Business Plans

Project #3
Business Plans
You will be required to hand in a business plan as your final project. This will be a lot of fun ! Personalize your plan (no cookie cutter approach please) Basic Requirement: How are you going to make money ? Best to leverage off your product proposal (Project #1).

Business Plan Resources

www.sbaonline.sba.gov www.paloaltosoftware.com U.S. Small Business Administration Business Plan Software

What is a Business Plan ?

A business plan is a written statement that describes and analyzes your business concept and gives detailed projections about it future. It also covers the financial aspects of starting or expanding your business

Investors Funding

Proceed or Stop Identify warning signals

Why Prepare a Business Plan ?

Stay on track, anticipate problems, achieve goals

Improve your odds

Improve concept & define goals

 Define Business
Begin Brainstorming

Retail

Wholesale

Service Types of Businesses

Manufacturing

Project Development

General BP Questions to Ask Yourself

What problem do I solve for my customer base? Who is my target customer? How will I communicate with my target customer? What products/services will I provide? Where will my business be located? Where will I buy the products that I need? What hours will I operate? Who will work for me and how will they be paid? Who will handle critical tasks like selling, ordering, bookkeeping, marketing and shipping?

How will I advertise and promote my business?

What are my competitions strengths? How am I different from the competitors, as seen through my customers eyes?

Questions for Retail

How will I keep abreast with fashion and taste?
Is my location accessible, do I need a heavy advertising campaign? Location - high rent shopping center or lower rent location where there is less walk and drive by traffic? How much inventory will I need in comparison to my expected sales and revenues?

Questions for Wholesale

Which product lines will I carry in my inventory and which will I order as required? How will I carry accounts for my customers? Are their any EXCLUSIVE distributorships available to me?

Will I market the products myself or will the manufacturers have marketing programs?

Questions for Service Oriented Business

Are my credentials or skills equal to or better than others in the field? Can I sell my service as well as I perform it? Do I have a client list to begin with or will I have to start off cold?

Am I better off associating with others or is it better to be independent?

Questions for Manufacturers

Does my manufacturing process create toxic or polluting materials - how do I deal with it? Is there a labor pool available (skilled, unskilled)? Will I manufacture per order or have an inventory? Will I manufacture one product or a family for them? Is my competition from small or large firms?

Questions for Project Development

Am I sure of the selling price of my project?

Am I sure of the project cost?

What happens if costs exceed predicted costs? Am I sure of the time factors involved? Is there a buyer for my project?

Business Plan: Need to Deal with Changes

Trends Future Taste

Technology

Business Plans
Misconception - The only thing standing between entrepreneurs and success is (Sahlman, HBR 97409): Glossy five color charts Bundle of complicated spreadsheets A decade of month by month financial projections.

NOT So !

What is Wrong with

Business Plans
Too much time is wasted on numbers Too little time on information that really matters to intelligent investors

Business Plan

Month-by-month predictions over several years are an act of imagination

Sahlman (HBR 97409)

Business Model Rather Than A lot of Numbers

Numbers in terms of model (demonstrate that you have thought through the problem)

Key drives of venture success

Address break even issue (when do I make a profit?) Cash Flow > 0
Sahlman (HBR 97409)

Critical Factors to Every New Venture

The People: the core team members and outside parties providing key services The Opportunity: profile of business; how will it grow; what can stand in the way of success

The Context: the BIG picture - regulatory, environmental, interest rates, demographic trends, inflation, etc., the factors that will change but cannot be controlled by the entrepreneur
Risk and Reward: an assessment of what can go wrong (risk) and what can go right (pay-off). How can the team respond to problems and uncertainties?

Sahlman (HBR 97409)

Great Business Ideas

. GREAT businesses have attributes that are easy to identify but hard to assemble. The teams members have skills and experiences directly related to the opportunity Ideally, they have worked together in the past The opportunity has an attractive and sustainable business model; it is possible to create a competitive edge and defend it Many options exist for expanding the scope and scale of the business Value can be extracted positive harvest event (a sale) or by scaling down or liquidating The context is favorable - both regulatory and economic environment RISK is understood, and team understands how to mitigate the impact of difficult events Sahlman (HBR 97409)

Who are the People Responsible for the Business Plan ?

