Writing a Business Plan

Small Business Development Center

Georgia State University
404-651-3550
web: www.gsu.edu/sbdc

Why Write a Business Plan?

A Business Plan helps you evaluate the feasibility of a new

business idea in an objective, critical, and unemotional way.

• ¿Marketing – Is there a market? How much can you sell?

A commercial store dedicated to the sale of clothing
• Management – Does the management team have the skill?

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 An approximate of 10 garments per day
• Financial – Can the business make a profit?
Yes, because the owner has all the control that they do
It provides an operating plan to assist you in running the
business and improves your probability of success.
Yes, as long as it complies with the acceptance of the clients
• Identify opportunities and avoid mistakes
• Develop production, administrative, and marketing plans
• Create budgets and projections to show financial outcomes

It communicates your idea to others, serves as a “selling tool,”

and provides the basis for your financing proposal.

• Determine the amount and type of financing needed

• Forecast profitability and investor return on investment
• Forecast cash flow, show liquidity and ability to repay debt

Who will use the plan? If you won't use the plan to raise
money, your plan will be internal and may be less formal. If you
are presenting it to outsiders as a financing proposal,
presentation quality and thorough financial analysis are very
important.
Basic Business Plan Guidelines
Writing a Business Plan will probably take a lot of time. Up to 100 hours
or more is not uncommon for a new business that requires a lot of
research.

A typical plan will have three sections. Section one is a written section
describing Management and Marketing aspects of the business. Section
Two includes financial projections. Section Three is supplemental

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information. A short (3-5 pages) Executive Summary is often added at
the beginning of more complex business plans.

• Section One should be thorough, but concise and to-the-point. Use

headlines, graphs and "bullets" to improve readability. Length of this
section is usually 10 - 20 pages.

• Section Two describes in numbers the outcome of your business

strategies and plans. Your financial projections should be based on
facts and research, not “wild guesses.” Be prepared to justify your
numbers.

• Section Three contains supporting information to reinforce the first

two sections. This section’s contents will vary with your type of
business.

Owners should be very involved in the planning process. Hiring someone

to do it or delegating it to someone who is not a key member of the
company will result in an inferior plan.

No plan (or a poor plan) is a leading cause of business failure. You can
improve your chances of success with a good Business Plan.

Ten Ways to Ruin Your Business Plan

These errors in business plan preparation and presentation will undermine the
credibility of the plan and hurt your chances to receive funding:

• Submitting a “rough copy,” (with coffee stains and typos) tells the reader that
management doesn’t take the planning process seriously.

• Outdated historical financial information or unrealistic industry comparisons

will leave doubts about the entrepreneur’s planning abilities.

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• Unsubstantiated assumptions can hurt a business plan; the business owner
must be prepared to explain the “why” of every point in the plan.

• Too much “blue sky” - a failure to consider prospective pitfalls - will lead the
reader to conclude that the idea is not realistic.

• A lack of understanding of financial information. Even if someone else

prepares the projections, the owner must be able to explain them.

• Lack of specific, detailed strategies. A plan that includes only general

statements of strategy (“We will provide world class service and the lowest
possible price.”) without important details will be dismissed as fluff.

Especially important if the business plan is prepared for a lender:

• No indication that the owner has anything at stake. The lender expects the
entrepreneur to have some equity capital invested in the business.

• Unwillingness to personally guarantee any loans. If the business owner isn’t

willing to stand behind his or her company, then why should the bank?

• Starting the plan with unrealistic loan amounts or terms. Do your

homework and propose a realistic structure.

• Too much focus on collateral. Even for a cash-secured loan, the banker is
looking toward projected profits for repayment of the loan. Cash flow should
be emphasized as the source of repayment.

