Jump start your ideas into action. Use the BP Outline below or you may contact us for a free quote to have your business plan built by a Writer, Researcher and Financial Modeler.
Specialty Business Plans
We have the experience and knowledge to write a business plan for any situation. For example:
We have the experience and knowledge to write a business plan for any situation. For example:
- NonProfit Organizations
- Internal Use Document Planning
- Landlord and Tenant Rentals
- Business Acquisition
- Strategic Alliance
- Partnerships
- And More
Business Plan Outline- Follow Step By Step Guideline
Create Your Most Valuable Document: Your Business Plan
Your Business Plan is not just for getting a loan. The Business Plan keeps you focused, gets employees on board, and helps you make adjustments as things change. It also determines if you are ready to go into business.
Getting started with any business is quite an undertaking. A business plan clearly states what your business is all about. A business plan is important or funding, sponsorship, and many other areas of business start-up and operation.
Three reasons why you need a Business Plan: A sound business plan will help build your business, weather market fluctuations, manage sudden growth, and prepare for changing business conditions. It will help you manage your business better.
Here are three reasons why:
#1: Objectivity - You'll be better able to identify areas of weakness and strength, pinpoint needs you might otherwise overlook, spot opportunities early, and begin planning to best achieve business goals. The process of putting a business plan together, and the thought you put into writing it, forces you to take an objective, critical, unemotional look at your entire business project.
#2: Effective Management - If completed properly, the finished product will help you manage your business and work effectively toward its success. But only if you implement what you've written, and measure results against projections. Don't put it in a drawer and forget it. Lack of planning is why over half of all new businesses fail in the first five years.
#3: Communicate Your Vision - Your employees, investors, and lenders will understand your vision if you have a well written plan that provides the basis for your financing proposal. If your venture is marginal, the business plan will show you why, and help you avoid the high tuition of learning through business failure.
Please follow the suggested outline and consider the questions listed under each heading. Omit areas that are not applicable to your specific business.
Your Business Plan Outline
Cover Page - This should list the business name and address and the names, addresses and phone numbers of the principals. Overview - This is your statement of purpose. Why your business functions, and what it does. It will help the rest of your business plan make sense. Each section supports the others logically, leaving the reader with a concise, convincing statement that the project and plan are feasible.
The Cover Sheet
• Identify the business and the document.
• Identify the location and telephone numbers of the business or where the principals can be reached.
• Identify the person who wrote the business plan. Statement of Purpose
• Who is asking for the money?
• How much money is needed?
• What is the money needed for?
• How will the funds benefit the business?
• Why does this loan or investment make business sense?
• How will the funds be repaid? Table of Contents
Section One: The Business
A. Description of Business
B. Product/Service
C. The Market
D. Location of Business
E. The Competition
F. Management
G. Personnel
H. Application and Expected Effect of Loan
I. Summary
Section Two: Financial Data
• Section Three: Financing Proposal
. Section Four: Exhibits
• Section Five: Supporting Documents
Section One: The Business
A. Description of Business
What business are you in?
What is the status of the business? (startup, expansion, takeover)
What is the business form? (Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation)
Why is your business going to be profitable? (or continue to grow)
When will (did) your business open?
What hours of the day and days of the week will (are) you in operation?
Is your business seasonal?
B. Product/Service -
What are you selling? (not "what are your products or services?") -
What are the benefits (as opposed to the features) of what you are selling? -
How do your products and /or services differ from competing products and/orservices?
If your product is new or state-of-the-art or otherwise unique, what makes itdifferent? Desirable?
If your product or service line is not special, why would people buy from you?
C. The Market
What are your markets?
Which ones are buying from you now?
What products are they buying?
Who are the people who are buying from you?
How would you characterize your markets? (growing, steady, declining) -
Why do these people buy from your company?
Why do they buy from you and not the competition?
What are they buying from you? On what cycle?
How can you find more buyers like these?
What is the size of your market?
What percent of each market do (or will) you have?
What is each market's growth potential?
As each market grows, will your share increase?
Is the market competitive or not? If not, why not?
How will you attract and keep these markets?
How can you expand your markets?
