Business planning draw up a business plan. How to write a high-quality business plan: a guide to action

A business plan is what helps an entrepreneur navigate the market environment and see goals. Many successful people note that an idea must be written down on paper, otherwise it will never be realized. Therefore, a business plan is necessary for running a successful business. How to write a business plan yourself: a sample and step-by-step instructions are contained in our new publication!

A business plan is a program according to which a company operates. It is necessary in order to competently coordinate the actions of the organization and see the directions of its development.

A business plan can be called a kind of rehearsal. The entrepreneur plays out various scenarios during which he can see problems and find ways to solve them. In this case, the person does not lose money, as would happen in a real situation.

Business plan objectives

• Formulate the goals of the organization (both short-term and long-term)
• Set project deadlines
• Determine the target audience and markets for products
• Analyze the competitiveness of the organization
• Determine the company's advantages
• Assess the level of costs
• Develop an action plan aimed at increasing the economic efficiency of the organization
• Predict the amount of profit and the level of profitability of the business.

What's included in a business plan?

1. Title page and contents

Here the company's imprint and contact details of the founders, as well as the contents of the document, should be indicated.

2. Summary (introduction)

This part is a summary of the entire business plan. The most important thing should be here, i.e. justification of the relevance of the business and the financial part.

The resume should not be approximately two pages long. Although it is located at the very beginning, its compilation should begin at the end. You need to approach this responsibly, because this is the part that the investor studies.

3. Company history

If you already have an existing organization, then you need to talk about the history of its origins and its successes.

4. Market opportunities

In this section, it is necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis of the enterprise, i.e. identify its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

7. Business model

This is a financial plan. Here you need to describe all sources of income and costs. You also need to indicate your suppliers and main buyers.

A cafe business plan: an example with calculations and step-by-step instructions for creating your own cafe from scratch can be found

8. Forecast

In this section you need to create a financial forecast. It is necessary to write about the amount of profit and payback period of the project.

The entire business plan should be 30-40 pages.

How to write a business plan yourself: a sample for a small business

Let's look at some sections of a business plan using an example

SWOT Analysis Matrix

Today, small business is a common phenomenon in the economies of various countries, including Russia. It can be represented either by a small private enterprise, that is, a legal entity, or by an individual in the individual entrepreneur format. Small businesses are represented in the field of sales and services.

Note that small businesses in Russia include organizations in which the number of workers does not exceed 100 people in the field of construction and industry, 30 people in retail trade, in agriculture and scientific and technical enterprises this figure reaches 60 people. In Europe and the USA, this figure is much higher and amounts to 300 and 500 people, respectively.

The importance of small business for the economy of any country is very great, especially for states that have high unemployment rates. Due to it, new jobs are created, and the needs of consumers for many services and goods are satisfied. In this regard, the state is pursuing an active policy in supporting small businesses. For its successful creation, development and existence, an effective plan is necessary, taking into account all possible scenarios.

A business plan at the initial stage of creating your own business helps to finalize the idea and methods of implementing the business, as well as determine the amount of investment. The main goal of any business plan is to describe all stages of business implementation, calculate the necessary costs, determine its elements, determine the time for the business to make a profit, calculate the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the risks and advantages of your own business.

Let us note that such an important matter as drawing up a strategy for the development of their own business is also carried out by large companies that have worked for more than one year. They have special departments involved in planning the further promotion of the business and keeping it afloat.

When starting your own business, you can create a strategy for developing your business yourself based on the templates and tips that will be given below. In this article we will tell you how to write a business plan with step-by-step instructions.

When writing a business plan, we must take into account and describe the following main points:

• goals for starting your own business;
• competitiveness in the market;
• managerial potential (in other words, the amount of work that a manager and his subordinates can handle);
• model flexibility;
• degree of exposure to external factors;
• financial component, as well as final results.

Registration of a business plan

A business plan can be in the form of an official document with a cover, written on a piece of paper by hand, or presented in electronic format. The structure of the business plan and the content of its main sections, including points that in some cases may be omitted:

• title page (not always used);
• a brief description of the project as a whole (summary);
• main ideas of the project;
• analysis of the sector and market in general, SWOT analysis, target audience;
• project implementation plan;
• profitability of the business idea;
• necessary regulatory framework;
• applications.

Title page

A project title page is a cover page that outlines the important elements of a business idea. These include: the name and author of the project (business), the year and place of creation of the project, you can also indicate its initial cost, that is, investments.

Summary

The summary in a business plan is a brief description of the business as a whole, which is compiled so that it interests potential investors and partners.

First, you need to describe the rationale for the relevance and demand of the proposed service or product. To do this, it is necessary to conduct a market analysis in this area. Determine the target audience to which your business will operate. To do this, it is necessary to pay attention to the business idea itself, its relevance, degree of prevalence, as well as the income generated. The second important point is a description of the factors influencing the viability of the business, its income and implementation according to plan. We pay special attention to describing the ideas, goals and objectives of the project.

Read also: Are external part-time workers included in the average headcount?