Business Plan Outline

Cover Sheet: Business Name, Address, Phone Number, Principals

Executive Summary or Statement of Purpose Table of Contents

Section One: The Business

A. Description of Business

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Glam is a company that is dedicated to the sale of women's
clothing, it has several lines of clothing
B. Products/Services
Women's clothing-casual formal
It seeks to offer a good service to be able to satisfy the needs of
the people
C. Market Analysis
A clothing store does not satisfy the same needs for clothing,
on the contrary, it satisfies the need that people have to buy,
thus providing a service; the family business, through its offer
of women's clothing, aims to facilitate the purchase process
D. Marketing Plan
¿Arethey men or women?
What is your age range?
How much money do you spend on clothes on average? (here
you would have an estimate).
E. Location
4 north avenue dream boulevard
F. Competition
competition that is installed next to the GLAM stores since
they have a high power of attraction for customers and benefit
them
G. Management and Operations
Running stores efficiently and offering exceptional customer
service is becoming increasingly important. The task
management it offers allows you to manage the tasks of your
establishment efficiently and provides you with real-time
visibility
H. Personnel
Owner Manager, Cashier, Sales Executive

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I. Application and Effect of Loan or Investment

Section Two: Financial Data

A. Projected Financial Statements
Income Statements
Cash Flow Statements
Balance Sheets
Assumptions to Projected Financial Statements
B. Break Even Analysis
C. Sources and Uses of Funds

Section Three: Supporting Documents Historical financial statements,

tax returns, resumes, reference letters, personal financial statements,
facilities diagrams, letters of intent, purchase orders, contracts, etc.
Section One: The Business
The following pages describe in detail each part (A through I) of the previous
Business Plan Outline. Disregard any questions that do not apply to your business.

A. Description of the Business

Part A provides an overview of key information which is developed in greater
detail in the following pages. Aim for clarity and simplicity in this part. Too
much detail here gets in the way of the main ideas. The Elevator Test - Can you
explain your basic business idea in the time it takes to get from the lobby to the 5th
floor?

Basic Questions:

1) What general type of business is this?

2) What is the status of the business? Start-up, expansion or take-over?
3) What is the business form? Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation or
Limited Liability Company?
4) What are your products?
5) Who are (will be) your customers?

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Additional Questions for Start-Ups:

1) Why will you be successful in this business?

2) What is your experience with this type of business?
3) What will be special or unique about this business?
4) Why will your business be successful?

Additional Questions for Purchase of Existing Business:

1) When and by whom was the business founded?

2) Why is the owner selling?
3) How was the purchase price determined?
4) What are the current financial conditions and trends?
5) How will your management make the business more profitable?

B. Products/Services
In this section, describe your product offering. This will include details of product
features and an overview of unique technology or processes. But don’t stop there
and don’t focus too much on technology. You must also describe the product
benefits and why customers will want to buy.

For most businesses, the products/services are not totally unique. If yours are,
take advantage of this while you can and plan for the competitive battles that will
come.

If your products/services are not unique, you must find a way to position your
products/services in the mind of your customer and to differentiate them from the
competition. Positioning is the process of establishing your image with prospects
or customers. (Examples include: highest quality, lowest price, wider selection,
Best customer service, faster delivery, etc.)

Basic Questions:

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1) What products/services are you (will you be) selling?
2) What are the features and benefits of what you sell?
3) What Position do you have (or want to have) in the market?
4) How do your products/services differ from the competition?
5) What makes your products unique and desirable?
6) Why do (will) customers buy from you?

C. Market Analysis
For start-ups or existing businesses, market analysis is important as the basis for
the marketing plan and to help justify the sales forecast. Existing businesses will
rely heavily on past performance as an indicator of the future. Start-ups have a
greater challenge - they will rely more on market research using libraries, trade
associations, government statistics, surveys, competitor observation, etc. In all
cases, make sure your market analysis is relevant to establishing the viability of the
business and the reasonableness of the sales forecast.

Questions for Existing Businesses:

1) Who are your current customers? (List largest customers or categories.)

2) What do they buy from you?
3) Why do they buy from you? (Quality, Price, Reputation, etc.?)

Basic Questions:

1) Who are the purchasers of your products or type of products?

(Geographic, Demographic and Psychographic characteristics) 2) What is the
size of the market? Is it growing?
3) What is (will be) your share? How will your share change over time?
4) What is the industry outlook?
5) Are there segments of users who are under-served by competition? 6) Do
any of these under-served segments present opportunities?

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D. Marketing Plan
In this section, you include the highlights or your detailed marketing plan. The
basic components of a Marketing Plan are:

· What are you selling? (What benefits do you provide and what
position or image do you have?)
· Who wants the things you sell? (Identify Target Markets)
· How will you reach your Target Markets and motivate them to buy?
(Develop Product, Price, and Promotional Strategies)

Product Strategies

1) How will products be packaged?

