Algorithm for drawing up a business plan. How to write a business plan: step by step instructions, tips and tricks. Preliminary analysis of the market and competitors

Many people come up with ideas for business - the question is what are these ideas worth. That is why, if you are going to turn an idea into a business, it is worth creating a business plan in which you can detail your concept and prove its effectiveness, both organizationally and financially.

A business plan is a document in general terms describing your business. In it, you talk about what exactly you will do, the structure of the business, the state of the market, how you plan to sell your product or service, what resources you need, what your financial forecast is, as well as provide permissions, lease agreements and any other necessary documentation.

In fact, a business plan helps you prove to yourself and others whether your business idea is worth developing. it The best way take a step back, consider the idea from all sides and protect yourself from possible problems years ahead.

In this article, we share tips for writing a successful business plan, describe the points to include in the plan, and give examples.

The translation of the article was prepared with the support of the online school of English language. Before we get into the details, let's start with some basic, general tips.

Focus on your features

Before diving headlong into writing a business plan, you should carefully consider what makes your business unique. For example, if you are going to open a brand sportswear, you need a way to stand out from the plethora of other sports brands already on the market.

What makes your brand stand out from the rest? Do you plan to create clothing for a specific type of training and activity, such as yoga, tennis or hiking? Do you use environmentally friendly materials? Do you donate part of your proceeds to charity? Does the brand promote a positive body image?

Remember: you're selling more than just a product or service - you're selling a product, value, and brand experience. Consider and answer these important questions before diving into the details of research for your business plan.

Be brief

The modern business plan is required to be shorter and more concise than ever before. Resist the temptation to include all the results of your marketing research, tell in detail about each product you plan to sell, and describe in detail what your site will look like. In the format of a business plan, this information will not be of particular use, rather the opposite.

All of the above details are important to collect and keep in mind, but the business plan itself should include only the most important. Otherwise, readers may lose interest in you.

Make a good layout

Your business plan should not only be easy to read - it is important that the reader can understand the essence without delving into the details. Formatting plays a big role here. Use headings and bulleted lists, highlight with bold text or color those key points and indicators that you want to draw the attention of readers. You can even use labels and bookmarks in your document (both digital and printed) for ease of reference.

Edit as you write

Remember that your plan is a living, breathing document, which means you can edit it as you go along. For example, update the plan a year or two after starting a business, before submitting a new funding request.

Here are the key elements in a business plan template:

1. Marketing and sales plan
2. Application

Let's take a closer look at what is included in each of the elements of a business plan:

The purpose of this section is to give readers a clear understanding of the company and the market before you get into the details. Tip: Sometimes it's worth writing the main points after you've put together the rest of the business plan so you can easily pick out the key points.

The main provisions should occupy about a page. Spend 1-2 paragraphs on each of the following points:

• Overview: Tell us briefly about what your company is like, where it will be located, what exactly and to whom you are going to sell.
• About the company: Describe the structure of your business, tell us about the owner, what experience and skills you already have and who you are going to hire first.
• Goods and/or services: Briefly describe what you will be selling.
• Market: Summarize the key findings of the market research.
• Financial forecast: Tell us how you plan to receive funding and what your financial expectations are.

An example of the section "Basic provisions"

Startup Jolly's Java and Bakery (JJB) is a coffee and bakery store located in southwest Washington. JJB plans to gain an audience regular customers offering them a rich selection of coffee and confectionery. The company plans to establish a strong market position in the city due to the professional experience of partners and the mild competitive climate in the area.

JJB strives to offer products at a competitive price in order to meet the demand in the market among residents of the area and tourists with middle and upper incomes.

The next item in the plan is a description of the company. Here you can describe what your company does, state its mission, tell about the structure of the company and its owners, location, as well as the needs of the market that your company is trying to meet and how exactly you are going to do it.

Example of a "Company Description" section

NALB Creative Center is a startup that is entering the market this summer. We will offer buyers big choice goods for creativity and needlework, primarily goods that are not currently available on the island of Hawaii. The Internet remains our competitor, as artists usually buy familiar products online. We will supply goods not necessarily well known to local artists. We will also continue to monitor prices and include items available online in price comparisons.

We will conduct master classes on working with new materials and techniques.

We also organize the tourist program "Artist's Oasis". We will provide local bed and breakfast reservations, plein air maps and itineraries, easel and supplies rental, paint sales and more. expendable materials and also deliver finished works clients after the sheets have dried.

In the future, the store will turn into an art center that will combine: an art gallery where you can buy original works of art at wholesale prices; studio space with musical instruments; classrooms for music and art lessons; literature on music and art; coffee bar with live music; handicrafts such as branded t-shirts, badges, postcards, pottery for trade with tourists.

One of the first questions to ask yourself when testing a business idea is whether there is a place for it in the market. It is the market that will dictate how successful your business will be. Decide which audience you are targeting and why customers will want to buy from you.

Add specifics. Let's say you sell bedding. should not be included in your target audience everyone who sleeps in bed. First, define a small target group of customers for yourself. This may be, for example, adolescents from families with an average income level. Having decided on the target audience, try to answer the following questions:

• How many adolescents from middle-income families live in your country?
• What accessories do they need?
• Is the market growing or staying the same?

When analyzing the market, take into account both the research that is already available, conducted by others, and the primary data that you have collected yourself, through surveys, interviews, or in any other way.

This also includes competitor analysis. In our example, one might ask questions such as: how many other bedding companies already have market share, and who are these companies? Describe strengths and weak sides your potential competitors, as well as strategies that will give you a competitive edge.

An example of a summary section "Market Analysis"

Green Investments has identified two separate target client groups, which differ in terms of family wealth. One group included clients with a household income of less than a million dollars, the other - with an income of more than a million. The main thing that characterizes both of these groups and makes them attractive to us as a company is their desire to change the world for the better by making financial investments with environmental considerations in mind.

There are many different niches in the financial services industry. Some advisors provide general investment services. Others offer only one type of investment, such as mutual funds or bonds. Some service providers focus on a specific niche, such as technology or socially responsible business.

Market segmentation

Green Investments segmented the target audience into two separate categories, according to the level of family wealth: more and less than $1 million.

• <1 миллиона долларов (семейный бюджет): представители среднего класса, которых волнуют проблемы окружающей среды и которые вносят личный вклад в ее защиту, приобретая акции компаний, которые демонстрируют высокие экономические и экологические показатели. Так как свободных денег у таких людей немного, они предпочитают инвестировать в акции без особого риска. В целом акции составляют 35%-45% от общего портфеля.
• $1 million (family budget): These clients are average or above average income. They have saved over a million dollars and are investing quite carefully (either themselves or people they hire). Such people are usually concerned about return on investment, but they are also concerned about environmental issues.