Key Ideas

The next paragraph must be devoted to a complete and detailed description of the idea of ​​the business itself. When compiling it, it is necessary not only to describe the basis, but to think through possible options and ways to expand the existing proposal. For example, expanding the product line or modifying it, expanding the range of services. Careful, competent and thoughtful writing of the previous paragraphs will allow you to draw up a plan for the implementation of the main activities and stages of running a business and its functioning.

Before putting forward an idea for its subsequent implementation, it is necessary to carry out a qualitative analysis of the market for goods and services. This will help you identify an empty and underdeveloped segment of proposals. After forming the idea, it is necessary to study the profile area in more detail in order to determine possible ways of business development, the target audience, that is, the consumer. It is necessary to indicate the following data: general, brief information about the industry, its main economic indicators, prospects and development dynamics; A description of competitors and their financial indicators and market conditions is important.

Sector and market analysis in general, SWOT analysis, target audience

At the same time, it is necessary to determine the strengths and advantages of your project, opportunities, describe risks, threats - in other words, perform a SWOT analysis of the idea. For convenience, a table is compiled. For each risk, an action plan to overcome it or alternative courses of action must be drawn up.

It is necessary to pay special attention to the description of the target audience of consumers - to create a portrait of it. It includes information about gender, age and social group, values ​​and motives that will motivate people to use your service or purchase a product. This work will identify ways to increase interest and consumption of your products and services among your existing target audience, as well as attract new groups. In the same paragraph, you need to describe the most profitable and cost-effective ways to sell your product or service. This point of your business plan is an important and integral part of it, so you must approach its writing responsibly.

Project Implementation Plan

When drawing up an action plan, it is not recommended to indicate exact dates and times for completion of a particular action. Here it is also necessary to remember that there are different types of plans that perform certain functions and include their own specific functions. The first of these is the strategic and marketing plan. It includes drawing up a table of activities with approximate time periods and the necessary funds and resources, as well as the construction of a strategy close to it (tasks and methods for their implementation). Here the principles of pricing for a product or service, their distribution channels are determined, and advertising tactics are developed.

Profitability of a business idea

Based on the previous plan, a financial plan is drawn up, which includes all items of income and expenses for the entire period of work, including salary accounting. If you are not confident in the correctness of its preparation, then it is better to entrust this function to a professional. The next step is to write a production plan. This is a description of the entire process of creating a product, from choosing a supplier and receiving raw materials, to manufacturing the product and its sale. It is imperative to write down an administrative plan, which includes defining the responsibilities of each work unit, the level of wages, as well as measures to optimize the work of employees. For example, participation in competitions, advanced training.

Profitability is an indicator of business performance.

When calculating it, all available resources are taken into account that can and should be used at the initial stage of creating a business, as well as throughout its development. Here we are talking about initial capital, as well as possible investment injections. This calculation allows us to determine the time to reach the break-even point and transition to profit. If the forecast is made for a long period, it is important to take into account the possible growth of the wage fund, the level of inflation, as well as possible costs for updating equipment and rising prices for materials.

Business planning is an important link on the path to creating a new business.

Before we talk about how to draw up a business plan, let's first decide why it is needed and what its purpose is, and then consider its structure.

In fact, this is a step-by-step guide to organizing a new business, which describes what methods and means you are going to achieve your goals. I will describe the structure of this document and immediately give an example (based on a health club).

A well-written business plan should make a good impression on investors, as they should see that you understand how and by what means to achieve the goal, solve all problems, that you are proactive and disciplined.

Decor

A business plan begins with the cover. And you need to take its design seriously. A beautifully designed document will immediately endear you to potential investors. A beautifully designed plan, this means: with a cover on branded paper, with the logo of your company, in a folder with springs and a transparent cover, printed on only one side of the sheet. In the document itself: fonts Times New Roman or Arial size 12-14, all headings are highlighted.

On the title page we indicate information about the company: name, legal address, telephone numbers, e-mail, contact person.

Structure

I would like to make a reservation right away that there is no clearly regulated structure of this document. It is determined by the specifics of the business. Therefore, here we will consider the general structure, on the basis of which it will be possible to draw up a business plan taking into account your specifics.

1. Business resume

A very important section. It is usually read first and already here you can determine how interesting your plan is to the investor. A summary is a condensed business plan. Here you very briefly describe the goals and objectives of your project, forecasts of sales volumes, future profits, the amount of necessary investments, and payback periods.

Therefore, although it is located at the beginning, you need to write this section after writing the business plan itself, when you already clearly understand all the key points of your business project and have calculated the entire economic component of the business.

I repeat once again, a competent investor reads this section first and very carefully.

The health club was created in the year xx.xx.xxxx. registration certificate number xxxxx.
The main activity of the company is providing health services and maintaining physical fitness. The main advantages are high quality of service provision and consumption of high-tech equipment.

Uniqueness is the effective and efficient use of those technologies that are provided in comparison with conventional and familiar simulators. You can also note the opportunity to play sports without grueling workouts.

