Consider writing the Business Plan as four distinct but

Business Plan Outline

Consider writing the Business Plan as four distinct but related components: Summary: Item I Business: Items II – XI, Note ownership stakes will impact Financials Financials: Items XII and XIII Appendices and Supporting Documentation: Item XIV

I. Executive SummaryThe Executive Summary should emphasize the key issues presented. A critical point that must be communicated in the Executive Summary is your company’s distinctive competence – the factors that will make your business successful in a competitive market.

A. The Purpose of the Plan

1. Two examples of purpose include:

a. Attract investorsb. Document an operational plan for controlling the business

B. The Company, Product/Service

1. The needs your company will satisfy (problem/solution statement)

2. The products or services you will offer to satisfy those needs AND what makes the offering “special”, i.e. intellectual property, uniqueness, etc.

3. Business operations

4. Strategic alliances

C. Market Analysis

1. The characteristics of your target market (demographic, geographic, etc.)

2. The characteristics of your customer

3. The products or services you will offer to satisfy those needs (problem/solution statement)

D. Marketing and Sales Activities

1. Marketing strategy

2. Sales strategy

3. Keys to success in your competitive environment

E. Product or Service Research and Development

1. Major milestones

2. Intellectual property

3. Ongoing efforts

F. Organization and Personnel

1. Key managers and owners

2. Key operations employees

G. Financial Data

1. Funds required and their use

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2. Historical financial summary (if any)

3. Prospective financial summary (including a brief justification for prospective sales levels)

Note – In total, your Executive Summary should be less than three pages in length and provide the reader with a succinct overview of your entire business plan.

II. Company DescriptionThe Company Description section must provide an overview of how all of the elements of your company fit together without going into detail, since most of the subjects will be covered in depth elsewhere in the plan.

A. Nature of Your Business

1. Marketplace needs to be satisfied

2. What functions provided by your business

a. Manufacturingb. Marketingc. Service

3. Form of company

Proprietorship, LLC, corporation

4. Origin of company

New, Purchase/takeover, Spin-out

5. Geographic location

B. Your Distinctive Competencies

What are the primary factors that will lead to your success?

1. Highlights of a SWOT analysis

2. Superior customer need satisfaction

3. Production/service delivery efficiencies

4. Personnel

5. Particularly obvious risks being originally mitigated by your firm

III. Market

A. Target Markets

1. Distinguishing characteristics of your primary target markets and market segments. Narrow your target markets to a manageable size. Efforts to penetrate target markets that are too broad are often ineffective.

a. Critical needsb. Extent to which those needs are currently being metc. Demographicsd. Geographic locatione. Purchasing decision-makers and influencersf. Seasonal/cyclical trends

2. Primary/target market size

a. Size the market



(a) Number of prospective customers(b) Number of units purchased annually(c) Annual purchases of products or services meeting the same or similar needs as your products

or servicesb. Geographic areac. Anticipated market growth, decline or steady-state situationd. Drivers of this anticipated situation

Cite sources for this information

3. Market penetration – indicate the extent to which you anticipate penetrating your market and demonstrate why you feel that level of penetration is achievable based on your market research

a. Market shareb. Number of customersc. Geographic coveraged. Rationale for market penetration estimates

4. Purchasing behaviors of potential customers

a. Needs identificationb. Research for solutions to needsc. Solution evaluation processd. Final solution selection responsibility and authority (executives, purchasing agents, engineers,

etc.) e. Lead Times (amount of time between customer order placement and product/service delivery)

(a) Initial orders(b) Reorders(c) Volume purchases

5. Key trends and anticipated changes within your primary target markets

6. Secondary target markets and key attributes

a. Needsb. Demographicsc. Significant future trends

B. Market Test Results

1. Potential customers contacted

2. Information/demonstrations given to potential customers

3. Reaction of potential customers

4. Importance of satisfaction of targeted needs

5. Test group’s willingness to purchase products/services at various price levels

IV. Industry and Competition

A. Industry Description and Outlook

1. Description of your primary industry

2. Size of the industry

a. Historicallyb. Currentlyc. In five years? In ten?

