How long does it take to write a simple business plan. How to write a business plan - sample. Determine for whom we draw up a business plan

Your future project. How to write a business plan? The step-by-step instructions in this article will help in this matter.

Business plan objectives

Writing a business plan can be different depending on why you need it. One of the most common purposes is to present it for investment. Such a business plan for a project is the most difficult one. Often, third parties are involved in its writing - specialists in their field who will create a suitable business plan for the investor's approval.

It happens that the manager instructs to write a business plan for the company, for example, for opening a branch. In this case, too, they often turn to third-party specialists in drawing up such plans. Ultimately, the contractor may only need to make some adjustments for the needs of the company.

Well, when a business plan is necessary to start your own business, it is best to write it from cover to cover yourself. Although this is a difficult process, it is exciting and very interesting. After all, your own business is a real brainchild of an entrepreneur. And therefore, their creation is treated very carefully and thoroughly. The article provides instructions on how to draw up a business plan for your business.

Initial idea

Basically, those who decide to open their own enterprise have already chosen and are well aware of their field of activity. But there are entrepreneurs who want to have their own business, but do not yet clearly know what they will be doing. They are looking for a business idea. It is difficult to overestimate its importance. The idea should fit the interests and desires of the entrepreneur himself.

It can be a favorite business, which a person is ready to do even for free, or a business that already brings guaranteed income. In any case, having chosen a niche for yourself, it is important not to be distracted by anything else and not to dream of unattainable peaks, but to bring your real idea to life step by step. A business plan will really help in this matter.

How to write a business plan? Step-by-step instruction

So, having imagined what the future business will be, you can proceed to writing a business plan. There are special planning standards. Therefore, if it will be submitted for investment, you should choose an appropriate standard and adhere to it when writing.

To figure out how to write a business plan, step-by-step instruction and generally accepted standards will serve well as they are validated by people with a professional knowledge of these matters. An entrepreneur will be able to sort through his, perhaps not yet fully formed, thoughts and bring his business to life.

A standard business plan consists of the following chapters:

• General Provisions.

  Market analysis.

  Marketing and strategic plan.

  Costs.

  Production plan.

  Investments.

  Financial plan.

Summary

Here the essence of the matter, a description of a business idea, information about its objective necessity in the market, terms of implementation, and competitiveness should be briefly displayed.

Of course, this part is mostly intended for potential investors. It is they who, after reading the resume, conclude whether it is worth reading this plan further or not. Therefore, if it is supposed to be presented to the investor, it is necessary to carefully describe this part, perhaps returning to it again and again, making adjustments after the compilation of the following chapters.

However, for their own needs, this part is also important, since it helps the entrepreneur to better see the whole process of organizing the business as a whole.

General Provisions

If the resume is written about one - maximum two pages, then this chapter can be written in more detail. That is, in fact, the chapter "General Provisions" contains the same information as the summary, but in a more detailed form invites the reader to get acquainted with the project as a whole.

It describes the characteristics and implementation of the project, its life cycle, the possibility of additional development and the forecast of changes in the product with possible change market trends.

The service business plan in this chapter should contain information about what the particular service is and how it will attract customers. For example, a business plan describes all the proposed services, their characteristics and distinctive features. An attractive feature here is the legend about how celebrities undergo procedures in the salon or how individual specialists provide them with these services, how specialists were trained directly with the brand of product with which they work.

Market analysis

In parallel with writing a business plan or before drawing it up, it is necessary to conduct a market analysis. This is an extremely important part, because the success of the future project directly depends on it.

Having chosen a market niche and target audience, they conduct a thorough analysis in order to identify how relevant the project's business plan, the initial proposal and its idea are. If the analysis reveals an excess of supply, then it is worth returning to the idea and trying to correct it in such a way that it corresponds to the state of affairs in the market. If there is an increased demand, then everything is in order, and you can safely proceed to further actions.

Market analysis is carried out different ways... But if there are problems with its implementation, there are companies where you can outsource market analysis.

Nevertheless, the entrepreneur is advised to sort out this issue himself, since any third-party organizations will give only an objective average result, not fully taking into account the business plans of small businesses and all the nuances of the business idea of ​​the author of the project.

Marketing and strategic planning

This plan includes bringing the product to market, its development, pricing, sales and distribution system, and advertising. To display a product, it is advisable to build a Gantt chart, which will display the dates of the implementation of various activities. Based on the analysis of the market and competitiveness, a strategy is calculated, how the market will be conquered and what tactical actions will be required for implementation.

Pricing is based on economic calculations and the expected income of the company. Sales and distribution can be represented in the form of a diagram, where you will see the entire process in stages. For example, from the receipt of the goods at the warehouse and to the receipt of money for the goods and their sale.

Costs and production schedule

This chapter includes the purchase of the necessary equipment, repairs, rental of premises and other costs. V production schedule it is necessary to reflect how many people are required to implement the project, their work schedule, deductions wages and related payments.

They will become much more attractive for the investor if there is a ready-made team that will work on the project, as this proves the entrepreneur's ability to implement his plans. Therefore, it would be appropriate to emphasize this fact in the business plan.

Production plan

If the company will be a manufacturing company, then here it is necessary to describe the production process, as well as partners and suppliers who will be involved in the case. For example, the farm business plan in this chapter should include equipment for milking, bottling, packaging milk and a mechanism for marketing it through specific suppliers.

Financial plan and investment

The most critical part of the entire business plan is, of course, the financial plan. Moreover, if the project is intended for the investor's acquaintance, then after reading the resume, a serious investor will most likely look at the financial plan. After all, it is here that the entrepreneur's real ability to implement business ideas will be visible. This is the essence of entrepreneurial activity.

The financial plan contains all the information about the possible costs and revenues of the project. Based on marketing, strategic plan and costs, a table is drawn up for several years, which displays the required investments and the schedule for their repayment, all costs and possible income.

The final part of the financial plan must necessarily be the calculation of the profitability of the future business.

The reader now knows how to write a business plan. The step-by-step guide provided in this article is a short tutorial demonstrating the importance of understanding goals and the need for business planning.

A business plan is a document that provides a detailed justification for the project and the ability to comprehensively assess the effectiveness decisions taken, planned activities, to answer the question whether it is worth investing in this project.