Why do some venture capitalists read the resume section first ?

Without the right people and the right team, none of the other parts of the business plan really matter.
Sahlman (HBR 97409)

Every business plan should answer the Following about the personnel !
Where are the founders from ? Where have they been educated ? Where have they worked ? For whom ? What are their accomplishments ? What is their reputation within the business/technical community? What is their relevant experience ? What are their skills, abilities, knowledge ? How realistic are they ? Any essential team members missing ? Can they attract/recruit high quality people ? How will they respond to adversity ? Do they have the stomach to make difficult choices ? How committed are they to the venture ? What are their motivations ?

Sahlman (HBR 97409)

The opportunity or is it ?
Can you answer the following basic questions ?
(1) Is the total market for the venture large, growing, or both ? (2) Is the industry now, or can it become, structurally attractive for the venture ?

The opportunity of a lifetime or is it ?

Entrepreneurs or investors look for rapidly growing markets because it is often easier to obtain a share of a growing market than to fight with entrenched competitors for a small piece of a mature market.

The opportunity of a lifetime or is it ?

Can your business plan answer these questions?
Who is the new ventures customer ? How does the customer make decisions about buying the product ? Is the product a compelling purchase to the customer ? How will the product or service be priced ? How will the venture reach all of the identified customer segments ? How much does it cost (time and resources) to acquire a customer ? How much does it cost to produce and deliver a product ? How much does it cost to support a customer ? How easy is it to retain a customer ?

What are the cash flow implications: Can your plan answer the following ?
When does the business have to buy resources, such as supplies, materials, and personnel ? How does your business have to pay for them ? How long does it take to get a customer ? How long before the customer sends the business a check ? How much capital is needed ?

Competition: Can your plan answer the following ?

Who are the new ventures current competitors ? What resources do they control ? What are their strengths and weaknesses ? How will they respond to your market entry ? How can your new venture respond to the competitions response ? Who else can exploit the same opportunity ?

Competition
Business is very much like chess - you need to anticipate your competitors next move. Dont be naive and pitch an insurmountable lead. You may have a proprietary lead, can you keep it ? All opportunities have promise ! All opportunities have VULNERABILITIES ! You need to identify all of your vulnerabilities !

Context !
Opportunities exist in context
Economy, interest rates, inflation, exchange rates

Govt regulations

Context !
Government Regulations

More than 100 new companies formed when the airline industry deregulated in the late 1970s.

Context !
The Economy Recession in early 1990s mad it hard to get venture financing. However, as capital markets in the middle 1990s heated up, these companies had a high rate of return.

Context Unforeseen Shift

After the Tylenol incident (tampering), the packaging industry flourished. Prior to that the packaging industry was declining.

Context
Every business plan should contain certain pieces of evidence of CONTEXT
- Show heightened awareness of new ventures context - Demonstrate that you understand that the venture may change and describe how changes can affect the business - How will management deal with unfavorable changes in context?

Risk & Rewards

One of the greatest myths about entrepreneurs is that they are risk seekers -All sane people avoid risk?

William Sahlman (HBS, 79409)

Risk & Reward How to Manage Risk??

Taking a picture of the unknown -- a business plan is a snapshot of an event in the future.

opportunity

people

Form coherent story

context

Unfold possibilities of action and reaction

Risk & Reward

Good business plans discuss people,

opportunity and context as a moving target These categories are fluid and will change over time - key people will leave

- opportunities will vanish

- economy will fluctuate

Risk & Reward

Fortune is hard to predict, but you have to convince investors that you have a sense of the risk and rewards involved It is up to the management to increase the likelihood of success and consequences of success

True entrepreneurs want to capture all the reward and give all the risk to others. Yet risk is unavoidable.

