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Who can help you draw up a business plan? How to develop an effective business plan

15Jul

Why I decided to write this article

Because many who ask me questions ask something that at first you shouldn’t even bother about. There are even questions that a person may never face at all. In general, “Woe from Wit” occurs in the minds of many novice entrepreneurs, and we will “eliminate” this grief in this article. At least I'll try my best. Now let’s talk about mistakes, and then I’ll give you a step-by-step plan as I see it.

Some errors and their solutions

1. Break-even point not calculated

Many people start a business without even calculating how much they need to sell in what period in order to break even. This is important because many business models are cut off at this stage.

Calculating the break-even point is simple. You calculate how many expenses you incur per month and then calculate how much you need to sell goods or provide services per month to recoup these expenses. If the figure is too large and seems unrealistic to you, then it is better not to take on such a business. If you think that you can sell the right amount of goods to cover expenses or start covering expenses in a few months, then you can think about this business further.

Conclusion 1: Until you have a complete financial picture of the business in your head, you cannot borrow money or even use your savings.

2. Everything must be perfect

When starting your business, you want everything to be correct and beautiful: the most modern equipment is purchased, the most functional website is created, the office is renovated, etc.

Striving for better is useful, but there is one “BUT” - before spending money, check the functionality of your business model. When planning to make an expensive website design, first make sure that your services or products are in demand at all.

Or, if you are opening a cafe, before making expensive renovations, try to start selling in the premises you have with minimal investment. If sales continue and the location in a given area of ​​the city generates at least some profit, then you can expand or do some major renovations.

Conclusion 2: Don't invest significant amounts of money until you are sure that people need the product itself. And there is no need to bring everything to perfection, thereby delaying the start. Start with what you have and gradually develop and improve.

3. Lack of understanding of your future business or simply no love

I personally think that a business should at least be liked. For example, I love every business project I have, and if I didn’t love them, they wouldn’t be profitable.

Some aspiring entrepreneurs write to me with questions like “What to sell”, “What services are profitable to provide”, “What business is profitable to start”, etc. I answer everyone: “Open your own bank.” And no one likes my answer, although it answers all these questions. Every entrepreneur has a different life situation, different interests and different knowledge. If one likes to sell toys, and the other likes to sell men's suits, then they will not be able to switch businesses and be as successful. This is because they don’t understand the model itself and simply don’t feel interested.

Conclusion 3: You can't build a business on an idea just because you just know it's profitable and have no interest in it. Business needs to be understood, loved and “in the know.” For example, I would not be able to open a massage parlor and lead the business to success. Not because I don’t have enough money, but because I don’t know anything about this business.

Where to start your business - 10 steps from scratch

To begin with, I want to say that below I will give 2 plans on how to start your business: complete and simplified. Let's start with the complete one.

Step 1. Business idea

Of course, to start a business, you need to know what exactly to start. I have always said, I say and will continue to say that an entrepreneur must have an idea. If you can’t even come up with an idea, then what kind of business are we talking about? You don't have to be an innovator and come up with something unimaginable. You can take an already working idea, look around, find shortcomings in it, or simply improve it the way YOU see it, and it will be a different business. It is easier to enter an established market than to form it yourself. And the idea doesn’t have to be global; you can start a micro-business or.

In order to come up with or find a business idea, read the following articles and after reading you will 100% decide on the idea:

After reading the articles and coming up with ideas, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2. Market analysis

After choosing a business idea, you need to analyze the market, find out whether people need your product at all. Assess the competition, identify the positive and negative sides of competitors, find in yourself what will distinguish you from your competitors. Compare prices, quality of service, assortment (if this is a commodity business) and look as much as possible for what you can be better at. It is necessary. Why? Read!

Once you have assessed supply and demand and realized that you can compete with existing companies, you can move on.

Step 3. Business planning

Step 5. Register your business

This step cannot be skipped because the business must be registered. You can use LLC or individual entrepreneur. It all depends on your activity. The following articles will help you with this:

Once your business is registered, you can move on to the next step.

Step 6. Taxes and reporting

I indicated this step right away, because you must initially decide which tax system you will work under. This must be done immediately, because the amount of taxes and methods of payment depend on this. To do this, read the following articles:

And also read other articles in the section, because there you will always find up-to-date and complete information about maintaining tax and accounting records. You can also ask your question and get an answer from a specialist.

Step 7: Quickly test your idea

Some will say that you can test without registering a business. And you're right! This is possible, but it was not for nothing that I wrote at the very beginning that there will be 2 options for the development of events and in the second I will talk about it. Now let's move on to the testing itself.

What you initially need is quick testing - “testing in combat”. Use your own money to test the idea, give minimal advertising, make the smallest possible product and try to sell it. Study the demand in practice, so to speak. You have to look at your plan, evaluate what you minimally need to get started, and start right away. Why is this being done? At the very beginning, I wrote about one of the mistakes of beginning entrepreneurs, which is delaying the start, constant improvements, etc. There is no need to bring it to perfection, you need to start as quickly as possible in order to test the idea in action, get the first sales and be inspired to continue development.

If the start does not give the first sales, then you need to reconsider the plan, idea and look for mistakes. A quick start is also done so that in case of failure you will spend less time, effort and money. Would you agree that it would be more annoying to prepare for a year and then fail? It’s less offensive to realize your mistakes right away, while you still have little time to do. This way you can make adjustments along the way and everything will start to work out!

