Business Plan Template for Startup Business

It typically takes several weeks to complete a good plan. Most of that time is spent in research and re‐thinking your ideas and assumptions. But then, that’s the value of the process. So make time to do the job properly.

Executive Summary

Within the overall outline of the business plan, the executive summary will follow the title page. The summary should tell the reader what you want. Explain the fundamentals of the proposed business:  What will your product be? Who will your customers be? Who are the owners? What do you think the future holds for your business and your industry?

Actually you need to Write this section last but need to put it in the beginning of your Business Plan.

I suggest that you make it two pages or fewer.

Business Description

The business description usually begins with a short description of the industry. When mentioning about the industry, briefly describe the present outlook as well as future possibilities. Business description may includes

•  Mission Statement: Usually around 30 words.
• Company Goals and Objectives: Goals are destinations—where you want your business to be. Objectives are progress markers along the way to goal achievement.
• Target Market: (State it briefly here—you will do a more thorough explanation in the Marketing Plan section).
• Describe your most important company strengths and core competencies.

Products and Services

Describe in depth your products or services (technical specifications, drawings, photos, sales brochures, and other bulky items belong in Appendices).

What factors will give you competitive advantages or disadvantages?

What are the pricing, fee, or leasing structures of your products or services?

Market Strategies

Market strategies are the result of a meticulous market analysis. A market analysis forces the entrepreneur to become familiar with all aspects of the market so that the target market can be defined and the company can be gained most possible market share.

A Proper Market research is a mandatory requirement, No matter how good your product and your service, the venture cannot succeed without effective marketing. And this begins with careful, systematic research. It is very dangerous to assume that you already know about your intended market. You need to do market research to make sure you’re on track.

So how you can do Market research .There are two kinds of market research: primary and secondary.

Competitive Analysis

The purpose of the competitive analysis is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors within your market, strategies that will provide you with a distinct advantage, and any weaknesses that can be exploited within the product development cycle.

Design & Development Plan

The purpose of the design and development plan section is to inform investors about  the product's design, chart its development within the context of production, marketing and the company itself, and create a development budget that will enable the company to reach its goals.

Here you need to describe your products and services as you see them. Now describe them from your customers’ point of view. Features and Benefits List all of your major products or services.

For each product or service:  

• Describe the most important features.
• What is special about it?  
• Describe the benefits.

·   Identify your targeted customers, their characteristics, and their geographic locations, otherwise known as their demographics. (Like Age ,Gender, Income level ,Social class and occupation ,Education ,Other (specific to your industry)

Operations & Management Plan

The operations and management plan is designed to describe how the business functions on a continuing basis. The operations plan is basically about various responsibilities of the management team, the tasks assigned to each division within the company, capital and expense requirement for various business operations.

Under this heading we need to define about the daily operation of the business, location where its taking place, equipment uses, people, processes, and surrounding environment.

Financial Factors

Financial data is always at the back of the business plan, but that doesn't mean it's any less important than up-front material such as the business concept and the management team.

•  Personal Financial Statement of Each Partner/Major Stock holder: Include personal financial statements for each owner and major stockholder, showing assets and liabilities held outside the business and personal net worth.
• Expense Calculation: You will have many startup expenses before you even begin operating your business. It’s important to estimate these expenses accurately and then to plan where you will get sufficient capital.
• Costing : Even with the best of research, however, opening a new business has a way of costing more than you anticipate.

The financial plan consists of a 12‐month profit and loss projection, a four‐year profit and loss projection (optional), a cash‐flow projection, a projected balance sheet, and a break‐even calculation. Together they constitute a reasonable estimate of your company’s financial future. More important, the process of thinking through the financial plan will improve your insight into the inner financial workings of your company.

Management and Organization:

Under this section you need to mention clearly the roles & responsibilities of each person within the organization. Like

•  Who will manage the business on a day‐to‐day basis?
•  What experience does that person bring to the business?
•        What special or distinctive competencies?

      

    Appendix

An appendix is optional, but a useful place to include information such as resumes, permits and leases. Find additional information you should include in your appendix.