Elements of a Successful Business Plan
- Executive Summary (~2 pages)
- Clear, exciting, and effective as stand-alone overview of the plan
- Company Overview (~1 page)
- Business purpose, history, genesis of concept, current status, overall strategy and objectives
- Products and Services (~1 page)
- Description, features and benefits, pricing, current stage of development, proprietary position
- Industry and Market Analysis (~3 pages)
- Analysis of industry and marketplace in which company will compete
- Marketing Strategy (~4 pages)
- Strategy for addressing the needs of the marketplace with product/service
- Development (~2 pages)
- Ramp-up of business, steps needed to get the business up and running
- Operations (~2 pages)
- Plan for production and delivery of product or services, product cost, margins, operating complexity, resources required
- Management (~2 pages)
- Background of key individuals, ability to execute strategy, personnel needs, organizational structure, who will execute plan
- Summary of Financials (~2 pages)
- Summary of financial reports included in appendices, consistent with plan, effective in capturing anticipated financial performance
- Offering (~1 page)
- Proposal / terms to investors (indicate how much you want), the ROI, structure of the deal, possible exit strategies
- Appendices (no more than 15 pages)
- Any supplementary materials that support your plan
- Financial reports
- Assumptions, trends, and comparatives
- Cash flow statement
- Income statement
- Balance sheet
- Sources and uses of funds