Learn how to write a business plan yourself: an example of an optimal structure. Business plan, a sample of creating a business on paper. Step-by-step instruction

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

Why is a plan needed?

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

It is needed for two tasks:

1. Business plan for "internal use":

- As the saying goes, 10 minutes of planning saves an hour of hard work. Having a well-designed business plan for small businesses allows you to establish management processes. This is especially important when working in a team. A detailed plan eliminates discrepancies and stipulates the steps that each member of the team takes in a given situation.

- Tracking performance. A well-designed business plan has a number of key milestones that your business must achieve at certain intervals. By how clearly you pass these “marks”, you can draw conclusions about the effectiveness of business processes and “tighten the screws” if necessary. In addition, you can be sure that your team will be focused on the right goals in the event of a temporary lack of leadership.

A well-designed business plan has a number of key milestones that your business must achieve at certain intervals. By how clearly you pass these "marks", you can draw conclusions about the effectiveness of business processes.

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

2. Business plan for investors.

The master plan for business development, however, is needed and not only for internal use. In some cases, it may be presented to third parties. Very often, potential investors study a business plan for evaluation. The decision to invest in your business depends on how well all the nuances are worked out in it. In this case, the document has the status of a conditional "promissory note" and is binding. This may be a business plan for an employment center, receiving grants or subsidies. In order to receive a subsidy to open their own business, the applicant must submit a number of documents to the Employment Center (CZN). Including - a business plan prepared in accordance with the structure that is set by the EPC. Deviations from it are not allowed.

Where can I get a plan?

A business plan can appear in two ways:

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

Independent business planning

We offer you a universal step-by-step instruction for self-development of a business plan.

1. Determine the type of document

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

Company business plan. This is the most common type. Document "for internal use", which was written above;

An investment business plan is developed for investors, describes the characteristics of your business and contains market research data;

A credit business plan is required to get a loan from a bank. Shows the real need for a loan, the possibility of using credit funds and their repayment;

Business plan for obtaining a grant or or non-state structures. In such a business plan, it is necessary to focus on the benefits of your business for the region or country as a whole, or its social component (for example, environmental projects).

2. We collect and analyze information

A description of the product or service you intend to sell. Emphasis should be placed on the competitive advantages of the product. If it is cheap, technologically advanced, or has no analogues at all, be sure to mark it;

Sales market analysis. It is important to carefully study the potential market for your product or service. This can be done using various tools. For example, analyze sales of similar products or launch a trial batch of your product on the market. At the same time, in practice, one can understand how the product will be distributed, its current price, opportunities to stimulate consumers and promotion channels (advertising);

Assessment of competitors. You need to study your competitors thoroughly. This will help highlight the advantages of your product, as well as predict the actions of other market players;

Production analysis. Here it is important to evaluate your own production capabilities (know how much product you can supply to the market), their flexibility (the possibility of modernization, expansion, re-profiling, etc.). It is not bad to evaluate the maximum possibilities of uninterrupted supplies of raw materials and consumables. If a business plan is drawn up for a company or an agricultural enterprise, then it is necessary to make a certain adjustment for the risks of a natural nature, and all calculations should be carried out based on a pessimistic scenario for the development of the situation;

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

Estimated financial plan. In this part of the study, you need to calculate the costs of the above items and current activities, as well as evaluate revenue, profit, and payback periods.

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

3. We draw up a business plan

So, all the data is collected, systematized and double-checked. The last point is especially important, since mistakes in a business plan can be fraught with serious problems in the future. The time has come to bring all the data and conclusions into a single document and issue it:

The title page of the document is drawn up according to certain standards. It should contain information about the address and contact details of the enterprise, to whom the document is intended and whether it is confidential. Be sure to indicate the full and short name of the project, the head of the enterprise and this project, the date of commencement of implementation and its duration. Specify the time period during which the data in the document will be relevant;

Brief summary. On 2-3 pages, describe the essence of the project and its prospects;

Main part. To prepare this chapter of the business plan, we use pre-collected and structured information, which we already wrote about above. The main part should include the following:

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

– market assessment indicating the competitive advantages of the company;

- marketing strategy;

- promotion of goods on the market.

- the cost of providing services;

- a plan for the technical equipment and activities of the company and production capabilities;

– management structure, personnel search;

– assessment of potential risks;

- financial forecast.

Application. In this part of the business plan, it is worth adding additional materials with the rationale for the theses of the document.

To draw up a business plan, you can use special programs. This will somewhat simplify and automate the process, but the essence of the document will not change from this.

A short algorithm for self-development of a business plan

Document type selection: enterprise business plan, investment, loan or grant document.
Collection, analysis, verification and systematization of information: description of the product with identified competitive advantages; study and analysis of the market, competitors, production and organizational measures; investments, revenue, profit and payback periods.
Making a business plan. Inclusion in the final document of all data and conclusions drawn on their basis. Let's not forget about the application.

Check and recheck the data you use when writing your business plan. Incorrect or out of date information can lead to fatal errors. Use data from official and independent sources for comparison. Use research: surveys, focus groups, launching trial batches of goods.
Include in the business plan options for the development of negative scenarios and your actions in this case. This approach allows minimizing risks in the implementation of the project.
Pay special attention to the design. Errors in the final document are not allowed.
The business plan in your company must have the status of law. Deviations from actions and key indicators are possible only if you or your investors decide so.