2. Market analysis

At the very beginning, describe the market you are going to work in. An investor may not know your business niche and needs to understand what prospects and trends are in this niche, assess opportunities for business growth, and understand economic trends in the industry.

For example, this: by geographic location, demographic data, by type of consumer behavior, by user behavior, by income level, and so on. All this should be reflected in this section. Describe projected changes in these markets, trends and factors influencing business processes.

Market segmentation can be carried out according to the principle of profitability, that is, this service will be in demand among people with different income levels.

The most advantageous position in the eyes of the consumer belongs to organizations that have a swimming pool in their structure, because swimming is in greatest demand among visitors (45.6%). only in 27.2% of cases are consumers ready to receive the entire range of fitness clubs.

Almost 11% of potential clients of fitness clubs want to work out in a gym. The shares of other services in total demand do not exceed 5%. The main consumers of fitness services are women – 71%. Men – 40%.

Market segmentation can be carried out according to the criterion of profitability: the majority of the population is employed.
Firstly, this service is aimed at the private client, the average buyer.
The planned volume in the pessimistic version will be 10 people on weekdays and 20 people on weekends. Optimistically, 30 people on weekdays, 40 people on weekends.

Competition and competitive advantage.

Considering the competitive environment of the company, it should be noted that in the city there is a fairly large number of companies selling this service.

Our company will be based:

1. at an affordable price.
2. on unique equipment.
3. on discounts and promotions.
4. availability of shower and rest area.
5. individual approach to the client.
6. friendliness and friendliness among the staff.
7. effective recovery.

3. Description of products or services

In this section you need to describe your product or service, how it can satisfy market needs, what unique advantages it has, and its life cycle.
If there are patents or copyrights, reflect the same in this section.

Description of the company and industry

Registration date xxxx, registration certificate number, organizational legal form - individual entrepreneur (PE, LLC, etc.).
Actual address and legal address: city N, st. Nth, etc.

Analysis of the location of the company.

Advantages:

1. Proximity to the city center.
2. Possibility of unhindered entry and exit.
3. Located in a populated area.
4. Proximity to bus stop, trolleybus, taxi.

Flaws:

1. High rent (if the property is not owned).
2. Distance from the center and so on.

The main goal of the service is to attract the majority of clients (women) due to the optimal price, high-quality work, and the rarity of services.

This industry was founded to attract women; the uniqueness of the exercise machines is that they allow you to spend less time and effort on restoring health and physical fitness than conventional exercise machines.

Swot analysis.

1. High quality service.
2. Favorable location.
3. Providing jobs.
4. Optimal price.

Weaknesses:

1. Narrow range of services.
2. Lack of your own premises.
3. Based only on attracting females.

Possibilities:

1. Expansion of the range of services.
2. The company's differentiation is the opening of a healthy nutrition center.

1. High competition.

Service characteristics

Nowadays, this industry is developing rapidly. The main structural divisions of this industry are health centers, tourist centers, institutions, shaping, aerobics, fitness, etc.
This club is an opportunity to restore and improve a woman’s appearance and well-being.
The equipment includes toning tables, a vibration platform, a climb simulator, and a massage bed.

Let us describe the equipment a little.

Toning tables are an excellent alternative to traditional fitness, a set of electronically controlled movement simulators. Toning tables are 7 times more effective than traditional aerobics, shaping, etc.

Toning tables avoid unnecessary stress on the spine and cardiovascular system.

A vibration platform is a device that strengthens the body without excessive effort and with minimal wear and tear. The effectiveness of the vibration platform lies in synchronized and mutually dependent movements down, up, back, at a speed of 30-50 times per second.

The climb simulator is a fundamentally new simulator that looks like a mini-escalator along which one moves upward.

Attractive factors:

1. optimal prices.
2. safety of service provision, presence of a medical worker.
3. exclusivity of services.
4. high quality of service provision.
5. cozy and pleasant environment (design).
6. provision of an oxygen cocktail.

4. Promotion of goods on the market

Describe how you will promote your products or services to consumers. Conditions and organization of product sales. What promotion channels will you use?

In this section, describe pricing issues.

The health club is developing several market segments:

• consumers (private individuals),
• corporate groups.

Product policy.

The company focuses on:

1. Focus on quality
2. Design direction.
3. Branding.

• high quality of service,
• optimal prices,
• discounts,
• club cards (subscription).

Calculation of services per 1 client:

1. Energy – x rubles,
2. Salary – x rubles,
3. Social Security contributions.
4. Depreciation.
5. Renting premises.
6. General production expenses.
7. Total.
8. Extra charge.
9. Service cost.

Sales policy.

The work will be carried out on the basis of marketing - attracting customers (calls, negotiations, concluding contracts with organizations). The width and length of the sales policy at the initial stage will be narrow.

Communication policy.

The goal is to conquer a certain niche in the sales market and form a permanent circle of clients.
For a successful solution, we will use advertising (print media and television).

5. Production

Everything related to production is described here: premises, equipment, requirements for resources and working capital.

Describe technologies, production flow diagrams.

Schedule: what work, in what time frame and who should complete it.