Here you can delve into the details of what exactly you sell and what your advantage for customers is. If you can't articulate exactly how you can be of service to customers, your business idea may not be that great.

Start by describing the problem your business is solving. Then focus on how you plan to solve the problem and how well your product or service fits into the big picture. Finally, think about the competitive landscape: what other companies are providing solutions to this particular problem, and how is your solution different?

An example of the "Products and Services" section

AMT provides computer related products and services to help small businesses. We mainly provide network equipment and network maintenance for small and medium businesses. These include both LAN-based computer systems and server-managed minicomputer-based systems. Our services include development and installation of network systems, training and support.

Description of goods and services

In the field of personal computers, we support three main areas:

1. Super Home is our smallest and least expensive line of computers that are originally marketed as home computers by the manufacturer. We mainly use them as inexpensive workstations for small businesses. Specifications include… [additional details omitted]
2. Power User is our main premium level business. It is our premier system for high performance home stations and primary workstations for small businesses, thanks to… Key System Benefits… Specifications include… [additional details omitted]
3. Business Special is a middle-level system, an intermediate link in positioning. Its specifications include… [additional details omitted]

As for peripherals, accessories and other hardware, here we provide a complete set of necessary equipment, from cables to molds and mouse pads. … [additional details omitted]

We offer a wide range of service and support services in our office and on site, as well as service contracts and warranties. So far, we have not succeeded in concluding technical support contracts. Our business opportunities… [more details omitted]

Competitive Analysis

The only way to gain an edge and stand out from the competition is to offer our clients IT partnerships. There is no way we can effectively compete with network vendors who offer out-of-the-box or hardware/software solutions. We must offer our clients a true partnership.

The advantages of this approach include many intangible assets: reliability and confidence that, at the right time, the client will always receive help and answers to their questions.

The products we supply and work with require serious knowledge and experience, while our competitors only sell the product itself.

Unfortunately, we cannot sell products at a higher price just because we provide service - market conditions show that this approach will not be effective. Therefore, we will provide service for a fee.

In this section, you can briefly describe the features of the organizational and management structure of the business (taking into account that it may change). Who will be responsible for what? How will tasks and responsibilities be assigned to each individual or each team?

Include here brief biographies of each member of your team. Justify why these people are the right people for this job - talk about their experience and education that are relevant to your business. If you haven't hired the people in the planned roles yet, that's fine - but make sure you clearly define those gaps for yourself and explain what the people in those roles will be responsible for.

An example of a personnel plan in the "Operational Management" section

DIY Wash N' Fix does not require a lot of labor. The company will hire a general manager who will work part-time, performing corporate duties and resolving issues of inter-organizational relations. DIY Wash N’ Fix will also hire three certified mechanics/managers to carry out day-to-day tasks at the firm. These responsibilities fall into two categories: managerial and operational. Managerial tasks include planning, inventory and basic bookkeeping. Employees are also responsible for operational tasks: safety, regulatory issues, customer service, and repair advice.

In addition, service staff will be hired to perform the most basic tasks. Their functions will include customer service and content and storage control. DIY Wash N’ Fix will hire one general manager to coordinate all external business operations and partnerships. Business relationships include accounting services, legal advice, communication with manufacturers and suppliers, as well as service providers, advertising and marketing, and investment services. This managerial position will be taken by Lori Snyder. She will receive her MBA from the University of Notre Dame in May 2001.

Daily business management tasks will be handled by a lead mechanic. Although DIY Wash N' Fix does not provide a complete repair service, you can expect some customers to attempt repairs they have never done before, which means they will need advice. Therefore, we intend to hire three fully certified mechanics. These mechanics will not be allowed to do any work on the customer's car, but they will be able to inspect the car and assess the damage. We believe that only professional mechanics should advise customers - this will reduce our liability for improperly performed repairs. The main task of the mechanics will be customer service and management functions.

6) Marketing and sales plan

Here you can describe your marketing and sales strategies, how exactly you are going to sell your product. Before you start working on a marketing and sales plan, conduct a complete market analysis and identify target personas - your ideal customers.

From a marketing standpoint, you may need to answer questions like: How are you going to market? How will you develop the business? What distribution channels will you focus on? How will communication with clients be organized?

When it comes to sales, try answering questions like: What is your implementation strategy? How will the sales department work, and how will you develop it in the future? How many sales calls will it take to close a deal? What is the average sale price? Speaking of average cost per sale, you can move on to the details of your pricing strategy.

Example of a Marketing Plan Section

The Skate Zone will be the first inline hockey venue in Miami, Florida. Thanks to the extraordinary growth in the popularity of inline hockey in the US, the company has the opportunity to advertise in various media and on advertising platforms. Below is a list of channels currently available.

Public relations. Press releases will be sent to trade magazines and leading business publications such as USAHockey Inline, INLINE rollersports magazine, PowerPlay and others.

Tournaments. Skate Zone will represent its services at annual championships throughout the United States.

Print ads and articles. Our advertising campaign includes advertisements in publications such as The Yellow Pages, Miami Express News, The Skate Zone Mailing, as well as school flyer printing and publications in specialized inline hockey magazines.

Internet. Skate Zone already has its own website where we have already received several applications. We are currently working on optimizing the site. We expect that in the future the site will become one of the main marketing platforms of the company.

Finally, detail your financial model, including start-up costs, financial plans, and required investments if you are approaching investors.

The initial cost of your business includes all the resources you need to get started, as well as an estimate of how much each of those resources will cost. Do you rent office space? Do you need a computer? Telephone? Make a list of your needs and expenses for them, try to be objective and economical. The last thing you need is to run out of budget.

Once you've figured out your expenses, justify them. To do this, write down your financial forecast in detail. This is especially important if you are looking for outside funding for your business. Make sure your financial model is 100% accurate so you can convince investors and lenders to support your business.

An example of a financial plan for an online store

Application

Optionally, you can add an appendix at the end of the plan. There's space here for your CV and co-owners' CVs, as well as legal documents, including permits and leases.

That's all. We hope this article has helped you better understand what your business plan should look like. The only thing left to do is turn the idea into reality. Good luck!

Most likely Each of us has come across ideas that we lacked the knowledge and energy to implement. However, to realize any idea and achieve the intended goals, it helps to clearly build a plan and follow its guidance. To implement a business idea, entrepreneurs face the question of how to create a business plan, which will be discussed in this article, the purpose of which is to help beginners organize their business and calculate all the pros and cons of a new project.