The business plan should:

• show that a product or service will find its consumer, establish the capacity of the sales market and the prospects for its development;
• estimate the costs required for the manufacture and sale of products, the provision of works or services on the market;
• determine the profitability of future production and show its effectiveness for the enterprise (investor), for the local, regional and state budget.

The main functions of a business plan:

• is a tool with which an entrepreneur can assess the actual results of activities for a certain period;
• can be used to develop the concept of doing business in the future;
• acts as a tool for attracting new investments;
• is a tool for the implementation of enterprise strategy.

One of the most important stages of the planning process is the preparation of a business plan, which is necessary both for internal planning and to justify obtaining Money from an external source, i.e., receiving money for a specific project in the form of bank loans, budget allocations, equity participation of other enterprises in the implementation of the project.

1. Business plan summary (short annotation)
2. Goals and objectives of the project
3. Company description
4. Analysis of the industry and its development trends
5. Target market
6. Competition
7. Strategic position and risk assessment
8. Marketing plan and sales strategy
9. Operating activities
10. Technological plan
11. Organizational plan
12. Personnel plan
13. Financial plan
14. Social and environmental responsibility
15. Business exit conditions

How to write a business plan correctly

Any form or sample of a business plan offered on the Internet gives only a general idea. Any business has its own characteristics, therefore, there can be no "standard" writing algorithm that is suitable in all cases. There is only one tried and tested principle for any business plan: IT MUST ALWAYS BE SHORT.

Start with the right messages. Paradoxical as it may sound, but for most entrepreneurs, a business plan as a document is one of the least important factors in raising capital.

• If the investor is inclined towards a positive decision, then good business plan will be an additional argument for; but the plan itself is not the reason for this decision.
• If an investor is leaning towards a negative decision, the business plan is unlikely to convince him. In this case, the investor, most likely, will not even read this plan to the end.

Unfortunately, naive entrepreneurs believe that a business plan can inspire excitement and awe in the investor with an immediate request: “ Please tell me where to transfer money».

Well, it's not bad to dream. The correct and realistic motivation for writing a plan should be: which were downplayed in the first euphoria - for example, customer service policy.

Finally, the plan exposes gaps in the founding team. If, looking around the office, you realize that there is no one who could implement some key element of the plan, then there is someone missing from the team.

All midnight, romantic, abstract dreams of changing the world become quite material and controversial, you just have to transfer them to paper. Thus, this document is not as important as the process leading to its creation. Even if you are not pursuing the goal of raising capital, it is still worth writing a business plan.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING

Title page and content. Start with the essentials: company name, address, phone number and contact information for all founders, as well as a table of contents throughout the document.

Introduction. List the most important things in no more than two pages. First, tell us what the value of the project is: what your company will do, how much profit to have, and why people will want to pay for your product or service. If you are sending a plan to investors, tell them about the capital you will need and how you plan to use it. To highlight the essence, you need to imagine the big picture, so it is better to start this part after completing the entire plan.

Market opportunities. Explain to whom you will sell your product or service and why this group of consumers is attractive to you. Several key questions need to be answered. How big is the market? How fast is it growing? What are the growth opportunities and potential threats? How will you deal with them? Most of this information can be found through industry websites and media, official statistics, analyst reports, and even other businessmen. Be sure to indicate the source of information.

Market Review. Make no mistake, your business is not unique. Try to take a sober look and evaluate your opponents. Who are they? What are they selling? What part of the market do they occupy? Why would buyers choose your product or service over theirs? What obstacles can arise when entering this market? Do not forget about indirect competitors who are still working in a different segment, but have similar capabilities and may compete with you later.

Promotion of goods to the market. Describe how you will promote your products or services to the consumer. Conditions and organization of product sales. What promotion channels will you use? In this section, describe the pricing issues.

Company structure. Control. Staff. Execution is almost as important as the idea itself. Therefore, investors are interested in who is on your team. Attach a resume of all founders, partners and executives: what are their skills and achievements. This should also add information about the legal form of the enterprise and its internal organizational structure, the state of the enterprise.

Business model. This section includes a detailed description of all sources of income (sale of a product, service) and the company's cost structure (payroll, rent, operating costs). Describe the premises, equipment, technologies, production flow diagrams. Make sure you mention and justify all possible income and expenses. Also, include the names of major suppliers and buyers. In fact, this section is the production plan of the future company.

Financial performance and forecasts. Make a forecast for profit, loss and cash flows (income-expense) for at least three years in advance (it is advisable to break the first year into quarters or even months). Also provide an analysis that shows how soon the start-up investment will pay off.

Risks. Don't wait for trouble to find out how your business can handle it. Work out the possible scenarios: worst, best and average, and what you will do to reduce negative consequence risks or even prevent them. Make sure you have enough money to weather any storm. If you insure risks, write down what amount you will insure and types of insurance policies.

Sources of funds and their use. If you are trying to get money from investors, they will want to know how you plan to use your capital. In this section, you need to indicate the estimated startup costs: premises, purchase of new equipment, company logo design, etc. Most entrepreneurs underestimate the cost of starting a new business. Therefore, do your research before contacting investors.

Applications. This may include a resume, credit information, market overview, schemes, a promotion plan, copies of contracts, including leases, letters of guarantee from future customers, certificates of patent and trademark registration, partnership agreements, company registration certificate.

10 mistakes when writing a business plan

According to professional project managers, there are, there are 10 things that should not be written in a business plan.