3. Industry characteristics and trends



a. Where is this industry in its life cycle?b. Trends in technology, pricing, profitability?

4. Major customer groups

a. Businessesb. Governmentsc. Consumers

B. Competition

1. Identification (by product line or service and market segment)

a. Existingb. Market sharec. Potential

(a) How long will your “window of opportunity” be open before your initial success breeds new competition?

(b) Who will your new competitors likely be?d. Direct

(a) Can you name five?(b) Status and success of these competitors

e. Indirectf. What can you learn from the competition?

2. Strengths (competitive advantages)

a. Ability to satisfy customer needsb. Market penetrationc. Track record and reputationd. Staying power (financial resources)e. Key personnel

3. Weaknesses (competitive disadvantages)

a. Ability to satisfy customer needsb. Market penetrationc. Track record and reputationd. Staying power (financial resources)e. Key personnel

4. Importance of your target market to your competition

5. Response of competition to your participation and success

6. Barriers to entry into the market

a. Cost (investment)b. Timec. Technologyd. Key personnele. Customer inertia (brand loyalty, existing relationships, etc.)f. Existing patents and trademarks

C. Regulatory Restrictions

1. Customer or governmental regulatory requirements

a. Methods for meeting the requirementsb. Timing involvedc. Cost

2. Anticipated changes in regulatory requirements



V. Products and ServicesSpecial attention should be paid to the users of your business plan as you develop this section. Too much detail will have a negative impact on most external users of the plan.

A. Detailed Product/Service Description (from the user’s perspective)

1. Specific benefits of product/service

2. Ability to meet needs

3. Value to the customer

4. Competitive advantages, key product differentiators

5. Present stage (idea, prototype, small production runs, etc.)

B. Product Life Cycle

1. Description of the product/service’s current position within its life cycle

2. Factors that might lengthen or shorten the anticipated life cycle

C. Copyrights, Patents, and Trade Secrets

1. Existing or pending copyrights or patents

2. Anticipated copyright and patent filings

3. Key aspects of your products or services that cannot be patented or copyrighted

4. Key aspects of your products or services that qualify as trade secrets

5. Existing legal agreements with owners and employees

a. Nondisclosure agreementsb. Noncompete agreements

D. Research and Development Activities

1. Activities in process

2. Status in the process

3. Future activities (include milestones)

4. Anticipated results of future research and development activities

a. New products or servicesb. New generations of existing products or servicesc. Complementary products or servicesd. Replacement products or services

5. Research and development activities of others in your industry

a. Direct competitorsb. Indirect competitorsc. Suppliersd. Customers

VI. Marketing and Sales Activities

A. Overall Marketing Strategy

1. Market strategy



a. Cost Leadershipb. Differentiationc. Focus

2. Price

a. Strategic approach(a) Skimming(b) Penetration (c) Comparable

b. Price levels(a) Cost based(b) Market based(c) Value based

c. Gross margin target levels(a) Industry comparables

d. Discount structure (volume, prompt payment, etc.)

3. Promotion

a. Strategic direction(a) Push(b) Pull

b. Methods by which specific members of your target market can be identified(a) Directories(b) Trade association publications(c) Government documents

c. Media through which you can communicate with specific members of your target market(a) Publications(b) Radio/television broadcasts(c) Sources of influence/advice

d. Communication(a) Advertising(b) Public relations(c) Personal selling(d) Printed materials (catalogues, brochures, etc.)

