Business Plan - Quick Reference

When seeking any kind of commercial loan a business plan is the key element in successfully acquiring funds from banks, business angels and venture capitalists. A well thought through plan will demonstrate your understanding of your chosen market place and how you intend to succeed in that market.

A PDF version of this Business Plan Reference is available here. [Download Here] [PDF] - What you should cover when writing a business plan.

Executive Summary

Drawn from the main part of the plan (2-3 pages max) in summary form.

• Business Proposition
• Market Overview
• Target Clients
• Strategic Alliances
• Management Team
• Competition
• Operations
• Sales and Marketing
• Product Development
• Business Stage
• Funding Requirement
• Key Financial Information
• Exit Strategy

Company Overview & Strategic Management

• Company Name
• Legal Business Description
• Founders
• Key Individuals
• Key Strategic Partners and Alliances
• Your Professional Partners accountants, bankers and solicitors
• Critical Success Factors
• Intellectual Property
• SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)

Marketing

• Marketing Objective
• Market Review
• Market Demand
• Unique Selling Propositions
• Customer Analysis
• Competitor Analysis
• Promotional Strategy
• Pricing Policy

Human Resources

• Staffing Requirements
• Organisational Structure
• Recruitment
• Training
• Reward Structure

Operations

• Premises Plant, Machinery and Equipment
• Distribution
• Information Technology
• Website Design and Development

Finance

• 5 year - Revenue and Profit and Loss Account Forecasts
• 5 year - Cash flow Forecast and Funding Requirement
• Sources of Finance
• Exit Strategy - How you will pay back the bank or investors

Appendices

• Reference Material

Please note that there are a number of ways of drawing up a business plan and this is one way. In some cases more detail may be relevant in others less. The actual headings and content are entirely your own choice. The intention of this document is purely to give you a solid starting point.