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

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

Choosing a niche and an idea for creating your own business is half the battle. No one can guarantee the success of a future enterprise.

It is important to understand how to organize the process and spend start-up capital.

carefully thought out and well-formed scenario» on the implementation of the idea allows not only start the business faster, but also prevent potential errors leading to loss of funds.

With a plan, you will be able to assess the realism of your ideas and the immediate prospects. In addition, the creation of a business plan from scratch is mandatory in cases where lending is to be done.

Purpose and structure

A business plan is a roadmap for the future business, which reflects:

main aspects of functioning;
possible problems;
risks of loss;
perspectives;
anti-crisis measures.

The business plan should contain all aspects of the existence of the future company from the moment of creation to the state of stability, when a transition to a new level is required. The description should be detailed and extremely simple without complicated economic terminology, so that the document is understood by all interested parties (owner, employees, bankers, partners, investors).

Advice from the author! It would not be superfluous to conclude a memorandum (agreement) on confidentiality with those to whom the document is transferred for study. This step will protect the author of the written project from theft of the idea and unauthorized use of the information contained in the business plan.

A detailed plan in terms of volume is 30-40 pages. The information is presented in a concise but informative way. The project includes 4 main blocks:

annotation– outlines the main concept (on half a page).
Summary- contains the main conclusions on the business plan and the results expected in the course of doing business.
Main part- signs the "body" of the project.
Applications- graphic materials (diagrams, tables, graphs, summaries of managers) are displayed on them, allowing you to visually assess the prospects of your business.

You need to understand that a template plan for a specific idea may be useless. Each type of activity has nuances, and the principles of its functioning can be fundamentally different from other forms of business. Therefore, it is advisable to understand the structure of its writing. An analysis of the niche in which it is planned to implement the idea, competitors and features will have to be carried out by a potential businessman individually in each case, depending on the scale and scope of activity.

Compilation algorithm

By correctly compiling this important document, you will give the green light to your business. Consider the main components of a business plan:

Annotation. In fact, this is an appeal to stakeholders, explaining what the project is, how and by whom it will be implemented. Describe the main idea briefly but interestingly.

Summary. Approach the writing of this part responsibly, because it is it that all potential partners and investors without exception will read to the end. The summary determines whether the idea is interesting in principle. If an investor can ask to change some part of the business plan, then the project, the summary of which did not impress, will be rejected at the first stage. The summary should reflect the rationale for the success of the idea, the expected results of the project and how to achieve them. To do this, specify:

objective of the project;
business content;
financial needs (project budget);
target audience of consumers;
information about the demand for the product (service);
difference from analogues;
financial indicators of project success.

Important! It is worth noting that the summary is written based on the results of the drawn up business plan. Only by understanding the whole picture of the project will you be able to present the summary vividly and convincingly.

Goals and objectives

They provide a quantitative view of the outcome of the project. A goal is what makes a project happen. Objectives are the effect to be achieved. Analyze the business idea, its strengths and weaknesses, and the selected market segment so that it is clear who will benefit from the project.

Product or service

Describe this part in detail so that it is very clear what you are supposed to do. It is necessary to reflect: description of the product (service), uniqueness (advantages), possibilities of use, required qualifications of personnel, technology, the need for licensing (patent).

Market analysis

It will be necessary to collect and systematize information regarding: the composition of consumers, the state of the selected market segment and its prospects, and the capabilities of competitors. It is advisable to reflect on the graph or diagram the share that your product (service) occupies in the chosen niche.

Marketing plan

This section aims to locate a potential investor. A carefully described strategy for promoting a product (service) will help to inspire confidence.

Be sure to indicate what characteristics distinguish the idea from competitors, how this will help in its promotion, how it will affect pricing.

Also describe all the ways to sell the product (service), advertising moves and opportunities to stimulate sales.

Production plan

This item reveals the material component of the future business. It should contain information about: the type and location of the premises, the involvement of subcontractors, the necessary equipment, supplies, purchase of equipment (materials).

Management staff

Indicate the personnel (management and ordinary employees) who will be involved in the implementation of the idea, as well as ways to motivate them (salary, compensation).

Required resources. Describe the amount of funds needed, the timing and sources of their attraction. In the case of lending, indicate the terms and possibilities for repayment of funds, investments - the amount of monthly dividends. It is appropriate to present in the form of a table the budget of the project, indicating the salaries, direct and indirect costs of the project.
Financial plan. An important section that allows you to predict business development, as well as avoid unnecessary expenses. It should be calculated: sales volumes, balance of assets and liabilities, profit and loss ratios, cash flow, project payback. This also includes risk analysis with an indication of ways to overcome them.

Applications

This section is a separate block. It contains statistical information, graphics, product design.

Important! All materials contained in the Appendix must be signed and numbered. Links to them are indicated directly in the text from the main part of the document. Applications usually take up to 10 pages.

Sample business plan

Download an example of a business plan from scratch for solar energy:

More business plans:

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Benefits of Business Planning

When planning to open a mini-factory, a shopping center or a water park, it is advisable to entrust the development of a business plan from scratch to specialists. It should be understood that a business, the creation of which involves an infusion of solid investments, significantly increases the risks.

Therefore, it is advisable to carefully study the market, competitors, calculate the budget, profitability, work schemes, and anti-crisis measures. All this can only be done by professionals. At the same time, it is quite possible to write this document yourself to implement a small idea without attachments. This has its advantages.