To carry out activities, it is necessary to use appropriate equipment and premises.

Tables of equipment and premises are compiled.
A brief description of the equipment and technical specifications are provided.

A table is also compiled regarding the direction in which the loan is spent:

1. Total loan amount:
2. Equipment acquisition costs.
3. General running costs.
4. Rent.
5. Wage.
6. Room renovation.
7. Delivery of equipment.

6. Enterprise structure. Control. Staff

Describe the organizational and legal form of the enterprise. The organizational structure of the enterprise, that is, who is responsible for what, how the interaction of services is carried out. You can draw a diagram of the structure.

The second thing to write about is management. Who will manage, their work experience, rights, responsibilities, functions, management methods. Sometimes they write autobiographies.

Third section, personnel.

Personnel, their rights, responsibilities, qualification requirements, salary level.

Organizational management structure.

In total, it is planned to attract 5 employees.

A table of the staffing table is provided.

The selection of personnel will be carried out through a recruitment agency and interview, through the recommendations of the Medical College and the Ministry of Sports.

7. Risk assessment and insurance

It describes what risks may arise for your company, as well as what you will do to reduce the negative consequences of the risks or even prevent them.

If you insure risks, write down the amounts you will insure and the types of insurance policies.

We calculate the monetary expression of risks associated with the activities of the enterprise:

1. External risks:

1.1. increase in electricity tariffs (14% of revenue).
1.2. Legislative risk (30% of net profit).
1.3. Risk of emergency situations (5% of net profit).
1.4 Increase in rent (4% of revenue).
1.5 Increased competition (7% of net profit).

2. Internal risks.

2.1 Lack of quality services (20% of revenue).
2.2 Low-skilled personnel (10% of revenue).
2.3 Equipment malfunctions (2% of revenue).

Measures to minimize risks:

1. Insurance.
2. Reservation.
3. Avoid.
4. Preventive measures.

8. Financial forecast of your future actions

I’ll just list what should be in this section:

• balance
• Profits and Losses Report
• cash flow statement
• timing of reaching the break-even point and payback of the project;
• amount of required investment
• profit and profitability calculations

Lending is carried out for a certain period - for 2 years, 4 years, etc. A debt repayment schedule is drawn up.
A plan of expenses and income is drawn up - the first year by month, the rest by year.
A forecast balance is drawn up and the payback period is calculated.

1. Investment size.
2. Net profit.
3. Depreciation deductions.
4. Net cash flow (item 2 + item 3)
5. Payback period (clause 1/clause 4)

We calculate return on investment and discount income.

1. Net profit for 4 years.
2. Depreciation over 4 years.
3. Net cash flow for 4 years.
4. Investment size.
5. Return on investment, %. (item 1-item 4/item 4*100%)
6. Discount rate,% ((15-8.25)+8.25).
7. Discount factor at the end of the year, (1/(1+0.15)4).
8. Discounted income.

We calculate the break-even analysis.

1. Revenue.
2. Variable costs.
3. Fixed costs.
4. Marginal income.
5. Marginal income share.
6. Profitability threshold.
7. Margin of financial strength.

Let's calculate the budget effect.

1. Income tax for the year,
2. Contributions for social needs.

9. Applications

Here you can include: diagrams, graphs, photographs, copies of contracts and agreements, clippings from information sources, biographies, reports, etc.

This is the general structure that should be followed when drawing up a business plan.

If you could not find the necessary business plan with calculations, then the best solution would be to draw it up yourself. What are the stages of document preparation? What sections should it contain? How to write it in such a way as to interest investors? Read more in the article “Business.ru”.

Business plan, what is it?

BP is a management, financial and marketing strategy of a company, drawn up in the form of a document. Within its framework, all aspects of future activities are covered, possible risks are taken into account, the volume of investments in the development of the project and the approximate date of return of the invested funds are calculated.

Let’s take a closer look at what a business plan is and give as an example the business plan of two small businesses:

• small coffee shop;
• fitness club.

Functions of a business plan

The main requirement for creating a detailed business plan for an enterprise is the ability to demonstrate your idea of ​​a future business clearly to those who will provide funds for its development (investors, banks, various funds, potential partners, etc.).

Business planning will help systematize and structure all information about the project. It will also allow you to set up the planned deployment of future infrastructure and help you correctly determine the time to invest money in its development. Most aspiring entrepreneurs have only a basic understanding of the functions of a business plan. All possible varieties are listed below.

1. Simple and clear wording in the text, without the possibility of other interpretations;
2. Try not to exceed 25 pages. The file must be arranged according to generally accepted standards;
3. The investor should receive complete information about the project after reading the business plan;
4. All your calculations and conclusions should be based on verifiable figures, research and facts;
5. Each section should be interconnected and should complement a comprehensive positive opinion about the project. Having familiarized himself, the investor must discern the future potential of the enterprise;
6. Try to remain flexible. If your business plan allows you to make changes, clarifications and additions, then your project is already better than its competitors;
7. Be sure to indicate methods for monitoring the future enterprise.

