Where is the best place to write a business plan? How to write a business plan - sample

Opening and running any profitable and successful business is impossible without first drawing up a clear, well-thought-out business plan. This will be the first step towards realizing your business idea. A business plan that is properly calculated and takes into account the various nuances of the activity will give you an idea of ​​the approximate profitability of the plan, possible risks and ways to solve various problems. The words of Robert McNamara very accurately characterize the drawing up of a business plan: “Put your great idea on paper. If you don’t succeed, then you haven’t thought it through yet.”

Drawing up a business plan requires you to be thorough, take into account even the smallest details, it certainly won’t be superfluous, but various omissions can lead to surprises, a delay in opening or a decrease in profits. As a result, he must answer the following questions: why is this particular business viable, how profitable can it be? You need to know exactly how you plan to meet the needs of potential clients and customers. And to do this, you will first need to decide on the target audience for which your business will be designed. It is necessary to take into account the age, interests, social status, and financial capabilities of people. This will help you decide on the range of products or services, the business schedule, and the level of pricing policy.

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Be sure to study the market for the planned services or goods and objectively evaluate your strengths. The higher the popularity and demand of the chosen field, the higher, as a rule, the competition. Find out why a particular establishment or company is in demand, and try to adopt their business tactics. And vice versa: if an enterprise similar to yours has recently closed, do not be too lazy to find out or assume what was the reason for this, and do not repeat the mistakes. Think about what new things you can offer your customers that will interest them. If the business is seasonal, take into account their fluctuations. Will the influx of visitors cover the months of calm? Equally important is the choice of location for your organization. It is desirable that there are no competitors nearby and that it is convenient for clients to get there. For restaurants, cafes, shops, for example, traffic is very important. The format of the same clothing store plays a big role here. A location in a residential area, in the city center, is more suitable for a boutique. You can choose a different location for the stock center.

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Decide on the organizational and legal form of your business. Individual entrepreneurs have tax advantages and simple registration; LLCs have more opportunities, for example, conducting non-cash payments with corporate clients. Find out in advance whether the activity is subject to licensing, whether permits are needed, what contracts need to be concluded and with whom (SES, Municipal Unitary Enterprise Improvement, RAO, etc.). If yes, then consider the time required to collect and prepare all the required documentation. Equally important is the correct selection of premises for a new business. Calculate the area optimally so as not to overpay for renting unused space. To do this, you must first decide what and how much equipment you will need, what furniture you need (at least approximately). But leave a small margin in the calculated area in case of subsequent additions. At the same time, it is necessary to determine the planned number of employees. Start with real numbers, later the staff can be expanded.

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Calculate the one-time costs of starting a business. This will include: purchase of furniture, equipment, goods, materials (including consumables), possible repairs of the premises, registration, execution of all contracts, purchase and registration of a cash register, ordering an advertising sign and display case, etc. Calculate approximate monthly expenses, which include, for example, rent, utility bills, employee salaries, purchases of goods, various deductions, advertising costs, equipment repairs, etc. Keep some reserve in case of unexpected expenses. To calculate income, you need to find out the approximate amount of the average check, the number of potential clients per day (taking into account the influx, say, on weekends and the lull on weekdays, and vice versa), and estimate the demand for certain types of services. By comparing the amounts of expected income and expenses, you will understand whether the enterprise will be profitable. Don't forget to deduct taxes from the profit received. Their amount will depend on which tax system you choose. The result will be net profit.

I know a lot about business planning. Planned and opened 3 family businesses. I compiled 4 business plans to receive grants and one subsidy from the Employment Center. I helped several friends formulate their ideas, edited dozens of documents for clients, and studied hundreds of materials from applicants - businessmen applying for a loan.

For two years I worked at a business financing institution. Beginning and experienced entrepreneurs applied for funds, and we assessed the prospects and payback of the idea, drew up a business plan or adjusted the client’s existing calculations. Information about the applicant was presented at a meeting of the credit committee, where a collective decision was made to issue the requested amount or to refuse.

To convince all credit experts to vote “for” financing, it was necessary to analyze all possible risks of the project and find solutions for any situation, protect the lender’s money from all sides, and provide escape options if everything goes according to a negative scenario.