1. "Dead Souls". A common mistake entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is that it contains information about certain executive members who, in fact, have nothing to do with the team. Information about the consultants should be given reliable, because the investor may wish to communicate with them personally.
2. "Homework". There is no need to be zealous with confusing descriptions of the entire range of products and services. This will only overload your plan with a large size, which does not suit you at all, because the investor must grasp the very essence from the first pages, otherwise further reading will not make sense for him.
3. "Fictional Characters". All biographies of board members, founders should be extremely honest and not embellished.
4. "Who, when and how you want." In marketing plans, you need to rely only on the proposals that actually exist.
5. "Year after year". You cannot submit financial plans in a business plan broken down exclusively by years. As mentioned above, the forecast for the first year should be made on a monthly basis and show seed funding and then a quarterly breakdown for the next period. The investor must see when the full return on investment will take place and whether the investment will pay off.
6. "Monopoly". There is always competition and similar products or services, the consumer market is not so large, and it takes a lot of effort to implement a business plan. Therefore, in the text, it is necessary to abandon phrases about the absence of competition, a huge market that has no analogues, products or services, and the simple implementation of the project.
7. "Hockey stick". Financial indicators categorically cannot, when viewed graphically, constitute a curve in the form of a hockey stick, that is, profit falling from the very beginning and infinitely striving upward in the future. The most ingenious idea, with its payback, will generate competition for itself, so incomes cannot grow indefinitely.
8. "No scores for metrics." The market should be assessed by you from different angles in quantitative terms: perspective, market share, customers. Otherwise, you are incompetent.
9. "Promises". You should not stipulate in the business plan possible financial injections that are at an unfinished stage. Funding is either there or not.
10. "Somewhere like that." Your business plan must be in hard numbers. It is your responsibility to clearly understand the scope of fixed, variable, direct, indirect and outsourcing costs.

Print your business plan. Set aside all pages starting with the third. Reread the first two pages - do they make you want to read the rest of the document? Brevity, simplicity, clarity - cross out all that is unnecessary.

Having polished your plan to a shine, do not send it collecting dust in a distant drawer. “The business plan is just the beginning of the process. Planning a business is like navigating a ship at sea: you have to constantly adjust your course. The plan itself is of little value. It's important to go back to it and see where you were wrong and what it cost you.

We wish you every success! All in your hands!

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"Plans are the dreams of knowledgeable people" Ernst von Feuchtersleben (English scientist, philosopher, literary critic).

Business planning goals

Having chosen your business, you need to decide how you will organize it, which means you need to plan for the near future. Everyone needs a business plan:

• To those from whom you try to lend money for the implementation of your project, that is, bankers and investors.
• To your employees who want to understand their tasks and perspectives.
• And to you yourself - to test the rationality and realism of your ideas.

Business plan Is a document that:

1. Describes all the main aspects of a future enterprise or project.
2. Analyzes all the problems it may face.
3. Determines how to solve the identified problems.

Correctly drawn up business plan- this is a clear answer to the questions: "is it worth investing in the business you have planned and will it bring income that will pay off all the costs of manpower and resources?"

Important! Planning should be carried out by present or future companies, that is, those people who are not afraid to take responsibility for the implementation of the business plan. But this does not mean, of course, that you do not need to use the services of consultants and experts in this field. Admittedly, consulting firms charge a decent amount to compile it, ranging from $ 2,000 to $ 40,000. But you can make it yourself, while incurring minimal costs. By engaging in this work personally, you will not only model your future activities, but also check your strength and the idea itself.

So, the main purpose of the business plan: he helps entrepreneurs to solve the following problems:

- To study the capacity and development prospects of the future sales market.

- Estimate the costs for the production of products needed by the market. Weigh them against prices.

- Determine those indicators by which it will be possible to regulate the state of affairs.

Keep in mind! A business plan is usually written for the future, and it should be drawn up approximately 3-5 years in advance. At the same time, for the first year, the main indicators should be divided in a monthly breakdown, for the second - quarterly, and only starting from the third year, one should limit ourselves to annual indicators. Although if we take into account our economy, its volatility, then planning for a period of more than a year is not entirely effective. Therefore, many now limit themselves to writing a plan for the year.

Business plan structure

The business plan has a complex structure. The whole life of a company from the moment of creation to the moment of stability and stability should be spelled out in business language, at the same time intelligibly and vividly. A business plan should be understandable to any entrepreneur, financier and banker, as well as potential partners. The confidentiality memorandum is drawn up in order to warn persons familiar with the business plan about the confidentiality of the information contained in it. The memorandum may contain a ban on copying, transferring the project to third parties and a requirement to return the project to the author.

A business plan should always be short and succinct. True, sometimes, in order to reveal the essence of the problem, it is made quite deep in content. Recommended volume: 30 - 70 pages, no more. It is advisable to include all additional materials in the attachments to the business plan.

Remember! It is important to provide dosage information.

Here are the main points that you will need to consider:

1. annotation(up to 1 page) - written request for senior management.
2. Summary(1-3 pages) - basic information to get acquainted with the business plan.
3. Business plan(45-60) - for a detailed study of the project by the investor's specialists and experts.

Remember! Any business has its own characteristics, therefore, there cannot be a certain "standard" plan that is acceptable in all cases. There is, so to speak, only general principle, the structure of drawing up a business plan.

Summary

Your business should always start with conclusions, you write them last, but they should be the very first paragraph of your business plan. A resume is the result of an already written business plan. This is the only part that most potential investors read.

• The purpose of the business plan.
• The need for finances, for what purposes they are needed.
• A brief description of the business and its target customer.
• The main differences from competitors.
• Key financial indicators.

Business plan:

1. Goals and objectives

Here you will need to provide an analysis of the idea (SWOT-analysis). Reveal strong and weak sides as well as opportunities and threats.

• Analysis of the idea.
• The purpose of the activity (what you want to achieve).
• Characteristics of the industry.

2. Product (service)

It is important that this part is written in clear, concise language that can be understood by a layperson.

• Description of the product or service and their application.
• Uniqueness
• Technologies and qualifications necessary for business.
• License / Patent Rights.

3. Market analysis

Market and marketing is a decisive factor for all companies. You need to first collect and process a large amount of "draft" information.

• Buyers.
• Competitors (their strengths and weaknesses).
• Market segments.
• Market size and growth.
• Estimated market share.
• The composition of your clientele.
• Influence of competition.

4. Marketing plan

At this stage, the main task is to gain the trust and disposition of a potential investor. If you do not have a special education, you should read books on marketing, contact a specialist.

• Marketing alignment (main characteristics of products, services in comparison with competitors).
• Pricing (how to correctly set the price of a product).
• Distribution scheme of goods.
• Sales promotion methods.

5. Production plan

Here you should consider all issues related to the premises that you occupy, their location, equipment, personnel.

• Location of premises.
• Equipment.
• Sources of supply of basic materials and equipment.
• Use of subcontractors.

6. Management staff

Investments are made in specific people, and not in a business plan, therefore this section is one of the most important.