Check out sample exhibits for Annual Sales Forecasts
D. Location of Business -Where are you located?
What are the physical features of your building?
What should you have? -Do you lease or own your space?
What renovations are needed, and how much will they cost?
Does zoning in your area permit your kind of business?
What other kinds of businesses are in your area?
Why did you pick this site over others?
Why is this the right location for your business?
Where should it be?
How will this choice of location affect your operating costs?
Are any demographic or other market shifts taking place?
E. The Competition -Who are your five nearest competitors?
-How is their business? (steady, increasing or decreasing)
-How are their operations similar and dissimilar to yours?
-What have you learned from watching their operations?
-How will your operation be better than theirs?
F. Management
1. Personal history of the Principals
Who is on the management team?
What is your business background?
What management experience have you had?
What education (including both formal and informal learning experiences) has abearing on your managerial abilities?
What are your ages, special abilities and interests, reasons for going into business, where do you live and have lived, etc.
Are you physically up to the job?
Why are you going to be successful in this venture?
What is your personal financial status?
Check out sample exhibits for Owner's Personal Financial Statement.
2. Related work experience
What is your direct operational experience in this kind of business?
What is your managerial experience in this kind of business?
What other managerial experience have you had? (different businesses, clubs,teams, civic or religious organizations, etc.)
3. Duties and responsibilities
Who does what?
Who reports to whom?
Who makes final decisions?
G. Personnel
What are your current needs ?
What skills will your employees need in the near future?
In five years? What are your plans for hiring and training personnel?
H. Application and Expected Effect of Loan
How much money do you need?
For what purposes will it be used?
Check out exhibits for Sources and Uses of Funds
I. Summary
Summarize ideas developed in the preceding sections. Make sure the different parts of the analysis make sense, support each other
logically and coherently, and project probable success.
Section Two: Financial Data (forms attached)
• List additional financial documents to be found in the Exhibits section.
A. Sources and Uses of Funds
B. Capital Equipment List
C. Balance Sheet
D. Break-Even Analysis
E. Projected Income Statement
1. Three Year Summary
2. Detail by Month, 1st year & Quarter, 2nd and 3rd years
F. Cash Flow Projections
G. Budget Deviation Analysis
H. Historical Records (Balance Sheets, Income Statements and Tax Returns for past 3 years.
I. Summary
Explain basic assumptions used in their preparation. Provide other comments necessary to understand the documents Position the documents in the Exhibits section.
Section Three: Financial Proposal
• Explain fully your proposal to the lender.
Section Four: Exhibits (as required and/or appropriate)
Section Five: Supporting Documents
• For example: Brochures & advertising materials, industry studies, blueprints & plans, maps & photos of locations, magazine or other articles, lists of equipment owned or to be purchased, copies of leases & contracts, letters of support from future customers, other materials which support the assumptions in this plan.
SUBSIDIARY SCHEDULES FORM
Sources of Funds Owners Investment A. B.
Total Owners Investment Bank Loans A. B.
Total Bank Loans
Other Loans Econ. Develop.
Loans Total Other Loans Total Sources
Uses of Funds Buildings/Real Estate Land/Improvements Construction Remodeling Leasehold Improvements
Total Bldgs/Real Estate
Capital Equipment Furniture
Equipment Fixtures Machinery
Total Capital Equipment
Administrative Costs Deposits
Prepaid Insurance Goodwill
Total Administrative Costs
Opening Inventory A. B. C. D.
Total Inventory
Preopening Expenses
Accounting & Legal Advertising
Car/Delivery/Travel Insurance
Interest Outside Services
Payroll Taxes
Rent Repairs & Maint. Supplies Taxes
Telephone Utilities
Wages Misc.
Total Pre-opening Expenses
Owners Withdrawal
Working Capital Requirement
Contingency Fund
SUMMARY SCHEDULE FORMSOURCES OF FUNDS
Owners's Investment Bank Loans
Other Loans Total Sources
USES OF FUNDS
Building/Real Estate
Capital Equipment
Administrative Costs
Opening Inventory Preopening Expenses
Owner's Withdrawal
Working Capital Requirement (from Cash Flow Projection)
Contingency Fund (amount required to make Cash Flow Projection breakeven)
Total Uses SECURITY AND COLLATERAL FORM
Collateral for Loans .......... Value ..........