You will learn how to make a business plan that will help you understand your assets and in case of a shortage, you can count on the support of sponsors who want to invest in a worthwhile cause.

What is a small business business plan, what does it consist of, who develops it?

This business organization tool will help you more organized approach to the implementation of your idea and related preparatory work.

After analyzing the ideas for your business, the question arises, how to draw up a business plan?

How to write a business plan for a small business and what is included in its structure:

• Targets and goals;
• Market analysis;
• Product;
• Marketing plan;
• Organizational plan;
• Management staff;
• Material resources;

Purposes and functions

A well-written business plan reveals the idea itself, its functions, the means necessary for the task, and the final profit. It displays the current economic and material activities of the enterprise and shows further prospects for its implementation.

When properly drafted, a business plan must be followed by its guidance until external or internal factors put such pressure on it that it needs to be adjusted.

It should be noted at the same time that a business plan is a document of a prospective nature, which is calculated for 2-3 years of its implementation.

Business plan features:

1. Calculate the activities needed to achieve the goal.
2. Present a project for investment.

Document composition

The document consists of two conditional parts, a description of the project and a presentation of the strengths of the idea.

• Project summary;
• General provisions;
• Market analysis;
• Marketing and strategic plan;
• Costs;
• Investments.

How to learn how to draw up your own business plan diagram yourself - step by step instructions

How to build a business plan, the face of your future business, because any business at the initial stage of its inception requires clear planning. How to write a business plan, the step-by-step instructions presented in this article will help you do it right.

Evaluation of the prospects of the promoted product or service

Focusing on relative market share and the rate of sales growth in the market may not provide the information you need, as market demand is constantly changing. Also, the intensity of competitive growth makes the market unstable and unattractive.

Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the prospect of the promoted product as follows

Columns 2-5 are evaluated on a four-point scale: 4 - good, 3 - average, 2 - below average, 1 - bad. The final score will show how promising your promoted product is.

Making a cheat sheet for yourself

To visualize the feasibility of your project, it would be good to build a Gantt chart, which will display the dates of implementation of the various stages of promoting the idea.

Based on the analysis of the market and the competitiveness of the product, a strategic and tactical course of action is built to conquer the market.

The pricing policy is carried out on the basis of economic calculations and expected income.

Thus, the Gantt chart helps to achieve three main goals:

• graphically visualize and simplify the perception and evaluation of your project;
• helps to realistically assess the sequence and timing of the project;
• makes it possible at any time to analyze the current affairs of the project and the progress of their implementation, which facilitates the process of its management.

goal setting

The development of a business plan begins with setting goals, for this you will need to honestly determine:

• What do I want to achieve?
• What do I benefit from this?
• Why and who needs my project?
• Then state the purpose of the project.
• As a result, decide on what I draw up a business plan for.

Preliminary analysis of the market and competitors

In parallel with writing a business plan or before, a market analysis is carried out, the assessment of which will directly determine the success of your project. Having focused on a certain market niche and target audience, a rigorous analysis is carried out to identify the relevance of your idea and its implementation. In the course of the analysis, an excess of supply may be revealed, then the idea should be corrected according to the state of affairs in the market. In case of increased demand, you can safely get down to business. You can use outsourcing to analyze the market, however, for organizing your own business, it would be better to research this issue yourself, this will help to give an objective assessment of your business and determine the strengths and weaknesses of your project.

Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your project

It identifies the most likely problematic aspects and prospects for business ideas.

For analysis, use the SWOT matrix.

How to competently draw up the structure of a production project for investors yourself - the content of the main sections

The typical structure of a business plan and the content of its main sections to attract investors consists of several parts:

Summary - the summary of the project, which is displayed on the title page, plays a leading role in the consideration of the project by investors.

Business characteristics - detailed business information.

Market analysis - description of the market situation in your case.

Project description - rationale and description of the idea, especially its commercial side.

How to write a business plan to attract investors? This will require a high level of skill and knowledge in your field, as well as experience and time to write a project. However, the implementation of such an idea may be rewarded with financial investments.

Summary

The summary of the project, although located at the beginning, is drawn up at the very end of writing the plan. When the document is fully prepared, it will be easier for you to present a summary of the project itself.

The summary includes several aspects:

• objective of the project;
• financial need;
• competitiveness.

It depends on how competently and professionally you approach writing a resume, whether your project will be considered further or not.

Project idea and SWOT analysis

In describing your business in detail, it is important to maintain a balance, not to overdo it with details, but at the same time to provide all the necessary information for an investor on the topic. To do this, you can describe the general characteristics of the enterprise, the quantitative composition and professionalism of the working structure, tell about the main goods or services, promising aspects of production and other aspects of the business.

SWOT analysis will help to give a real assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as indicate possible risks or promising aspects of the project.

SWOT means:

strengths– strengths and perspective;

Weakness s - weaknesses and shortcomings;

Opportunities- chances, opportunities;

Threats- risks.

This section of the business plan is small in content, but the process of the analysis itself is considered quite complicated and takes a lot of time.

• Conduct a market analysis tailored to your needs. Marketing analysis will help to collect complete information on competitors and consumers, and determine your target audience.
• The next step will be to determine the optimal location of the office, enterprise, which will be convenient for the consumer. To do this, you need to compare the number of consumers that are needed for the business to pay off with the audience that is within the radius of the proposed location.
• If the market is oversaturated with competitors, you will need to think over your strategic move, focusing on the uniqueness of your product or service.
• Define distribution channels.
• Calculate the necessary costs to attract the consumer.
• Decide on the pricing policy, which tactics will be the most profitable, high cost with little demand or a competitive price with a large flow of consumers.
• Service and maintenance is also not unimportant for most customers, while they are willing to pay more for the high quality service they receive.

Production

This section covers in detail the essence of your business: what do you plan to do?

The production plan states:

• suppliers of goods and equipment;
• location of the enterprise;
• what is the performance;
• step by step production;
• level of qualification of employees;
• calculation of the necessary deductions to various funds,
• logistics costs.

Many factors affect how much money will be spent on the implementation of the future business.

When describing the technology of the final result of production, you will discover other sides of your idea that did not come to mind before. There will be questions related to the storage of goods or problems with the delivery of imported raw materials, a lack of qualified specialists in this field.

After all the subtleties, let's move on to the financial part. Subsequently, calculations may have to be made and adjustments to the plan itself, for example, to reduce costs or change production technology.

This section describes the entire structure of the enterprise and its management. Such a scheme simplifies the system of distribution of rights and powers of structural units.