The discussion of business projects at the credit committee was structured as follows:

– What if he divorces his wife, who will sell in his store, since she is now standing behind the counter herself?

– Hire a second salesperson. By the way, the wife acts as a guarantor for the loan, so she will take on half of the debt during the divorce.

– What will happen to the debt when the “off season” for sales comes?

– In the off-season, I propose to reduce the monthly payments in the schedule so that the client “pulls” this amount during the period of declining profits.

– What if his warehouse is robbed?

– The warehouse is guarded, but we still insure the inventory – this insurance company pays compensation within a couple of weeks without quibbles or delays, so the client will quickly recover losses and be able to order a new batch of goods.

Become such a strict commission for your own project and go through all the weak points of the business to find a plan B and C for any development of the situation. Discuss ideas and brainstorm with friends. It is better to find possible problems and think through their solutions on paper before opening a company, than to take risks and incur unnecessary expenses later.

Quite everyday situations can turn into a disaster for a micro-business and problems for a large enterprise. Take this into account when planning so that you don’t unexpectedly go into the red later.

My experience will help you create a business plan and get financing for it. It can be used when approaching private investors, requesting a bank loan, or obtaining a start-up grant from the local government.

Using the example of my new family enterprise - a small blacksmith's workshop - I will show you how to create a business plan to attract funds from the budget.

A business plan is a document that comprehensively describes the idea, project, work and results of such work. It takes into account everything from the launch schedule and recruitment to different development scenarios and payback periods. The full version of the document lists possible risks and options for minimizing them.

What are the differences from feasibility studies?

A feasibility study is a feasibility study for launching a project. The calculations in it concern only the necessary investments, upcoming costs, expected income, and payback period. It calculates the financial benefits of planned activities. A feasibility study can be drawn up when a separate issue is being resolved, for example, about transferring accounting to .

A business plan, compared to a feasibility study, covers a wider range of issues, including promotion and marketing of the project, organizational arrangements, and risk assessment. The social component of a startup is also considered here. A business plan is a more comprehensive document; it is needed when opening a restaurant or store.

Why do you need a business plan?

A business plan shows the seriousness of the entrepreneur’s intentions and the depth of his immersion in the topic. He needs this himself in order to understand what awaits him in the process, how to avoid problems and make a profit.

But this document is most important when raising funds. Without a business plan, an investor, credit specialist or administration employee will not discuss the possibility of issuing borrowed or budget funds.

Let's return to our forge. My husband and I need a business plan for internal use - to understand what startup costs will be needed, how much and what will have to be purchased, what and how to register for legal work, what income is possible, what to produce and how to sell.

But another purpose of drawing up a BP is to apply for a grant. Budget funds are distributed at the district level to support start-up entrepreneurs. It is possible to receive up to 300,000 rubles free of charge by passing a competitive selection, during which a commission evaluates the business plan and its indicators. To beat your competitors and get one, you need to correctly draw up this document and competently present your project.

Internal – for making management decisions. A businessman needs such a document for himself, for his partners, for his employees.

External – to attract financing and government support, search for an investor. It is compiled for communicating with banks, applying to the district/city administration for a grant or subsidy, and negotiating with possible partners.

The tasks that different business plans solve differ. You cannot draw up one document and go with it for a loan, for budget support, and in search of a private investor.

1. Money from the budget

Objectives of the business plan when attracting budget funds:

• Demonstrate your vision of the project, convince officials distributing funds that you understand the chosen area and understand where to start. It doesn’t matter to them how and what you do during your work, the main thing is that your business stays afloat for at least 3-5 years. This is how long they track the fate of support recipients.
• Choose a priority direction of development: make and sell what the market needs, provide services that are lacking in the area, satisfy the demand of different categories of the population. This is again important to improve statistics in the area, so that the authorities can report that the consumer market is developing.
• Confirm the social significance of the project: job creation and employment of the unemployed, youth, disabled people, parents of large families - the more workers a business needs, the better. The number of new jobs is one of the criteria for evaluating the project.
• Calculate the budgetary efficiency of the business - the volume of tax and non-tax revenues, including insurance premiums for employees and personal income tax; the more you plan to pay to the state, the higher the likelihood of providing a grant. Ideally, these revenues should cover the costs of providing you with a grant in a couple of years, and then cover them.

