How to draw up a business plan yourself

"Plans are the dreams of knowledgeable people" Ernst von Feuchtersleben (English scientist, philosopher, literary critic).

Business planning goals

Having chosen your business, you need to decide how you will organize it, which means you need to plan for the near future. Everyone needs a business plan:

• To those from whom you try to borrow money for the implementation of your project, that is, bankers and investors.
• To your employees who want to understand their tasks and perspectives.
• And to you yourself - to test the rationality and realism of your ideas.

Business plan Is a document that:

1. Describes all the main aspects of a future enterprise or project.
2. Analyzes all the problems it may face.
3. Determines how to solve the identified problems.

Correctly drawn up business plan- this is a clear answer to the questions: "is it worth investing money in the business that has been conceived and will it bring income that will pay off all the costs of manpower and resources?"

Important! Planning should be carried out by present or future companies, that is, those people who are not afraid to take responsibility for the implementation of the business plan. But this does not mean, of course, that you do not need to use the services of consultants and experts in this field. Admittedly, consulting firms charge hefty sums to compile it, ranging from $ 2,000 to $ 40,000. But you can make it yourself, while incurring minimal costs. By engaging in this work personally, you will not only model your future activities, but also check your strength and the idea itself.

So, the main purpose of the business plan: he helps entrepreneurs to solve the following problems:

- To study the capacity and development prospects of the future sales market.

- Estimate the costs for the production of products needed by the market. Weigh them against prices.

- Determine those indicators by which it will be possible to regulate the state of affairs.

Keep in mind! A business plan is usually written for the long term, and it should be drawn up approximately 3-5 years in advance. At the same time, for the first year, the main indicators should be divided in a monthly breakdown, for the second - quarterly, and only starting from the third year, one should limit ourselves to annual indicators. Although if we take into account our economy, its volatility, then planning for a period of more than a year is not entirely effective. Therefore, many now limit themselves to writing a plan for the year.

Business plan structure

The business plan has a complex structure. The entire life of a company from the moment of creation to the moment of stability and stability should be spelled out in business language, at the same time intelligibly and vividly. A business plan should be understandable to any entrepreneur, financier and banker, as well as potential partners. The confidentiality memorandum is drawn up in order to warn persons familiar with the business plan about the confidentiality of the information contained in it. The memorandum may contain a ban on copying, transferring the project to third parties and a requirement to return the project to the author.

The business plan should always be short and succinct. True, sometimes, in order to reveal the essence of the problem, it is made quite deep in content. Recommended volume: 30 - 70 pages, no more. And all additional materials should be included in the attachments to the business plan.

Remember! It is important to provide dosage information.

Here are the main points that you will need to consider:

1. annotation(up to 1 page) - written request for senior management.
2. Summary(1-3 pages) - basic information to get acquainted with the business plan.
3. Business plan(45-60) - for a detailed study of the project by the investor's specialists and experts.

Remember! Any business has its own characteristics, therefore, there cannot be a certain "standard" plan that is acceptable in all cases. There is, so to speak, only a general principle, a structure for drawing up a business plan.

Summary

Your business should always start with conclusions, you write them last, but they should be the very first paragraph of your business plan. A resume is the result of an already written business plan. This is the only part that most potential investors read.

• The purpose of the business plan.
• The need for finances, for what purposes they are needed.
• A brief description of the business and its target customer.
• The main differences from competitors.
• Key financial indicators.

Business plan:

1. Goals and objectives

Here you will need to provide an analysis of the idea (SWOT-analysis). Disclose strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

• Analysis of the idea.
• The purpose of the activity (what you want to achieve).
• Characteristics of the industry.

2. Product (service)

It is important that this part is written in clear, concise language that can be understood by a layperson.

• Description of the product or service and their application.
• Uniqueness
• Technologies and qualifications necessary for business.
• License / Patent Rights.

3. Market analysis

Market and marketing is a decisive factor for all companies. You need to first collect and process a large amount of "draft" information.

• Buyers.
• Competitors (their strengths and weaknesses).
• Market segments.
• Market size and growth.
• Estimated market share.
• The composition of your clientele.
• Influence of competition.

4. Marketing plan

At this stage, the main task is to gain the trust and disposition of a potential investor. If you do not have a special education, you should read books on marketing, contact a specialist.

• Marketing alignment (main characteristics of products, services in comparison with competitors).
• Pricing (how to correctly set the price of a product).
• Distribution scheme of goods.
• Sales promotion methods.

5. Production plan

Here you should consider all the issues related to the premises that you occupy, their location, equipment, personnel.

• Location of premises.
• Equipment.
• Sources of supply of basic materials and equipment.
• Use of subcontractors.

6. Management staff

Investments are made in specific people, and not in a business plan, therefore this section is one of the most important.

• The main management team.
• Staff composition.
• Reward.

7. Sources and amount of required resources

In this section, you should present your thoughts on:

• Amount of funds required.
• Sources of their receipt, form, timing.
• Terms of refund.

8. Financial plan and risk analysis

Business people are divided into those who like to work with numbers and who are afraid of them. For those in the first category, this section of the business plan is undoubtedly the most important.

• Sales volume, profit, cost, etc.
• Risks and how they can be avoided.

9. Detailed financial plan

You need to include a detailed financial plan in your business plan:

• Sales volume forecast.
• Profit and loss estimates.
• Cash flow analysis (monthly for the first year, then quarterly).
• Annual balance sheet.

And finally, I would like to give some useful tips for drawing up a business plan:

1. To get started, read a few other business plans.
2. The business plan should reflect your personality.
3. Preparing a business plan is a job that requires the use of imagination.
4. Gain experience and skills in the chosen direction.
5. Write only on days when you are full of energy, not when you are mentally and physically exhausted.

Wish you luck!