To test your idea and your business, it can help you. It is more for testing an idea on the Internet, but it is also suitable for the real sector (offline).

Step 8. Business Development

After the tests have been carried out, the plan has been adjusted and sales have slowly begun, you can develop your business and refine everything that you wrote in the plan to perfection. Now you can improve the site, increase warehouses or offices, expand staff, etc. When your idea and business model have shown their effectiveness, it is easier for you to set more global goals. Moreover, you have already received the first money from your first orders or sales and can reinvest it in development.

If there is not enough money, then you can already resort to loans and borrowings, because the business brings in money and you can borrow for its development with a clear conscience. If you don’t need a lot of money, then even a credit card may be suitable. In I told you how you can use credit card money for your business without interest.

Step 9. Active promotion

This step could be classified as development, but I took it separately. Once you have wider warehouses, more powerful equipment and website, more employees, etc., you need to provide all this with work. This requires aggressive advertising to the maximum. You should take advantage of many advertising opportunities. Look for clients on the Internet, do offline advertising, engage in direct sales, etc. The more advertising tools you use, the better the result. But be sure to record the results and weed out ineffective advertising tools so as not to waste your budgets.

Step 10: Scaling

Your business is working well, bringing in money, you are constantly developing, everything is great! But there are also related directions or neighboring cities. If your business model is successful in your city, then you can open representative offices in other cities. If there is no desire or opportunity to go to neighboring cities, then you can simply capture an adjacent direction, if there is one at all.

For example, if you sell household appliances, you can simultaneously open a repair service and provide paid repair services. If your client’s equipment cannot be repaired, you can always offer him to buy something from your store in exchange. In general, look at your business and I am sure that you will find something to latch on to.

What else can you pay attention to?

When starting a business, there are several parameters that allow you to evaluate how effective your business is at the start; take them seriously:

If your business's net income is above zero, excluding equipment costs and taxes, then your business will survive because it generates some money. If it is below zero, it means your business is burning money and will not have enough loans and investments;

If you have planned sales for 200,000, but sell for 50,000, then this is a reason to seriously adjust your work and, possibly, the plan itself;

You should be comfortable. Business is hard. If you are also constantly having a hard time, then coping with business tasks will be difficult. Give yourself enough comfort that you don't feel left out by running your own business.

How to start and open your own business using a simplified scheme

As promised, I’ll give you a simplified diagram of how to start your own business. Because I have already described all the points above, so I will refer to them here so as not to repeat myself.

I myself have used this scheme more than once, because before I launched very small projects in which a lot could be missed. So the diagram looks like this:

  1. Idea (it should always be there);
  2. Easy planning, you don’t have to write it down, but put the main points on a piece of notebook. This is done in order to draw a model;
  3. A quick test of an idea. Perhaps even without investing and finding money. Or you will need very little money and it will simply be in your savings;
  4. Development and active promotion. After the first orders are received, you can begin active promotion and bring everything to fruition;
  5. Business registration and scaling.

As you can see, I missed registration at the very end, because some business projects can be implemented without registration, because during the test you don’t get so much money that you immediately have to run to report to the tax office for it. But if the business model has shown its efficiency and after active promotion the profits are growing, then the registration should be instant.

But even in the first stages you cannot do without registration if you need retail space, an office or work with companies under contracts, because for this you need at least an individual entrepreneur.

Conclusion

In this article, I told you where to start your business, talked about the mistakes that beginners often make and that I made, and now you know what you need to do before starting your business. Read my website, subscribe to it, and try to start doing your own thing. We will not leave anyone on the site without help. Thank you for your attention!

Best regards, Schmidt Nikolay

Don't know how to write a business plan? No panic! We will teach you how to do it with examples! Everything is simple!

How to write a business plan? This question is often asked by most people who have decided to open or have already opened their own business!

Everyone knows that a well-written business plan is the key to the successful development of any enterprise.

The completed business plan should describe your expectations for the new (or existing) business and tell the prospective lender about your great experiences.

A business plan is a kind of document, after which all business-related issues should be resolved without further explanation.

The business plan is a working document that can be reviewed and edited along with changes to current plans and strategies.

I bring to your attention 10 useful tips for the right business plan!

1) How to write a business plan? Initially, make a description (summary) of the project.

It is the first aspect of your business plan, although it should be written last.

It should explain your strategy and vision for the project (what you expect to do), outline the market and capital you need (what you intend to do with it) and your advantage over competitors.

In short, this is a mini business plan that, after reading it, allows you to explain to any person what your business is like.

2) In order to draw up a business plan - indicate the name of the company.

You must include the business name, relevant licenses, ownership, legal structure, a brief description of the product or service, and what you plan to do (provide services, retail, wholesale, or manufacture).

Indicate the address of the company, the required area, landlords.

Indicate if your business is new or if it is an expansion or purchase of an existing business.

The goals and objectives of the company and any planned changes should be described.

3) How to write a business plan? Analyze your market.


Outline your sales market, segments and consumers for each of the segments.

Indicate the scope of the market, converting this into profit for three years, and analyze the increase or decrease in your income with the growth of the market.

What value do you want to receive for services and products in order to achieve profit and become competitive?

Explain why buyers will agree to pay the price you quote.

4) To draw up a business plan - tell us about the goods and services.

Tell us about your offers regarding services and goods, about what consumers they are designed for, what benefits the buyer will have.