Firstly, self-development of the plan will allow you to put together a holistic picture of the future business (weak and strong sides of the service (product), the amount of start-up capital, an operational work plan, marketing strategy, the need to attract staff and staffing).

When the smallest details are spelled out, it will become easier to understand whether the calculations are wrong. For example, attracting 20 thousand customers in the first year is contrary to hiring 2 sales managers, setting them impossible tasks in advance.

In this case (if it is not possible to reduce the bar in terms of market entry), it would be appropriate to orient the business towards forming partnerships or cooperation with distributors.

Secondly, having a self-written business plan in hand, an individual entrepreneur will be able to control success. Clear planning, broken down by dates, fixed on paper, disciplines and allows an unbiased assessment of achievements. If the indicators indicated in the document are lower than those that have been achieved in practice, this indicates the right choice of strategy.

Analyze what factors helped you exceed your own expectations (seasonality, exchange rate jump, specialization). Focus on this in the future. So the company will bring even more income.

Failure to achieve the set goals should prompt an analysis of the reasons why this happened (reassessment of certain factors, problems with financing, improper organization of work, unforeseen circumstances).

Third The business plan specifies the goals of the business owner. The wording "receiving income" is unlikely to lead to success. If you state that you plan to sell 1,000 units by the end of the year, then this is a specific goal, not a passive forecast.

The actions of the team should be directed towards its achievement. The document contains goals for all items: income, sales, expense items, attracting customers, recruiting. The goal formulated in quantitative terms becomes a task that predetermines the action plan.

Advice from the author! What is done well once is done forever. If the foundation of the business is built correctly and in stages, this greatly increases the chances of “surviving”. If necessary, the company can easily be redesigned or expanded.

Fourth, a good plan helps attract talented employees. Business prospects are an effective motivation for staff. When goals and their implementation schedule fixed on paper, company employees it becomes clear how to reach the maximum in achieving results.

Many novice entrepreneurs, when implementing a certain entrepreneurial idea, ignore the preparation of a plan, considering it to be just a tool for obtaining loans or investments. This opinion is wrong. The business plan is designed not so much to find funds to open your own business, but to successfully implement it step by step and competently manage it.

Successful business development directly depends on the preparation of a business plan.

It is not enough just to make a plan, it is necessary to constantly adjust it in accordance with market changes.

This will allow your business to "stay afloat", receiving income and conducting a clear planning of the expenditure side of the budget.

Every successful individual entrepreneur (IE) knows that a well-written business plan is the “foundation” of any activity. Using a business plan, an individual entrepreneur can attract investors or apply for a loan from a bank.

A business plan is a complete program for launching and developing a business, containing detailed information about a product, its release and distribution. The business plan reflects the planned profitability of the company, and also demonstrates the financial return on investment.

The preparation of a business plan for lenders should focus on specific financial indicators. The basic rule for writing a successful business plan is to be dynamic and short (no more than 15-20 sheets). Consider how to write a business plan yourself?

Title page

How to draw up a business plan? This requires a sample, especially for a beginner. Any work, first of all, consists of a title page.

This is the "face" of your business. The title page "acquaints" a potential investor with a business idea, so it is very important to learn how to correctly draw it up.

The title page should be attractive and briefly inform the investor about the essence of the business. The obligatory items of the title page are:

IP name;
contact details of the enterprise (telephone, address, etc.);
privacy note;
short name of the project;
Full name of the head of the IP, his contact details;
information on the preparation of a business plan (who made it, when, where);
information about the timing of the project.

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Summary.
Project descriptions.
Carrying out market analysis, evaluation of competitors.
Marketing strategy.
Production, organizational and financial plans.

The summary is a brief and general information about the project. The volume of the resume should not exceed 1 printed page. The summary contains information about the scope of activities and financial results of the company, which are expected. The summary also substantiates the goals of creating the project, its uniqueness and benefits for investors.

Product Description

When compiling a description of products, it is necessary to focus on the usefulness of this good.

You can also make a brief comparison of this product with analogues, dwelling on the main differences.

The Product Description section should provide an opportunity to analyze the future development of the business.

Description of the business model

The business model is a simplified version of the functioning of all IP systems and business processes. Creating a business model is one of the most important steps at the stage of strategic planning of a company's activities.

A business model succinctly describes how a company creates and sells its product. The development of the business model is entrusted to the IP management team.

Market and industry analysis

At the stage of market analysis, it is necessary to get acquainted with the situation in detail, analyze the total volume of potential sales for the products produced. You can also make a trial batch of goods in order to study the behavior and reactions of buyers to it. Analyzing the market, it is necessary to evaluate competitors.

The general scheme of a competent business plan

How to write the right business plan? A competent business plan contains detailed information about the main competitors to understand the prospects for the development of IP.

Strategic SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is carried out in order to determine the actual state of the company and highlight the prospects for its development in the long term.

At the stage of conducting a SWOT analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of the company are studied, risk factors and market opportunities are assessed.

SWOT analysis helps the IP management to evaluate the following points:

the presence of an IP advantage in the market for similar goods;
vulnerable ("bottleneck") places of the company;
chances of making a profit;
threats from the market and competitors.

Risk assessment and management

An integral part of the business plan is the concept of risk management.

This section is designed to prevent the occurrence of adverse events in the company's activities in order to avoid significant financial losses.