Consider all these points when drawing up a business plan in order to correctly place the emphasis.

All indicators of the business plan and forecasts will be checked after the issuance of budget funds - once a quarter, six months or a year, the commission will go to the site and request financial documentation and reporting from you, and compare the indicators with the planned ones. If you don't hire employees or start delivering products to local stores as promised, you may be forced to return the money because you failed to fulfill your contractual obligations. Therefore, on paper, do not inflate the numbers and do not embellish anything; approach planning more realistically.

2. Bank loan

If you decide to go to the bank for money, then a business plan for a loan will perform other tasks:

• Prove the understanding of the project by the entrepreneur himself, provide a calendar plan that will help draw up a debt repayment schedule.
• Calculate the amount of income and expenses taking into account mandatory payments to repay the loan.
• List the risks of loan non-repayment and suggest possible ways to minimize them - guarantee, insurance, property pledge.

The lender needs the client to reach the planned income and be able to fulfill his obligations without delays or failures, even during an emergency. In a business plan for a bank, it is necessary to focus on this. He does not care about the number of jobs created or the amount of taxes paid; what is more important is the financial stability of the borrower.

3. Investor funds

The financial component of the project is also important for the investor; he needs information about the profitability and payback period of the investment. When investing his money, he must understand how quickly he will get some results - a return of money, a part of the profit.

The business plan should immediately provide for options for distributing profits between investors, providing them with a share in the company, and the degree of involvement in the work.

4. Internal resources

A business plan “for yourself” can perform any tasks and contain a wide variety of information about a future or existing enterprise. With its help, you can prepare a report for management and shareholders with calculations and arguments in favor of expanding production, opening a new outlet, entering the market of another region, or developing a product line.

In such a document, you can go into detail, describe all the nuances and take into account not only financial issues, but also organizational work, marketing policy, and production issues.

There is no universal business plan; you always need to understand what and for whom it is intended and draw it up with this in mind.

• To receive a grant, the forge’s business plan must tell more about what it will give to the area and what benefits the budget will receive from its opening.
• Thus, it is necessary to indicate that the nearest forge is located in another area of ​​the region, 200 km away, so the opening of a new enterprise will provide local residents with affordable products. And it will be suitable for household needs and satisfy the needs of all categories of the population - hardware tools, interior items, furniture.
• It should be emphasized that in the first year the entrepreneur-blacksmith himself will be employed, and in the second year it is planned to hire another employee as an assistant. This will create 2 jobs.
• It is also worth calculating in detail how many insurance premiums a self-employed entrepreneur will pay for himself and how much for an employee next year.
• The employee’s salary must necessarily exceed the average salary in the relevant industry in the region. Thus, in the Novgorod region, statistics say that workers in the production sector receive an average of 32,000 rubles. Payments to the employee in calculations must be indicated no less than this amount.
• This will need to be mentioned in the brief description of the project - that part of the business plan that will be read and carefully studied by all members of the competition committee.
• If we went to the bank for a loan, we would focus on other details - payback, stable income, profitability, which allows us to repay the requested amount with interest.

Main sections of a business plan

Any business plan should contain a comprehensive description of the project so that important information is not missed. The main sections may have different names, be combined or divided into additional subsections, but their content must be in the document.

What sections does a business plan include?

Detailed content of sections of the business plan

What should we write about in the main points of this document in order to get a complete picture of the company’s development?

Business Description

Creation date, official registration of an individual entrepreneur or legal entity.

Distribution of shares in a company between partners, co-founders, investors.

Businessman experience before that – education, experience as an employee. It is not necessary to indicate your entire work history and attach diplomas, unless this directly relates to a new project. So, when a businessman planning to open a cafe has previously worked for several years as a manager in public catering, this will be his advantage. If he graduated from a university with a specialty in the restaurant business, then this is another point in his experience. And if all his life he has been turning nuts in a car service center, trained as a veterinarian and then suddenly decided to open a bar, information about education and experience will be superfluous.