2) How broad will your product line be?
3) What new products will you introduce?
4) What Position or Image will you try to develop or reinforce?

Pricing Strategies

1) What will be your pricing strategies? (For example: Premium, Every

Day Low Price, Frequent Sale Prices, Meet Competitor Price, etc.) 2) How
will you compare with competition and how will they respond?
3) Why will customers pay your price?
4) What will be your credit policies?
5) Is there anything about your business which insulates you from price
competition?
6) Can you add value and compete on issues other than price?

Promotional Strategies

1) Who are your Target Markets?

2) How will you reach your Target Markets? (What Media will you use?)
3) How will you motivate them to buy? (What Message will you stress?)
4) What is the cost and timetable for implementation of the marketing plan?

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E. Location
Locations with greater customer traffic usually cost more to buy or rent, but they
require less spending for advertising to attract customers. This is especially true of
retail businesses where traffic count and accessibility are critical.

Basic Questions:

1) What is the business address?

2) Is it owned or leased? If leased, what are the terms?
3) Are renovations or modifications needed, and what are the costs?
4) Describe the property and the surrounding area.
5) Why is this a good location for your business?

For Mail Order, Telemarketing, Manufacturing, Consulting, or other companies

where the customer does not purchase while physically at the business address, less
location detail is needed. Modify the location section to fit your situation. In some
cases, a good location may be one close to suppliers, transportation hubs or a
complementary business that will also attract your Target Market.

F. Competition
"Who is your competition?" is one of the first questions a banker or investor will
ask. Business by nature is competitive, and few businesses are completely new. If
there are no competitors, be careful; there may be no market for your products.

Expand your concept of competition. If you plan to open the first roller skating
rink in town, your competition includes movie theaters, malls, bowling alleys, etc.

Basic Questions:

1) Who are (will be) your largest competitors? List them.

2) How will your operation be better (and worse) than your competitors?
3) How are competitors doing? What are their sales and profits?
4) (If Start-Up) How will competition respond to your market entry?

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G. Management and Operations
Because management problems are the leading cause of business failures, it is
important to discuss management qualifications and structure. Resumes of
Principals should be included in supporting data. If your business will have few
employees and rely heavily on outside professionals, list these key people and their
qualifications. If you are seeking financing, include personal financial statements
for all principals in supporting data section.

Basic Questions:

1) What is the business management experience of the management team?

2) What are the functional areas of the business?
3) Who will be responsible for each functional area?
4) Who reports to whom?
5) What will salaries be?
6) What management resources outside the company are available?
7) How will your products/services be produced? (Describe manufacturing
processes, proprietary technology and key supplier relationships.)

H. Personnel
The success of many companies depends on their ability to recruit, train and retain
quality employees. The amount of emphasis in your plan will depend on the
number and type of employees required.

Basic Questions:

1) What are the personnel needs now? In the future?

2) What skills must they have? What training will you provide?
3) Are the people you need available?
4) What is their compensation? What fringe benefits will be provided?

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I. Application and Effect of Loan or Investment
This section is important whether you are seeking a loan, outside investment
(equity) or investing your own money. It may be necessary to complete Section
Two, Financial Data, before completing this part.

Basic Questions:

1) What is the total investment required?

2) How will the loan or investment be used?
3) How will the loan or investment make the business more profitable?
4) When will the loan be repaid?
5) If you are seeking equity (selling part of the business to an investor): - What
percent of the company are you willing to give up?
- What rate of return is possible for the investor? (Note: If your business
plan will be presented to private investors, seek legal counsel to be sure
you are in compliance with securities laws.)

Section Two: Financial Data

A. Projected Financial Statements
The basic purposes of financial projections are:
• Establish the profit potential of the business, given reasonable assumptions
• Determine how much capital the company needs and how it will be used
• Demonstrate the business can generate the cash to operate and re-pay loans

It is usually helpful, but not necessary, to complete at least a rough draft of Section
One (the written section) before attempting the financial section. In the written
section, you will develop and describe your strategies for the business. In the
financial section, you will estimate the financial impact of those strategies by
developing projected Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow
Statements. It is usually recommended that these projected statements be on a

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monthly basis for at least the first twelve months or until the business is profitable
and stable. Activity displayed beyond the monthly detail may be in summary form
(such as quarterly or annually.) The forecast period for most business plans is two
to four years.