Active risk management implies their prevention at the decision-making stage. In this case, risk management is associated with market research, which shows the likelihood of losses based on an assessment of demand and the pricing policy of competitors.

Any investor who decides to invest funds pays attention to the risk of losing the invested capital.

Sales strategy

A sales strategy is a comprehensive planning consisting of answers to the following questions:

How (through what channels) will the product be distributed?
What will be the price of the product?
How to interest buyers?
How to create an ad? How much money to allocate for this?

In this section, it is necessary to analyze the market and make a clear description of the conditions under which potential buyers will become clients of the IP.

organizational plan

In the section "Organizational plan", as a rule, the general structure of the IP and the role of each of its links in the process of production and sale of goods are indicated. In addition to the general structure of the enterprise, investors are interested in information about each member of the management (if the company plans to raise capital).

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Financial section of the business plan

The Financial Plan section is perhaps one of the main parts of any business plan.

This paragraph demonstrates the general table of income and expenses of the company, draws up a forecast balance sheet, and calculates the calculation (cost) of goods.

When compiling a financial plan, it is necessary to calculate the payback period of the project with a breakdown of cash flows by months.

When working on a business plan, you should not overdo it. Consider only basic information. It is important that the investor, after reading the first two pages, already understands what is at stake. The data used in the preparation of the business plan must be 100% reliable.

Break-even point not defined

You will be surprised how many people start a business without doing the basic calculations and determining how many products or services you need to sell to break even. But it is one of the most important markers and indicators of business viability.

The break-even point is determined by elementary calculations. Add up all current expenses for the month. The break-even point is reached if your profits cover all costs. This is the minimum you have to earn. If, according to forecasts for several months, it is unrealistic to reach such a level of income, it is better to abandon this business.

Conclusion: You can not invest money (loan or savings) in a business idea if you do not have a complete and clear financial analysis.

Illusions about the perfect start

Many start-ups rely on a reference business - they purchase high-tech equipment, rent a chic office in a central area, organize an elite restaurant, etc. In itself, striving for an ideal is highly commendable, but in practice we record massive examples of bankruptcy of ambitious projects. After analyzing the causes, two main errors appear:

The service or product was not in demand. If there is no demand in a particular region or city, a chic office will not help.
Improper distribution of capital. Example. The young enterprise invested the lion's share of the start-up capital in the acquisition of high-tech equipment, leaving no necessary reserve for the purchase of raw materials and other current expenses. The first months of work did not give the expected profits. The result - to pay off debts had to sell equipment.

Conclusion: Make sure your products or services will be in demand. Do not rush to invest large amounts, create a small business with minimal investment and test the viability of your idea in practice.

Lack of professionalism and love for their work

Do you smile skeptically? In vain. Explore success stories in Russia and around the world. You will not find a single example of a profitable business whose owner does not understand the essence of his field or is not in love with his business. Regular reports on economic development show the most profitable directions. Do not believe in the importance of love for the chosen field and passion for your work, choose the most promising area and start. You will see from your own experience that this is a road to nowhere. But we see a lot of examples when businessmen, in love with their product or service, achieved outstanding results, despite the pessimistic forecasts of experts and the misunderstanding of others.

Conclusion: You must love your job and be the best specialist in it. This is the main ingredient for success.

“Step by step business organization plan”

Quite often one has to observe the chaotic movements of novice businessmen and the complete lack of action planning. But the creation plan is extremely important. If you do not have knowledge in this area and do not know what stages the creation of a business consists of, we offer you a plan that is suitable for any area.

Stage 1. We are looking for an idea

This is the first thing to start with. If you can't come up with an idea, you shouldn't be entrepreneurial. But first, it’s worth understanding the terminology and making sure that you and I equally understand the meaning of the expression “business idea”. We are not talking about a brilliant and innovative idea that can revolutionize an entire industry. We are talking about ideas that are already working, but you see that it can be done better and provide consumers with a better service. We are not talking about large-scale projects, you can start a business with little or no investment.

A true entrepreneur sees the opportunity in the challenges they face on a daily basis.

A simple example. How is garbage disposal in your city? Yes, this is a very serious problem, but for you, this is an opportunity to organize a profitable waste collection and recycling business. Now it is one of the most promising areas.

Are you into needlework? Sell your products online, there is a huge demand for handmade items. Do you have a cottage or a small plot at your disposal? Grow and sell greens or vegetables - this is very much in demand. Interesting ideas right in front of your eyes, choose any one you have a penchant for.

Stage 2. We analyze the market

You should have several preferred ideas in reserve. Now you need to evaluate each of them for relevance. Conduct a survey, observe the situation in your city or region, read analytics. If your idea is in demand, evaluate the closest competitors. Objectively evaluate the pros and cons of their work, think about what you can do better. Compare everything: quality and service, assortment, prices. Soberly assess your capabilities and work out your advantages as carefully as possible.

If you have come to the conclusion that your product or service is really needed, that you can compete with existing companies, proceed to the next step.

Stage 3. Planning

The preparation of a business plan must be approached with the utmost seriousness. The majority ignores this stage and orders the writing of a business plan to specialists only if it is necessary to attract investments. But this is a big mistake. A clear and realistic plan is what you need first of all. Do not buy ready-made business plans - they are useless.

Write down everything you need for a successful start, and plan your current expenses for the next six months. In the future, try to stick to your planned expenses, but create a reserve fund just in case. Based on the costs, you will be able to determine the break-even point and start pricing. In the process of organizing and developing a business, try to check the plan as often as possible and analyze the reasons for deviations, if any.

