The maternity store business plan is similar in its construction and purpose to any other fixed location retail business. You need to address the market need and profile your typical customer, as well as providing a complete list and description of the products you offer. If you offer any ancillary services (delivery, set-up, etc.) you should describe those as well. Will you have any e-commerce sales? Will there be a frequent customer program or any other incentives for repeat business? What about a grand opening party? These are all things to think about as you build your plan. Ultimately you will want to show:
• How many items in each major category do you think you can sell each month?
• What amount of money will you need to launch, and what loan repayment schedule can you meet?
• Who are your nearest competitors?
• Can you define your marketing strategy and give examples?
• Who will run the store or work in it besides you (if anyone)?
The business plan will also need a complete financial model showing your sales and expenses over a period of three years. This will include a revenue forecast, break-even point, cash flow and profit and loss, a balance sheet, and preferably a sensitivity analysis that gauges the impact of sales variances. Also, the SBA requires monthly modeling of Year 1 post-funding. You can work through this using software or, better yet, you can call MasterPlans. We've worked on dozens of maternity store business plans and we have a strong track record of success writing for retail concepts needing a bank loan. Call us today at 877-453-2011.