Assuming the organization of the entire company, it will be easier to draw up a system of interaction between departments and personnel policy.

The organizational chart allows you to plunge deep into the production and reveals the truth of who and how will bring the project to reality.

Finance

When drawing up a financial plan, it is important to determine how much investment is required to start, how long they will pay off, from which the income and expenses of your business will be regulated.

The first thing you need to calculate is how much money you will need to invest in organizing and implementing the stability of your business. After that, the expected profit is calculated, the average number of consumers per month is predicted. This will allow you to calculate the real payback period of the project. This stage will help determine how many customers should be during the month, and what should be the amount in order to pay off the invested capital in a certain period of time.

The calculation indicators in this section will help you weigh all the pros and cons of this project, and understand whether the game is worth the candle or not. Potential investors also evaluate the project according to the data provided in the Finance section.

The financial section directly links all the points of the business plan.

In view of this, if adjustments or additions are made to any of the sections, then this will necessarily affect financial calculations, or vice versa, changes and adjustments in finance will affect other structures.

Risk Forecast

Based on financial indicators, compare the essence of the business plan and give an objective assessment of what you see. Is the material accessible? What sides does it reveal? If I were an investor, would I invest in it?

If your answers were positive, then you have perfectly completed the first stage of your activity, you can proceed to the next one, the implementation of your idea! This outcome paves the way for a successful start to your project.

How to write a brief overview (summary) of the project for a beginner - rules for compiling

The executive summary is the protagonist of the project, the basis of the business plan, revealing the contents of the package on one sheet of paper, often after reading which investors either show interest in getting to know the project in more depth, or leave it without even looking inside. Therefore, in order to adequately and clearly present it, it is given time last, when the entire document has already been drawn up.

A well-written summary will give the right impression about its originator, his idea and plans.

Goals and objectives of the company

Briefly describe the essence of the activity, mention at what stage of development your business is.

For example, the goal of the project is to open a clothing store for the whole family "Happy Family".

Or the goal of the project is to open a network of Bonjour coffee shops, where the products of the confectionery factory will be sold under the same logo.

Essence of the project and business concept

A short description of your entrepreneurial activity, its specifics and stages of development.

Brief analysis

The analysis of the market situation includes a summary of the conducted market research, which includes the marketing area:

1. The total effective demand of the proposed sales product or service.
2. characteristics of the competitive group.
3. Product competitiveness.
4. To give the summary more weight in the eyes of investors, information sources are indicated that are trustworthy and participation in the market analysis of well-known marketers, the entire marketing move is based on this.

What does the organization's marketing look like, how to prepare the main parts?

For the first stage of business development, a marketing plan is important, which includes the target audience, an advertising move that attracts and retains the attention of customers.

A well-designed marketing plan will be a guide for you, following which you will not only get the maximum number of loyal customers, but also increase the profit of your organization.

Part I. Summary of current products and / or preconditions for the creation of new ones

1. Summary of current goods. This will require a thorough analysis of how goals were achieved and marketing plans were solved in the past year, which strategies and tactics were used, which worked, and which did not produce results. Highlight the main lessons learned from last year's marketing system, describe the lessons learned from the lessons, and apply them in the new year.
2. Prerequisites for creating a new product. To launch a new product on the market, you need to briefly and simply describe the idea for it. The carefully crafted concept of the new product will be outlined in the main part of the plan. It is desirable to give a source of the idea of ​​a new product, which will emphasize the need for it.

Part II. situational analysis

A situational analysis is the rationale behind your marketing planning, the foundation that will give you solid support for your decisions and the reasons behind a particular approach. Evaluation of the conformity of the strategies and tactics of the subdivisions with the prerequisites of the constructed plan.

Part III. Strategic Direction

A brief description of the main direction of the product, target audience, benefits and positioning, performance criteria.

How to make a production plan, what are the right points?

Development of a business plan for an enterprise, including a production plan, which determines the size of the workforce and the amount of resources required for the production of goods;

The production plan includes:

• manufacturing process;
• the needs of the enterprise in stocks, materials, fixed assets;
• quality control of products and production process;
• major suppliers of various materials;
• production facilities - use, location, advantages, disadvantages, buildings, adjustments;
• personnel - the number of employees of different specifics, their salary, level of training or qualifications.

Important for the production plan is a description of the achievement of quality control, procurement and production costs, maintenance provision.

Cost control is carried out on the basis of cost analysis, which determines the compliance of planned and standard volumes. Due to the importance of cost control in every organizational process, the enterprise must know at what stage the product is located, require reporting from managers competent in this matter.

Procurement control. It helps to control the discipline of deliveries, track the quality of raw materials, quantity, characteristics and prices of goods from suppliers.

For simplicity and efficiency of such control, use the following steps:

• collect maximum truthful and accurate data on the conditions and dates of deliveries;
• collect data on the quality of supplies, their compliance with production standards;
• get supplier price data.

Supplier control. For this, one or two suppliers are selected for long-term cooperation, as a result, this ensures the reliability of supplies and the effectiveness of cooperation.

Inventory control. To do this, use the re-order system after completing its certain level. Re-ordering is used to minimize the ongoing cost of maintaining inventory, and also this approach ensures the proper level of customer service.

Maintenance control. This need must be taken into account at the initial stages of equipment design in the production plan.

Quality control. A comprehensive customer-oriented program improves the quality of production processes and products.

This activity carries out constant quality control of products for compliance with established GOSTs and standards.

How to develop and build an organizational chart?

To build the main work schedule, a general production plan is needed. The basic organizational system clearly records the type and quantity of each individual product manufactured, and gives detailed information about how, where and when it will be produced tomorrow, next week, next month. The data also includes the number of working class, production needs. The organizational chart, first of all, divides the general plan into separate detailed operational sub-plans for each product, and then they are combined into a general production plan, which was discussed above.

How to calculate a financial plan - calculation step by step

Due to the insufficiently stable market situation, when analyzing a business, experts have to pay attention not only to mathematical calculations of the potential income of organizations. It is also very important to take into account the level of demand for the product / service produced, as well as the social component of the field of activity where the organization develops.

Since many factors affect the economic component in business development, it is not always possible to bring the company to the desired level of profitability. Therefore, the financial plan is designed to control the profits and expenses of the company, which allows the owner of the organization not to incur losses.

When calculating a financial plan, you should pay attention to 3 important criteria:

• the effectiveness of the financial plan;
• possible risks;
• final analysis of the financial plan.

Determining the effectiveness of the financial plan is an important point at the planning stage. This is what allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's activities in the market in a competitive environment.