Stage 4. We are looking for start-up capital

There are options in which a business is created without money or with minimal investment. But, as a rule, a certain amount is still needed to start. By writing a business plan, you have already determined how much money you need. Add at least 20% to this amount immediately. So you will get more or less the real size of the required start-up capital. Start searching.

Great if you have the required amount. Starting with a loan is strongly discouraged. Look for options with franchises and small business assistance programs, attract partners with money or investors, try to find additional income, but do not take a loan.

Stage 5 Registering a business

Do not even hope that you will be able to work without registration. If you do not understand the intricacies of registration and find it difficult to choose the form of registration, hire an experienced lawyer. Payment for his services will pay off with a vengeance.

Stage 6 Reporting and paying taxes

During the registration process, you will determine the most beneficial tax payment system for you. The choice largely depends on the scope and scale of your business. Hire an experienced and qualified accountant - this is extremely important. But you yourself must have at least minimal knowledge in the field of finance. Read articles, study, without this success in business is impossible.

Stage 7. Quick idea testing

This stage can be completed before registration, although much here depends on the chosen field. As a last resort, try to conduct a rapid test before a serious investment of big money. How is testing done? At your own expense, run a minimal promotion, create a small batch of a product or offer a service, and try to sell it. Studying the demand in practice is extremely important.

Remember one of the typical mistakes? Do not rush to invest large amounts of money and do not build an ideal business right away. Create something minimal and experience how it works. If the expected result is not achieved, do not rush to abandon your idea. Perhaps the reason was hidden in the wrong planning, price, wrong assessment of the target audience. During the test, conduct a survey of consumers, find out why they do not buy your product or refuse services.

Based on the results of quick testing, you will be able to see your mistakes and make adjustments to the plan. The option of rejecting an attractive idea and searching for a new one is not excluded. This is a very important stage, it allows you to save money, effort and time for the implementation of an erroneous plan or an unclaimed idea.

Stage 8. Development

You conducted testing, adjusted the plan based on its results and began to receive the first profits. You need to start development right away. Distribute income as follows:

Cover current expenses.
Set aside a certain percentage for possible force majeure circumstances.
The rest is invested in development.
In this list, you did not notice the cost of meeting your personal needs. There is no mistake here. When planning to start a business, you had to find a source to meet the needs of the family in case of failure. Stick to this plan and don't waste the profits of your new business, it should be invested in development. Only a few adhere to this rule, this is one of the most common reasons for failure after a more or less successful start.

Stage 9 Active promotion

This is an integral part of development, but it is too important and requires a separate discussion. Everyone understands development as an increase in production capacity, expansion of the staff and the range or range of services. This is correct, but many entrepreneurs in Russia underestimate the importance of advertising and finding new markets.

It is not enough to expand the staff and capacities, all this economy must be provided with work. Don't rely on word of mouth and lame, standard marketing techniques. Use aggressive advertising, actively look for new customers by any of the methods available and possible at the moment. Use everything, but be sure to analyze the results and weed out what is not effective. Leave and develop advertising methods that bring tangible results with minimal budget costs.

10 stage. Expand your geography

You have reached the level at which the business works with dignity within the same city. Do not stop and go to the market of neighboring settlements or regions. No desire or opportunity to expand geography? Explore options with the development of a related direction, explore innovative areas. Do not stop, otherwise you will gradually begin to roll back and wait until a more enterprising and nimble competitor appears who will offer your customers more favorable conditions.

“Important Criteria for Evaluating Business Performance”

There are very clear markers by which you can determine the success of an enterprise and find dangerous mistakes at the very start. These should be taken with the utmost seriousness.

After a few months of work, conduct an audit. If, according to its results, you see that the business does not bring even the minimum income and even works in the red, it is not viable. Investments and loans will not save the situation, but will only aggravate your situation.
If actual sales are much lower than planned, immediately change the style of work or plan.
Building a business is a challenge. You will experience stress - this is normal only to a certain extent. If entrepreneurial activity causes you obvious and persistent discomfort, either leave the business or change your approach.

Before starting to implement your own business, you need to carefully analyze the competitive environment, assess the strengths and weaknesses of the project, calculate the amount of investment and the payback period. Without preliminary preparation, it is impossible to implement any business project. In this article, we will tell you how to write a business plan, what are the nuances of document execution, and share 10 tips for effective planning.

A business plan is a step-by-step guide that will allow you to clearly follow your goals without deviating from the main idea.

From idea to implementation

Before you start drafting a document, it is important to understand why it is needed. This document summarizes the essence of the business activity on paper and describes the implementation of the idea step by step.

The business plan reflects all aspects of the activity and helps to plan the sequence of actions necessary for the successful implementation of the company's goals.

The document is written for:

internal use;
external use.

Moreover, these can be completely two different documents, with different calculation of the payback period, investments, etc.

For external use, a plan is drawn up to show the business idea at its best. This information, as a rule, is intended for investors, business partners, which demonstrates the strengths of the project, shows its quick payback with minimal investment.

For internal use, a more detailed and realistic calculation of risks and possible factors is compiled. It already details all the weaknesses of the process, which can reduce profits, increase the payback period, etc.

It is this document that will serve as the main tool for business management, and suggest in which direction to move forward. The main rule to follow when writing an internal business plan is the real picture.