Before you start developing projected financial statements, gather the suggested
information on the following pages. The personal computer is an excellent tool for
financial projections; and those with a good background in accounting and personal
computer spreadsheets may want to create their own financial forecast model.
(There are also some specialized software programs which have basic templates to
help with your financial forecast.)

The quality of your projection depends on the accuracy of the assumptions.

(Garbage in - Garbage out.) Existing businesses will rely heavily on past financial
results as the basis for their forecasts. Start-ups have greater challenges. They
must do extensive research to prove the reasonableness of their numbers.
Examples of sources include: Industry data from public sources and trade
associations, personal interviews with potential customers and people in the
business, competitive observation and analysis, etc.

If you would like assistance, gather the suggested information on the following
pages and contact the Small Business Development Center. The SBDC will review
the information from your research and help you develop your projection.

Steps in Financial Projections

For items 1 and 2, use the following “Fixed Asset/Start-up Expense List.”

1) Estimate fixed asset requirements for the first year. Include Land, Buildings,
Leasehold Improvements, Equipment, and Vehicles.

2) Estimate any start-up or one-time expenses. Include any expenses needed to begin
operation such as legal fees, licenses, and initial marketing costs.

For item 3, use the following “Unit Selling Price and Cost Analysis” sheet.

3) Define each “unit” of your product or service and estimate the selling price and
direct cost per unit. In the appropriate places on the form, estimate Cost of Sales
and calculate Gross Profit as a percentage of the selling price.

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For items 4 through 6, use the following “Projected Income Statement”.

4) Estimate sales by month for at least one year. (Unit sales price times the number
of units.) Consider how start-up, marketing, and seasonal factors affect sales.

5) Estimate monthly Cost of Sales and Gross Profit based on the percentages of
sales calculated in #3 above. Use a weighted average if multiple product lines.

6) Estimate and itemize fixed expenses by month for at least one year. Include
things like rent, insurance, utilities, salaries, marketing, legal/accounting, etc.
Determine all categories which apply to your business, but don’t include expenses
here that are in “cost of goods (services) sold.”

Research items 7 through 10, and provide a short narrative.

7) Describe the amount of inventory (if any) required to support the sales forecast.
Express in number of days sales or turnover if possible.

8) Describe your credit, sales, and collections policies. If you will make sales on
credit, estimate the number of days after the sale before the average customer pays.

9) Describe how fast you must pay your vendors for any items you will purchase.

10) Also: - Estimate obligations for Income Taxes.

- Businesses already in operation will need the latest Balance Sheet.

Fixed Asset/Start-up Expense List

Fixed Asset Description: Cost:

Land/Building ____________________________________

Equipment and/or Vehicles ____________________________________

Leasehold Improvements ____________________________________

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(Other)_____________________________ ____________________________________

___________________________________ ____________________________________

___________________________________ ____________________________________

Start-up Expense Description:

Legal/Organization Costs ____________________________________

Initial Marketing & Promotion ____________________________________

Licenses and Permits ____________________________________

Beginning Inventory ____________________________________

(Other)_____________________________ ____________________________________

___________________________________ ____________________________________

___________________________________ ____________________________________

___________________________________ ____________________________________

Total Fixed Asset and Start-up Expenses: _______________________________

Note: List major items individually. You may group other, smaller items (like office equipment)
into a single line item.
Unit Selling Price and Cost Analysis
(Make additional copies of this sheet if necessary.)

Product or Service #1: _______________________________________________

A. Selling Price: __________________

less
Direct Costs:

Writing a Business Plan Georgia State SBDC 15

Materials ___________
Labor ___________
Sub-contractors ___________
(Other)_______________ ___________
_____________________ ___________
_____________________ ___________
_____________________ ___________

B. Total Cost per Unit __________________

C. Unit Gross Profit (A minus B) __________________

D. Gross Profit % (C divided by A) ____________

Product or Service: #2: ______________________________________________

A. Selling Price: less __________________

Direct Costs:

Materials ___________
Labor ___________
Sub-contractors ___________
(Other)_______________ ___________
_____________________ ___________
_____________________ ___________
_____________________ ___________