Howard Stevenson (HBS)

Risk & Reward

Your business plan should confront risk head on - in terms of people, opportunities and context Try and understand scenarios: - what happens if a key team leader leaves?

- what if competition responds more ferociously than expected?

- what happens if there is a revolution in Namibia, a source of key raw material?

Risk & Reward

Your business plan should address candidly how the investor will get back his / her money

Venture capitalists like a wide range of exit strategies

- IPO

- sell company outright

- split up company and sell parts

Risk & Reward

Investors feel better about risk if it is up front

Cover all possibilities

If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there.

FOR ENTREPRENEURS-You better know where you will end up and have a map for getting there

A business plan should be the place where the map is drawn, a journey is less risky when you have directions

Visualizing Risk and Reward

- What is the depth and duration of negative cash flow? - ideal, cash flow early and often - possibly generate this curve from a sensitivity spreadsheet

Visualizing Risk and Reward

t)

- Flat portion reveals a negligible chance of losing a small amount of money

- There is a significant chance of earning between 15% and 45% - Small chance of a killer app > 20% - Possible to predict with Monte Carlo

Final Thoughts
A business plan is a call for action, must be proactive Risk management is a key, often tilting the venture in favor of reward and away from risk Should be a coherent document

The Format of a Business Plan

There are all kinds of help out there, use it!

Also, lots of books:

- Complete Business Plan by Adams (ISBN 1-55850-645-7) - How to Write a Business Plan by McKeever (ISBN 0-87337-5440) - BusinessPlan.com by Ross (ISBN 1-55571-455-2)

- The Business Planning Guide by Bangs (ISBN 1-547410-099-8)

- Model Business Plans by Richter (ISBN 0-7352-0024-6)

It is a good is idea to invest in a business plan book -- go the local bookstores and library and find one you like.

Formal Business Plan

Here, a sample structure will be provided I provide a sample, it is not intended to be a one size fits all document

Personalize your plan - be creative

Format Skeleton of a Business Plan

Main Body Executive Summary A. Program Overview B. Management & Strategy C. Products D. Market & Sales E. Competition F. Operations G. Risks & Rewards H. Financial Models Appendix A.1. Primary Final Objective A.2. Supportive Financial Projections A.3. Historical Financial Data A.4. Organization A.5. Resources

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
A. Program Overview
Introduction History Products Market Marketing and sales Competition Location Funding requirements Financial goals Return to investors

D.Marketing and Sales

Marketing plan overview Sales plan overview Market size Marketing research Marketing for the initial

E. Competition
Perspective Specific competitive products Anticipated competition

F. Operation
Perspective Product R&D Product design Manufacturing Quality

B. Management and Strategies

Corporate mission Business development strategy Goals Management team Consultant

G. Risks and Rewards

Risks Benefits Stockholders

C. Products
Concept Product approach Product design Product, trademark, and regulatory status Future products

H. Financial Models Appendixes

Executive Summary (1 page only)

Overview: Name the organization and generically describe its nature, mission, long-term objectives, and products. Competitive products: Describe product types available from competitors and their weaknesses compared to your products, as lead-in to the next topic. Your products: Depict your existing and future products and how they improve competitive shortcomings. Added product issues: Describe additional benefits of your products and also honestly mention any weaknesses and how they are being addressed. Business development status: Briefly outline the status of both product and business development, the latter one individually of each of three divisions (administration, technology and marketing).

Executive Summary cont

Market(s) and shares: Profile the market(s) (the nature and size) your products address, extracting summary data from the program overview and the marketing and sales section.

Project strengths: List the major strengths of the project (e.g., management team, product features and acceptance, patent status, technical prowess, marketing prowess).
Funding requirements: Describe the funding sought, how it is to be used, how it relates to total long-range funding plans, and what is offered in return. In a brief table below the ending text, summarize for each year of the 5-year model: (1) the required investment, (2) sales, (3) market share and (4) pretax profit.

