A common theme for marine company business plans is what the business will deliver for the consumers who use the seas – whether your market target is commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, or harbormasters, show what it is you can bring to the market to make an impact on their lives. The market need is important. If you're fixing up off-board motors are reselling them on the Internet, that's a completely different set of market needs and targets than a business that retails jet-skis and life vests at a marina. Show in detail what your service suite and products are, and try to arrive at average price points for each category of items. This will help you prepare a tidy revenue forecast and will give the reader a sense of what your company does. A marine company business plan should also discuss:
• The market targets and the market scope
• How many people, boats, etc. in your immediate market?
• Are there emerging trends in the market or industry that will help your company?
• What are the marketing strategies that should yield the best ROI for you?
• How much money do you need and what will you do with it?
The question of funding should be more than an academic exercise. The use of funds table in a business plan pro forma should illustrate how many different uses you'll put the seed money to and what amount of cash you plan to have on hand when operations get underway. Include a revenue forecast, break-even analysis, cash flow (always positive!), profit and loss statement, and a balance sheet for each year of operations. Make sure to include a bio for yourself as well, and emphasize your experience in the maritime market. MasterPlans can write the entire business plan for you, and make the model as well. We have been preparing bank- and investor-ready plans since 2002. Call 877-453-2011.