B. Total Cost per Unit __________________

C. Unit Gross Profit (A minus B) __________________

D. Gross Profit % (C divided by A) ____________

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 Projected Income Statement

For the 12 Months Beginning __________

Total
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12 Year 1

Total Revenu e

s Sold

Cost of Good

Gross Profit

Accounting & Legal

Admini Salaries

Autos & Vehicles

Depreciation

Dues & Subscriptions

Entertainment

Equipment Rental

Insurance-Business

Insurance-Health

Interest

Contract Labor
Licenses

Marketing

Miscellaneous

Office Supplies

Postage

Rent

Repairs & Maintenance

Telephone

Taxes-Payroll

Taxes-Other

Travel

Utilities

Other:

es

Total Expens

t (Loss)

Pre-Tax Profi
Writing a Business Plan Georgia State SBDC 17
 A. (Cont.) Optional Method to Calculate Needed Capital
Many businesses can get a reasonable picture of their financial future by using the following
formula. If the business will start making sales very soon after opening, you may decide to
multiply monthly fixed expenses by a number smaller than six.

Total Required Capital =

Six Months of Fixed Expenses + Asset Purchases + Start-up Expenses

Column 1 Column 2
Monthly Fixed Expenses

Salaries (include owner) __________

Payroll Taxes at 12% __________

Rent __________

Marketing and Advertising __________

Supplies __________

Telephone & Utilities __________

Insurance __________

Maintenance __________

Legal and Accounting __________

Miscellaneous __________

(Other)_________________ __________

Monthly Fixed Expense Sub-total _________ x 6 = _________

Asset Purchases
Purchase of Land and Building ___________

Decorating and Remodeling ___________

Fixtures and Equipment (plus installation) ___________

Deposits on Rental Property and Utilities ___________

Beginning Inventory ___________

Writing a Business Plan

Asset Purchase Sub-Total __________

Start-up Expense You Pay Once

Legal and Accounting Organization Costs ___________

Licenses and Permits ___________

Initial Advertising and Promotion ___________

(Other)______________________________ ___________

Start-up Expense Sub-total __________

Total Estimated Cash Needed to Start (Add Column 2) __________

Georgia State SBDC 18

B. Break Even Analysis

Break even (B/E) analysis is a simple, but very effective financial feasibility test. B/E is used to
find the amount of sales necessary to pay all fixed costs (and have zero income.) In your
business plan, it represents a minimum acceptable performance. Follow these steps to calculate:

1) Determine Contribution Margin Percent. Contribution Margin (CM) equals Sales minus
Variable Expenses. CM% equals CM dollars divided by Sales. Note: The biggest variable
expense is usually Cost of Goods Sold (CGS), which is the direct material and labor necessary
to make a product or service ready for sale.

2) List and total all Fixed Expenses for a specific time period (usually one month.) Fixed
expenses do not rise or fall with sales volume. Examples: rent, insurance, utilities, etc.

3) Break Even Sales is Fixed Expenses divided by Contribution Margin %. (See Example)

Example:

Unit sales price: $10 Monthly Fixed Expenses:

Rent 2,000
less Cost of Goods Sold: Utilities 1,000
Material & Labor 3 Salary 3,000
less Other Variable Exp: Other 4,000
Commissions 1
Writing a Business Plan Total Fixed Exp. $10,000
Unit Contribution Margin = $6
($10 - $3 - $1)

CM % ($6 ÷ $10) = 60%

B/E = Fixed Expense ÷ CM %

B/E = $10,000 ÷ .6

Monthly B/E Sales = $16,667

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C. Sources and Uses of Funds

The Sources and Uses of Funds is a statement of how much money you need (and where it will
come from) and how that money will be used. This statement should be included if your
business plan is being presented to a lender or investor. By definition, sources must equal uses.
The
following is an example of a typical format.

Sources:
Writing a Business Plan
 Term Loan __________

Line of Credit __________

Personal Equity __________

Outside Equity __________

Other __________

Total Sources __________

Uses:

Purchase Building __________

Purchase Equipment __________

Renovations __________

Inventory __________

Working Capital __________

Cash Reserve __________

Other __________

Georgia State SBDC

Total Uses: __________ 20

Writing a Business Plan