• The main management team.
• Staff composition.
• Reward.

7. Sources and amount of required resources

In this section, you should present your thoughts on:

• Amount of funds required.
• Sources of their receipt, form, timing.
• Terms of refund.

8. Financial plan and risk analysis

Business people are divided into those who like to work with numbers and who are afraid of them. For those in the first category, this section of the business plan is undoubtedly the most important.

• Sales volume, profit, cost, etc.
• Risks and how they can be avoided.

9. Detailed financial plan

You need to include a detailed financial plan in your business plan:

• Sales volume forecast.
• Profit and loss estimates.
• Cash flow analysis (monthly for the first year, then quarterly).
• Annual balance sheet.

And finally, I would like to give some useful tips for drawing up a business plan:

1. To get started, read a few other business plans.
2. The business plan should reflect your personality.
3. Preparing a business plan is a job that requires the use of imagination.
4. Gain experience and skills in the chosen direction.
5. Write only on days when you are full of energy, not when you are mentally and physically exhausted.

Wish you luck!

In this article, we will analyze in detail what a business plan is, what it is for and how to draw it up correctly.

Greetings, dear readers! Alexander Berezhnov is in touch. Today we will talk about business, or rather, about business planning.

As you know, any business or project starts with. But in itself, it does not carry much value, since most people give birth to dozens of ideas every day.

Many famous entrepreneurs, outstanding people in the field of training in management, leadership and planning speak about this. These are Stephen Covey, John Maxwell, Vladimir Dovgan, Alex Yanovsky, Tony Robbins and others.

Surely you had situations when an idea was born, but there was not enough time and energy to bring it to life, and most importantly, you did not know where to start.

This article will be useful for both beginners and existing entrepreneurs, because, as you know, any prosperous company or project always has a plan to achieve its goals.

When I myself went through trainings in the field of business planning, I remembered well the words of one of the trainers:

A dream differs from a goal in that it does not have a clear plan for achieving it!

In other words, if you don't have a good plan for achieving your goal, it is unlikely that it will become more for you than just a dream even after many years.

In this article, I will cover issues related to business planning, since myself I have experience in writing business plans for my own entrepreneurial projects. And in order to convey information in an accessible language, before writing the article, I talked with two of my friends who are professionally engaged in writing business plans for entrepreneurs to order in order to attract outside capital to the business of their clients. The guys help entrepreneurs by writing professional business plans in obtaining loans, grants and subsidies.

Dear readers, I draw your attention to the fact that in these articles we will consider a simplified model for writing a business plan for starting a small business. And if you are faced with the task of writing a business plan for a large company, then I advise you to use the services of professionals who specialize in this.

I will not take away your precious time anymore, let's start ...

1. What is a business plan

Any term has many definitions. Here I will give my own, it is rather short and reflects the main meaning of the concept of "business plan".

Business plan Is a document or, in other words, a manual that describes the idea of ​​a project, business processes and mechanisms for their implementation in order to achieve the goals stated by the author of the document (business plan).

In general, business planning, like any process, must have a goal, in this case the success of your project will depend on 3 key factors:

1. Awareness of your level at the current moment in time (point "A");
2. A clear view ultimate goal where you (and your company) plan to be (point "B");
3. A clear understanding of the sequence of steps to move from point "A" to point "B".

2. What is a business plan for?

From my experience, I will say that a business plan is needed globally in 2 cases, and in each case its writing is different in a certain way.

These are the cases:

1. Business plan for investors(lenders, donors, bodies providing state support in the form of subsidies, etc.)

Here, the main purpose of the business plan is to prove the viability of the project and the effective use of funds. And it does not matter whether you will return them, if it is a loan or not, if it is a subsidy or a grant.

In a situation where you are thinking about how to write a business plan for investors, you need to focus on the consistency of the actions you plan to take, perhaps even bluffing about certain points that will help you get funding. When writing a business plan, you can embellish something, but most importantly, do not get carried away.

In short, your ready plan should be clean, neat, logical. Everything should be beautifully painted in it, explanations are given to the facts you cited, and so on.

It will not be superfluous to prepare a good computer presentation and speak publicly to investors.

Therefore, when I am asked how to write a business plan, I ask a question in response: “For whom is the business plan drawn up? For yourself or for investors? "

2. A business plan for yourself(according to this plan, you will actually act for successful implementation own project)

Let me explain with an example. If, when writing a business plan to attract funding, you write that you need 300,000 rubles to buy 10 computers, then you write a detailed estimate in the form of a table:

That is, you really need 10 computers to run the project. That's how you write it. BUT!

If you are drawing up a business plan for yourself, then most likely even this small estimate for computers will look different for you. You will ask why?

Example

You know that you and your partner, with whom you are going to open a business, already have 3 computers for two, and you can find 3 more computers at your father at work, at home on the loggia and in your grandmother's garage, having slightly modernized them.

It's very figurative, but I think you get the point. All this concerns the available resources, but for the investor you will ask for funds to purchase new office equipment, since you will need to document it for it.

The same, if you are going to open a business in the field of cargo transportation, then in the business plan for the investor you write that you need 5,000,000 rubles to buy 5 trucks. Then it will be easier for the investor to navigate the expediency of using his funds.

Even if you already have 1 or 2 similar trucks, you simply add them to a new vehicle fleet when receiving funding and everyone will be happy.

Because there is often a situation when, in negotiations with an investor, you say that for successful functioning your project needs 5 trucks, but in principle you have 2 ... And then you start to disorient the investor, saying that one of these cars was bought in half with your friend, and the other belongs to your wife and she may not give it to you for a new project and etc.

Output

Write a business plan for investors as much as possible detailed and beautiful.

When writing a business plan for yourself, focus on the resources that you have, and write such a plan as close as possible to yours. realities.

Moving on to the technology of writing a business plan ...

3. How to draw up a business plan correctly

Drawing up a business plan begins with a preliminary analysis of the current situation.

Before moving on to the wording, description and filling of the sections, you need to put together all the information that you own, and if you do not get it, then fill in these gaps using third-party sources or contacting specialists.

One of the recognized technologies for preliminary analysis before the upcoming business planning is the so-called SWOT analysis.

It is quite simple to understand and clearly structures all the information you have.