Place of registration, business area. You need to indicate not only the address, but also the overall coverage of the territory.

Project goals and objectives. Here you need to describe the scope of activity, as well as measurable results - open 1 cafe with 30 seats, sell 500 kg of baked goods daily, etc.

I’ll show you how to describe an enterprise in a business plan, using the example of a forge. In the “Project Description” section there will be the following information:

• IP registration date: May 2018.
• The entrepreneur will run the business independently, without involving partners. The employee will be hired in the spring of 2019.
• The entrepreneur spent a year doing forging in his home workshop. In the spring of 2018, I rented space for a forge on the production site, equipped it and continued working.
• At the end of 2017, I completed a three-month course in “Hand Art Forging” at the Academy of Metalworking (St. Petersburg) and received the qualification “blacksmith” (a copy of the education certificate is attached).
• The goal of the project is to open a forge in the N-rayon for the production and sale of forged products to the population.
• By 2019, it is planned to produce products worth 250,000 rubles monthly.

Market assessment. You need to estimate the market capacity, population, and number of potential customers. It is quite difficult to do this without full-fledged marketing research. Therefore, it is worth looking for ready-made results of such an assessment for your region. In extreme cases, you can roughly predict effective demand.

The main thing is to formulate sales goals for yourself: will you work only within the microdistrict, open retail outlets throughout the city, take the products for sale throughout the district, or supply them beyond its borders.

How exactly you plan to reach your target audience, how you will choose suitable promotion channels, you will describe in detail in the “Marketing Plan” section, now indicate only the direction.

Competitors. Make a list of your competitors who are already operating in this market.

Not only direct competitors offering similar goods and services are taken into account, but also those companies that produce substitute products and provide alternative services. If there is no specialized tea boutique in your city, this does not mean that the market is clear of competitors: you will have to compete for customers with those department stores and supermarkets that also sell different types of tea.

• There are no other blacksmiths engaged in artistic forging in the territory of the regional center itself or neighboring areas. The nearest company selling such handmade products is located 250 km away (in the regional center).
• Factory-produced hardware and entrenching tools - pokers, staples, machetes, axes, accessories - are offered in 6 hardware stores in the district, but consumers complain about their low quality, and monitoring of goods has shown that such goods do not last long. Hand-forged products are more durable, and a local blacksmith can compete with factory suppliers, guaranteeing not only high quality, but also sharpening of the tool, its repair, and manufacturing to the required dimensions to order. Forged decorative interior elements and household products - door handles, hooks for gates and hinges for gates, hangers and hooks for clothes - are rarely found in stores; mainly plastic products are sold. Forged garden furniture - benches, gazebos, lanterns, tables - are not sold in the area.
• These products are in steady demand among the local population. Handmade artistic forging products are bought not only by rural residents for their village homes, but also by summer residents, owners of tourist centers and country cafes.
• The forge will supply goods to the market of the N district, enter into contracts with stores for the supply of products for sale, and participate in craft fairs in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Production plan

Business processes. Write a list of equipment, tools, raw materials and supplies that are required to create the selected range of goods and provide services. Calculate the optimal production volumes that your equipment can handle. Indicate which employees and with what workload you will need.

Products. List the products, services and work that you will offer to clients. Calculations of the costs of organizing business processes will allow you to find out the cost and draw up a price list.

Starting investments. Calculate how much money you will need to start the project. Add up the cost of all assets, fixed assets, repairs, materials and other costs that will be required to begin production.

