Business Plan is one of the document you must have before starting a business.
People believe that you need it for getting loans from bank or grant from other institutions.
However, the main purpose of this document is for business clarity and definition of purpose. It is a guide in attaining success.
BUSINESS PLAN SECTIONS
1. BUSINESS CONCEPT OR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This section should not contain products or services offered by the company alone, it should highlight all the key elements of your business plan.
It should focus on the "WHAT, HOW, WHY NOW AND WHY YOU?" for the business opportunity.
It should explain what separate your product from what exists in the market and what specific customer need you are satisfying.
2. PRODUCT OR SERVICE SECTION
In your business plan, you'll need to Answer the following questions about your product or service:
1. What is the customer need that you are addressing (shelter, beauty, health, transport etc)
________________________________________
2. Provide a brief description of your target customer. (What do you know about your customer that will make him or her want to pay for your product)
________________________________________
3. Provide a detailed description of your product or service ( what does your product do for a buyer with respect to his/her need)?
________________________________________
4. Is their anyone else providing this your product or service? ___________
5. If no, why do you believe that no one else has created your product or provided your service to your customers? ________
____________________
6. If yes, what are the advantages of your product or service over what currently exists in the market?
3. MARKET AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS SECTION
This is one of the most important part of the business plan.
When you get someone to write your business plan for you, this part is where you get a wrong and untrue analysis about your market.
You personally needs to critically analyze the industry you're in, your target market and competitors behavior.
To complete this section successfully, you'll need to make calculated assumptions and analyze both primary and secondary data.
1. What industry are you in? ____________
2. How many customers does your industry serve? ____________________
3. How did you arrive at this number (National Bureau of Statistics, Newspaper, Industry Report etc)? ____________________
4. What are the historic growth of the industry? _______ ____________________
5. How did you arrive at this figure? ____________________
6. What is the projected future growth rate of thus industry? Why do yo think so?
________________________________________
7. List out 5 current trends in the industry?
1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________
5. __________________
8. What distribution channels are used in the industry to provide the good/service (How does similar goods/products in your industry get to the customer)?.
________________________________________
9. What are the customer segments within the industry?
________________________________________
10. What is the size of the target market? How did you arrive at this number?
________________________________________
11. What are the critical needs of your target market and to what degree are the current players in the industry meeting that need?
________________________________________
12. How does your target market make decision about buying products within the industry?
________________________________________
13. How frequently do they use the products/services in the industry?
____________________
________________________
__________
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTH/THREAT ANALYSIS
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their strength.
4. List out your threat.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
WEAKNESS/OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS.
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their weakness.
4. List out your opportunity.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS SECTION CONT.
14. Why would your target market choose you over your competitors ( refer to your company strength and competitors weakness)?
________________________________________
15. What market share do you believe you can gain? Why?
_________________________
_______________
*SWOT ANALYSIS*
STRENGTH/THREAT ANALYSIS
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their strength.
4. List out your threat.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
WEAKNESS/OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS.
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their weakness.
4. List out your opportunity.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS SECTION CONT.
14. Why would your target market choose you over your competitors ( refer to your company strength and competitors weakness)?
________________________________________
15. What market share do you believe you can gain? Why?
________________________
________________
BUSINESS MODEL SECTION
1. How did you come about your business name?
____________________
2. Will your business name(including logos and brand message) easily connect with your customers or would it require much investment in advertisement?
3. What is your company's mission statement (a brief statement of the purpose of the organization)?
________________________________________
5. What is your company's vision statement? _______________________________________
6. What is your business corr values? ____________________
7. How will your company make money? ____________
8. Is there any proof of concept i.e that this is a viable venture - development of prototypes/sales to demonstrate customer interest?
________________________________________
9. When will your customer pay you?
____________________
10. How do you fund your company if you have to give your customers credit (i.e where is your working capital going to come from)? _____________
11. What will your gross profit per unit sold be? ___________
12. Are there other steps that need to be undertaken before you are ready to offer your product/service to the public?
List out the steps and set a time frame for achieving them.