A. Program Overview
Introduction: The introduction provides an orientation to the broad industry or industry group, describes the more specific industry of the company product, depicts the base technologys state of the art and its strengths and weaknesses, and closes by reviewing the product and how it exploits or extends the technology. (2 - 4 paragraphs) History: Include here a non-detailed list of people recruited and goals achieved to date, such as pertinent history, technical marketing development, management team status, facilities, patent status, and project recognition. (1 - 2 paragraphs)

Products: Describe what the product accomplishes functionally (not what it is), summarize the products technical rationale, and list product attributes labeled important by industry representatives. (1-3 paragraphs)

A. Program Overview cont

Market: Depict the market size, supported (if possible) by references, market share estimates, future expansion of markets with the same or other products, and why the market is considered appropriate for the product. (2 - 3 paragraphs) Marketing and sales: Summarize marketing objectives, strategies and their rationale, near-term promotion and sales activities and their assessment measures, product imaging and positioning details and associated rationale, and the expected long-term sales growth profile and its rationale. (2 - 4 paragraphs)

Competition: This topic is a substantially condensed version of the full section on competition. Modify the presentation format to avoid redundancy. (1 - 2 paragraphs)

A. Program Overview cont

Location: The primary discussion of facility location is here, so cover future plans as well as past and current data. (1 paragraph)

Funding requirements: An overview paragraph introduces a table that shows, by project quarter, funding needs and a condensed summary of principle company activities. Breaking up the narrative with a table, a figure, or a list aids readability. (1 paragraph)
Financial goals: Provide intro paragraph citing the financial model as source and briefly list key model assumptions and provide a tabular summary of the following key financial goals for each year of the plan: revenue, expenses, pretax profit, taxes, after-tax profit, number of outstanding stock shares, and earnings per share.

A. Program Overview cont

Return to investors: Summarize the general distribution of stock among investors and management, on the basis of the data in the appendix on the organization. List and briefly discuss three mechanisms identified by management as exit strategies feasible several years out (e.g., company stock buyback, private offering, public offering, company borrowing, merger, company sale).

Design the program overview section so that discussion does not duplicate discussion elsewhere. Many general topics are specified repeatedly in the plan, but each occurrence calls for a different approach or distinct level of detail. No direct rehashes of previously presented material should occur anywhere in the plan (except perhaps the executive summary).

B. Management and Strategies Section

Corporate mission: In one or two sentences, state the corporate mission exactly as needed for ongoing strategic planning. (1 paragraph) Business development strategy: Outline company and product development and underlying rationale, describe industry reception or pre-introduction marketing research to date, discuss how you have applied the strategy of customerdriven design approach, and outline future product development plans and their dependence on the same principles. (2 - 4 paragraphs)

Goals: State the models fifth-year sales goals, followed by a bulleted list identifying at least three reasons why it should materialize (e.g. your unique technology, extensive team industry knowledge, current market position, new or extended marketing approaches planned, future products and markets). (1 paragraph)

B. Management and Strategies Section cont

Management team: List the current team and relevant background or an overview to lead into the following bulleted list (1 paragraph). List each team member, followed by a brief summary of his or her professional field, specialty, major strengths, education and role (1 paragraph per team member). Finally, include a closing paragraph summarizing the time commitment and strength of project conviction of all players, individually or collectively. (1 paragraph) Consultants: If you agree, add something akin to this: [name of company] ascribes to the concept of using consultant instead of employees for certain tasks in the onset to save money. This reduces long-term commitments and therefore costs for irregular or low-level activities and , if relevant, allows evaluation for potential hire. Funds for many in-house administrative, technical, and marketing/sales tasks may be handled using consultants rather than staffing. (1 paragraph)