When calculating the financial plan, the most significant are such indicators.

This is the amount of expected profit from the calculation of the cost of the product / service at the moment.

The reasons for the change in the indicator may be:

• inflation;
• the risk of losing investment;
• investments bring predicted income.

If in the course of calculations this indicator has a value of 0, this indicates the absence of unprofitability.

Profitability

Profitability is a complex indicator of the financial productivity of the company. With the help of this indicator, the owner has the opportunity to understand how successful his project is, as well as to figure out whether the income received is stable.

If the profitability indicator has a negative value, then the company does not generate income, but there are only losses.

The profitability indicator is classified into 2 groups:

• sales ratio - the percentage of income from each unit of currency (allows you to understand the effectiveness of pricing policy, as well as regulate costs);
• profitability of an asset is a relative indicator of performance (allows you to see the possibility of making a profit from the company's activities).

Payback periods

This is a time indicator that displays the period for which the full payback of the business occurs.

The payback indicator is divided into the following subgroups:

• a simple indicator (it is the time period after which the investor will be able to return the invested funds);
• dynamic indicator (to calculate the indicator, data on the value of cash are used, which depend on the inflation threshold throughout the entire time).

As a rule, it is the dynamic indicator that always prevails over the simple one.

To calculate the financial plan, you need to use the following formulas.

Net discount income is calculated as

NPV=NK+(D1-P1)/(1+SD1)+(D2-P2)/(1+SD2)+(D3-P3)/(1+SD3), where

• NK - initial capital of expenses and investments;
• D1-D3 - income by years, depending on the number next to it;
• P1-P3 - expenses by years, depending on the number next to it;
• SD - discount rate.

To calculate profitability, you need

ROOD=POR/PZ, where

• ROOD - profitability from the main activity;
• POR - profit from sales;
• PP - incurred costs.

CO=NC/NPV, where

• SO - payback period;
• NK - initial capital (if necessary, additional investments are added to this figure;
• NPV is the company's net discount income.

Despite the simplicity of the formulas, today it is more convenient to carry out calculations using specialized programs. If you are new to business, it is easier to purchase demo versions of such programs, their cost is much less, and the functionality is similar.

How to correctly calculate the risk forecast - a detailed procedure

Since it takes a lot of time to create a financial plan from scratch, it is sometimes easier to analyze an existing one and correct weaknesses. This will speed up the process of obtaining profit from the activities of the organization.

As they say, risk is a noble cause, but this expression should not be used in business. It is the financial plan that serves to ensure that the company can prevent unpleasant situations in order to avoid losses. It is important to consider all possible situations and choose the safest solution.

According to the sphere of influence, risks are classified into 3 groups.

Commercial

External factors of commercial risks are:

• decline in demand for manufactured products/services;
• unexpected entry of a competitor into the market;
• fraud on the part of business partners (delivery of low-quality raw materials, delays in the supply of goods, etc.);
• instability of prices for technical support and services.

These are just the most common external causes that can negatively affect the financial plan. It is very important to consider the scope of the company and consider the impact of each specific unforeseen situation in a timely manner.

Financial

Financial risks are unforeseen items of expenses, as well as receiving unforeseen profits.

Reasons for financial risks may include the following:

• in late payments for goods/services by buyers;
• receivables;
• increased rates from creditors;
• changes in legislation that entail an increase in the cost of doing business;
• unstable situation with the currency in the world markets.

Control of the above risks allows avoiding possible losses and bankruptcy.

Production

Such risks are associated with changes in the operating mode of the company due to unforeseen circumstances.

The reason for the production risk can be:

• insufficient level of qualification of workers;
• protests and strikes that disrupt the work schedule of the organization;
• production of low-quality products, which entails a decrease in demand for goods and a decrease in sales;
• there is no quality control of the manufactured goods.

If such risks are not controlled in a timely manner when drawing up a financial plan, investments in the business will be unjustified (no income, losses grow).

In order to avoid all kinds of risks, it is worth using risk management techniques. To do this, they can use means to resolve the risk, as well as techniques to reduce the degree of risk.

The means to resolve risks can be:

• risk avoidance (avoiding a situation that may entail risk often implies that the investor refuses to make a profit);
• risk retention (responsibility for possible negative consequences rests with the investor making the decision);
• transfer of risk (the investor transfers responsibility for the risk, for example, to an insurance company).

Risk Reduction

This is a reduction in the volume of losses and a decrease in the likelihood of a risky situation. To reduce the likelihood, various methods and means can be used.

Diversification

The essence of diversification lies in the division of capital between different investors who are interconnected, as well as different forms of activity of the organization itself, goods produced / services provided. Diversification is the most reasonable and least expensive way to reduce financial risks. But, the risk of investments can be dissipated with the help of diversification, but it is still impossible to reduce the probability to zero. This is due to the fact that there are external factors (not related to the choice of objects for investment) that cannot be influenced downward.

Obtaining additional data and information

The maximum possession of information allows for the most accurate forecasting and reduces the likelihood of risks for decision making - this makes data and information as valuable as possible.

Limitation

The essence of limiting is the establishment of a limit - the maximum allowable amount of expenses, sales, lending, etc.

self-insurance

This procedure means that the entrepreneur decides to insure himself, and not to purchase insurance from insurance companies. This reduces the cost of insurance capital. The essence of self-insurance is the creation of reserve funds, the task of the procedure is to overcome temporary financial difficulties as quickly as possible.

Insurance

This is the most popular and important technique for reducing the degree of risk. The essence of insurance is that the organization is ready to give up a certain part of its income in order to avoid risk. In simple terms, the company is willing to pay to reduce the likelihood of risk and financial loss to zero.

To avoid the most unpleasant consequences, the owner of the company must regularly resort to preventive measures, for example, analyze the activity of competitors in the market.

In conclusion, I would like to note that a financial plan can be considered successful in such a situation:

• if high incomes are visible, and financial costs are minimal;
• when the predicted risks are eliminated at the initial stage;
• when the activity of the enterprise is worthy of competition with similar companies;
• when the company has a material and technical base and funds are invested in it;
• in the presence of documentary evidence of the profitability of the company.

The financial plan has many subtleties. Due to the correct analysis of the received data, it is possible to eliminate shortcomings and avoid unprofitability.

After getting acquainted with the general requirements for writing a business plan, we can conclude that before embarking on the realization of your dream, it is still important to set out a detailed plan to achieve it on paper, calculate all the pros and cons, and eventually start acting according to your planning.