People believe that you need it for getting loans from bank or grant from other institutions.
However, the main purpose of this document is for business clarity and definition of purpose. It is a guide in attaining success.
BUSINESS PLAN SECTIONS
1. BUSINESS CONCEPT OR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This section should not contain products or services offered by the company alone, it should highlight all the key elements of your business plan.
It should focus on the "WHAT, HOW, WHY NOW AND WHY YOU?" for the business opportunity.
It should explain what separate your product from what exists in the market and what specific customer need you are satisfying.
2. PRODUCT OR SERVICE SECTION
In your business plan, you'll need to Answer the following questions about your product or service:
1. What is the customer need that you are addressing (shelter, beauty, health, transport etc)
________________________________________
2. Provide a brief description of your target customer. (What do you know about your customer that will make him or her want to pay for your product)
________________________________________
3. Provide a detailed description of your product or service ( what does your product do for a buyer with respect to his/her need)?
________________________________________
4. Is their anyone else providing this your product or service? ___________
5. If no, why do you believe that no one else has created your product or provided your service to your customers? ________
____________________
6. If yes, what are the advantages of your product or service over what currently exists in the market?
3. MARKET AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS SECTION
This is one of the most important part of the business plan.
When you get someone to write your business plan for you, this part is where you get a wrong and untrue analysis about your market.
You personally needs to critically analyze the industry you're in, your target market and competitors behavior.
To complete this section successfully, you'll need to make calculated assumptions and analyze both primary and secondary data.
1. What industry are you in? ____________
2. How many customers does your industry serve? ____________________
3. How did you arrive at this number (National Bureau of Statistics, Newspaper, Industry Report etc)? ____________________
4. What are the historic growth of the industry? _______ ____________________
5. How did you arrive at this figure? ____________________
6. What is the projected future growth rate of thus industry? Why do yo think so?
________________________________________
7. List out 5 current trends in the industry?
1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________
5. __________________
8. What distribution channels are used in the industry to provide the good/service (How does similar goods/products in your industry get to the customer)?.
________________________________________
9. What are the customer segments within the industry?
________________________________________
10. What is the size of the target market? How did you arrive at this number?
________________________________________
11. What are the critical needs of your target market and to what degree are the current players in the industry meeting that need?
________________________________________
12. How does your target market make decision about buying products within the industry?
________________________________________
13. How frequently do they use the products/services in the industry?
____________________
________________________
__________
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTH/THREAT ANALYSIS
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their strength.
4. List out your threat.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
WEAKNESS/OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS.
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their weakness.
4. List out your opportunity.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS SECTION CONT.
14. Why would your target market choose you over your competitors ( refer to your company strength and competitors weakness)?
________________________________________
15. What market share do you believe you can gain? Why?
_________________________
_______________
*SWOT ANALYSIS*
STRENGTH/THREAT ANALYSIS
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their strength.
4. List out your threat.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
WEAKNESS/OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS.
1. List out your competitors.
2. What is their market share?
3. List out their weakness.
4. List out your opportunity.
5. How do you plan to succeeded.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS SECTION CONT.
14. Why would your target market choose you over your competitors ( refer to your company strength and competitors weakness)?
________________________________________
15. What market share do you believe you can gain? Why?
________________________
________________
BUSINESS MODEL SECTION
1. How did you come about your business name?
____________________
2. Will your business name(including logos and brand message) easily connect with your customers or would it require much investment in advertisement?
3. What is your company's mission statement (a brief statement of the purpose of the organization)?
________________________________________
5. What is your company's vision statement? _______________________________________
6. What is your business corr values? ____________________
7. How will your company make money? ____________
8. Is there any proof of concept i.e that this is a viable venture - development of prototypes/sales to demonstrate customer interest?
________________________________________
9. When will your customer pay you?
____________________
10. How do you fund your company if you have to give your customers credit (i.e where is your working capital going to come from)? _____________
11. What will your gross profit per unit sold be? ___________
12. Are there other steps that need to be undertaken before you are ready to offer your product/service to the public?
List out the steps and set a time frame for achieving them.
Comments