4. What is SWOT analysis and how is it applied in business planning?

SWOT- this is an abbreviation and it stands for:

• S trengths- strengths;
• W eakness- weak sides;
• O pportunities- possibilities;
• T hreats- threats.

SWOT analysis is needed in order to assess the internal and external factors of the company, making an objective picture for the upcoming business planning.

For example, in your case, these may be the following indicators:

Strengths:

• Low production cost;
• High professionalism of the project team;
• The company's product (service) has an innovative component;
• Attractive packaging of a product or a high level of service provided by a company.

Weak sides:

• Lack of own retail space;
• Low brand awareness among potential buyers.

Opportunities and threats are characteristics of the external environment that cannot be directly influenced by the company, and therefore, they can influence the outcome of its work in the future.

Such factors can be:

• Economic and political situation in a country or region;
• Socio-cultural environment (peculiarities of consumers' mentality);
• The level of technology development in the territory of doing business;
• Demographic situation.

According to the analysis of the current conditions, it is possible to identify the potential opportunities of the future project.

Possibilities:

• Introduction of new materials and technologies for the production of the company's product;
• Receiving additional funding for the project;
• Adaptation of product design to the cultural and age characteristics of the region.

Threats:

• High customs duties for raw materials for the production of goods;
• Strong competition in this market segment.

After the SWOT analysis has been done, you can proceed to the description of the sections of the business plan. Below I will describe each of them, explain my point of view, and in the 3rd part of this instruction, in a concise form, I will give examples of filling out each section. This will help you to visually see the technology of writing a business plan.

And so that my examples are not general phrases like “it is better to be healthy and rich than poor and sick”, I will disclose the question “How to write a business plan” using the example of opening anti-cafe or in another way time-cafe * .

Antikafe(or time-cafe) is a new format of cultural and entertainment establishments that first appeared in Moscow in 2010.

Their essence lies in the fact that visitors do not order food and drinks for themselves for money, as in a regular cafe, but pay per minute for the time they spend in the institution. For this payment, they get the opportunity to play board games(for example, the very popular game ""), play video games on the X-BOX game console, organize your own events: birthdays, corporate events, parties, and also enjoy free WI-FI The Internet.

Here, visitors can also participate in entertainment and educational activities: musical and theater evenings, trainings, clubs foreign languages, take training courses on playing musical instruments and so on.

By the way, personally, as a person leading a healthy lifestyle, I am glad that in these establishments it is not allowed to drink alcohol and smoke.

5. What sections should be in the business plan

In order to understand the structure of a business plan, you need to decide on its sections. I will offer you my own version, which is classic for most business plans.

Sections of the business plan:

1. Introductory part (summary);
2. Description of goods and services;
3. Market analysis and marketing strategy;
4. Production plan;
5. Organizational plan;
6. Financial plan (budget);
7. Expected results and prospects (final part).

When starting to develop a business plan, I recommend that you conduct a small brainstorming session describing your idea on 1-2 A4 sheets. This is necessary in order to understand the whole picture and only then proceed to a detailed description of the above sections.

An important point!

Before filling out the sections in detail, collect as much information as possible on the topic of your project (business).

It can be:

• Industry analysis with quantitative indicators;
• Ways to promote your products or services;
• Current competitors in the market;
• The amount of tax deductions for your company;
• Technologies applied in the industry of your future business.

All this will help you write a business plan yourself as efficiently as possible and not search along the way for material for its sections. This will save you a significant amount of time and get good results.

In the second part, we will take a closer look at how to fill out the sections of the business plan.

I know a lot about business planning. She planned and started 3 family businesses. Made up 4 business plans for receiving grants and one subsidy from the Employment Center. Helped several friends to formulate their ideas, edited dozens of documents for clients, studied hundreds of materials from business applicants applying for a loan.

For two years I worked for a credit institution that finances a business. Beginners and experienced entrepreneurs applied for funds, and we assessed the prospects and payback of the idea, made a business plan or adjusted the client's existing calculations. Information about the applicant was presented at a meeting of the credit committee, where they collectively made a decision to issue the requested amount or to refuse.

To convince all loan officers to vote “for” financing, it was necessary to analyze all the possible risks of the project and find solutions for any situation, protect the lender's money from all sides, and provide options for withdrawal if everything goes according to a negative scenario.

Discussion of business projects at the credit committee was structured as follows:

- And what if he divorces his wife, who will sell in his store, because now she herself is behind the counter?

- Will hire a second salesperson. By the way, the wife acts as a surety for the loan, so she will take on half of the debt in case of divorce.

- What will happen to the debt when the “off-season” for sales comes?

- In the off-season, in the schedule, I propose to reduce monthly payments so that the client "pulls" this amount during a period of declining profits.

- And if his warehouse is robbed?

- The warehouse is guarded, but we still insure the inventory - this insurance company pays compensation within a couple of weeks without nagging or delays, so the client will quickly recover the losses and be able to order a new batch of goods.

Become such a strict commission for your own project and go through all the weak points of the business to find a plan B and C for any development of the situation. Have a discussion and brainstorming session with friends. Better to find possible problems and think over their decisions on paper even before opening a company, than then risk and incur extra costs.

Quite everyday situations can turn into a disaster for microbusiness and problems for large enterprise... Consider this when planning, so that later suddenly you do not go into negative territory.

My experience will help you draw up a business plan and get financing for it. It can be used when contacting private investors, requesting a bank loan, or to receive a grant for start-up entrepreneurs from the local administration.

Using the example of my new family business - a small blacksmith's workshop - I will show you how to create a business plan to raise funds from the budget.

A business plan is a document that comprehensively describes an idea, project, work and the results of such work. It takes into account everything from the launch schedule and recruiting to different development scenarios and payback periods. V full version the document lists possible risks and options for their minimization.

What are the differences from the feasibility study?

A feasibility study is a feasibility study for the launch of a project. Calculations in it relate only to the necessary investments, forthcoming costs, expected income, payback period. It calculates the financial benefit from the planned activities. A feasibility study can be drawn up when a separate issue is being resolved, for example, about transferring accounting to.

The business plan, in comparison with the feasibility study, covers a wider range of issues, including the promotion and marketing of the project, organizational arrangements, and risk assessment. The social component of a startup is also considered here. A business plan is a more complex document; it is needed when opening a restaurant or store.