Justify why your product or what you offer is better than your competitors' products.

Also tell us how you search for goods, and if you intend to produce something, then raw materials.

5) How to write a business plan? Outline your business strategy and its implementation.

Show how you intend to fill your niche in the existing market.

Will you use or attend trade shows?

6) How to write a business plan? Don't forget about competitors.

Name about five of your main competitors, explain why the products / services you provide are better than others.

Do they have a stable market? Is it developing or falling? For what reason?

Highlight their strengths and weaknesses, how do you propose to act?

How will you monitor the activities of competitors in the future.

7) How to write a business plan? Characteristics of your production.


Specify how the production and delivery of goods and services will be carried out, what your financial policy is, and how you are going to collect debts from your debtors.

Also indicate how many employees you need, what professional skills they should have, and whether you will train them.

You need to clarify what equipment and related technologies you need.

Remember if you have taken into account the legal and licensing issues associated with the future business.

8) How to write a business plan? Describe the organization of the workflow.


Who will manage the company?

Invest in core managers.

Add job descriptions for all key people and a list of significant consultants.

Calculate the estimated financing costs.

Be sure to check out Amway's business plan!

Learn, my dear, how to work! 🙂

9) How to write a business plan? Do a financial calculation.

Calculate the costs associated with setting up and renting a company.

If this is a ready-made business, tell the financial history or estimated financial performance within 3 years after the start of the business.

Enter monthly income and losses for the first year and quarterly calculations for two years ahead.

Also count the cash flow and current financial statements.

10) How to write a business plan? Have supporting documents on hand.

A business plan must include a resume, job descriptions, letters of recommendation, accounting documents, credit histories, written commitments, lease agreements, other documents, market statistics, etc.

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A cheat sheet for dummies on how to write a business plan.

A serious project must begin by writing a competent business plan. This is a document that describes the main points of future activities, expected risks, financial indicators and much more.

Writing a business plan from scratch is often left to third-party firms. This entails a number of disadvantages:

  • unnecessary costs - drawing up a document costs at least 50,000 rubles;
  • consultants create it using standard tracing paper, without delving into the individual features of the case, which are understandable only “from the inside”;
  • If a document is written in dry language, it will not attract the attention of investors.

It is up to current or future project leaders to do the work. They see the intricacies of the matter and will take responsibility for implementation.

If you figure out how to write a business plan, you will not only be able to make a forecast for future entrepreneurial activity, but also strengthen your faith in the success of the business.

How to write a competent business plan?

If a business plan is written correctly, it will accomplish three tasks:

  • outlines the procedure for the entrepreneur;
  • helps to assess development prospects;

The document should answer the questions: what is the value of the project described, who is the future competitor, what risks lie in wait?

To avoid missing details, it is worth writing the document following a standard structure.

The most important point, which must be disclosed in detail, is the financial side of the issue. You need to write down future income and expenses, and supplement with information about the starting capital.

P.S. As for income, it is important to write in the document not only the amount of profit, but also when the amount will begin to arrive in the account. This point is especially relevant when writing a business plan for the purpose of lending.

A section with financial indicators (for an existing company) or a reliable forecast for a future one is included in the text or formatted as an appendix. Use more numbers and graphs.

Choosing a plan type


There are several types of business plans in Russia:

  • Business plan of the company.
    The most popular and widespread type. To write a document, use a standard outline. Needed by entrepreneurs for market and financial analysis.
  • Loan document.
    Used to justify obtaining a loan from a bank. Answers questions: where will the money go, how soon will the debt be repaid?
  • Investment plan.
    Used for presentation to investors. Contains detailed case characteristics and research data on the market niche and target audience.
  • Grant document.
    Used to receive development assistance from the government. Display the benefits of future activities for the region or the entire country.

Structure of writing a business plan

The plan looks like a complex document. In fact, it is clearly structured. To write a business plan yourself from scratch, you need to follow every point.

The history of the company's existence is described in stages: from the moment of creation to gaining stability. The text should be written in business language, but lively and exciting enough so that a potential investor would want to study it completely.

Any type of activity has its own characteristics, so a standard tracing paper of a document exists to build on it, adjusting it to your own needs.

How to write a business plan point by point?

    This part is called the “introduction” to the business plan or “abstract.”

    It briefly reveals the essence of the project and consists of 5-7 sentences. It may seem that this part is not as important as the others. However, the more interesting the section is written, the greater the chance of captivating the reader.

    Goals and objectives.

    Here the entrepreneur must write what and how he wants to achieve. Unlike a summary, this part of the document is disclosed in detail, but without “water”.

    Write in the business plan the address of the location, work schedule, characteristics of the building that is being purchased or rented.

    Staff.

    The plan must include a section on the future staff. You need to write a list of positions, job responsibilities, and create a payroll calculation table.

    There should also be information about the schedule for going to work.

    If you plan to increase your salary in the future, arrange refresher courses, or provide door-to-door delivery for those who work late, indicate this.

    Financial part.


    The most important section of a business plan. It is described here:

    • income and expenses;
    • unexpected expenses;
    • movement of finances;
    • taxation system;
    • form of receiving money;
    • types of contracts for future partners.

    If it seems to you that you cannot write this part of the document from scratch yourself, delegate the financial section of the business plan to professionals.

    The best option for formatting data for a business plan is graphs, tables and charts. Visual information is absorbed better and easier. All these figures must be supported by calculations.

    Marketing.