C. Products
Concept: Describe the fundamental concepts that underlie early products, features that embody said concepts, and expected customer reactions. Outline any significant future enhancements or additional concepts. (1 paragraph) Product approach: Review the specific design approach in general terms. (1 paragraph) Product design: Describe the initial product design in some detail (without revealing proprietary elements) as follows: general nature of product design status, intended use, configuration of various models, a bulleted list of major industry design and functional improvements accomplished (e.g., simple mechanisms, easily produced, reliable components, extended guarantee) and means of production. (3 - 6 paragraphs)

C. Products cont
Patent, trademark, and regulatory status: Review patent status of near-term products, singly or collectively as appropriate; in turn, do the same for trademarks, service marks, and regulatory issues. (1 - 3 paragraphs) Future products: Thoroughly describe the philosophy, organization, budget weight, and leadership of R&D and present its long-term project plans. How will company grow. (1 2 paragraphs)

D. Marketing and Sales

Marketing plan overview: Begin by stating your ultimate realistic industry goal (e.g., leader, prominent or general participant, number two player). Name the functions under the control of the marketing division (probably program design; customer analysis; product imaging, positioning, promotion, pricing , and delivery; competitive analysis; forecasting; new product planning; sales management; and customer service) and give a brief description of each in bulleted list form (1 paragraph plus the list). Address the marketing portion of corporate strategic management, directed to the strategic and tactical planning to develop, design, implement, and control all marketing and sales functions, and who will control that function (1 paragraph).

D. Marketing and Sales cont

Marketing plan overview cont: Address product marketing, the function that defines system features, customers and their needs and desires, product imaging and pricing, sales leads, forecasts, product and technical literature, and other promotional tools and who will control that function (1 paragraph). Next, address promotion and advertising by describing current or planned elements, the target marketplaces, and how your marketing properly conforms to said markets (1 paragraph). Finally, mention sales and service purely by defining management names and titles. (1 paragraph)

D. Marketing and Sales cont

Sales plan overview: Review the general nature, structure, leadership, and makeup of the sales function (1 paragraph); outline the general approach and steps to consummate typical sales (1 paragraph); and describe customer service function leadership, structure, size, makeup, methods, and how data are collected to aid product design. (1 paragraph)

Market size: Define market size and relevant assumptions; present a table of market size, company sales, and company market share of each plan year; discuss reasonableness of such company market share achievement; and end by listing three strong attributes of your product fostering market penetration (e.g., value, low cost, improved efficiency). (4 paragraphs)

D. Marketing and Sales cont

Marketing research: Review company and product advantages from a different perspective. Introduce and display a bulleted list of primary concerns expressed by industry reps (or customers), then present the list, choosing items that accentuate your positives as learned from marketing research (e.g., customer needs, desires, concerns, and shortcomings; appropriateness of industry sophistication, diversity, and maturity; environmental or regulatory issues where you shine), and finally close with a brief description of how well your product meets list attributes (so list only items where you excel). (2 paragraphs plus list)

D. Marketing and Sales cont

Future markets and their approaches: Briefly describe future product and/or marketing approach concepts. Keep this subsection short, to avoid imbalance and a dreamer image, but it is critical to show your essential commitment to ongoing product development and future growth. (1 paragraph)

E. Competition
Perspective: Provide an overview of the global market (size, growth, trends, nature of customer, product turnover rate and so forth). Then describe how the material to follow is organized, for example, by product within one market (as is assumed in the next item), by niche within one market, or by markets.

Specific competitive products: Whatever organizational approach is chosen, discuss each competitor by name, addressing size, company age, spectrum of products, competitive strengths and weaknesses (e.g., product development, innovation, design, quality, marketing), products specifically competitive to yours, and the good and bad of theirs versus yours. (1 paragraph per competitor)

E. Competition cont
Anticipated competition: Describe company preparedness for competition in general, including future new market entrants. It is best to emphasize (and actually conduct) continuous marketing research, in-house R&D, aggressive product development and market entry, and any other factors relevant to sound, responsive business and product management.

