GUIDED BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE PARTICIPANT HANDOUT

Transcription

1 GUIDED BUSINESS PLAN GUIDED BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE PARTICIPANT HANDOUT WRITTEN BY Melanie Rae PRESENTED BY Women s Enterprise Development Center

2 Do You Need A Business Plan? The need for a business plan should be personal. Your business plan is a working document to help you visualize what you want to achieve. If you want to map your goals to stay organized, then you need a plan. If you want to demonstrate your commitment and explain your methods to prospective stakeholders (a business partner, investor or lender, etc.), then you need a plan. I wrote the GUIDED Business Plan book to enable entrepreneurs to easily convert their ideas into a coherent business plan. It is built around Action Items that are small tasks to help you create your content. The process is basic. Write, research, edit, format, proof. For more entrepreneur inspiration, visit guidedbusinessplan.com and join the Business Plan Advice group on LinkedIn. ~Melanie Rae Sample business plan outline included in the GUIDED Business Plan workbook: Executive Summary Business Concept Business Model Market Need Competitive Position Management Market Operations Funding Needs Exit Strategy Company Background Company Overview Mission Statement Legal Names Company Ownership & Legal Structure Names of Top Management Location Intellectual Property Products/Services Industry Overview Industry Overview Market Drivers Industry Trends Maturity of Industry Size and Growth Buying Patterns Global Economic Factors Regulatory Issues Barriers to Entry SWOT Analysis Target Market Target Market Demographics & Psychographics Competition Competitive Position Direct Competitors Indirect Competitors Marketing Objective Sales Strategy Product Strategy Pricing Strategy Distribution Strategy Promotional Strategy Operations Operation Summary Operation Process Management Summary Staffing Needs Management Team Advisory Board Financials Sales Projections Income Statement Balance Sheet Cash Flow Capital Assets Break-Even Funding Needs guidedbusinessplan.com p. 2 Guided Business Plan

3 01. Business Concept Why are you starting or expanding this business? What problem(s) are you solving? Why are you and your products/services unique? 02. Business Model What are you selling? Who will pay for your product or service? What is the price or price range? guidedbusinessplan.com p. 3 Guided Business Plan

4 03. Market Need How big is the problem? Why is the problem you are solving spreading? During your first year, who are you focusing on to solve the problem for? 04. Competition Who would your ideal customer buy from if your business did not exist? If your ideal customer did not want to pay your prices, what would they use as a substitute? Why are you better than what already exists? guidedbusinessplan.com p. 4 Guided Business Plan

5 05. Target Market What are the different groups of people you are targeting? What does your ideal customer look like? What types of social or business groups do they belong to? 06. Marketing What types of periodicals does your ideal client read? What are the top five ways you will use to let people know about your business? Who influences their buying decision? guidedbusinessplan.com p. 5 Guided Business Plan

6 07. Management Who is making the key decisions for your business? Why are they qualified? What other job positions will you need to fill in the near future? 08. Risk Assessment Why are you and/or your team the best ones to start this business? What do you need to start with or to develop a strong foundation? Why is this a good time to start or expand your business? What is a challenge you and your competitors could face now or within the next few years? guidedbusinessplan.com p. 6 Guided Business Plan

7 09. Operations How do you do what you do? Other than your staff, who helps you and where are they located? Where can your customers get your product/service? 10. Funding Needs How much money do you need and from what sources? What do you need the money for? How much have you invested? guidedbusinessplan.com p. 7 Guided Business Plan

8 11. WORKSHOP SUMMARY PARTICIPANT NOTES Connect with us! We would love to hear your feedback! Are you inspired to write your business plan? During this session, you created a vision for your business. You outlined the what, why, who, where and how of your business idea and created an outline of your Executive Summary. Business Concept Business Model Market Need Competitive Position Management Marketing Operations Funding Needs Additional Resources: Contact us to schedule an individual appointment with an advisor. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS Schedule a one-on-one session with one of our business advisors prior to leaving today s workshop. Our center provides free counseling to answer your questions about your financials, operations, legal issues, management, marketing and funding needs. Women s Enterprise Development Center ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP Join the Business Plan Advice group on LinkedIn to post questions or feedback regarding your idea. Stay connected by joining the SBDC or WBC groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. Visit guidedbusinessplan.com for entrepreneur inspiration guidedbusinessplan.com p. 8 Guided Business Plan