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The modern world requires a clear structure for every business. Only in this case he will receive the right to development. But in order to do this, it is necessary to draw up a business plan that will describe in stages all the activities of the company. Almost anyone can write it by referring to special sources, as well as peeping the idea from competitors. But how to make sure that its implementation is as successful as possible, and investors give money for development? Today we will cover this issue in more detail.

Why do you need a business plan?

A business plan is a well-developed concept of a future company written on a sheet. At its core, this is a tool that allows you to analyze your own idea in detail for success. By step by step developing the entire path of interaction within the future organization, you can understand whether it can compete with similar companies.

For investors, this is an opportunity for deep analytics, as well as a means of calculating subsequent profits. When an entrepreneur understands the mechanisms of his "brainchild", then investors will be ready to give their money, because the project is called to become successful from the very beginning.

Most businessmen without experience do not understand the need for a business plan, believing that just one idea will be enough to start. In fact, this is far from the case. If at the very beginning you are not ready to work out the idea, then there is a high probability that it will not work out. This is especially true for business options such as:

• Coffee houses;
• Beauty Salons;
• Confectionery;
• cleaning companies;
• Internet shops;
• Production.

All these business options require careful study, otherwise they simply will not survive among competitors, and even among those who are not doing very well. It is quite difficult to calculate the risks; if the structure is correctly drawn up, it will allow you to see all possible development options, and therefore calculate all the negative aspects.

How to write a business plan - step by step instructions with an example

Drawing up a business plan is a laborious process that requires a detailed study of the issue. Here it is necessary to take into account all the nuances of your business, so that investors have no doubts about the reliability of investments.

You can do the whole process yourself, or contact a special organization that provides such services. It is better to make a plan for yourself - this way you will get the highest quality result, which will take into account all the nuances of entrepreneurial activity in a particular area.

For each specific solution, it is necessary to think over an individual structure. There is no single scheme from which consist business plan, but you can borrow the structure from organizations that have already received investment when using their calculation.

Where to start and what is relevant?

The first thing to do is decide on a niche. Try to choose a direction that will be relevant for at least a few years. So you are guaranteed to receive funds from investors and be able to compete in a narrowly focused niche.

To date, the following options are especially popular:

• Coffee houses. The demand for them is growing rapidly every year, therefore, by choosing this niche, you can be sure of the success of the opening;
• Confectionery. Sweet products have been popular for many years, and every year it only scales;
• Industrial enterprises. Of course, this will require a colossal amount of time, but the profit will be ten times higher. The relevance of factories is high, especially in the field of processing.

There are a large number of niches where it is enough to simply compete with the rest of the market participants, so choosing your direction, it will not be difficult to start working. The main thing is to work out the idea to the smallest detail so that after the presentation, the contributors do not have any questions left.

Types of business plans

There are various types of business plans designed for certain types of activities. The key ones are:

• Company's internal plan. Such a decision is necessary for the restructuring of the company, as well as the development of new interaction mechanisms;
• Business plan for obtaining a loan. The essence of such a plan is solely in the fact that the financial institution will give a loan. What is used in fraudulent schemes, which causes more and more mistrust;
• Investment format is necessary in order to invest in promising areas. It is worth considering all the nuances of such activities, since the idea of ​​an investment project must fully convince investors of its veracity and prospects;
• Company financial recovery plan. This suggests that with the funds raised it will be necessary to create such conditions for small businesses (most likely large companies) under which it will begin to fully function again. This option is unlikely to be suitable for an individual entrepreneur, unless the entrepreneur's activities number hundreds.

Let's analyze each type in more detail.

It's important to know! You should decide in advance who you are going to provide the business plan to. It is worth relying on this decision, since the appointment of the final investor is crucial.

Firm's internal business plan

Such a plan, first of all, is necessary not for the investor, but for the founder of the company. It can form all aspects of the activities within the organization. This includes confidential data, which is financial statistics and a further development plan.

The need to develop such documentation is obvious - the owner sees the full picture of what is happening, on the basis of which he is able to make an informed decision related to the future fate of the company.

In short, an internal plan is a regulatory document that reflects the current situation in a particular company, thanks to which it is possible to conduct in-depth analytics and identify undesirable actions that lead to losses.

Business plan for obtaining a loan

Most entrepreneurs need a loan, and this option is most favorable for them. Compared to the regular plan, there are a number of significant differences that reduce the number of borrowers. The main nuances include:

• You will have to convince the bank that you are taking money for your business. This is not easy to do, as irrefutable evidence will be required;
• You need to explain to the bank why you need financing right now. The need for money must be really acute, otherwise you can get a refusal as soon as possible;
• Among other things, the document must convince the bank of the solvency of the entrepreneur. It is necessary to provide financial statements, according to which the bank will be able to verify the reliability of the future partner.

For beginners, this process is extremely complicated and incomprehensible, so some of them turn to professional companies that resolve this issue as soon as possible. The cost of work depends on the complexity of the project, but on average it is 5-15% of the loan amount.

Investment business plan

The name itself suggests that everything is compiled for investment in a certain type of activity. For example, the purchase of digital software may well be part of such an idea if it is subsequently adapted to Russian realities.

According to this principle, you can acquire not only software, but also various foreign ideas for entrepreneurial activity. The main thing is to be able to adapt them to our legislation, then the project will in any case be of interest to investors.

When working out this option, you should calculate the break-even point, as well as the time to implement the project. It is necessary to indicate such a period for which you can really achieve results, and not the one that investors want to see. It is important to understand this in advance, otherwise there may be big problems at the implementation stage.

Company financial recovery plan

Putting up such a plan is necessary in order for the company to be able to swim out of the debt hole and begin to fully function again. Convincing investors that a company can get out of a difficult situation is extremely difficult, but there are some tricks. In fact, there are only two ways out of difficulties:

• Restructure the company. Most often, problems arise due to wasteful spending associated with a large number of employees performing the same function. Restructuring allows you to optimize processes so that with a reduced staff, the business can perform tasks in the same volume. Budget savings directly affect the number and quality of employees, so you will have to leave only those who are really valuable to the company;
• Transfer to another activity. The company can change the direction of work, or start producing the most liquid products. In this case, it will be necessary to conduct analytics for the relevance of certain products, depending on the direction of the company.

Both of these options involve improving the situation of the company, through the competent distribution of financial resources, as well as optimizing the internal component. It is important to understand that the reduction in staff must be objective, otherwise you can lose key employees who bring high income to the entire organization.

Structure and content of the business plan

A business plan is a document in which the work process is described to the smallest detail, which allows you to assess the likelihood of your own business on the market. In order to compose structured material, certain knowledge in this area will be required. We have selected an approximate structure, which can change depending on your needs and goals.

