering(s). This will include how you determined your costs and
profit margin. (You may want to cross-reference this to the break-
even analysis in the finance section). Substantiate why the
numbers work.
The terms and conditions will relate to industry standards and to
special promotion concepts you may be planning. An example of
Sales Terms and Conditions is net 30 days after receipt of product
or service.

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 Promotion Plan for each product or service package
The introduction to this heading should discuss the promotion plan
in general then give a summary of the years activities and
expectations. What do you plan to do to let your target markets
know you exist and have services / products to offer.A schedule or
chart of activities by month will be helpful.

Packaging
Include comments on appearance, materials to be used,
environmental impact, visual appeal, functionality, costs,
government regulations etc.

Sales Process and strategies

How will you find your clients and how will they find you?
What is your typical opening in a sales situation?
Where do you place yourself against your competition?
List strategies you use to draw attention to your business.
Describe your script to deal with objections and to introduce yourself.
Detail the mathematical approach to sales for the business; how many
calls to generate how many interviews to generate sales and how does
this tie into your financial goals.
What are your customer service policies?

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 IV. Financial Overview

FINANCIAL GOALS
What are the goals of the business?
Where do you see the business going in the future?
What will be accomplished by this business?

START-UP COSTS
Give an itemized list of what is needed to get the business started.
Identify what has been already purchased and what will be
purchased.

SOURCES OF FINANCING
Where is the money to start-up coming from?
What are the terms of financing?

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SALES ASSUMPTIONS FOR YEAR 1, 2, 3
This is an extension of the promotional plan and sales strategies.
Briefly state the hours / items required to produce the revenue
amounts forecast and when the cash is received.
Identify the changes (give reasons) in revenues between months.

BREAKEVEN POINT ANALYSIS

A calculation to prove profitability.
Identify how much volume (Rp) or units / hours is needed to cover
costs.
Use the results to reach conclusions about your sales assumptions.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Income Statement, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet)
Explanation of any significant items in the statements.
Gives a quick summary of key points of each statement.
Identifies the period for the statements presented.

CASH FLOW FORECAST FOR YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2, 3

Monthly from ______________ to _______________.
Refer to your disc for format.
Preferably done on a spreadsheet (easier for future changes).

INCOME STATEMENT (YEAR END) FOR YEAR 1 &

YEAR 2,3
Year ending __________________ for the first two years of business.
Refer to your book (p. 133) for format.

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BALANCE SHEET (YEAR END) FOR YEAR 1 & YEAR 2, 3
As of __________________ for the first & second year of business.
.

YEAR 2 OR 3 PROJECTIONS RATIONALE

Why will your revenue go up?
How will your expenses go up?
What are material items that will be different from year 1?
Make sure to incorporate your personal needs (draw / salary).

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 V. Organization

Form of Business
Legal definition -- sole proprietor, partnership, corporation.
Include information on ownership percentage and reason for choice.
Include date of registration and legal name.

Roles/Technical Assistance/Associates
Comment on individuals involved in the business: lawyer, accountant,
mentor, systems support (who and how they relate to the business).

Legal Requirements/Licensing
Permits needed for operation or tenancy, licenses required.
Comment on PST and GST requirements and status.

Insurance
Business, vehicle, special issues due to the type of business.

Banking
Indicate institution and any reasons for this choice, special
arrangements such as credit card merchants agreement,
investment opportunities for gst or pst funds.

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 VI. Operations

PHYSICAL SET-UP
Where and how is your place of business set-up? How is it set up?
Where will you meet your clients?
For retail, where is it located and what is the layout, parking issues?

EQUIPMENT AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Give an itemized list of what equipment you have already and what
equipment you will be purchasing in the 1st year (when?)
What type of communication systems do you or will you have in place
(phone line, fax, e-mail, cellular, pager, answering service…)
Are you producing business cards, letterhead, brochures, and
pamphlets, web site etc.?

HOURS OF OPERATION
Do you have set hours?
How are you breaking up your week? When are marketing, meeting
clients, servicing orders, doing your administrative duties scheduled?

PRODUCTION / MANUFACTURING
Are you involved in producing your products, etc.?
How and where are the products manufactured?
What type of quality control do you have in place?

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SUPPLIERS AND TERMS
Who are your key suppliers?
What type of credit terms have you established?

INVENTORY CONTROL
Where are you keeping your inventory?
What is it and how big is it (give value)?
How will you keep track of your inventory?

STAFFING
Will you have employees? Hourly or salaried? When?
Do you have job descriptions (details in appendix)?
Will you use contractors? For what purposes?
Preferably done on a spreadsheet (easier for future changes).

RECORD KEEPING SYSTEM

How will you keep track of your network, prospects, clients, suppliers,
etc.?
How will you keep track of your financial information?
Who is looking after your bookkeeping and accounting?
What type of accounting system will you have in place?

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 VII. Strategic Action Plan

Activity Overview
Identify start-up activities and key actions as the business activity
increases. Indicate if there is a “ramping up” effect or if the
“floodgates will open” and capacity will be reached rapidly. In either
case, what actions will take place.

Chart
Build a chart and fill in activities for each month. Refer to your
promotional plan and sales assumptions. CHECK FOR A REALISTIC
TIME FRAME.

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 VIII. Conclusion

Summary/Goal
Sets out your final summation of the plan

Future Vision
Where are you going and why will it be that way?

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 VIII. Appendix

Appendix -- table of contents

Documentation
Include proof of licensing, resume if significant, lease information

Samples of Work
Pictures of product, photocopy of articles price list etc.

Samples of Business Tools

Software list, sales tools etc.

Market Research
Survey form, summary of results, and a reference to a conclusion.

Staffing
Job descriptions

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