Contents
Introduction
1. What's in a business plan?
1.1 What makes a successful business plan?
1.2 Executive Summary
2. Background
2.2 Business Concept
3. Market Analysis
3.1 Market research
3.2 Marketing program
3.3 Competitive factors
4. Company organization
4.1 Operations Plan
4.2 Management
5. Financial Plan
5.1 Financial Forecasts
5.2 Sources of Capital
6. Risk Management
7. Technology/System Summary
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Introduction
Business plans are an important test of clarity of thinking and clarity of the business. It is important that everyone involved in your effort has a clear understanding of your objectives. A good plan achieves that.the next stage of business growth, and planning for it, can help to minimize the surprises your business will face "Surprises can be great for birthdays, but potentially fatal for businesses". Plan is typically designed for either or both of the following purposes:
. To establish a framework for management to use as they pursue the enterprise objectives
2. To convince an investor that a capital investment in the enterprise's business is a sound financial decision
Help tools for preparation of different types of business plans are provided below. If you prepare it for venture capital investors, it is also important to know in advance how investors read a business plan <# "justify"> - support a loan application;
- raise equity funding;
define and fix objectives and programs to achieve those objectives;
create regular business review and course correction;
define a new business;
define agreements between partners;
set a value on a business for sale or legal purposes;
evaluate a new product line, promotion, or expansion.
Professional investors will expect your plan to provide proof, not just promises. They'll want to see market data, competitive advantage, and management track records. They'll want to see robust and comprehensive financial projections. True, you'll hear stories about investors backing new companies without a plan, but those are the exceptions, not the rule. So, however you cut...