Why do you need a business plan

The business plan shows the seriousness of the entrepreneur's intentions and the depth of his immersion in the topic. He needs this himself in order to understand what awaits in the process, how to avoid problems and get it.

But this document is most important when raising funds. Without a business plan, an investor, loan officer or administration employee will not discuss the possibility of issuing loans or budget funds.

Let's go back to our smithy. My husband and I need a business plan for internal use - to understand what startup costs will be needed, how much and what will have to be purchased, what and how to arrange for legal work, what income is possible, what to produce and how to sell.

But another purpose of compiling a BP is to apply for a grant. At the district level, budgetary funds are allocated to support start-up entrepreneurs. It is possible to receive up to 300,000 rubles free of charge upon passing a competitive selection, during which the commission evaluates the business plan and its indicators. To get around and get it, you need to correctly draw up this document and correctly present your project.

Internal - for adoption management decisions... A businessman needs such a document for himself, for partners, for employees.

External - to attract funding and state support, search for an investor. It is compiled to communicate with banks, apply to the district / city administration for a grant or subsidy, negotiate with potential partners.

The tasks that different business plans solve are different. You cannot draw up one document and go with it for a loan, and for budgetary support, and in search of a private investor.

1. Money from the budget

Tasks of the business plan when attracting budget funds:

• Demonstrate your vision of the project, convince the officials distributing funds that you understand the chosen area and understand where to start. They do not care how and what you will do in the course of work, the main thing is that your business is kept afloat for at least 3-5 years. This is how long they track the fate of the recipients of support.
• Choose a priority direction of development: do and sell what the market needs, engage in those services that are lacking in the region, meet the demand of different categories of the population. This is important, again, to improve statistics in the region, so that the authorities can report that the consumer market is developing.
• Confirm social significance project: job creation and employment of the unemployed, youth, disabled people, parents with many children - the more workers a business needs, the better. The number of new jobs is one of the criteria for evaluating a project.
• Calculate the budgetary efficiency of the business - the amount of tax and non-tax revenues, including insurance premiums for employees, and the more you plan to pay the government, the higher the likelihood of a grant being awarded. Ideally, these receipts should recoup the costs of providing you with a grant in a couple of years, and then cover them.

Consider all these points when drawing up a business plan in order to correctly place accents.

All indicators of the business plan and forecasts will be checked after the issuance of budget funds - once a quarter, six months or a year, the commission will go to the site and request financial documentation and reporting from you, check the indicators with the planned ones. If you don't hire employees or start shipping products to local stores as promised, you may be forced to return your money because you defaulted on your contract. Therefore, on paper, do not overestimate the numbers or embellish anything; approach planning more realistically.

2. Bank loan

If you decide to apply for money to the bank, then the business plan for a loan will perform other tasks:

• Prove understanding of the project by the entrepreneur himself, give a timetable that will help to draw up a debt repayment schedule.
• Calculate the amount of income and expenses, taking into account the obligatory payments to repay the loan.
• List the risks of loan default and suggest possible ways to minimize them - surety, insurance, property pledge.

The lender needs the client to reach the planned income and be able to fulfill their obligations without delays and disruptions, even in an emergency. In the business plan for the bank, it is necessary to focus on this. The number of jobs created or the amount of taxes paid does not bother him, more important is the financial stability of the borrower.

3. Investor funds

The financial component of the project is also important for the investor; he needs information about the payback period of investments. When investing his money, he must understand how quickly he will get some results - a return of money, a part of the profit.

The business plan should immediately provide for options for distributing profits between investors, providing them with a share in the company, and the degree of involvement in work.

4. Internal resources

A business plan "for oneself" can perform any task and contain a wide variety of information about the future or current enterprise. With its help, you can prepare a report for management and shareholders with calculations and arguments in favor of expanding production, opening a new outlet, entering the market of another region, developing a product line.

In such a document, you can delve into the details, paint all the nuances and take into account not only financial issues, but also organizational work, marketing policy, production moments.

There is no universal business plan, you always need to understand why and for whom it is intended and, with this in mind, draw it up.

• To receive a grant, the forge's business plan must tell more about what it will give to the district, how the budget will benefit from its opening.
• So, be sure to indicate that the nearest smithy is located in another area of ​​the region, 200 km away, so the opening of a new enterprise will provide local residents with affordable products. And it will be suitable for household needs and meet the needs of all categories of the population - hardware tools, interior items, furniture.
• It should be emphasized that in the first year the entrepreneur-blacksmith will be employed, and in the second year it is planned to hire another employee as an assistant. This will create 2 jobs.
• It is also worth calculating in detail how much insurance premiums a self-employed entrepreneur will pay for himself, and how much for an employee next year.
• An employee's salary must necessarily exceed the average salary in the relevant industry in the region. Thus, in the Novgorod region, statistics say that workers in the production sector receive an average of 32,000 rubles. Payments to an employee in the calculations must be indicated not less than this amount.
• This will need to be mentioned in the brief description of the project - that part of the business plan that all members of the competition committee will read and carefully study.
• If we went to the bank for a loan, we would focus on other details - payback, stable income, profitability, which allows us to repay the requested amount with interest.

The main sections of the business plan

Any business plan must contain a comprehensive description of the project so as not to be missed important information... The main sections can be named in different ways, be combined or divided into additional subsections, but their content must necessarily be in the document.

What sections does the business plan include?

Detailed content of the sections of the business plan

What to write about in the main paragraphs of this document in order to get a complete picture of the development of the company?

Business Description

date of creation, official registration of individual entrepreneurs or legal entity.

Distribution of shares in a company between partners, co-founders, investors.

The experience of a businessman before that - education, work experience as an employee. It is not necessary to indicate the entire work history and attach diplomas, unless this directly relates to a new project. So, when a businessman planning to open a cafe has worked for several years as a manager in a public catering, this will be his plus. If he graduated from a university with a degree in restaurant business, then this is another point in the piggy bank of his experience. And if all his life he twisted the nuts in a car service, learned to be a veterinarian and then suddenly swung at the opening of a bar - information about education and experience will be superfluous.

Place of registration, business area. You need to indicate not only the address, but also the overall coverage of the territory.