F. Operations Section Information on Internal Technical Operations

Perspective: Introduce and define in logical order each major company technical function for later discussion. We treat functions in order of product development, with quality last to emphasize its central attention. (1 paragraph) Product R&D: Describe product development organization, its leader, to whom the leader reports, facilities and equipment, functions included here, sources of ideas, and other key data concisely conveying how R&D works and meshes with other company functions. (1 - 2 paragraphs) Manufacturing: Treat the same basic topics as R&D, plus how key elements (parts, materials, progressing product, finished product, nonconforming material) flow through the system, inventory management, packaging and shipping. (1 - 2 paragraphs)

F. Operations Section cont Information on Internal Technical Operations

Quality: Discuss the same basic topics as R&D, emphasizing how quality is a distinct function and how it is kept relatively independent of management of the administration division and the technology division (1 paragraph). The latter treatment concerns quality at the departmental level. Then treat each of the two major quality functions, such as quality control, in some detail, describing their organization, leadership, functions, facilities and equipment and other key issues.

G. Risks and Rewards

Risks: Begin by asserting that it is essential for management to identify and assess both the risks and the rewards of the companys venture, to aid informed planning. Then state that the plan does not constitute a solicitation or offer of investment--the presented treatment is for purposes of planning and information only, and detailed investment data will be provided during relevant deliberations. Include the same statement on the front most cover or title page of the business plan as well (1 paragraph). Next, include a bulleted list, with each item formed as follows: Identify one major project risk, followed by a brief explanation of how the project is addressing that risk (1 paragraph for each list item). Risk examples include managements ability to affect successful administration, marketing, sales, and products; the degree to which administration, marketing, sales and products;

G. Risks and Rewards cont

Risks cont: the degree to which company products will be accepted by customers and bring them benefits; managements ability to provide adequate external funding and proper financial management; unexpected social, economic regulatory, or legal perturbations; the advent of competitive responses, products, and copying of company products or technology. Benefits: Briefly discuss or list potential benefits to founders (e.g., salary and benefits, entrepreneurial satisfaction, security, stockholder benefits), employees (e.g., salary and benefits, job satisfaction, advancement and professional development opportunities), and stockholders (e.g., potential equity growth, potential dividends, entrepreneurial satisfactions). How are you going to keep your employees!

G. Risks and Rewards cont

Stockholders: To elaborate stockholder risks versus rewards, investment in startups or young firms usually accesses potentially growth in net worth.

H. Financial Model
Include barebones of financials here What are your assumptions? Key assumptions used to develop the sales projections; Marketplace and competitive assumptions; Pricing and discount policies and rationale; Rationale for salaries, benefit levels, and other compensation; Average time lag between a sale and actual money receipt; Average time lag between incurring and paying of bills; Major bills or expense categories that cannot be postponed; Functions that are contracted rather than conducted in-house; Rationale for leasing or purchasing large-ticket items; Time-dependent relationships, such as volume purchases; Relevant environmental, social, economic, political, and regulatory issues.

H. Financial Model
Income Statement The income, or profit-and-loss (P&L), statement summarizes income versus expenses. To hold this statement to one page, many data are summarized, which often dictates the need for additional statements extending beyond the three primary ones to present supporting detail. Otherwise, readers of the business plan may erroneously judge primary statement numbers as too arbitrary.

Revenue Net sales Other revenue Total revenue Cost of Goods Sold Contract manufacturing Purchased materials Manufactured materials Labor Total COGS Gross margin Direct Selling Costs Sales expenses Commissions Ads/meetings/shows Selling costs General and Administrative Administration labor Administration expense Technology labor Technology expense Marketing/sales labor Marketing/sales expense Rent, utilities, phone Legal, insurance, accounting Other Total G&A Profit & Loss Profit before tax Less tax @ 37%

Total of all money received A net sales breakdown by component is possible Total of all money to the company Whole product or subassemblies All purchased parts and materials All parts or materials made in-house All direct/support labor involved in manufacturing Total of all COGS Total revenue less total COGS All direct expenses of selling Sales commissions and bonuses Self-explanatory; add rows for finer breakdown Total of all direct selling costs