    This section of the business plan includes the following subparagraphs: an analysis of the state of affairs on the market, the presence or absence of a niche for the company, a description of competitors and advantages that will allow them to be overcome, and a potential target audience.
    Based on this data, you need to write a conclusion in the document about the most suitable advertising techniques to be used.

    Production.

    This point of the business plan is necessary if a manufacturing business is planned.

    In this case, in the section you need to indicate all the details of the production from scratch to finish (from ordering raw materials to shipping the goods to points of sale). All the important points are covered here: technology, the need for equipment, know-how. Taking into account every detail will help avoid problems when implementing the plan.

    If you are not going to produce products, but to make wholesale purchases for further sale, indicate in the document the suppliers, delivery method, and place for storing the goods.

    Risk analysis.


    If the main goal of the document is to find investors, this section of the business plan is simply necessary to write.

    It is important for any person who has a large amount of money sufficient to finance a project to invest it in a reliable company. To confirm the seriousness of your intentions, you must write down all the possible risks for the enterprise. These may include:

    • falling demand levels;
    • decrease in sales level;
    • deterioration of the economic situation in the country;
    • failure to deliver raw materials or send products to customers on time;
    • emergency circumstances (war, fire, volcanic eruption).

    Problems must not only be listed in the document, but also solutions must be written in a given situation. This will not only emphasize your level of responsibility, but also instill confidence in your own abilities. In case of emergency, you will not panic, but will use the ready-made instructions from the business plan.

At the end of the business plan, the results are summed up.

They include data on the amount invested, a profit growth chart and the payback period for the project. All words must be supported by specific figures, calculations and graphs.

    Traditionally, calculations for a business plan need to be written for 3-4 years.

    However, in the conditions of our unstable economy, it makes sense to take a term of no more than 1-2 years. Moreover, for the first year it is necessary to break it down by month. And from the second you can reduce it to a quarterly plan.

    Don't pour water.

    A good business plan requires brevity, but at the same time covering all the necessary aspects. It is enough to write 40-70 pages of a business plan.

    It is allowed to submit additional materials in a separate appendix of the document.

    Don't try to turn it into War and Peace. Having details and covering the topic fully is good. But only if dry facts are used, and not “water”. Leave artistic expressions for personal correspondence.

    There is no need to write in the business plan the phrases “a product without analogues” or “there is no competition.”

    The service market is huge and rapidly developing. Due to long-term planning, no one can guarantee that a product similar to yours will not appear in the near future. Even if at first glance it seems that you are a monopolist, tomorrow the situation may change.

    Accurately analyze the market for prospects and potential customers.

    The data in the business plan must be written in specific numbers. If you can't do this, it means you don't understand the situation well.

    Try to adhere to the standard document structure outlined above.


    Pay special attention to financial tables and graphs: they must be complete and correct. Otherwise, the document may simply not be accepted for consideration.

    The text of the business plan must be literate, understandable and “alive”.

    Your goal is to interest the investor and make them read to the end.

    Avoid strong emotional assessments in your business plan.

    To make it convincing and realistic, you need to use only numbers and reliable facts.

    To find an approach to future investors, study their activities: the history of projects, work with other entrepreneurs.

    Before you start drawing up a business plan, be sure to study ready-made examples.

    Even if your activity is unique in its kind, find the closest analogues. This will help you better understand the structure and style of writing. But the calculations must be unique and based only on your specific indicators.

    All calculations for a business plan must be written as accurately as possible.

    Of course, it is simply impossible to correctly indicate the amount of future profit down to the penny. In this case, an analysis of the sales of your closest competitors and information about the average cost of your most popular services are provided.

Detailed methodology for writing a competent business plan

presented in this video:


« How to write a business plan? - this is only the first question that a future businessman must answer.

The finished document should not be left to gather dust on a shelf. It is not enough to simply write a development course from scratch until you reach break-even. You need to constantly return to it: analyze successes, correct mistakes, fill in gaps...

  • How to calculate VAT: 6 useful formulas

Not a single entrepreneurial project is complete without a business plan. This document is a detailed instruction for opening a commercial business, which describes step by step the tasks that must be solved in order to achieve the ultimate goal (that is, to maximize profits), as well as the methods and means that the entrepreneur is going to use. Without a business plan, it is impossible to receive investments in a commercial project, or apply to a bank for a loan for business development. However, even if the entrepreneur does not plan to attract third-party funds, he still needs a business plan - for himself.

Why is this document needed, and what is its exceptional importance? A well-written business plan, which contains verified information and verified figures, is the foundation of a commercial project. It will allow you to analyze in advance the state of the market and the severity of competition, predict possible risks and develop ways to minimize them, estimate the size of the required start-up capital and the total amount of investment, as well as the expected profit - in short, find out whether it is advisable to take a financial risk and invest money in this idea .

"Business idea"

The basis of any project is a business idea - that for which, in fact, everything is conceived. An idea is a service or product that will bring profit to the entrepreneur. The success of a project is almost always determined by the right choice of idea.

  • What idea is successful?

The success of an idea is its potential profitability. So, at every time there are directions that are initially favorable for making a profit. For example, some time ago it was fashionable to import yoghurts into the Russian Federation - this product instantly gained popularity among the population, and in proportion to this popularity, the number of companies involved in import grew. Only a completely unfortunate and incompetent entrepreneur could fail a project in this area and make a business unprofitable. Now, the idea of ​​trading yogurt with a high degree of probability will not be successful: the market is already oversaturated with domestic products, imported goods are unlikely to be favorably received by consumers due to high prices and customs difficulties, besides, the main players in this segment have already established themselves in the market and established supply and distribution channels.

