Business Plan Outline
- Executive Summary (Entice them to read on! Include all financing and investments being requested. Write this part last.)
- Business ownership (List all partners who will own 20% or more. What form of ownership is used? (corporation, partnership, etc.))
- Mission, vision, and values statements (Your mission may be considered the “thesis statement” of the plan. Communicate what do you do differently or better. Can readers easily communicate it back to you in their own words?)
- Product or service description
- Product or service life cycle location (innovation, growth, maturity, decline)
- Pricing
- Market definition (Do you sell to individuals or businesses? Do you sell to end users, resellers, or manufacturers?)
- Market size (total potential customers in target geographic area)
- Market share (current and anticipated percentage share of market)
- Marketing
- Advertising (List media and costs.)
- Sales and sales goals (Surveys, contracts, and orders as quantifiable evidence)
- Customers or Clients (List them.)
- Concentrations (Identify customers comprising significant shares of sales.)
- Seasonality
- Cyclicality
- Industry and industry analysis
- Suppliers (List them, and include payment terms.)
- Competition (Has your idea been tried here or elsewhere? Did it work? Why? Can you visit a similar business? Are their demographics the same? Include indirect competition or substitute products or services.)
- SWOT Analysis (Strengths & weaknesses-internal; 0pportunities & threats-external)
- Research and development
- Location
- Local market analysis (Use local Chamber of Commerce, Board of Realtors.)
- Operations and Management
- Operational goals (Specific, measurable, tied to incentives)
- Cost‑cutting goals/Cost Containment
- Labor and local labor market
- Key employees and managers
- Management structure (Include resumes, organizational chart.)
- Management succession (plans for death, disability, retirement)
- Board of directors
- Board of advisers
- Financing requests
- Financial statements (Income statements and balance sheets for three to five prior years; income statements and balance sheets for this year-to-date; personal financial statement not less than three months old)
- Projections (Income statement and cash flow statement by month for first year; income statement and balance sheet for first three years)
Comments