Looking for a detailed elaboration of business plan contents, or a breakdown of the ideal table of contents? An elaboration of a business plan has to start with the most obvious parts: you'll need an executive summary front and center, an overview section that demonstrates exactly what your business is all about. Details to include here are what the premise is (what do you sell and why is it needed?), who you will target for sales, the marketing elements you'll put into play, and the management team you have directing the venture. You should also briefly mention the financials, both what amount of funding you're expecting to obtain and the use you'll put it to. (Mentioning your projected profits here isn't a bad idea either.) From there, head forward into:
• A longer description of the product and/or service suite
• A full analysis of your market opportunity
• The competitive threats you will face
• The state of your industry and its projected growth or contraction
• The advertising you'll do, the advantages you have, etc.
The marketing plan and the financial model go hand-in-hand, in a sense, inasmuch as your marketing budget and the figures you estimate for things like collateral, stationery, and business cards all flow into your pro forma P&L. But the full financial model required in most plans (3 years of estimates for a bank loan; a minimum of 5 years for a private investor or VC) has to go into much deeper detail. Show the revenues you expect, the break-even instance, the profit and loss tables, your cash flow, and a balance sheet, and provide the reader with a monthly look at the first year post-funding. If you want to hire a private consultant to develop a professional business plan for you, MasterPlans is the company for you. Call 877-453-2011 to learn more about how we can help!