Most entrepreneurs, choosing an idea for making a profit, think in terms of the majority - they say, if this business brings income to my friend, then I will be able to establish my own business. However, the more “role models”, the greater the level of competition and the less opportunity to dictate their prices. In a mass business, approximate prices are already set, and in order to increase their competitiveness, a newcomer has to set prices below market prices in order to attract customers - which, of course, does not contribute to making big profits.

Potentially high-margin ideas now are those proposals that help the entrepreneur to occupy a free market niche - that is, to offer something that other businessmen have not yet thought of. To find an original business idea, sometimes all you need to do is look around and think about what consumers are missing in a certain area. So, a successful idea was the production of mops that allow you to wring out a rag without getting your hands wet, or special lamps that cannot be dismantled without the use of special tools - this know-how has significantly reduced the number of thefts of light bulbs in porches.

Often, original ideas do not even need to be generated on your own - you can use novelties that are successfully implemented in other countries or cities, but have not yet occupied the corresponding market niche in your region. Following this path, you will be the first to offer this know-how to consumers in your region or country, which means you will be able to set prices for this product (service).

However, originality alone is not enough for a successful business idea. There are two objective prerequisites for a business to be successful:

  1. - a potential buyer feels the need for your product or at least understands its usefulness (for example, a person may not yet know about a certain medicine, but he realizes that something similar can cure his illness);
  2. - the buyer is ready to pay for your product or service) exactly the price that you plan to ask (for example, almost everyone wants to buy a car - however, as we know, not everyone can afford a car).

And one more thing about innovative business ideas - too much originality can only hurt your profits, because the potential audience may simply not be ready for your proposal (most consumers are conservative by nature and have difficulty changing their habits). The least risky option is to stick to the golden mean - that is, to bring already familiar goods or services to the market, but in an improved form.

  • How do you know if a given business idea is right for you?

Even a potentially successful business idea may not turn out to be successful in practice if it does not suit a particular entrepreneur. So, opening a beauty salon is relatively easy - but if you do not understand the intricacies of the salon business, then your brainchild is unlikely to bring you good profits. A business idea must necessarily be supported by the experience of the entrepreneur, his knowledge and, of course, opportunities. What indicators indicate that your project will be within your power?

  1. - Professionalism. You can have a specialized education in your chosen field, or you can just as well be self-taught. The main thing is that you have an understanding of the production process and other necessary knowledge in the chosen field.
  2. - Enthusiasm. You should like what you are going to do and offer. Moreover, you should like not only the final product, but also the process itself, because you won’t be able to give all your strength to a job you don’t like, which means it will be difficult to bring it to a good level. Remember the famous proverb: "find a job that you like - and you will not have to work a single day in your life."
  3. - Personal features. If you are a closed and uncommunicative person, you feel uncomfortable in the company of other people, then it will be difficult for you to negotiate. And if, for example, you are a staunch vegetarian, then there is no point in considering the trade in semi-finished meat products - even if this business can bring good profit, you will still be uncomfortable doing it.
  4. - What you have (land, real estate, equipment, etc.). Starting any production will be much less expensive if you already have the right equipment. And if you inherited, say, a private house not far from the road, then this is a good opportunity to make a profit from roadside trading, because your competitors, if they are found, do not have such a good location, and this advantage can overcome even your inexperience.

Competition: how to become special:

As mentioned above, for the application of their entrepreneurial efforts, it is best to choose those areas where competition is not serious or does not exist at all. However, in most cases, entrepreneurs one way or another have to face competitors, and businessmen face the question - how to stand out from their background? You can do this through the following benefits:

Competitive advantages

When making yourself known to potential consumers, try to immediately draw their attention to the advantages that distinguish your offer from similar ones, so that buyers see that it is you who can satisfy their needs in the best possible way. Do not hesitate to stick out your merits and do not rely on the ingenuity of consumers - they are unlikely to guess why your product (service) differs from the product (service) of your competitors for the better. For example, if the recipe for the bread you bake involves enriching the product with vitamins and other useful substances, then be sure to convey this fact to your future customers. You should not position your bread simply as a tasty and fresh product, because your competitors have exactly the same bread - hardly anyone will sell tasteless and expired goods. But vitamins are your competitive advantage, and the buyer must definitely know about it, so advertising must be thought out accordingly.

So, we have analyzed some of the nuances of preliminary preparation for writing a business plan, and now we can pay close attention to this particular document and its main sections.

1. Title page.

The title page is the “face” of your business plan. It is he who is primarily seen by your potential investors or bank employees who decide to issue you a loan for business development. Therefore, it should be clearly structured and contain all the key information about your project:

  1. - Name of the project (for example, "Production of self-squeezing mops" or "Creation and development of a commercial Internet radio station called "XXX");
  2. - The organizational and legal form of the project and the name of the legal entity (if there are several such entities, then a list indicating areas of responsibility is required);
  3. - Author and co-authors of the project
  4. - Abstract to the project (for example, “this document is a step-by-step plan for the founding and development of a commercial radio station...”);
  5. - Project cost (required start-up capital)
  6. - Place and year of creation ("Perm, 2016").