Labor + personnel overhead for admin. Division All non-labor expenses for administration divisions Labor + personnel overhead for technology division All non-labor expenses for technology division Labor + personnel overhead for marketing division All non-labor expenses for marketing division Include equipment under appropriate division Self-explanatory Break into additional line items as needed for clarity Total of all G&A expenses Algebraic sum of all category headings Consult an accounting professional for the correct percentage The infamous bottom line

Profit after tax

H. Financials
Balance Sheet Presented immediately after the income statement, the balance sheet shows the relative balance among assets, liabilities, and company equity. A balance sheet is organized to equate assets with the sum of liabilities and equity, the latter term being the companys net worth. Thus the balance sheet summarizes the companys general financial health, its history, and its projected future evolution.

Current Assets Cash Accounts receivable Raw materials inventory Work-in-progress inventory Finished product inventory Short-term notes receivable Total current assets

Cash, typically the checking account balance Money due the company in normal business conduct Inventory as parts and materials Inventory of partially assembled goods Inventory of finished product fully ready for sale Short-term notes payable to the company Self-explanatory

Long-Term and Fixed Assets Technological rights Non-cash value conveyed by founders, for stock Equipment Purchased large-ticket items Less depreciation Depreciation of equipment (a negative entry) Improvements Improvements made to facilities Long-term-notes receivable Long-term notes payable to the company total L/T&F Assets Self-explanatory total assets Total of all assets; equals liabilities + equity Current and Long-Term Liabilities Accounts payable Money owed by company in normal commerce Short-term loans Short-term loans received by the company Tax, payroll Payroll taxes Tax, other Other taxes; break down if needed for clarity Total current liabilities Total current liabilities Long-term liabilities total L-T liabilities Long-term liabilities owed by the company Total liabilities Total current + total long-term liabilities Equity Common stock Founders stock + stock in return for investment Preferred stock Often this is zero for all time periods Retained earnings Cumulated excess earnings, per income statement total equity Algebraic sum of all equity Total liability & equity Algebraic sum of all liabilities and equity

For Your Project:

The financials described here are pretty sophisticated.
At a minimum, it should be at a level that was presented by Professor Suuuuuuuberg. It is really important for you to also show a breakeven time. When do you make money? Year 2? Year 3?

Appendixes:
Include supporting data and information in appendixes, such as:

Details
Supporting financial data Historical financial data

Company organization in gory detail

Resumes of management team and board of directors These are not required for your project, but please include them if you have the data.

Summary
A business plan is a map to success. This will really show you the ropes to do a professional job. You can look back on it in 20 years when you are the CEO of Xerox.

A Glossary of Business Plan Terms

What They Say
We conservatively project

And What They Really Mean

We read a book that said we had to be a $50 million company in five year, and we reverse-engineered the number. We accidentally divide by 0.5.

We took our best guess and divide by 2

We project a 10% margin.

We did not modify any of the assumptions in the business plan template that we downloaded form the Internet. To complete the remaining 2% will take as long as it took to create the initial 98% but will cost twice as much. If you take the evidence form the past week for the best of our 50 locations and extrapolate it for all the others. We tried not to find out how many other people have a sixmonth lead. So do other 50 entrants getting funded. We have not yet asked them to pay for it. Also, all of our current customers are relatives. We have not produced anything yet, but we are confident that we will be able to. Only IBM, Microsoft, Netscape, and Sun have announced plans to enter the business. Consuming the product or services. We mailed a copy of the plan to everyone in the Pratts Guide. We are looking for a passive, dumb-as-rock investor.

The project is 98% complete. Our business model is proven

We have a six-month lead.

We only need 10% market share. Customers are clamoring for our product.

We are the low-cost producers.

We have no competition.

Our management team has a great deal of experience A select group of investors is considering the

We seek a value-added investor.

If you invest on our terms, you will earn a 68% If everything that could ever conceivably go right does go rate of return. right, you might get your money back.