Creating a business plan yourself is not difficult if you think through the idea of ​​a startup. Have you already looked through ready-made examples of business plans for small businesses and haven’t found a suitable one? We present a step-by-step algorithm that will allow you to develop it yourself. Each item of the BP will be described in detail below.

First of all, you need to determine the “negative” and “positive” sides of your business idea. There is no need to quit what you started if the negative aspects at first glance outweigh the positive ones. Every minus can become a growth point for a business.

The cornerstones of a successful business are a stable position in the market and the ability to compete in the chosen niche. The sales market will require a detailed analysis. If, after conducting the above research and calculating the initial financial indicators, you have not changed your mind about starting a business, you should start creating a business plan.

Sections of a business plan: 12 main points

The structure of a business plan, consisting of 12 mandatory sections, is widely used. The volume of each of them will depend on the specifics of the project; a small enterprise can do without some of them completely. But in general, the power supply should look exactly like this.

1.Cover page

This should include:

• The name of the project and the company in which this project will be developed and launched. It is required to provide detailed contact information (contact number, legal address, etc.);
• Full name of the head of the company;
• The person or group responsible for creating the BP;
• Date of creation of the BP;
• It is possible to add the most significant project indicators to the title page.

2. Non-disclosure memorandum or NDA (non-disclosure agreement)

This important agreement will ensure that your unique business idea is protected and will prevent someone else from stealing your finished project. This file contains information about the requirement to keep confidential any information that was obtained while reading this document. Duplicating a business model in this form, copying documents and other facts of copyright infringement within the framework of this business plan will be prosecuted by law.

3. Brief summary

The order of this section of the business plan should not mislead you; you should begin filling out this part only at the end of writing it. This is a kind of excerpt from the entire document: briefly describe the main points related to financial indicators and your business idea.

Instructions on how to write a resume:

1. Describe your product or service;
2. Give a description of the target audience;
3. Indicate how many products will be sold/produced and what the company's total revenue will be within one calendar year after the launch;
4. The total volume of required investments and planned costs;
5. Organizational and legal aspects;
6. Data on the required labor force within the project;
7. Possibility and list of sources of subsidizing the project;
8. Indicate the time frame for reaching the break-even point and the payback period in general.

Important! The investor pays attention to this section first of all. Therefore, the fate of your business idea largely depends on your resume. In this case, you need to keep it to one page.

In this section you also need to write: total income for the year, total funds at the end of the year, profitability of the enterprise and net present value (NPV).

4. Project description

This section should reflect the main aspects that prompted you to believe in the presented business idea. The following clarifications will help:

• The essence of the project (in simple words, without the possibility of erroneous interpretation)
• What does the company need to do to achieve its goals?
• Are there barriers to the success of your business model? If yes, how to overcome them?
• What can you personally suggest (specific steps) to ensure that the company achieves profit in the shortest possible time? Indicate a specific period of time (3 months, six months, a year, 10 years, etc.).

Important! Be precise, concise, and provide only hard facts in your business plan. Try to keep it to 2 pages

It will be useful to clearly demonstrate the viability of your enterprise using a SWOT analysis (analysis of opportunities and risks). The main thing to remember is that you are analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of your business, not a product. Entrepreneurs often mistakenly do the opposite.

Example of a SWOT analysis for a coffee shop chain:

5. Description of the market niche

When drawing up a business plan, try to demonstrate the viability of your idea as part of a marketing study of the market situation.

The following numbers will help:

• Sales volume of a similar product over a significant period of time (quarter, year, 5 years);
• The overall growth rate of the niche you are applying for;
• Specifics and trends of pricing policy;
• Detailed information about competitors;
• Identification of startups and small players, description of their advantages and disadvantages;
• Characteristics of your buyer. What does he consider a familiar product? What does he want to buy? His financial capabilities;
• The influence of external factors on the market (politics, society, science, economics);
• Possible promising aspects of a niche in the chosen industry.

6. Detailed information about the project

In this section of the business plan, you need to reveal the essence of the project in more detail. The degree of readiness for launch and the availability of all the necessary resources for this should be mentioned.

Be sure to indicate in this chapter of the business plan:

1. Primary goals;
2. Detailed description of the target audience;
3. Important aspects (measurable) of success in the chosen market;
4. Detailed product description. It should be noted that its qualities should be higher than the average of its analogues;
5. Phased production of the product (for existing enterprises). Copyright information, availability of patents, certificates of conformity;
6. Description of the company;
7. General cost indicator with details of the time and volume of each tranche from the potential investor;
8. Primary costs for building marketing and management structures in the company.

7. Marketing strategy

Describe its essence, main performance indicators and tools for achieving the goals outlined in the business plan. It is required to indicate the responsibilities of each employee in the marketing department, as well as the timing and methods for achieving results. Calculate how much money you will need to invest in promoting your product or service.

What must be included in a marketing plan?