2. Summary.

This paragraph is a brief description of the idea of ​​the project, the timing of its implementation, the main goals and objectives for the implementation of the idea, the expected turnover and production volumes. forecast of key indicators - the profitability of the project, its payback period, the size of the initial investment, sales volume, net profit, etc.

Despite the fact that the summary is the first section of the business plan, it is compiled after this document has already been completely written and rechecked, since the summary covers all other sections of the BP. The summary should be concise and extremely logical and fully disclose all the advantages of the project, so that investors or a potential lender can see that this business idea is really worth investing in.

3. Market analytics

The section reflects the state of the market sector in which the project will be implemented, an assessment of the level of competition, characteristics of the target audience and industry development trends. It is very important that the market analysis be carried out on the basis of a qualitative marketing research containing real indicators (a falsified or inaccurate analysis reduces the value of a business plan to almost nothing). If an entrepreneur is not competent enough in the chosen area, then in order to avoid inaccuracies and mistakes, he should outsource marketing research by ordering it from a trusted marketing agency.

This section usually takes up at least 10% of the total business plan. An example plan is:

  1. - General description of the selected industry (dynamics, trends and development prospects - with specific mathematical indicators);
  2. - Characteristics of the main market players (that is, direct and indirect competitors), an indication of the competitive advantages and features of your business project compared to other entities;
  3. - Characteristics of the target audience (geographical location, age level, gender, income level, type of consumer and user behavior, etc.). Creation of a portrait of a “typical client” indicating the main motives and values ​​that guide him when choosing a product (service), pessimistic forecasting (that is, a minimum flow) of consumers of a product (service);
  4. - Overview of the most effective channels and ways to promote goods (services);
  5. - Review and identification of the most likely risks that an entrepreneur may face in this market segment and suggest ways to eliminate or minimize them (it must be remembered that risks are external circumstances and factors that do not depend on the entrepreneur);
  6. - Forecast of possible changes in this market segment, as well as an overview of factors that may affect the profitability of the project.

4. Characteristics of goods (services) and their implementation

This paragraph describes in detail those goods that the entrepreneur is going to produce, or the services that he is going to sell. Particular attention should be paid to the competitive advantages of a business idea, that is, what will distinguish this proposal from the general variety. However, you should not be silent about the shortcomings and weaknesses of the idea, if any - it is better to play fair with investors and creditors, besides, they can analyze this item on their own, and in the case of a one-sided description, you risk losing their trust, and along with it - and hope for financial investments in your idea.

The presence of a patent will make the described idea particularly attractive - if an entrepreneur offers any know-how and has already managed to patent it, then this fact must be reflected in the document. A patent is both a competitive advantage and a reason to be more likely to receive loans or investments.

The chapter must include:

  1. - a brief description of the idea;
  2. - ways of its implementation;
  3. - description of the life cycle of the product (service);
  4. - percentage of secondary purchases;
  5. - the possibility of creating additional product lines or service options, the possibility of segmenting the proposed product;
  6. - the proposed modification of the offer in accordance with changes in the market situation and factors affecting profits.

5. Ways to promote business (marketing and strategic plans)

In this chapter, the entrepreneur describes exactly how he is going to inform the potential consumer about his product and how he will promote this product. Here are reflected:

6. Description of the production process

The production plan is a detailed description of the complete algorithm for the production of a product from its being in a raw state to the moment when the finished product is on the shop windows. This plan includes:

  1. - a description of the required raw materials and the basic requirements for them, as well as the suppliers from whom you plan to purchase these raw materials;
  2. - reception, processing and pre-production preparation of raw materials;
  3. - the actual technological process;
  4. - output of the finished product;
  5. - the procedure for testing the finished product, its packaging and transfer to the warehouse and subsequent delivery to the buyer.

In addition to the actual description of the production process, this chapter should also reflect:

  1. - characteristics of the equipment used, as well as the premises where the production process will be carried out - indicating all the necessary standards and requirements;
  2. - list of main partners;
  3. - the need to attract resources and borrowed funds;
  4. - calendar business development plan - from the start of production to the time when the funds invested in the project begin to pay off.

7. Structure of the enterprise. Personnel and management.

This chapter describes the internal scheme of the business project, that is, the administrative and organizational plan. The chapter can be roughly divided into the following subsections:

  1. - organizational and legal form of the enterprise (LLC, individual entrepreneur, etc.);
  2. - the internal structure of the enterprise, the distribution of responsibilities between services, the channels of their interaction (it would be best if this subparagraph is additionally illustrated with appropriate diagrams);
  3. - staffing table, list of responsibilities of each employee, his salary, channels and criteria by which personnel will be recruited;
  4. - a list of measures for the policy in the field of work with personnel (training, training, personnel reserve, etc.)
  5. - participation in business development events (competitions, conferences, fairs, grants, government programs, etc.).

8. Risk assessment. Ways to minimize risks.

The purpose of this paragraph is a preliminary assessment of possible negative circumstances that will affect the achievement of the desired indicators (business income, client flow, etc.) - the basis for this assessment is, again, market research. Risks are divided into external (for example, tougher competition and the emergence of new strong players in this segment, increased rental rates and utility bills, natural disasters and emergencies, changes in tax legislation towards increasing rates, etc.) and internal (that , what can happen directly inside the enterprise - equipment breakdowns, unscrupulous employees, etc.).

