Graphically designed business plans are probably a little more likely to grab an investor's attention than plain Word documents or Business Plan Pro files. Who can blame them? While bankers typically want little more than an easy to review document they can stamp and file, investors' attention is a hot commodity and they're probably going to respond better to an aesthetically appealing business plan than a dull white-paper style document. A graphically designed business plan, laid out by an expert in InDesign or a similar page-making program, can be professionally printed on "full bleed" style paper to give your company an edge. But don't neglect the business plan basics thinking they'll cover up shoddy writing. You need to answer:
• What is unique about your service?
• Who do you plan to sell to?
• What do you consider the market opportunity?
• What methods will you use for marketing?
• What funding total do you seek?
A good business plan, whether graphically treated or not, has to include a financial pro forma that estimates your sales and expenses for a period of either 3 years (for a bank) or 5 years (for an investor). This means showing your planned use of funds (how start-up or seed capital will get allocated) and the revenue forecast, break-even point, profit and loss, cash flow, and balance sheet for each year you forecast. The plan also needs a bio section and management team/personnel plan with hiring timelines and schedules. If you don't cover all these basics, the layout won't mean much! MasterPlans can do all this on your behalf. Trust your market research and modeling to our experts by calling (877) 453-2011 now.