Section 1. "Opportunities of the company (summary)"

This section is the basis of the entire document, so its formation should be approached most carefully. In order for this paragraph to be as effective as possible, it must answer two key questions - what is the investor's benefit and what are the risks of loss?

If the answer is worked out briefly and clearly, then the chances of getting the treasured funds increase significantly. Some companies claim that there is a certain technology for writing a resume, which includes all the necessary requirements of investors. In fact, none of this exists. Write the way you see fit. Stick to a business style - this will help emphasize your focus on the idea.

The information must be specific and reliable. For example, if you produce a certain product, then highlight its cost, as well as customer interest, based on market analysis in the selected category. So you can get data close to real, and investors get statistics, according to which risks and income are calculated.

It is also necessary to indicate information about the industry affiliation of the company. Showing the primary strategy is essential in order to understand whether you should give money.

The strategy should have the following structure:

• How will the entry into the Russian market take place;
• What methods will be used to attract sales volumes;
• How production will develop (stages, interaction with external companies).

All these factors are extremely important in order to have an initial opinion about the submitted idea. If investors are interested in the proposal, then all that remains is to explain the essence, and the rest of the plans may not be read at all. But, if in doubt, then be prepared for a thorough analysis of each item.

Section 2. "General description of the company"

Once the legal plan is fully developed, an organizational plan should be created that includes:

• Information about the general director, director and key management positions;
• Do you have work experience in this area, as well as work experience, if any;
• If support is from reputable sources, which, in the event of force majeure, will help resolve the issue as soon as possible at minimal cost.

At the start, almost always, the CEO takes everything into his own hands and gradually delegates tasks, as needed. This decision is the most correct, since at first all the mechanisms are calculated independently, and after the delegation of cases, control over the implementation is established in the form of KPIs or other key indicators.

Support from reputable sources means financial institutions, insurance companies and other firms in the list of which you are listed as a potential client. This issue is resolved by calling these companies and preliminary consultation on all issues with data exchange.

Section 9. "Risk and insurance assessment"

This paragraph is intended to explain to investors that the risks of investing are minimal. The entrepreneur must work out the structure so that investors have an understanding of reliability, otherwise all the previous points will be meaningless.

Here you need to provide information about:

• Possible risks and taking measures to eliminate them;
• High-probability and low-probability risks present in such a segment;
• Identification of the source of risk, as well as methods for its elimination at an early stage;
• Minimization of costs in the event of risks;
• Budgeting insurance policies, as well as full business insurance, in case of increased risk.

All these factors play a key role in the development of a business. In any area, there are a large number of problems that need to be addressed at the stage of formation, otherwise in the future they can accumulate in a big lump and hinder development.

Important! Call the insurance companies for a possible interaction. It may turn out that when opening a business, insurance agents simply will not insure you due to the extremely high risks associated with an unfavorable start in the market. Take this into account and clarify all the nuances in advance.

Section 10. "Financial plan"

The forecast of financial results is the part of the business plan that I look forward to the most. Here you paint the possible profit of the company, as well as share revenue. Do not write exorbitant amounts, proceed from previous data.

The period of financial planning is from 3 to 5 years, depending on the direction of the company.

Labor costs are being worked out, as well as for new production, thanks to which the range of goods will significantly increase, and then the coverage of the target audience.

Everything is taken into account here: sales proceeds, shares, dividend payments, possible non-liquidity of products.

The more accurately the financial plan is drawn up, the less risk there is to be left without funds. If a large enterprise is planned, then it is recommended to make calculations together with an experienced accountant who can suggest input data for maximum efficiency.

The purpose of this paragraph is to fully determine the movement of funds, and, if possible, to make this process automated in order to reduce the cost of employees.

Section 11 Funding Strategy

The purpose of this section is for the investor to understand where the income will come from and how the entrepreneur will deal with losses. Key figures in this paragraph can be:

• Credit institutions that issue short-term and long-term loans;
• Clients purchasing shares of the company;
• Working capital, the gross margin from which goes to the development of the enterprise and increase sales.

A company's assets create cash inflows, while its liabilities create losses. Reading profit is calculated as the difference between these two concepts, which is available even to a schoolboy.

Based on this, it is necessary to operate with all the data specified at the stage of building a business plan in order to form a clear and concise report on possible profits and cash flow.

How to draw up a business plan?

On Facebook and Instagram there is a huge amount of materials on this subject, where examples of hundreds of successful cases are analyzed. You can get a lot of information from social networks.

First you need to draw up a title page, which is the face of the entire project. It is recommended to draw it up in accordance with GOST, so that the document is completely similar to other legal documents.

The most comfortable plan size is 30 A4 sheets. It is in this volume that all the necessary information should be placed. There is no need to paint everything in the form of a diploma, it is enough to submit information in a structured and clear way.

Break all the information into sections and subparagraphs, and also prepare a brief description of the sections. For some contributors, the initial information is enough to make a decision.

The key focus should be on the competitiveness of your enterprise. If the product is truly unique in its segment, then the probability of success is extremely high. The rest depends on well-thought-out operations and a financial plan.

Determine the course of action to achieve the result. This will be the starting point, following which success will not be long in coming.

Drawing up a business plan requires deep analytics and time. You should think through everything to the smallest detail if you plan to receive large investments in your business. Provide information in a structured and understandable way so that there are no additional questions in the process of familiarization. Minimize risks and provide a development strategy that will be the most successful among other competitors. Such a decision will help create a truly high-quality company with unique products that can stay afloat on the Russian and international markets for a long time without any problems.

Brief briefing

You have an idea. You want to create your own business. Excellent. What's next? Next, you need to “sort everything out”, think through the details (as far as possible), in order to first of all understand: is it worth developing this project? Perhaps after researching the market, you will realize that the service or product is not in demand, or you do not have sufficient funds to develop your business. Maybe the project should be improved a little, to abandon unnecessary elements, or, on the contrary, to introduce something?

A business plan will help you consider the prospects of your venture.

End justifies the means?

Starting to write a business plan, remember its goals and functions. First of all, you carry out preparatory work in order to understand how realistic the achievement of the planned results is, how much time and money are needed to implement the plan.

In addition, a business plan is necessary to attract investors, receive a grant or a bank loan. That is, it should include information about the potential profit of the project, the necessary costs and the payback period. Think about what is important and interesting for your recipients to hear.