Goals and objectives of the project... Here you need to describe the field of activity, and also measurable results - to open 1 cafe with 30 seats, sell 500 kg of baked goods daily, etc.

I will show you how to describe an enterprise in a business plan, using the example of a forge. The section “Description of the project” will contain the following information:

• The IP registration date is May 2018.
• The business entrepreneur will run independently, without involving partners. The hired employee will be hired in spring 2019.
• The entrepreneur spent a year doing forging in his home workshop. In the spring of 2018, he rented a room for a smithy on the production site, equipped it and continued to work.
• At the end of 2017, he completed a three-month course “Hand art forging” at the Academy of Metalworking (St. Petersburg) and received the qualification “blacksmith” (a copy of the education certificate is attached).
• The goal of the project is to open a forge on the territory of the N district for the production and sale of forged products to the population.
• By 2019, it is planned to produce monthly products worth 250,000 rubles.

Market assessment... You need to estimate the market size, population, and the number of potential customers. It is quite difficult to do this without full-fledged marketing research. Therefore, it is worth looking for ready-made results of such an assessment for your region. In extreme cases, you can predict effective demand approximately.

The main thing is to formulate sales tasks for yourself: will you work only within the microdistrict, will you open outlets throughout the city, you will take products for sale throughout the district or you will deliver outside of it.

How exactly you plan to reach your target audience, how you will choose suitable promotion channels, you will describe in detail in the section “ Marketing plan”, Now just indicate the direction.

Competitors... List your competitors who are already in this market.

Not only direct competitors offering similar goods and services are taken into account, but also those companies that produce replacement products, provide alternative services... If your city does not have a specialized tea boutique, this does not mean that the market is clear of competitors: you will have to fight for customers with those department stores and supermarkets that also sell different types of tea.

• There are no other blacksmiths engaged in artistic forging on the territory of the regional center and neighboring areas. Nearest company selling similar products self made located at a distance of 250 km (in the regional center).
• Factory-made hardware and trenching tools - pokers, scrapers, machetes, axes, accessories - are offered in 6 hardware stores in the area, but consumers complain about their poor quality, and monitoring of the goods has shown that such goods do not last long. Hand forged items are more durable, with the local blacksmith being able to compete with the factory suppliers, guaranteeing more than just high quality, but also sharpening the tool, repairing it, making it with the required dimensions to order. Forged decorative elements of the interior and household products - door handles, hooks for gates and hinges for gates, hangers and hooks for clothes - are rarely found in stores, mainly plastic products are sold. Forged garden furniture - benches, gazebos, lamps, tables - are not sold in the area.
• These products are in steady demand among the local population. Products of hand-made art forging are bought not only by villagers for their village houses, but also by summer residents, owners of tourist centers and country cafes.
• The smithy will supply goods to the market of the N district, conclude contracts with stores for the supply of products for sale, participate in craft fairs in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Production plan

Business processes... Write a list of equipment, tools, raw materials and materials that are required to create the selected range of goods and services. Calculate the optimal production volumes for your equipment. Indicate which employees and with which workload you will need.

Products... List the products, services and works that you will offer clients. Calculations of the costs of organizing business processes will allow you to find out the cost price and draw up a price list.

Initial attachments... Calculate how much money will be needed to launch the project. Add up the cost of all assets, fixed assets, repairs, materials and other costs that will be required to start production.

For example, this section might look like this:

• For the work of the smithy, it is necessary to equip the room with ventilation, a forge, an anvil with a hammer, a vice, a table for cutting metal, a spray booth for processing finished products with heat-resistant paint, anti-rust and other coatings. All this has already been done by the entrepreneur himself.
• The following equipment and tools will increase the efficiency and productivity of the following equipment and tools: a grinder for sharpening blades (40,000 rubles), a grinder for cutting metal (5,000 rubles), a grinder for processing forged products (10,000 rubles), a welding machine (20,000 rubles .), a mechanical hammer (from 150,000 rubles). The total cost of equipping the forge is 225,000 rubles.
• In the manufacture of products, metal is used - a profile, sheet metal, fittings, wire. Raw materials are purchased in small wholesale at a metal warehouse in a neighboring area, delivery is carried out by the supplier's transport. The cost of a batch of raw materials including delivery is 10,000 rubles. In a month, taking into account the load and the volume of work, there can be 2-4 parties.
• Forging requires coal and gas in cylinders. The combined furnace allows you to process metal by heating it with coal or gas. The average monthly consumption of these types of fuel is 1,500 rubles and 2,000 rubles, respectively.
• Supply and exhaust ventilation, electric. It is used to maintain the required temperature in the furnace and remove combustion products from the room. Electricity consumption is recorded on a separate meter in the smithy and reaches 2,500 rubles a month.
• During the first 9-10 months, the blacksmith will work alone, then it will be necessary to hire a worker as an assistant.
• The smithy is located on the territory of the carpentry shop, so there will be no problems with the manufacture of mixed products - from wood with forged elements.
• List of products: benches, tables, bar stools, stands for flowers, fireplace sets (poker, scoop, stand for them), floor and wall hangers, hooks for clothes, latches and hinges for gates and gates, door and cabinet handles, lamps , coasters for the kitchen for hot dishes or for cutting boards, sickles, machetes, scrapers, knives.
• The forge is already in operation, but not in full force... The grant funds are required for the purchase of additional equipment. Replenishment current assets These operating expenses will be paid at their own expense.

Organizational plan

Organizational and legal form... Is an individual entrepreneur or LLC suitable for the implementation of the selected project, or some other form of organization. What is the reason for the choice. What taxation system is chosen, why is it suitable.

Distribution of roles of founders... If there are multiple partners, their role in the management and operation of the company is described. What will they do, what will they be responsible for.

Staff... What kind of employees will be needed, who needs to be hired in the staff, whom to hire temporarily, what functions can be outsourced or performed independently.

Settlements with counterparties... how it is planned to receive money from customers, whether it is necessary to open, buy an online cash register, or are there options to carry out settlements in some other way.

Calendar plan the project... What should be done and when, what issues should be resolved immediately, what - later. It is advisable to calculate the cost of each stage in order to clearly show when and to what extent funding is required.