• Market analysis.
• Quantitative indicators of the release of future products and product line, product release schedule with time indicators and an indicator of the moment of 100% production load.
• Product improvement in the process of enterprise development.
• Description of pricing and external indicators of the product (packaging).
• Information about the sales and procurement system.
• Methods of promoting a product to the target audience.
• Measurable indicators.
• Service maintenance.
• Measures to monitor the implementation of the marketing strategy.

Important! There are no strictly documented instructions for creating the ideal business plan. You can exclude, add or change items at your discretion

8. Production plan

Enter here all the information about the production of the product, taking into account seasonality. If you plan to sell finished products, you can omit this item when creating a business plan.

When creating a production facility from scratch, indicate the required production capacity, the specifics of the production process, and outsourced operations. In addition, you will need a complete list of equipment, its technical parameters and cost, as well as information about leasing purchases.

The production plan should also include:

• Information about areas for the enterprise;
• Required materials;
• Output costs at each stage of the production cycle.

Important! Do not forget to indicate any factor that directly or indirectly affects the cost of the final product

9. Organizational plan

This section of the business plan reveals the features of hiring workers, managing and distributing responsibilities between them. This section should not be neglected, even when it comes to existing enterprises. It helps to understand whether the current organizational structure meets its intended goals.

This section specifies:

• Legal and actual address of the enterprise/company;
• Name of the organizational and legal form (joint stock company, LLC, individual entrepreneur, etc.);
• Control circuit. It is important to reflect the relationship of each employee and department, as well as direct instructions for each unit of staff;
• Information about the founders and co-founders;
• Management composition (CEO, executive, finance, etc.);
• Instructions for communicating with staff;
• Supply issues for the administrative part of the enterprise.

10. Financial plan. What needs to be calculated?

A section of the business plan that describes all the financial nuances of the project. We need data on profitability, payback period, movements in the foreign exchange market (if the product is tied to imported raw materials), etc.

What data and calculations are required:

• Tax calculation (what and how much you need to pay);
• Composition of the enterprise's capital (loans, investments, issued shares, etc.);
• Plan-report of income and expenses;
• Cash flow in the form of a table (cashflow);
• Enterprise balance sheet;
• Payback period of the project.

In addition, it is advisable to calculate such indicators of the effectiveness of investments in a project as the investment return index (PI) and the internal rate of return (IRR) at several discount rates. PI is calculated using the formula: PI=(NPV+I) / I, where NPV is NPV for the last year, I is the initial investment.

The project is unprofitable if the index is less than or equal to one. For example, the amount of discounted flows for the year was 14 million rubles, the initial investment was 7 million. PI= (14,000,000 +7000,000) /7000,000 = 3. Low profitability. For every ruble invested, the discounted profit is 3 rubles.

IRR is the interest rate at which the value of all cash flows of the investment project is zero. That is, such a bet will allow you to recoup the initial investment, but without profit.

11. Risk management

In this section of the business plan, you need to examine the possible risks associated with the project. Factors that directly affect profit are especially important. You should pay attention to each of the possible risks (industry, social, financial and others). Do not forget to indicate the exact actions to reduce damage or prevent the impact of such risks on the functioning of the company.

To do this, you need to indicate: a detailed list of possible risks, tools and techniques for eliminating, eliminating and preventing possible problems, as well as modeling situations with zero growth of the enterprise and clear regulations for actions in such a situation. We can mention the low probability of such an outcome.

Often, beginning entrepreneurs are faced with a rather difficult problem - how to draw up a business plan. This task is not easy, because to work through each element you need to have certain knowledge and understanding of the activity in which you are going to start a business. If they are not there, then you will first have to get acquainted with the information, various techniques, and only then move on to practice.

By the way, we have made a series of articles with examples and samples of business plans in the section. We also recommend that you read the article:. This will help you write your business plan correctly.

In the meantime, let's move on to how to draw up a business plan yourself.

We set ourselves the ultimate goal

Before writing a business plan, it is very important, at the beginning of the project development, to understand for yourself what specific goal the organization will pursue. For successful implementation, it is necessary to take into account the importance of three significant factors:

1. Awareness of the initial location (what we will start from, the so-called point “A”).
2. Determining the final goal, the achievement of which will be the most important result (let it be point “B”).
3. Drawing up a clear sequence of how to get from point “A” to point “B”, as well as understanding the mechanism and its elaboration.

We determine for whom we are drawing up a business plan

Next, you need to understand for whom this plan is being drawn up. The detail of the presentation and the evidence base will depend on the choice of the final “reader”. Any project is drawn up for one of the following “consumers”:

• For potential investors . These may be creditors, government support bodies that provide subsidies and other incentives to developing businesses, and various grant providers.

When writing in this case, special attention should be paid to the evidence base of the viability of the project being developed, as well as to the conviction of the effectiveness of the use of the funds provided. This information will be relevant both for those who lend money and for those who give it free of charge (subsidies, grants).

It is very important to make all your actions logical and consistent. Some information may be presented slightly embellished to obtain financial support. However, there is no need to be overzealous with this.

The main parameters of such a project will be such qualities as cleanliness, neatness and consistency. All facts must contain specifics and explanations. Details in this case are also welcome.