Description Note: Value is lower of cost or market value Total Collateral Signers for Loans (Requires all major owners)
Guarantors for Loans (Other than owners)
BACK TO TOP
Your Business Plan is not just for getting a loan. The Business Plan keeps you focused, gets employees on board, and helps you make adjustments as things change. It also determines if you are ready to go into business.
Getting started with any business is quite an undertaking. A business plan clearly states what your business is all about. A business plan is important or funding, sponsorship, and many other areas of business start-up and operation.
Three reasons why you need a Business Plan: A sound business plan will help build your business, weather market fluctuations, manage sudden growth, and prepare for changing business conditions. It will help you manage your business better.
Here are three reasons why:
#1: Objectivity - You'll be better able to identify areas of weakness and strength, pinpoint needs you might otherwise overlook, spot opportunities early, and begin planning to best achieve business goals. The process of putting a business plan together, and the thought you put into writing it, forces you to take an objective, critical, unemotional look at your entire business project.
#2: Effective Management - If completed properly, the finished product will help you manage your business and work effectively toward its success. But only if you implement what you've written, and measure results against projections. Don't put it in a drawer and forget it. Lack of planning is why over half of all new businesses fail in the first five years.
#3: Communicate Your Vision - Your employees, investors, and lenders will understand your vision if you have a well written plan that provides the basis for your financing proposal. If your venture is marginal, the business plan will show you why, and help you avoid the high tuition of learning through business failure.
Please follow the suggested outline and consider the questions listed under each heading. Omit areas that are not applicable to your specific business.
Your Business Plan Outline
Cover Page - This should list the business name and address and the names, addresses and phone numbers of the principals. Overview - This is your statement of purpose. Why your business functions, and what it does. It will help the rest of your business plan make sense. Each section supports the others logically, leaving the reader with a concise, convincing statement that the project and plan are feasible.
The Cover Sheet
• Identify the business and the document.
• Identify the location and telephone numbers of the business or where the principals can be reached.
• Identify the person who wrote the business plan. Statement of Purpose
• Who is asking for the money?
• How much money is needed?
• What is the money needed for?
• How will the funds benefit the business?
• Why does this loan or investment make business sense?
• How will the funds be repaid? Table of Contents
Section One: The Business
A. Description of Business
B. Product/Service
C. The Market
D. Location of Business
E. The Competition
F. Management
G. Personnel
H. Application and Expected Effect of Loan
I. Summary
Section Two: Financial Data
• Section Three: Financing Proposal
. Section Four: Exhibits
• Section Five: Supporting Documents
Section One: The Business
A. Description of Business
What business are you in?
What is the status of the business? (startup, expansion, takeover)
What is the business form? (Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation)
Why is your business going to be profitable? (or continue to grow)
When will (did) your business open?
What hours of the day and days of the week will (are) you in operation?
Is your business seasonal?
B. Product/Service -
What are you selling? (not "what are your products or services?") -
What are the benefits (as opposed to the features) of what you are selling? -
How do your products and /or services differ from competing products and/orservices?
If your product is new or state-of-the-art or otherwise unique, what makes itdifferent? Desirable?
If your product or service line is not special, why would people buy from you?
C. The Market
What are your markets?
Which ones are buying from you now?
What products are they buying?
Who are the people who are buying from you?
How would you characterize your markets? (growing, steady, declining) -
Why do these people buy from your company?
Why do they buy from you and not the competition?
What are they buying from you? On what cycle?
How can you find more buyers like these?
What is the size of your market?
What percent of each market do (or will) you have?
What is each market's growth potential?
As each market grows, will your share increase?
Is the market competitive or not? If not, why not?
How will you attract and keep these markets?
How can you expand your markets?
Check out sample exhibits for Annual Sales Forecasts
D. Location of Business -Where are you located?
What are the physical features of your building?
What should you have? -Do you lease or own your space?
What renovations are needed, and how much will they cost?
Does zoning in your area permit your kind of business?
What other kinds of businesses are in your area?
Why did you pick this site over others?