While an external document can be slightly embellished to showcase the strengths of a business idea, an internal document can serve as a step-by-step guide that will point you in the direction and help you calculate all the possible risks along the way to realizing the idea.

It is better to start compiling a business plan immediately from a document for internal use, in order to consider production in the process of creation, taking into account its weaknesses, analyzing the competitive market, and identifying risks. Most likely, a lot of information will not be included in a document intended for investors and business partners. But for you it will be a serious help in the proper organization of the case.

What is a document?

The business plan describes all the features of the future organization of the business, it reflects the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the business idea, describes possible risk factors and problems, and identifies solutions.

A good business plan is the key to success

A good business plan is the key to a successful future for your business.

The development of an internal document will not only help to calculate the total estimate, but also indicate whether it is necessary to attract investors' money. It is important to understand that attracting investors is not always expedient and will have the best effect on the business. It is possible that at the first stage it will be possible to manage with existing capital, and as production develops, it will be possible to think about attracting external investments.

Attracting an investor - only at first glance, many seem to be a lifeline that will help launch the project. But sometimes such an investment of funds turns into unfavorable conditions for cooperation and financial bondage, from which the entrepreneur will not be able to get out for a long time.

On the other hand, significant financial injections from outside in some cases help to take the first step, purchase equipment, rent premises, hire staff, etc. And if, besides the idea, a novice entrepreneur does not have financial resources, then, of course, one cannot do without third-party investments.

How does a business plan help an entrepreneur?

find a market;
determine development prospects;
assess the potential market capacity;
act as a tool to attract investors and business partners;
define short-term and long-term goals;
evaluate production potential;
calculate production and commercial costs;
reflect the performance of the company.

Rules for a successful business plan

Never fool yourself! The biggest mistake in business is data corruption in the early stages of planning. Draw a clear line between the two documents: for internal and for external use. And, if a business plan for external use can demonstrate predominantly the strengths of the idea, then the internal document must fully reflect reality. It is on the basis of this document that you decide on the possible implementation of this idea.
A resume is one of the key points in business planning. This paragraph is one of the first in the document, but it is drawn up last. In this chapter, you clearly state the essence of the business idea, the purpose and mission of the enterprise. Imagine that you were asked in a nutshell to state the purpose and idea of the business. Here is a summary and should answer these questions.
Do long term planning. When compiling a document, keep in mind that the payback can be several years, profit does not always come in the first six to twelve months. And this does not mean at all that the business idea is unsuccessful. This only indicates a high cost of resources. Ideally, the plan is drawn up for 2-3 years. Only by the end of this period can one determine how profitable it is to engage in production.
Put down temporary landmarks in the plan, which will serve as a kind of beacons indicating whether you are moving in the right direction. This is especially important in the long-term planning of a large project, the payback period of which is 3-4 years. This is a very important point that will allow you to feel the course of doing business, not lose heart and objectively evaluate the results that have already been achieved. With long-term planning, mark the entire implementation period into 6-12 points. Calculate how much income the company should bring after 3 months, after 6, after 12? If you deviate from these points, you will be able to assess the factors affecting the decline in profits, find solutions and correct the situation.
Realistically assess the weaknesses of the business idea. Do not close your eyes to the possible risks that can jeopardize your business. In order not to face a force majeure situation already in the process of implementing a business, you need to calculate in advance all the “pitfalls”, calculate possible consequences and find ways out of the situation in advance.
Stick to a clear plan structure. The document should be short and understandable. This is important in two respects. Firstly, it will be read by investors and partners, so you should not write out a 50-page plan. The optimal length of a successful business plan is 15-20 pages. State the information and figures as clearly as possible. Secondly, do not forget that this is a reference book, a guide to action. Therefore, in the process of work, it should be easy for you to work with it, add and correct existing information.
If you feel that you cannot write a good and competent business plan, involve experts from outside. No matter how relevant and attractive from the point of view of investment your business idea is, a poorly written document can nullify all efforts. Starting from the search for investors and the presentation of the document to them, and ending with a step-by-step strategy on the way to the realization of this idea. Therefore, if you feel that you do not have sufficient knowledge in the field of strategic planning, but at the same time you clearly understand the purpose and objectives of the future business, turn to professionals.
When compiling a document, do not forget about competitors. This is the first thing you should pay attention to when calculating profits, payback periods and assessing weaknesses. Carefully study the market in this area and identify about 5 main competitors. At the same time, carefully study their products, services, descriptions and prices. Realistically evaluate their strengths and your main differences. This will help to form the right price segment for your own goods / services, and secondly, it will allow you to assess your weaknesses and chart the right course for business implementation.
Describe in detail the organization of the workflow, who will manage the enterprise.
Do not use a ready-made business plan downloaded from the Internet for your company, even with a suitable type of activity. Each business has its own geographical location, market features and position in the competitive environment. Therefore, it is necessary to create your own plan that would take into account the specifics of the region, would include a thorough analysis and miscalculation of financial risks.

Today, experts work with several classifications of a business plan and basically distinguish them according to the following features:

The type of plan is determined depending on the area of activity for which the project is being developed. It could be:

organizational;
technical;
investment;
social;
economic;
mixed business plan.

The class determines the business plan depending on the size of the object. It could be:

Depending on the scale of the plan, regional, sectoral, state, national are distinguished.
By project implementation timeline:

short-term (less than three years);
medium-term (for 3-5 years);
long-term (more than 5 years).

