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How to Write a Summary Business Plan: A Few Don'ts

With that in mind, here are some suggestions for things to leave OUT of your

summary business plan, according to Malla Haridat, founder and CEO of Ne !or"

City#based Ne $esigns for %ife, an organi&ation that teaches children about

entrepreneurship'

• Excessive market research: (!ou need to do a tight analysis of your

product or service and the competitors) *ut you should be able to summari&e

it into one page ma+)(

• An overwritten prouct escription: (!ou need to spend no more than a

paragraph on this)(

• Detaile !nances: (*ottom line # Ho much money do you have Ho

much does it ta"e to run the business Ho much ill you earn -hopefully.(

How to Write a Summary Business Plan: "he Essential Pieces

 Turning to hat you $O ant to focus on, consider the folloing tips o/ered by 0en

Hal"in, a business consultant in 1mesbury, Massachusetts'

#$ Description: 0ic" o/ your plan ith a one#page description of your business)

2ive a brief history of the business and its onership structure by focusing on'

• Who you are

• What you do

• Where you are

%$ &ision Statement: Write a concise one# or to#paragraph vision statement,

hich gives your anser to the 3uestion' (What do e ant this company tobecome over the ne+t 4ve to 56 years(

$ (ission Statement: %ay the groundor" for your (brand promise( in a one or

to paragraph description of hat your company ill be to its customers)

)$ &alues: 7rovide a list of three to 4ve core principles upon hich you ill build

the business and stic" to no matter hat)

*$ +oals: Ma"e a list of three to 4ve long#term goals that translate your company(s

vision into speci4c, measurable, attainable, relevant and time#speci4c ob8ectives)

,$ (arket research: Ta"e the ne+t to to three pages to brie9y anser the

folloing 3uestions'• What do you "no about your industry

• What do you "no about your competition

• Who is your target customer and hat do you "no about them -i)e)

demographics, buying patterns.

,-a.$ Market diferentiation: Ta"e the ne+t page to detail hat ma"es your

product or service uni3ue in the mar"et by ansering 3uestions li"e'

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• What ma"es you di/erent from your competition that actually matters to

your target customer

• What is your uni3ue value proposition

• What is your big bold brand promise

,-/.$ Marketing message: *ased on the ansers you outline above, ta"e thene+t half page to e+plain the message you plan to communicate to your target

mar"et)

,-c.$ Marketing mix: Use the ne+t page or so to detail the methods you ill use

to deliver that message)

,-.$ Measurement: :ollo the previous to sections ith another half#page

describing ho you ill measure the e/ectiveness of each of those delivery

methods and, based on the results, ad8ust your plan accordingly)

0$ Sales: Ta"e the ne+t full page to summari&e your sales plan by ansering these

3uestions'

• What is your overall sales process

• What are the speci4c steps in your process

  # How are leads generated?

  - How are they researched/qualifed?

  - How do you get in ront o your customer?

  - How do you close the sale?

• Ho ill you achieve the optimal sales cycle

1$ 2perations plan' No, ta"e one to to pages to anser the folloing

3uestions'

• Ho ill you produce the product and;or deliver the service

• What are the logistics

• What business process ill you employ

• What facility, e3uipment, and other resource needs are involved

• Ho ill you assure and measure 3uality and customer satisfaction

• Who are the "ey players

• What are their bac"grounds and 3uali4cations

• What are their speci4c roles

•

Ho ill the business be organi&ed -org) chart.3$ Personnel Plan: Use one page to describe your (people( plan by ansering

3uestions li"e'

• What personnel are needed no to accomplish current goals

• Ho ill the number of people needed change ith the groth of the

business

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#4$ Financial Plan: 1s noted earlier, "eep the details about your 4nancials brief,

using the same narrative style you have been using throughout the plan) Then, use

a footnote to alert readers that more detailed 4nancial schedules and assumptions

ill e+ist in a separate document) To "eep focused, consider telling your story by

providing the folloing information'

•