Presentability will depend on the presentation in front of potential investors; you will need to use slides and visual aids (samples, research results, etc.).

• For myself . Such a plan is drawn up for actions that will be used in implementation to achieve maximum efficiency.

In this case, it is important to reflect information about the resources needed and available. The business plan should be as close as possible to what actually exists.

It is worth understanding that these are completely two different cases that require an individual approach. You cannot create the same business plan for yourself and for potential investors. And of course it is worth noting that the project for those who may provide financial resources will be more complete and detailed.

We do a preliminary analysis

Work on any project begins with an analysis of the situation in the present time. To systematize all available information, describe and fill in all sections, you need to study the data and analyze them together. If the initial information is not enough, it is necessary to supplement it by contacting specialists or to further study all aspects of the situation.

Very often, for a preliminary assessment of the situation, as well as its analysis, they use a method recognized throughout the world, which is called SWOT -analysis . Its popularity is due to its simplicity, clarity and accuracy.

What is SWOT analysis and how to apply it in practice

The name of this technique stands for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.” It is used to assess all internal and external factors affecting the organization. An important advantage is the objectivity of the SWOT analysis; it reflects a truly real picture.

It is necessary to take a serious approach to the development of each of the indicators. At the same time, strengths are the initial advantages of working in this field. Weaknesses are studied to eliminate them. So, for example, if the weakness is the lack of your own premises, it is worth considering the possibility of purchasing them, while eliminating this disadvantage. These two parameters relate more to internal factors, because they are determined by the position of the organization itself.

But opportunities and threats are directly related to the external environment. The company cannot influence them directly. So, having considered the available opportunities, you can use them to your advantage, increasing efficiency or saving on something. For example, adapt packaging design for the consumer market, while increasing demand for the product itself. But considering threats and responding to them will help avoid difficulties and losses. Here it is important to either use a policy of “avoidance” or try to use the current situation to your advantage.

After working through all aspects of the SWOT analysis, you need to begin considering individual sections of the business plan. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to assessing the resources of the described project, including monetary, labor, intellectual, and time. This will significantly save time and also help to preliminary assess the effectiveness and costs of the project.

You can familiarize yourself with the structure and sections in the corresponding article presented earlier.

We create a title page, a resume, and set goals for a business project.

The preparation of any project begins with writing a title page, which must indicate: the type of activity, legal form, name of the organization, its legal address, as well as information about the founder and location of the company itself.

Next they move on to writing a resume. It is important to understand what this section consists of after working through the rest. It contains consolidated information about what will be considered in the project. Conventionally, a summary can be called a kind of “squeeze” from the remaining sections of the project. It is important that in this section the reader receives an answer to the two most important questions:

1. What benefits will potential investors have if they invest money in the project and it is successfully implemented?
2. What are the possible risks of loss, and what is their scale (partial or complete loss)?

In the “Goal Setting” section, it is very important to indicate the goal itself, the assigned tasks, possible problems, actions, deadlines, as well as arguments that will allow the investor to be confident in the success of the proposed project. Here you can display the results of a SWOT analysis in a tabular form like:

Analyzing the market

In this section, it is very important to reflect the current situation by collecting the latest information, rather than using outdated information. You can consider your competitors, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, in tabular form:

It is necessary to draw up a portrait of a potential buyer (by objectively assessing the situation), and consider the possibility of attracting other segments of the population.

We evaluate the organization’s capabilities in this industry

This section contains information about the organization itself. It is worth paying attention to the operating hours and seasonality, since these factors directly affect the amount of possible income and their consistency. If a business plan is drawn up by an already existing organization that plans, for example, to start producing a new product, then the description of the section is reduced to listing already known data (organizational and legal form, methods of taxation, goods, information about the company, etc.).

For those companies that are just planning to open, it is necessary to take the choice of open pension fund and tax system very seriously. It will also be necessary to study legislation: various regulations and other documents.

We describe the product or service

In this section, special attention should be paid to goods and services that will generate profit. You first need:

• Make a detailed description of the major and minor items. It is advisable to provide the project with photographs of finished products (samples) or the samples themselves.
• Compare the product with the description of the portrait of the potential consumer.
• It is worth highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each product and comparing it with competitive products in the industry. Based on the information received, competitiveness is assessed. This data can be presented in the following tabular form:

• Describe the process of supplying goods or providing services (wholesale, retail, final consumer).

Such a detailed examination will help you understand what are the features of your products and the sales market as a whole.

Attention should also be paid to what additional documents will have to be drawn up (various patents, certificates, copyrights).

We draw up a marketing plan

Based on the previously obtained results, you can proceed to developing a marketing plan. Particular attention should be paid to product promotion tools. They can be: advertising, merchandising, direct sales, sales promotion and others.

It is necessary to study in great detail the demand in the market segment in which you plan to operate. In this case, it is worth determining average prices, elasticity (variability) of demand, and methods of stimulation. It is also important to study target segments and buyer groups.

It is worth thinking about the methods of distribution, as well as consumers, be they legal entities, individuals or end consumers. For each of them, you can develop a separate sales program.

