The external training consultant business plans that you typically see presented for funding through private investment have pulled together a great body of research in support of the need for training in the target territory. If you specialize in sales training, for example, targeting SMBs that work with pharmaceutical companies, how many companies in your target area fit these criteria? The US Census Bureau has statistics on this, but it might be better to plumb Dun & Bradstreet or Manta for metrics germane to your sector. Knowing how big your available market is will tell you what the sales forecast can reasonably look like. Other important market tidbits:
• How would you define the market need?
• What is the target customer size?
• How has your industry fared over the past few years?
• The competition is important; describe it in detail.
• What are competitors charging for similar consulting projects?
The business plan's market analysis is important but you will also need to identify the marketing techniques your company can use to gain new clients as well as the advertising you can do in general to support the company's brand-building efforts. The plan should also have a full description of your service suite with examples of past engagements or prospective contracts and fulfillment processes. The plan also requires a management team summary and personnel plan identifying why you're a good fit for the job. Need more help? The team at MasterPlans can help you write this document. Call a consultant today at 877-453-2011.
