| Business Plans do not have to be lengthy, formidable, | | | | where you see it going in the future. Key Products or |
| detailed documents. Often 2-3 pages will suffice. The | | | | Services is where you describe what you will be |
| primary objective is to get your ideas, strategies and | | | | producing and selling. |
| resource requirements out of your head, and onto | | | | Management is the section where the principals |
| paper. This documentation is important for a number of | | | | (founders) are identified along with an indication of |
| reasons. First, plans have a tendency to become more | | | | staffing requirements. |
| "real" once they're written down. Second, for planning | | | | The SWOT analysis identifies your proposed |
| purposes it's important to be organized and objective. | | | | company's strengths, and perhaps more importantly, its |
| It's easier to accomplish this in writing. Third, a written | | | | weakness as well as the opportunities available in the |
| plan is important to share with others and gain their | | | | marketplace, and the threats (primarily from |
| reaction. Fourth, investors and financers will want to | | | | competitors). |
| see the numbers. | | | | Finance and funding specifies the money required to |
| An abbreviated Business Plan forces the writer to be | | | | begin and sustain your operations, and the source of |
| concise, and include only essential information. The Plan | | | | "start up" funds. |
| will be more focused, and understandable. Also, the | | | | Marketing identifies your customer (targeted segment) |
| plan should receive more favorable attention, and a | | | | and how you propose creating/satisfying their need |
| thorough reading. | | | | desire for your products/services Pricing, packaging, |
| PLAN COMPONENTS Although there are different | | | | sales and distribution may also be included. |
| opinions, some variation of essential elements for your | | | | HOW MUCH DETAIL? |
| business plan may include: | | | | In preliminary Business Plans, often "less is more." Your |
| Introduction/Executive Summary (or Background) | | | | purpose is to convey essential information, not to |
| Mission & Vision | | | | answer every question, or to provide every detail. At |
| Key Products/Services | | | | some point in the future, you will need to flesh out the |
| Management/Operating Plan | | | | specifics, although there is plenty of time to do this. I'm |
| SWOT Analysis | | | | not suggesting that you be superficial, just concise and |
| Finance & Funding | | | | "tight." Aim for two or three substantive paragraphs in |
| Marketing | | | | each section. Remember: get that plan out of your |
| BASIC INFO. FOR EACH SECTION | | | | head and onto paper! |
| Introduction and background may not seem too | | | | Copyright ©, 2009, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All |
| important, but how did you come up with the idea? Is | | | | Rights Reserved Worldwide for all Media. You may |
| the concept original? The Introduction/Executive | | | | reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, |
| Summary/or Background Statement is to gain the | | | | magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the |
| readers attention, and prepare them for what follows. | | | | links active, do not edit the article in any way, leave my |
| In the Mission Statement/Vision area, try to describe | | | | name and bio box intact, and you follow all of the |
| exactly what the purpose of your organization is, and | | | | EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers. |