For example, this section might look like this:

• To operate a forge, it is necessary to equip the room with ventilation, a forge, an anvil with a hammer, a vice, a table for cutting metal, a paint booth for processing finished products with heat-resistant paint, anti-rust and other coatings. All this has already been done by the entrepreneur himself.
• The following equipment and tools will increase work efficiency and productivity: grinder for sharpening blades (40,000 rubles), grinder for cutting metal (5,000 rubles), grinder for processing forged products (10,000 rubles), automatic welding machine (20,000 rubles .), mechanical hammer (from RUB 150,000). The total cost of equipping the forge is 225,000 rubles.
• In the manufacture of products, metal is used - profiles, sheet iron, fittings, wire. Raw materials are purchased in small wholesale from a metal warehouse in a neighboring area, delivery is carried out by the supplier’s transport. The cost of a batch of raw materials including delivery is 10,000 rubles. There may be 2-4 batches per month, taking into account the load and volume of work.
• Forging requires coal and gas in cylinders. A combined forge allows you to process metal by heating it with coal or gas. The average monthly consumption of these types of fuel is 1,500 rubles and 2,000 rubles, respectively.
• Supply and exhaust ventilation, electric. Used to maintain the required temperature in the furnace and remove combustion products from the room. Electricity consumption is accounted for by a separate meter in the forge and reaches the amount of 2,500 rubles per month.
• During the first 9-10 months, the blacksmith will work alone, then it will be necessary to hire a worker as an assistant.
• The forge is located on the territory of a carpentry shop, so there will be no problems with the manufacture of mixed products - from wood with forged elements.
• List of products: benches, tables, bar stools, flower stands, fireplace sets (poker, scoop, stand for them), floor and wall hangers, coat hooks, latches and hinges for gates and gates, door and cabinet handles, lamps , coasters for the kitchen for hot dishes or for cutting boards, sickles, machetes, staples, knives.
• The forge is already working, but not at full capacity. Grant funds are needed to purchase additional equipment. Replenishment of current assets and payment of current expenses will be made at your own expense.

Organizational plan

Organizational and legal form. Is an individual entrepreneur or LLC, or some other form of organization suitable for the implementation of the selected project? What is the rationale behind the choice? What taxation system has been chosen and why is it suitable?

Distribution of founder roles. If there are several partners, their role in the management and operation of the company is described. What will they do, what will they be responsible for?

Staff. What employees will be needed, who should be hired, who should be hired temporarily, what functions can be outsourced or performed independently.

Settlements with counterparties. How do you plan to receive money from clients? Do you need to open a cash register, buy an online cash register, or are there options for making payments in some other way?

Project Schedule. What needs to be done and when, which issues need to be resolved immediately, which ones - later. It is advisable to calculate the cost of each stage in order to clearly show when and in what volume financing is required.

• For a forge, it is enough for a self-employed blacksmith to be an individual entrepreneur. This simplifies accounting and reporting. Accounting is carried out by the entrepreneur himself, using the appropriate online services provided to him by the bank.
• A current account is used for settlements with clients and suppliers, and a cash register will also be purchased, although goods can be sold at fairs without it. A special deduction will be used when purchasing a cash register.
• After hiring an employee, it will be necessary to register with extra-budgetary funds as an employer; before that, it is enough to regularly pay insurance contributions to extra-budgetary funds.
• Activities are already underway. Upon receipt of the grant, equipment will be purchased, which will increase production volumes.
• When budget funds are issued in July, within a month all the necessary equipment according to the list will be purchased and installed (for 225,000 rubles), and from August the productivity of the forge will increase several times. It is planned to hire a worker in the spring of next year - in March-April, before which the blacksmith will work independently.

This section is devoted to channels and methods of promotion, necessary actions to increase sales, and advertising costs.

Promotion channels. Advertisements in newspapers, commercials on radio and TV, online advertising, creating your own website and group on social networks, advertising in local public pages and forums, participation in exhibitions and fairs.

Target Audience. Who should you target when organizing sales? Who is your client - by age, gender, occupation, income level. Where to find him and how to contact him.

Cost of promotion. How much will it cost to find and attract target audience? How often will you have to run advertising, what options should you choose?

In our example business plan, this section would look like this:

Financial indicators

It is necessary to calculate the cost of production, planned sales volumes, necessary costs, projected income and profit, and the profitability of the project. If there are many and different products, it is not necessary to provide all the calculations in the business plan; they can be included in a separate application, and all indicators can be calculated based on the average cost value. You need to show your own contribution to the project and the need for raised funds. If necessary, repay the loan - an approximate repayment schedule. When making payments to an investor, calculate his share of the profit.