If an entrepreneur has information in advance about what exactly he should be afraid of on the way to implementing and promoting his project, then he can think in advance about the ways in which he will neutralize and minimize negative factors. For each risk, a number of alternative strategies should be proposed (a kind of table of measures taken in case of emergency). Risks should not be hidden from investors or creditors.

Special attention should be paid to such a form of protection as insurance against various risks. If an entrepreneur plans to insure his business, then this must be mentioned - indicating the chosen insurance company, the amount of insurance premiums and other details related to the case.

9. Forecasting financial flows

Perhaps the most responsible chapter of the business plan. Because of its importance, its writing should be entrusted to professionals if the entrepreneur himself does not have a financial and economic education. So, many startups who have creative ideas, but do not have sufficient financial literacy, in this case, resort to the services of investment companies, which later put their certification visa on the business plan - this is a kind of guarantee of the reliability of calculations and will give the business plan additional weight. in the eyes of investors and creditors.

The financial plan of any business project includes:

  1. - balance of the enterprise;
  2. - calculation of expenses (wage fund of employees, production costs, etc.);
  3. - profit and loss statement, as well as cash flow;
  4. - the amount of necessary external investments;
  5. - calculation of profit and profitability.

The profitability of the project is a key indicator that has a decisive influence on the decision of investors about investing in this business. Calculations on this topic cover the period from the introduction of start-up capital and third-party investments into the project until the moment when the project can be considered break-even and begins to generate net profit.

When calculating profitability, the basic formula R = D * Zconst / (D - Z) is usually used, where R is the threshold of profitability in monetary terms, D is income, Z is variable costs, and Zconst is fixed costs. However, for long-term calculations, one should also include in the calculation formula such indicators as the inflation rate, renovation costs, deductions to the investment fund, an increase in the wages of employees of the enterprise, etc. Again, it is advisable to use the Gantt chart as a visualization method, according to which it is convenient to track the level of growing income and reaching the break-even point.

10. Regulatory framework

It indicates all the documents that are necessary for the legal support of the business - certificates and licenses for goods, permission for certain types of activities, acts, permits, etc. - with a description of the conditions and terms of their receipt, as well as the cost. If any documents are already in the hands of the entrepreneur, this must be indicated, and this fact will also become an advantage in the eyes of investors.

11.Applications

At the end of the business plan, the entrepreneur provides all calculations, charts, graphs and other supporting materials that were used to make financial forecasts, market analysis, etc., as well as all materials that visualize the points of the business plan and facilitate its perception.

“The main mistakes when drawing up a business plan”

At the end of the article, I would like to say a few words about the most common mistakes that inexperienced entrepreneurs make when drawing up business plans. So, what should you avoid if you do not want to scare potential investors away from your project?

Excessive bloat and volume. A business plan is not homework, where a large amount of writing increases the chances of a good grade. The approximate volume of a business plan is usually 70-100 sheets.

Difficulties of presentation. If an investor reading your plan can't figure out your idea after reading two or three pages, then there's a good chance they'll put BP aside.

Lack of necessary explanations. Remember that an investor is not required to understand the area of ​​the market in which you offer him to invest money (and in most cases he really does not understand it, otherwise he would have already launched an independent business). Therefore, you need to succinctly introduce the reader to the main details.

Streamlined phrases-characteristics ("huge market", "great prospects", etc.). Remember: only accurate and verified information and forecasts.

Providing approximate, unverified or misleading financial figures. We have already focused on this topic above, therefore - without comments.

Everyone knows that a business plan is one of the most effective tools for the successful implementation of a new project. Despite this, many novice entrepreneurs do not understand how to correctly draw up a business plan. For some, simple calculations like “bought and sold” are enough, others build a complex strategy instead of clear goals and objectives. So does an entrepreneur need a business plan and how to develop one?

Why do you need a plan?

In business practice, there are a huge number of force majeure circumstances that can affect the course of business. Their list is so huge that it is unlikely to fit into the format of this material. Moreover, it is almost impossible to take into account all the factors in one document and develop a mechanism for responding to them. So does it make sense to have a strategy or is it enough to limit yourself to the basic techniques and apply them as needed? As practice shows, it is still worth having a business plan.

It is needed for two tasks:

1. Business plan for “internal use”:

— As the proverb says, 10 minutes spent on planning saves an hour of hard work. Having a clearly developed business plan for a small business allows you to establish management processes. This is especially important when working in a team. A detailed plan eliminates discrepancies and specifies the steps that each team member takes in a given situation.

— Tracking work efficiency. A well-developed business plan has a number of key indicators that your business must achieve at certain intervals. Based on how clearly you pass these “marks”, you can draw conclusions about the effectiveness of business processes and “tighten the screws” if necessary. Plus, you can be confident that your team will be focused on the right goals in the event of a temporary leadership absence.

A well-developed business plan has a number of key indicators that your business must achieve at certain intervals. Based on how clearly you pass these “tags,” you can draw conclusions about the effectiveness of business processes.

— Risk reduction. We have already written that it is impossible to foresee all force majeure circumstances, but the general template of actions in a crisis situation is a very useful thing. As a rule, such steps are quite universal and help reduce risks. A clause about who, when and under what circumstances will carry them out must be present in the business plan.