• For a forge, a self-employed blacksmith only needs to be individual entrepreneur... This simplifies accounting and reporting. The entrepreneur himself conducts the bookkeeping using the appropriate online services provided to him by the bank.
• For settlements with customers and suppliers, a current account is used, a cash register will also be purchased, although it is possible to sell goods at fairs without it. When buying a cash register, a special deduction will be used.
• After hiring an employee, it will be necessary to register with extra-budgetary funds as an employer; before that, it is enough to regularly pay insurance premiums to extra-budgetary funds.
• Activities are already underway. Upon receipt of the grant, equipment will be purchased, which will increase production volumes.
• When budget funds are issued in July, within a month everything will be purchased and installed necessary equipment according to the list (by 225,000 rubles), already from August the productivity of the forge will increase several times. The hiring of an employee is planned in the spring of next year - in March-April, before that the blacksmith will work independently.

This section is devoted to the channels and methods of promotion, the necessary actions to increase sales, and the cost of advertising.

Promotion channels... Advertisements in newspapers, videos on radio and TV, online advertising, creating your own website and groups in social networks, advertising in local publics and forums, participation in exhibitions and fairs.

The target audience ... Who should be guided by when organizing sales. Who is your client - by age, gender, occupation, income level. Where to find him and how to contact him.

Promotion cost... How much will it cost to search and attract target audience? How often you will have to launch ads, what options it is advisable to choose.

In our example business plan, this section will look like this:

Financial performance

It is necessary to calculate the cost of production, the planned sales volumes, the required costs, the projected income and profit, the profitability of the project. If there are many and different products, it is not necessary to include all the calculations in the business plan, they can be taken out in a separate application, and all indicators can be calculated based on the average cost price. You need to show your own contribution to the project, the need for borrowed funds. If you need to repay the loan - an approximate repayment schedule. When paying to the investor - the calculation of his share of the profit.

Risk assessment

External factors... Emergencies and natural disasters, the negative impact of local authorities, a new competitor, changes in the economic situation and falling incomes of the population.

Internal factors... Incorrect market assessment, delays in deliveries, personnel problems, production errors, problems with renting premises, industrial accidents.

Risk Mitigation Options... Life, health, property, third party liability insurance. The ability to reduce prices, change the assortment, switch to another product, change the circle of potential customers, expand the sales market and find new buyers outside the region, region or country. Agreements with partners and contractors, good personal relations with the authorities, a large number of qualified workers in the market who are looking for work, etc.

Something like this will look like the elaboration of some of the risks for the forge:

• At first, the income of the forge will completely depend on the entrepreneur himself. Health problems or injuries will negatively impact workload and bottom line. Emergencies in production can be prevented by observing safety precautions. Then it is planned to hire an employee who will relieve the increased workload from the blacksmith himself.
• Fire, accidents, equipment breakdowns, natural disasters - damage from these accidents will be covered by property insurance, which will be issued for the rented premises, equipment and tools in the smithy at their market value. The smithy has already passed the fire test, there were representatives of the energy company, they checked the electrical wiring, the hood on the forge, ventilation and fire alarm... There were some comments, but all the shortcomings were immediately eliminated. The room itself with a separate entrance is located in a brick building and meets the general requirements for industrial safety.
• If you have problems with renting, you can quickly move the forge to another place - there are enough suitable empty production areas in the area, the equipment is easily dismantled and can be installed in another place within 1-2 days.
• With low demand for products and low trade turnover, the sales market will be expanded, agreements have been obtained for the supply of products for sale to hardware stores in other districts of the region, the most popular goods have been selected, and the assortment policy has been revised. At the same time, you will not have to change equipment or rebuild the work - it is enough to purchase other raw materials and materials for the production of other products, for example, forged fences, grilles for windows, gates and gates, entrance groups and canopies over the porch.
• If another competitor appears on the market, the entrepreneur will choose the most profitable niche and will produce products that the new market participant will not have, or change the sales strategy and supply finished products to other markets.

Project summary

This section contains the most important things: the essence of the project, necessary investments, results after launch, development prospects, possible risks and ways to reduce them. The rest of the sections with details will be read only if the summary of the business plan is of interest to an investor, lender, or official. Therefore, remember again what the purpose of your project is and indicate the important indicators that meet this goal. Repeat what you will produce, how much income you plan to receive, what expenses will be required, how much money you invest on your own, and how much you need to attract.

Typical mistakes when drawing up a business plan

• Very optimistic. Lack of market knowledge. Lack of adequate risk assessment.
• Copying other people's calculations. Using data without reference to reality and to the specifics of the business.
• Without taking into account the purpose and the addressee. Lack of important indicators. A lot of unnecessary information and "water".
• Poor design, illiterate presentation of information, carelessness in calculations. Confusing presentation and lack of clear structure.

How to get money for a business plan

Study of the design requirements

When contacting a bank or municipal government to raise funding, ask for the application rules. This is often a simple and straightforward list. required documents, as well as a list of requirements for the content and design of a business plan. Sometimes even a template for this document is given with the sections and subsections already indicated. where you just have to enter your information. There are also wishes for its volume, a list of questions for analyzing the project, a list of important indicators that you must calculate.

Business plan protection

In some cases, it is necessary not only to draw up this document, but also to protect it before the commission. Bank employees will make a decision to issue a loan. Officials will assess your level of knowledge in order to rate the competition for a grant. The investor will get acquainted with your plans and decide whether he needs to participate in this.

With such protection, it is enough to retell the “Project Summary” section and speak the main business indicators out loud, answer the questions of the commission members in order to convince them of your readiness and ability to use the funds raised in accordance with the plan.

Download ready-made business plans

Above, we have provided you with key points that you should rely on when drawing up a competent business plan, however, depending on where you need to submit a business plan, the requirements for its design and content change. Below you will find examples (samples) of ready-made business plans (40 pieces), which you can download absolutely free.

Use them to create your business plan, model the most interesting and convincing places, see what numbers and calculations are used, marketing research, analysis of competitors and also try to calculate your own project. Also below you will find additional supporting documents on business planning from the Industrial Development Fund, Ministry of Investment and Innovation.

INSTRUCTIONS For ease of search, all business plans are sorted alphabetically. Click on the desired letter and a list of finished projects will open in front of you.