Educational, organizational, research, etc. are distinguished from the nature of the sphere.

As mentioned above, when you start writing a document, you should immediately determine what type of plan is being developed: internal or external.

Distinguish between an internal production plan, which is written to modernize or expand production, and a marketing plan, the purpose of which is to improve the position of the enterprise in the market, enter the next level, etc.

The internal production business plan should take into account the following points:

analysis of the technical condition of the enterprise;
the need to modernize production;
development of measures for the implementation of modernization;
information about the resources that should be involved in the modernization program;
risk analysis and solutions.

Scheme of a standard business plan

A standard business plan consists of the following chapters:

Summary.
General provisions.
Product Description.
Marketing and strategic plan.
Production plan.
Organizational plan.

While studying the document, investors will pay attention to the following points:

market analysis;
the planned volume of sales of goods, its range;
description of the product packaging;
price policy;
procurement and marketing system;
advertising strategy;
overseeing the implementation of the marketing strategy.

Regardless of the scope of the future enterprise and the direction of the business, the document has its own standards that you need to rely on when drawing up a plan.

Substantiation of economic feasibility.
Analysis of the economic environment in which the business will develop.
Financial results (sales volume, revenue and profit).
Sources of financing.
Task execution schedule.
Engagement of staff.
Economic indicators that allow you to control intermediate results.

How to write a business plan yourself: detailed step-by-step instructions

Before writing a business plan, drawing up a title page.

The following parameters are specified here:

Summary.

This section contains the entire most important part of the document about the company being created. It indicates the goal, short-term and long-term plans for the development of the company, the specifics of the product or service being created.

This paragraph must contain information on the amount of necessary investments, an indicator of efficiency.

Despite the overview information, it is the resume that investors and business partners pay attention to in the first place, so when writing this paragraph, be sure to adhere to the principle of conciseness.

General provisions (description of the company + information about the founders of the company)

It describes the main activities of the enterprise, mission, purpose, organizational and legal aspects.

In this chapter, you need to specify information about the author of the business idea, about the company responsible for its implementation (name, legal address, share in the authorized capital), partners.

This chapter reflects the principles of organizational strategic management of the company.

The organizational part must necessarily contain the following data:

name of the organizational and legal form (IP, OJSC, partnership and others);
management system, management structure, interconnection of departments;
founders, their description and data;
management team;
interaction with staff;
supplying the control system with the necessary material and technical resources;
company location.

This chapter not only monitors the competitive environment with a detailed analysis and description of the main players in this market. Here are the potential risks.

This chapter evaluates:

target audience of the product;
geographical location of competitors;
market volume;
consumer interests.

When evaluating the degree of financial risks, it is advisable to use an analysis scheme where the following data is filled in: threat name, entity, minimization options and financial costs.

If there are problems with conducting market analysis, there are special companies where you can apply for this service, but experts recommend that the entrepreneur still figure this out on his own, since any third-party companies will provide 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.

When compiling a business plan, it must be clearly remembered that it must correspond to the tasks and goals of the enterprise and directly give answers to specific questions.

When carrying out strategic planning, a SWOT analysis should be carried out, which evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the project, development opportunities and threats (risks) that may arise in the way of implementing the idea.

Strengths typically include:

novelty of goods (services);
inexpensive resources (as a result, low cost);
professional team;
creative and high-quality packaging, etc.

Weaknesses of the project include:

low effectiveness of advertising;
lack of novelty of the service (goods);
lack of a warehouse;
low efficient transport logistics;
high cost of goods, etc.

When conducting a comprehensive market analysis, it is necessary to take into account all aspects and factors: political, economic, social, etc.

What threats can affect the low efficiency of business development? These can be strong competitors, customs and state clearance, market instability in this industry.

But the potential opportunities include the likelihood of obtaining a new product, a change in legislation, and an increase in professionalism.

Description of the product or service.

Describes in detail the product, its technical features, the possibility of using products (services), the degree of relevance and novelty of this proposal.

The level of readiness for the entry of this product (service) into the market is determined.

Marketing and strategic plan.

When compiling this section, it becomes clear how to attract customers, expand distribution channels. Here you can calculate in great detail the ways to sell products, ways to attract customers, and in the future this part of the business plan will become a step-by-step guide to action.

In this part, it is important to reflect the following aspects:

sales channels;
pricing;
ways and methods of sales promotion;
advertising;
creating an image;
technical and post-sales service.

Particular attention should be paid to pricing, which is one of the key success factors for a business idea.

Consider the following points:

the price of the goods must be higher than its cost;
the market must determine the price itself;
it is the price that will determine the maximum profit.

It is a mistake to believe that a cheap price will become an incentive for successful business development. It should clearly meet the quality of the product, demand, and take into account the market analysis that you will conduct in the previous section.

This section must contain information about production costs.

It is necessary to take into account everything that should be included in the cost of goods:

transport services;
taxes;
public utilities;
wage;
raw materials;
rent, etc.

Calculating the potential profit, we take the formula:

Profit = sales revenue - costs.

If at this stage of planning you do not take into account any part of the costs, it is difficult to talk about the correct calculation of profit and payback period.