You also need to think about possible ways to attract customers. In addition, you can think about advertising campaigns and exhibitions.

It would be useful to predict the volume of future sales. This can be done visually using the following table:

It is important not to overestimate projected sales so that the data looks realistic. It is necessary to justify the amount while giving confidence to creditors.

If desired, you can create realistic, pessimistic and optimistic scenarios, justifying each of them.

In general, any marketing program can be represented as:

We draw up a production plan

Drawing up a production plan is not necessary for those organizations that do not intend to produce something on their own. So, if the company is only going to trade goods or services, this section can, in principle, not be compiled. But for those organizations that are directly related to production, drawing up a production plan is almost a primary task.

In this case, it is initially necessary to consider the available and necessary production capacities, including premises and equipment. The information can also be presented in tabular form:

It is also very important to draw up plans for the supply of raw materials and their storage. In addition, you need to clearly depict the production process itself (this information can be placed in applications).

Information about the required employees is also indicated, a staffing table is drawn up, indicating qualifications, the method of calculating wages, work schedule and other information.

We draw up an organizational plan

This section displays all activities related to organizing a business. It is important to break them down into separate steps, indicating the implementation deadlines for each item. You can use a table view:

It is necessary to distribute all steps in the correct sequence. You can also present the information in the form of an implementation schedule.

In addition, legal aspects must be included here.

Making a financial plan

This section is devoted to drawing up a detailed estimate. In other words, all costs that will be necessary are planned. This is best done in tabular form, ensuring clarity and ease of study.

It is worth understanding that any organization has one-time and recurring costs. Non-recurring costs include fixed assets, but periodic ones, in turn, are divided into constant and variable. Fixed costs do not depend on production volume. Of course, it makes sense to talk about fixed costs only in the short term, since in the long term any costs become variable.

After all costs are taken into account, provided that the cost is known, you can find the break-even point, which shows the sales volume at which income will be equal to expenses.

It is necessary for everyone to find the break-even point in order to approximately represent the scale of production or sales that will ensure not only break-even, but also the profitability of the enterprise. For clarity, it is worth drawing up a graph showing the dependence of profit on the volume of goods (services) sold. It might look like this:

It is worth including depreciation costs in the calculations. Indeed, as a result of complete wear and tear, most fixed assets require replacement. In addition, tax and pension contributions (recurring costs) should be taken into account. The most complete display of all expenses will help to estimate the real profit margins.

To calculate payback periods, you can use a simplified formula:

Payback period = One-time costs/Net monthly profit.

You can also include calculations of profitability here (it is worth considering that there are many formulas, you need to choose the one that is suitable for the type of business and what exactly the profitability of is being calculated).

Considering the risks

In this section, for clarity, you can create a table that will display:

• Possible risks.
• The likelihood of their occurrence.
• Ways to avoid.
• Possible losses.

If you plan to insure any risks, this also needs to be reflected in the business plan. Don't forget to include insurance costs in your financial plan.

What is this section for? Everything is very simple. Any investor wants to be sure of the success of the project or at least compensation for losses. Knowing the possible dangers, you can always try to avoid them or reduce losses. The main thing in this case is knowledge of vulnerabilities and their elimination.

Sometimes various applications are added, which include diagrams, graphs, tables, certificates, contracts, licenses. We can say that this is a kind of visual material, which is placed in a separate section in order not to clutter up the project itself.

Applications

You really need to include all the documents that were discussed in the business plan and that would serve as confirmation of all of the above. These can be various schemes, plans, resumes, certificates of creditworthiness, letters of guarantee, various statutory documents, etc.

The most common mistakes made when drawing up a business plan

1. Ignoring the seasonality of work. Such a defect nullifies all the calculations made. If the business is seasonal, then this must be taken into account when calculating sales volumes, while trying to compensate for the shortfall in other months.
2. Overestimation of planned sales (production) volumes. This indicator will also affect the efficiency of fixed assets and production capacity utilization.
3. Incorrect calculation of working capital. It is important not only to determine the profit, but also the part that will have to be used for the further functioning of the business.
4. Mixing of cash flows. This refers to the situation when the company itself finances the project.
5. Understating the discount rate. Also applies to own resources. The error is due to the fact that the possibilities of using funds are assessed not in the amount in which they could be used.
6. The business plan is too large. There is no need to clutter the project with unnecessary information.
7. Unrealistic data. All information must be supported by compelling arguments.
8. There is no uncertainty about additional funding. It either exists or it doesn’t.
9. Incomplete information about financial forecasts. Before the project pays off, all financial data must be indicated separately for each month.
10. Superficial market analysis. You need to thoroughly study the segment in which you are going to work, because the success of the business depends on it.
11. "Approximate" costs. All of them must be taken into account and be accurate, because the profit of your enterprise will depend on this.

Instead of a conclusion

Now you know how to write a business plan. There are no universal business plans. Much depends on the chosen industry, production characteristics and other factors. You need to approach the development of the project consciously, spending a lot of time and effort on it.

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