Professional Documents
Culture Documents
K B. Jensen
School of Business Management
Ryerson University
To raise money. This is the one reason most people think of. Financial
institutions often ask to see a business plan before lending money, and the first
question a potential investor asks is, "Where is your business plan?
2.
3.
4.
As a way of guiding the company in the next couple of years. Organizations need
maps into the future. The business plan is such a map.
5.
6.
-2a plan, that was required to solve the obvious problems. The style of an organization
may not fit a planning framework. The ability of the entrepreneur may make it
impossible, even with outside help, to develop a business plan. There may not be time
for a thorough plan if being first to market will confer a competitive advantage on the
company. The window of opportunity may demand immediate action. The cost of a
business plan may be prohibitive for an entrepreneur. Some thought must go into
considering whether the timing and environment are such that a business plan will be
beneficial. In some organizations, planning becomes a substitute for action.
PLANNING PROBLEMS
There are many problems in the business planning process: No goals or poorly
defined goals; failure to anticipate obstacles; lack of milestones; lack of commitment to
the plan; failure to revise (set in stone syndrome); and failure to leam from experience.
The Small Business Administration (SBA - US) list the major reasons for failure
as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The plan fails to specify how all principals in the venture can share a common
view of the organizations future (vision).
6.
PRODUCT/SERVICE - Offerings.
OPERATIONS - Manufacturing.
FINANCIALS - Balance eheet, profit and loss, cash flow, start up costs.
TECHNOLOGY - Proprietary.
-4-
When developing the business plan, the following points should be kept in mind:
Who will eventually read the plan and how much do they know about the
organization?
-5THREE ILLUSTRATIONS
OF THE CREATION OF A BUSINESS PLAN
(The Illustrations are real, but the names of the companies have been changed)
Executive Summary
The lndustry And Market (Canada)
Potential Sales Based On lndustry Analysis
Competition
US Export Opportunities (New England, Chicago Area)
Sales Forecast
Operations
Management
Future Plans
Appendix: two years of financial statements, three years of forecasted cash flow
Excluding the appendix, the plan was 15 pages. The purpose of this plan was
twofold:
To develop a direction for Hot Sauce for the next two years.
To acquire a loan from the bank.
Purpose of Company.
1.1
2.0
The industry in broad terms, along with trends and historical and future growth.
2.1
2.2
2.3
3.0
Competition - who, where, and how do they operate? Volume and estimated
market share.
3.1
4.0
The market available for the product and estimated volume/revenue for three
years.
4.1
5.
6.
-77.
Current status of product. Product development to date. What will it take to get
the product market ready? What investment will be needed and how long will it
take?
8.
10.
10.1
Financing needed.
Executive Summary
Overview
BIL Software - Building the Foundation
Product/Services - Whats it aIl about?
The Market
Product and Services
Marketing
Sales
Competition
Financial Summary
Management and Organization
Corporate and Business Structure
Critical Risks
-8-
Planning Assumptions
B.
Detailed Financials
balance sheet
cash flow
C.
-10Rich, Stanley R. Gumpert, David E. Business Plans That Win $$$: Lessons from the
MIT Enterprise Forum (NewYork: Harper Collins 1987).
Sahlman, W. et al The Entrepreneurial Venture 2nd ed. (Boston: Harvard Business
School Press 1999).
Schilt, W. Keith The Entrepreneurs Guide to Preparing a Winning Business Plan and
Raising Venture Capital (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall 1990).
Timmons, Jeffrey A. New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century
(Boston: Irwin 1999).
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http://strategis.ic.gc.ca