Use a little cheat sheet for yourself:

• Analyze the market you are going to enter. What leaders-companies exist in this direction. Study their experience and work.
• Determine the strengths and weaknesses of your project, future opportunities and risks. In short, do a SWOT analysis*.

SWOT analysis - (English)strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities,Threats - strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A method of planning, developing a strategy that allows you to identify the main factors influencing business development.

• Be clear about what you expect from the project. Set a specific goal.

The main goal of the business plan is to help, first of all, you yourself in developing the company's strategy and planning its development, as well as assistance in attracting investments.

So every plan has a structure. Regardless of the specifics of the project and the requirements of investors, a business plan, as a rule, contains the following elements:

1. Firm CV(short business plan)

• Product description
• Description of the market situation
• Competitive advantages and disadvantages
• Brief description of the organizational structure
• Distribution of funds (investment and own)

2. marketing plan

• Definition of a “problem” and your solution
• Definition of the target audience
• Market and competition analysis
• Free niche, unique selling proposition
• Methods and cost of attracting customers
• Sales channels
• Stages and terms of market conquest

3. Plan for the production of goods or services

• Organization of production
• Infrastructure features
• Production resources and areas
• Production equipment
• Production process
• Quality control
• Calculation of investments and depreciation

4.Workflow organization

• Organizational structure of the enterprise
• Distribution of powers and responsibilities
• Control system

5. Financial plan and risk forecast

• Cost estimate
• Calculation of the cost of a product or service
• Calculation of profit and loss
• Investment period
• Break even point and payback point
• Cash flow forecast
• Risk Forecast
• Ways to minimize risks

It is clear that a business plan is one whole and its parts are inextricably linked with each other. However, a well-designed structure will help you not to forget the important, as well as to look deeper into each of the aspects.

Company resume. Briefly about the main

Marketing plan. There are empty seats?

When drawing up a marketing plan, you will have to analyze the market you are going to enter. Thus, you will identify trends for yourself, collect information about competitors and get to know your consumer, your target audience better.

After evaluating a potential client, his interests and preferences, you must determine the optimal location of the office, outlet, etc. It should be comfortable. Calculate the required number of customers for your business to pay off and compare with the audience living or working around the intended location of the business. For example, for a public service business, this audience should not be less than 2% of the number of people living within a short walk or five-minute drive.

It is possible that the market that you were going to conquer is oversaturated at the moment. Analyze the actions of competitors, create your strategy, focus on your uniqueness, bring something new to fill an empty niche in a certain area.

Of course, creating something that is not yet on the market is quite difficult. However, you can carefully analyze the situation and open, for example, a point where the consumer really needs it or play on the difference in prices and the level of services provided relative to nearby competitors.

Also, you will definitely have to decide on the sales channels. After reviewing the existing methods on the market - find the best for yourself. Calculate how much it costs you to acquire each client.

Finally, when deciding on pricing, you will need to calculate: which is more profitable? A high price with a small number of sales or a price lower than competitors, but a large client flow. We should also not forget about the service, because for many consumers it is crucial. They are willing to pay a price above the market average, but receive a high quality of service.

Production plan. What are we selling?

Here you will finally tell in detail about the essence of your business: what do you do?

For example, you decide to produce dresses and sell them. In the production plan, indicate the suppliers of fabric and equipment, where you will place the sewing workshop, what will be the volume of production. You will write down the stages of manufacturing products, the necessary qualifications of employees, calculate the necessary deductions to the depreciation fund, as well as logistics. From many factors: from the cost of threads to the cost of labor, the costs of the future business will also depend.

Prescribing the technology for creating your course product, you will pay attention to many little things that you have not thought about before. There may be issues with the storage of goods or difficulties with imported raw materials, problems with finding employees with the necessary qualifications, etc.

When you have finally written down the entire path of creating a product or service, it's time to calculate how much your project will cost you. It may well be that later, when making financial calculations, you will realize that you need to make adjustments to the production plan: cut some costs or radically change the technology itself.

Organization of the workflow. How will it work?

Will you manage the business alone or with partners? How will decisions be made? These and many more questions you need to answer in the "Organization of the workflow" section.

Here you can register the entire structure of the enterprise and identify duplication of authority, mutual exclusion, etc. Having seen the whole organization scheme, it will be easier for you to optimally distribute rights and responsibilities between departments and employees.

Having understood, first of all, for yourself how your company functions, it will be possible to more effectively develop a system of interaction between structures, a system for monitoring employees and the entire personnel policy.

The importance of this section is that it describes who and how will implement the project in reality.

Financial plan. Main section

The financial section is directly related to all points of the business plan. Therefore, if changes or additions are made to one of the sections, then the financial calculations also change. The reverse process is also possible, if adjustments are made to the financial plan - this means changes in other structures. So, if you understand that you will have to cut costs in order to keep within the amount of funds that you have, consider how you will carry out this optimization.

Of course, a business plan is an approximate model of how your project will develop and function. You need to remember that unforeseen situations will also arise, because you start a business in real time, and life is impossible without surprises. However, if you follow the recommendations from BIBOSS, you will be able to draw up a detailed and working business plan that will allow you to avoid many problems.

If you are serious about doing business, a business plan is indispensable. The most successful idea should be supported by a well-designed action plan. The rules for writing a business plan for a small business will help you understand the sequence of actions.

There is little in common between dreams of owning a business and a real business - in fantasies we clearly imagine only the result, in business it requires planning. Even the most successful business idea is worthless without a well-written action plan. We will look at the rules for writing a business plan for a small business, and we hope the information will be useful to aspiring entrepreneurs.

When we set out on the road, we plan a route so as not to wander at random; starting a new business requires a similar approach.

What is a business plan

A business plan is a guide to action with a description of the idea, process, implementation mechanisms and goals.

The definition of a specific goal in this chain is crucial, since it is this point that allows you to clearly articulate:

• What is your position at the moment, i.e. where is the starting point for starting.
• What should you get as a result.
• What steps need to be taken to promote and develop the business.

Purpose of the business plan

Drawing up a business plan is useful at the start of any business, but in two cases a plan is required:

To provide investors and creditors, as well as to receive financial support from the state.

The purpose of drawing up a business plan is to confirm the viability of the idea and the efficiency of using money. The information presented in the plan should be detailed, look reliable and logical. For clarity, it is useful to accompany the defense of the business plan with a slide presentation.

Real business plan "For yourself"

A working version of a business plan for "internal use". There is always a difference between "front" and "working" plans.

Development forecast and prospects

Consider several business development options. Try to objectively assess the prospects based on expected income and expenses. Put yourself in the place of an investor and consider whether you would be willing to invest in the company described.