4. Distribution channels (Place)

Include discount/profitability levels at each stage. Keep in mind the ultimate delivery to the customer.

a. Original equipment manufacturersb. Internal sales forcec. Store, storefront operationsd. Direct maile. Internetf. Call centerg. Outside agents, contracted sales forceh. Distributors, wholesalers, VARs, 3rd party resellersi. Retailers j. Franchises

5. Tactics for growth

a. Internally drivenb. Acquisitionc. Franchised. Horizontal (providing similar products to different users)e. Vertical (providing the products at different levels of the distribution chain)



B. Sales Strategies

1. Current status of sales

a. Beta customers(a) Revenue(b) Converting to revenue(c) Reaching new customers via these relationships

b. Paying customers

2. Sales force

a. Internal vs. independent representatives (advantages and disadvantages of your strategy)b. Sizec. Recruitment and trainingd. Compensation

3. Sales activities

a. Identifying prospectsb. Prioritizing prospectsc. Number of sales calls made per periodd. Average number of sales calls per salee. Average dollar size per salef. Average dollar size per reorder

VII. Operations

A. Production and Service Delivery Procedures

1. Internal

2. External (subcontractors)

B. Production and Service Delivery Capability

1. Internal

2. External (subcontractors)

3. Anticipated increases in capacity

a. Investmentb. New cost factors (direct and indirect)c. Timing

C. Operating Competitive Advantages

1. Techniques

2. Experience

3. Economies of scale

4. Lower direct costs

D. Suppliers

1. Identification of the suppliers of critical elements of production

a. Primaryb. Secondary

2. Lead-time requirements



3. Evaluation of the risks of critical element shortages

4. Description of the existing and anticipated contractual relationships with suppliers

VIII.Management and OwnershipYour management team’s talents and skills are some of the few truly unique aspects of your company. This section must emphasize your management’s talents and skills, and indicate why they are a part of your company’s distinctive competence that cannot easily be replicated by your competition. Remember that individuals invest in people, not ideas.

A. Management Staff Structure

1. Has this team worked together before?

2. Three to six people

Any less and the team feels incomplete, any larger and it lacks focus, cohesiveness.

3. Are all issues of ownership agreed upon?

4. Management staff organization chart

5. Narrative description of the chart

B. Key Managers (complete resumes should be presented in an appendix to the business plan)

1. Name

2. Position

3. Brief position description, including primary duties

4. Primary responsibilities and authority

5. Unique skills and experiences that add to your company’s distinctive competencies

6. Compensation basis and levels (be sure they are reasonable – not too high and not too low)

a. Equityb. Benefits

C. Planned Additions to the Current Management Team

1. Position

2. Primary responsibilities and authority

3. Requisite skills and experience

4. Recruitment process

5. Timing of employment

6. Anticipated contribution to the company’s success

7. Compensation basis and levels (be sure they are in line with the market)

D. Legal Structure of the Business

1. Corporation

a. C corporationb. S corporation

2. Partnership



a. Generalb. Limited

3. Proprietorship

E. Owners

1. Names

2. Percentage ownership

3. Extent of involvement with the company

4. Form of ownership

a. Common stockb. Preferred stockc. General partnerd. Limited partner

5. Outstanding equity equivalents

a. Optionsb. Warrantsc. Convertible debt

6. Common stock

a. Authorizedb. Issued

F. Board of Directors

1. Names

2. Position on the board

3. Extent of involvement with the company

4. Background

5. Contribution to the company’s success

a. Historicallyb. In the future

IX. Risk Assessment and Mitigation

A. Technical risk

B. Market risk

C. Competitive risk

D. Management risk

E. Execution risk

X. Action Plan with Milestones



A. Timeline overview

B. What is company’s responsibility?

C. What is not company’s responsibility, not in company’s control?

D. Regulatory hurdles and reasonable time expectations

E. Should at least discuss milestones and timelines to include product launch

XI. Strategic partnerships and/or alliances

1. Vendor, R&D relationships

2. Value chain partners

3. Define nature of relationship

a. Give and take; risk and investmentb. What is the win-win propositionc. Terms of dissolution

XII. Funds Required and Their UsesAny new or additional funding reflected in your prospective financial statements should be discussed here. Alternative funding scenarios can be presented if appropriate, and corresponding prospective financial statements are presented in subsequent sections of your plan.