When determining the pricing of a product, marketers use several classic schemes:

Scheme No. 1 "Following competitors." This option is relevant if the entrepreneur enters the market where the capacity of this product or service is dense. The downside of this behavior is that by focusing on the leader's firm, you lose the ability to control situations. Today, the leader company can offer such a price, but tomorrow, having modernized its production, the competitor will lower prices, and you will not keep up with him and, as a result, will suffer a loss.
Scheme No. 2. Profit + Costs. This method will be effective if there are no competitors on the market as such.
Scheme No. 3. "Cost-marketing". This method combines pricing and product cost analysis. The price is largely influenced by the cost factor from marketing.

Advice! When writing this section, you should understand that you, in principle, cannot launch a product or service on the market that your competitors do not yet have. But you can offer the goods to the desired category of customers. It is on this concept that most successful business plans are built.

When describing the distribution channels of goods, it is necessary to be guided by the principle of "Four "hows"".

How to find clients?
How to get them interested?
How to sell a product?
How to meet the needs of the client?

When determining your target audience, consider the following:

gender, age and marital status;
geography of residence;
social status;
income level;
occupation and hobbies.

Advice! Don't overload this part of the plan. As a rule, SWOT analysis and market analysis occupies a very large part of the entire business plan, and it becomes difficult for investors and partners to study it. Use graphs and tables for this part of the document.

Production plan.

Do not confuse the production plan with the production process. In this section of the document, you can find answers to specific questions:

production technology;
what capacities will be used;
Where will the production be located?
under what conditions and how raw materials will be purchased;
How will product quality be controlled?
who will be involved in the performance of production tasks.

The main task of this section is to confirm by calculations that the company being created is able to actually produce the required amount of goods (services) at the right time and with the required quality.

This section details the cost structure. It is better to use graphs and diagrams to visually see the entire cost part.

Set up your budget as follows:

purchase of fixed assets;
purchase of materials;
rental costs;
utility costs;
expenses for the purchase of auxiliary consumables;
wage fund;
current expenses.

Financial plan and investments.

This part of the plan is one of the most responsible, and it will be the first thing that investors will watch when they get acquainted with the project (after the summary).

This chapter reflects the real picture of the viability of a business idea.

The section provides for planning expenses and investing funds to expand the business. The owner needs to develop a sales volume plan and various scenarios, each of which must be calculated:

favorable - with good consumer demand;
unfavorable - at low;
pessimistic.

Here it is necessary to reflect information on the possible costs and income of the project, attach a schedule with the required investments, a schedule for the repayment of these investments, etc.

The final stage of the financial plan is the calculation of the profitability of the business.

Additional business plan chapters

In some cases, it is advisable to draw up a Confidentiality Memorandum. This document is necessary to protect the copyright of the idea and business plan. As a rule, they resort to compiling such a document if the author submits an innovative business idea.

This document reflects the prohibition on the dissemination of information and copyright protection.

There may also be an indication of the prohibition of copying, duplicating the document, transferring it to another person, a requirement to return the read business plan to the author if the investor does not accept the agreement.

Remember that a business plan is a kind of advertising business card for your business, so pay great attention to its writing and design.

Divide chapters by functionality, do not overdo it with tables and graphs, but at the same time give them a lot of attention.

A plan written in solid text will also not attract attention and will not allow you to quickly find sections of interest.

Video. How to write a business plan from scratch

Which is better: order a business plan from professionals or write it yourself

Many aspiring entrepreneurs who are just entering the path of their own business start to panic before developing a business plan.

Given the key role of this document and the importance of its information, many entrepreneurs order such a document from third-party organizations that provide this service at a professional level.

How good is this from a business point of view?

On the one hand, a well-written business plan is the key to successful business and an effective tool for attracting investors. But on the other hand, having ordered a document from a third-party organization, the entrepreneur does not heed the essence.

As a rule, companies providing services for writing a business plan work according to a template scheme, and no one will analyze the market and the competitive environment so scrupulously and thoroughly, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company, assess possible risks and ways to solve problems, as the owner himself companies.

Often, when contacting an agency for writing such documents, the owner of a business idea receives a volume of 100 Talmud pages, where the essence of the business is reflected in very vague and general phrases, without going into its specifics.

How to be in this situation? You can order purely mathematical and investment calculations from the profile company, reflecting the projected profit, payback, etc.

But a comprehensive analysis of a business idea, a description of possible risks and prospects is better for the business owner to perform on his own. Only he will be able to do this specifically with reference to the specifics of the company and assess its real potential.

In order to make it easier for you to develop and write a competent, clear and understandable plan, let's look at the main mistakes that novice entrepreneurs make when compiling such documents:

Mistake #1. Illiterate syllable. Sometimes even the most promising business idea can die at the inception stage only because of mistakes in the business plan. No investor or partner will accept a document with grammatical or punctuation errors.

Mistake #2. Careless decor. The document should be clear, contain a structure, numbered chapters and pages.

Mistake #3. Incomplete information. We have sorted out a detailed list of all the chapters that must be contained in the document without fail. Incomplete information can distort the meaning of a business idea.

Mistake #4. Too much redundant information. Try to concisely and clearly answer the questions posed in the document and not go into the smallest details, stretching the plan for 100 pages.

Mistake #5. Distorted data. Wanting to attract investors and showcase their business idea in a favorable light, many authors provide unrealistic data that is immediately visible. Stick to clear data and calculations.

Mistake #6. No risk. Silence about weaknesses and risks only speaks of weak analysis. In fact, there is not a single industry in business where there would not be a single risk.

In order to make it easier to draw up a plan and clearly reflect all the necessary data in it, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the video instruction.