2. Business plan for investors.

A master plan for business development, however, is needed not only for internal use. In some cases it may be provided to third parties. Very often, potential investors study a business plan for evaluation. The decision to invest in your business depends on how well all the nuances are worked out in it. In this case, the document has the status of a conditional “promissory note” and is binding. This could be a business plan for an employment center, obtaining grants or subsidies. To receive a subsidy for starting your own business, the applicant must provide a number of documents to the employment center (PEC). Including a business plan, prepared in accordance with the structure specified by the Central Planning Committee. Deviations from it are not allowed.

Where can I get the plan?

You can get a business plan in two ways:

  1. The first option is to contact a specialized company that will do this work. As a rule, this service is provided by various marketing agencies. Specialists will assess the market situation, conduct the necessary research and calculations, formulate the most appropriate development concept and main key indicators. Naturally, ordering the development of a business plan will require certain expenses. The cost of the service depends on the region, the qualifications of the agency and the amount of work. As a rule, the final document also takes into account the individual wishes of the client.
  2. You can write a business plan from scratch yourself. It's free, but the process requires effort and certain knowledge. As a first step on this path, we can recommend downloading a sample with calculations or ready-made examples and adapting them to your own business.

Independent business planning

We offer you universal step-by-step instructions for independently developing a business plan.

1. Determine the document type

Business practitioners and theorists in Russia argue that business plans can be divided into four main types:

  • Business plan of the company. This is the most common type. The document “for internal use”, which was described above;
  • An investment business plan is developed for investors, describes the characteristics of your business and contains market research data;
  • A business credit plan is required to obtain a loan from a bank. Shows the real need for a loan, the possibility of using loan funds and their repayment;
  • Business plan for obtaining a grant or or non-governmental entities. In such a business plan, it is necessary to focus on the benefits of your business for the region or country as a whole or its social component (for example, environmental projects).

2. Collect and analyze information

  • Description of the product or service that you intend to sell. Emphasis must be placed on the competitive advantages of the product. If it is cheap, technologically advanced or has no analogues at all, be sure to note this;
  • Market analysis. It is important to carefully study the potential market for your product or service. This can be done using various tools. For example, analyze sales of similar products or release a trial batch of your product to the market. At the same time, in practice it is possible to understand how the product will be distributed, its current price, possibilities for stimulating consumers and promotion channels (advertising);
  • Assessing competitors. You need to study your competitors thoroughly. This will help highlight the advantages of your product, as well as predict the actions of other market players;
  • Production analysis. Here it is important to evaluate your own production capabilities (know how much product you can supply to the market), their flexibility (the possibility of modernization, expansion, repurposing, etc.). It is also a good idea to evaluate the maximum possibilities for uninterrupted supply of raw materials and consumables. If a business plan is drawn up for a company or agricultural enterprise, then a certain adjustment must be made for natural risks, and all calculations must be made based on a pessimistic scenario for the development of the situation;
  • Organizational aspects. Recruiting a team of professionals and organizing work also requires resources. Analyze these points carefully;
  • Estimated financial plan. In this part of the study, you need to calculate the costs of the above items and current activities, as well as estimate revenue, profit and payback periods.

Recruiting a team of professionals and organizing work also requires resources. Analyze these points carefully.

3. We draw up a business plan

So, all the data has been collected, systematized and double-checked. The last point is especially important, since mistakes in a business plan can lead to serious problems in the future. The time has come to summarize all the data and conclusions in a single document and formalize it:

  • The title page of the document is drawn up according to certain standards. It must contain information about the address and contact details of the company, to whom the document is intended and whether it is confidential. Be sure to include information about the full and short name of the project, the head of the enterprise and this project, the start date of implementation and its duration. Specify the time period during which the data in the document will be relevant;
  • Brief summary. Describe the essence of the project and its prospects on 2-3 pages;
  • Main part. To prepare this chapter of the business plan, we use pre-collected and structured information, which we have already written about above. The main part should include the following:

– a detailed description of the type of activity and services of the company;

– market assessment indicating the company’s competitive advantages;

- marketing strategy;

– promotion of goods to the market.

– costs of providing services;

– plan of technical equipment and activities of the company and production capabilities;

– management structure, personnel search;

– assessment of potential risks;

– financial forecast.

  • Application. This part of the business plan should include additional materials justifying the thesis of the document.

You can also use special programs to draw up a business plan. This will somewhat simplify and automate the process, but the essence of the document will not change.

A short algorithm for independently developing a business plan

  1. Selecting the type of document: enterprise business plan, investment, loan or grant document.
  2. Collection, analysis, verification and systematization of information: description of the product with identified competitive advantages; study and analysis of the market, competitors, production and organizational activities; investments, revenue, profit and payback periods.
  3. Preparation of a business plan. Inclusion in the final document of all data and conclusions drawn on their basis. Don't forget about the application.
  1. Check and double-check the data you use when writing your business plan. Incorrect or irrelevant information can lead to fatal errors. Use data from official and independent sources for comparison. Use research: surveys, focus groups, launching trial batches of goods.
  2. Include in your business plan options for the development of negative scenarios and your actions in this case. This approach allows us to minimize risks during project implementation.
  3. Pay special attention to the design. Errors in the final document are unacceptable.
  4. The business plan in your company should have the status of law. Deviations from actions and key indicators are possible only if you or your investors decide so.

Remember that any, even the most well-developed business plan is just one, albeit a very probable, scenario. Be prepared to adjust it if necessary.

Wealth does not come from desires. They come from a clear plan of action based on equally clear aspirations. Napoleon Hill, philosopher, bestselling author of Think and Grow Rich