A. Current Funding Requirements

1. Amount

2. Timing

3. Type

a. Equityb. Debtc. Mezzanine

4. Terms

B. Funding Requirements over the Next Five Years

1. Amount

2. Timing

3. Type

a. Equityb. Debtc. Mezzanine

4. Terms

C. Use of Funds

1. Capital expenditures

2. Working capital



3. Other start-up costs

a. Equipmentb. Leasesc. Legal issues: licenses, permits, insuranced. Utilitiese. Pre-revenue salaries

4. Debt retirement

5. Acquisitions

D. Long-Range Financial Strategies (liquidating investors’ positions)

1. Going public

2. Leveraged buyout

3. Acquisition by another company

4. Debt service levels and timing

5. Liquidation of the venture

XIII.Financial Data

A. Historical Financial Data (past three to five years, if applicable)

1. Discussion of Annual statements

a. Incomeb. Balance sheetc. Cash flows

2. Level of CPA involvement (and name of firm)

a. Auditb. Reviewc. Compilation

B. Prospective Financial Data (next five years)

1. Discussion of next year (by month or quarter)

a. Incomeb. Balance sheetc. Cash flowsd. Capital expenditure budget

2. Discussion of the following four years (by quarter and/or year)

a. Incomeb. Balance sheetc. Cash flowsd. Capital expenditure budget

3. Summary of significant assumptions

This summary is of critical importance to any future discussion and will impact nature of all future discussion topics including valuation

4. Type of prospective financial data

a. Forecast (management’s best estimate)b. Projection (“what-if” scenarios)



5. Level of CPA involvement

a. Assemblyb. Agreed-upon proceduresc. Reviewd. Examination

C. Analysis

1. Historical financial statements

a. Ratio analysisb. Trend analysis with graphic presentation

2. Prospective financial statements

a. Ratio analysisb. Trend analysis with graphic presentation

XIV. Appendices or ExhibitsAny additional detailed or confidential information that could be useful to the readers of the business plan, but is not appropriate for distribution to everyone receiving the body of the plan, can be presented here. Accordingly, appendices and exhibits can be bound separately from the other sections of the plan and provided on an as-needed basis to readers.

A. Financial Data

1. Income Statement

a. By quarter for years 1 & 2 b. Annually for years 3, 4 & 5

2. Balance Sheet

a. Annual all yearsb. Highly encourage using a Day 1 startup balance sheet

3. Statement of Cash Flows

a. By month for year 1 b. By quarter for years 2 & 3 c. Annual for years 4 & 5

4. Sources and Uses of Funds

5. Capital Expenditure Budget (not always applicable)

B. Resumes of Key Managers

C. Pictures of Products

D. Customer Testimonials and Professional References

E. Market Studies

F. Pertinent Published Information

1. Magazine articles

2. References to books

G. Patents



H. Significant Contracts

1. Leases

2. Sales contracts

3. Purchase contracts

4. Partnership/ownership agreements

5. Stock option agreements

6. Employment/compensation agreements

7. Noncompete agreements

8. Insurance

a. Product liabilityb. Officers’ and directors’ liabilityc. General liability

Formatting GuidelinesCover page (not included in page total)

Company nameAll team member names, and full contact information for at least team leader

Body of plan – 20 pages - includes the executive summary and summary financial data

Appendices – not to exceed 10 pages - should be included only when they support the findings, statements and observations in the plan. Judges may not be able to read all the material in the appendices. Therefore, the text portion of the plan (20 pages) must contain all pertinent information in a clear and concise manner.

Limited to 20 pages: Typed, double-spaced, 12point font, and 1-1-1-1 margins of text, including the executive summary and summary financial data. In total, the plan is limited to 30 pages. Business plans should be professionally bound. Three-ring binders are not acceptable.

This document is a compilation of other business planning guides and resources including the following:

Center for Business Planning, www.businessplans.org, “Marketing Plan” Ernst & Young, LLP, “Guide to Producing a Business Plan” Ernst & Young, LLP, “Outline for a Business Plan” Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, “Structure and key Elements of a Business Plan” The U.S. Small Business Administration, “Business Plan Outline”


http://www.businessplans.org/

Documents

Consider writing the Business Plan as four distinct but