What does a creative business plan look like? This is a great question. The typical business plan can feel like a pretty stale document. “25 pages, executive summary, market analysis, etc. etc. etc.†The whole concept of a business proposal for funding can seem static and dull. But this doesn't need to be the case. While a banker might not care much about the details in your business plan – trust us, they're far more interested in your credit and collateral than your “vision†or pro forma – investors do need a sense of flair from the plans they read to feel like it's worth digging in deeper. So how do you accomplish this? Get creative by doing the following counter-intuitive things:
• Keep the executive summary to about ONE page
• Use short sentences and keep it lively, not full of business-speak
• Be candid about your assumptions, even if they're mostly guesswork
• Be open about the fact you might not be equipped to lead the company without help
• Make the proposition (investor share) into a matter of open discussion, not a hard-and-fast ROI calculator
MasterPlans can help you do this. While we work every single day on the sort of funding-ready plans this article calls boring, the content of your plan and the way it reads are at your own discretion. Rubber-stamp business plans don't need much more than a banker's approval, and the voice, depth of market analysis, and intensity of your marketing research (among other things) aren't as important as your personal cash and standing. Investors might care more, so sure – open yourself up to them with a creative business plan. We have an expert team of writers in-house, along with a who room full of financial modelers, editors, market analysts, and research experts who can deliver a phenomenal draft to you in as little as 2 weeks. Call us and tell us what you need! Toll-free (877) 453-2011.