Why is this the right location for your business?
Where should it be?
How will this choice of location affect your operating costs?
Are any demographic or other market shifts taking place?
E. The Competition -Who are your five nearest competitors?
-How is their business? (steady, increasing or decreasing)
-How are their operations similar and dissimilar to yours?
-What have you learned from watching their operations?
-How will your operation be better than theirs?
F. Management
1. Personal history of the Principals
Who is on the management team?
What is your business background?
What management experience have you had?
What education (including both formal and informal learning experiences) has abearing on your managerial abilities?
What are your ages, special abilities and interests, reasons for going into business, where do you live and have lived, etc.
Are you physically up to the job?
Why are you going to be successful in this venture?
What is your personal financial status?
Check out sample exhibits for Owner's Personal Financial Statement.
2. Related work experience
What is your direct operational experience in this kind of business?
What is your managerial experience in this kind of business?
What other managerial experience have you had? (different businesses, clubs,teams, civic or religious organizations, etc.)
3. Duties and responsibilities
Who does what?
Who reports to whom?
Who makes final decisions?
G. Personnel
What are your current needs ?
What skills will your employees need in the near future?
In five years? What are your plans for hiring and training personnel?
H. Application and Expected Effect of Loan
How much money do you need?
For what purposes will it be used?
Check out exhibits for Sources and Uses of Funds
I. Summary
Summarize ideas developed in the preceding sections. Make sure the different parts of the analysis make sense, support each other
logically and coherently, and project probable success.
Section Two: Financial Data (forms attached)
• List additional financial documents to be found in the Exhibits section.
A. Sources and Uses of Funds
B. Capital Equipment List
C. Balance Sheet
D. Break-Even Analysis
E. Projected Income Statement
1. Three Year Summary
2. Detail by Month, 1st year & Quarter, 2nd and 3rd years
F. Cash Flow Projections
G. Budget Deviation Analysis
H. Historical Records (Balance Sheets, Income Statements and Tax Returns for past 3 years.
I. Summary
Explain basic assumptions used in their preparation. Provide other comments necessary to understand the documents Position the documents in the Exhibits section.
Section Three: Financial Proposal
• Explain fully your proposal to the lender.
Section Four: Exhibits (as required and/or appropriate)
Section Five: Supporting Documents
• For example: Brochures & advertising materials, industry studies, blueprints & plans, maps & photos of locations, magazine or other articles, lists of equipment owned or to be purchased, copies of leases & contracts, letters of support from future customers, other materials which support the assumptions in this plan.
SUBSIDIARY SCHEDULES FORM
Sources of Funds Owners Investment A. B.
Total Owners Investment Bank Loans A. B.
Total Bank Loans
Other Loans Econ. Develop.
Loans Total Other Loans Total Sources
Uses of Funds Buildings/Real Estate Land/Improvements Construction Remodeling Leasehold Improvements
Total Bldgs/Real Estate
Capital Equipment Furniture
Equipment Fixtures Machinery
Total Capital Equipment
Administrative Costs Deposits
Prepaid Insurance Goodwill
Total Administrative Costs
Opening Inventory A. B. C. D.
Total Inventory
Preopening Expenses
Accounting & Legal Advertising
Car/Delivery/Travel Insurance
Interest Outside Services
Payroll Taxes
Rent Repairs & Maint. Supplies Taxes
Telephone Utilities
Wages Misc.
Total Pre-opening Expenses
Owners Withdrawal
Working Capital Requirement
Contingency Fund
SUMMARY SCHEDULE FORMSOURCES OF FUNDS
Owners's Investment Bank Loans
Other Loans Total Sources
USES OF FUNDS
Building/Real Estate
Capital Equipment
Administrative Costs
Opening Inventory Preopening Expenses
Owner's Withdrawal
Working Capital Requirement (from Cash Flow Projection)
Contingency Fund (amount required to make Cash Flow Projection breakeven)
Total Uses SECURITY AND COLLATERAL FORM
Collateral for Loans .......... Value ..........
Description Note: Value is lower of cost or market value Total Collateral Signers for Loans (Requires all major owners)
Guarantors for Loans (Other than owners)
BACK TO TOP