Risk assessment

External factors. Emergency situations and natural disasters, negative impact of local authorities, a new competitor, a change in the economic situation and a drop in household incomes.

Internal factors. Incorrect assessment of the sales market, delays in deliveries, problems with personnel, errors in production, problems with renting premises, industrial accidents.

Risk mitigation options. Insurance of life, health, property, liability to third parties. The opportunity to reduce prices, change the range, switch to other products, change the circle of potential customers, expand the sales market and find new buyers outside the area, region or country. Agreements with partners and contractors, good personal relationships with the authorities, a large number of qualified workers on the market who are looking for work, etc.

Working out some of the risks for the forge will look something like this:

• At first, the income of the forge will depend entirely on the entrepreneur himself. Health problems or injuries will negatively impact work volume and profits. Industrial emergencies can be prevented by following safety precautions. Then it is planned to hire an employee who will take the increased load off the blacksmith himself.
• Fire, accidents, equipment breakdowns, natural disasters - damage from these accidents will be covered by property insurance, which will be issued for the rented premises, equipment and tools in the forge at their market value. The forge had already passed a fire inspection, and representatives of the energy company were also present; they checked the electrical wiring, the forge hood, ventilation and fire alarms. There were comments, but all the shortcomings were immediately eliminated. The room itself, with a separate entrance, is located in a brick building and meets general production safety requirements.
• If there are problems with rent, you can quickly move the forge to another location - there are enough suitable empty production areas in the area, the equipment is easily dismantled and can be installed in another location within 1-2 days.
• With low demand for products and small trade turnover, the sales market will be expanded, agreements have been obtained to supply products for sale to hardware stores in other areas of the region, the most popular goods will be selected, and the assortment policy will be revised. There is no need to change equipment or rebuild work - it is enough to purchase other raw materials for the production of other products, for example, forged fences, window bars, gates and wickets, entrance lobbies and canopies over the porch.
• If another competitor appears on the market, the entrepreneur will choose the most profitable niche and produce products that the new market participant will not have, or change the sales strategy and supply finished products to other markets.

Project Summary

This section contains the most important things: the essence of the project, the necessary investments, results after launch, development prospects, possible risks and ways to reduce them. The remaining sections with details will be read only if the summary of the business plan is of interest to the investor, lender, or official. So, think again about what the goal of your project is and identify the important metrics that meet that goal. Repeat what you will produce, how much income you plan to receive, what expenses will be required, how much money you will invest yourself, and how much you need to attract.

Common mistakes when writing a business plan

• Very optimistic. Insufficient market knowledge. Lack of adequate risk assessment.
• Copying other people's calculations. Using data without reference to reality and the specifics of the business.
• Without taking into account the purpose and addressee. Lack of important indicators. A lot of unnecessary information and “water”.
• Poor design, illiterate presentation of information, negligence in calculations. Confused presentation and lack of clear structure.

How to get money for a business plan

Studying the design requirements

When contacting a bank or municipal government to raise financing, ask for application guidelines. Often this is a simple and understandable list of necessary documents, as well as a list of requirements for the content and design of a business plan. Sometimes a template of this document is even provided with the sections and subsections already indicated. where you just have to enter your information. There are also wishes regarding its volume, a list of questions for analyzing the project, a list of important indicators that you must calculate.

Business plan for a small business from scratch: recommendations and samples with calculations

How to write a business plan correctly? We share recommendations, convenient methods, samples and calculations.

Business plan is the document from which implementation should begin. If you do not first calculate expenses and income, do not take into account demand and the presence of already operating competitors, you can waste your budget. In our article you will find a sample business plan with calculations and learn how to prepare it for yourself.

But when the development of a business plan for a small enterprise is needed specifically for investors, guarantors, and creditors, then the document must comply with the requirements of the Federal Small Business Support Fund. You can learn how to draw up a business plan in accordance with these requirements from, and we will look at the brief structure of the plan here.

Structure of a business plan from the Federal Small Business Support Fund:

If you follow all the recommendations of the Federal Fund for Support of Small Business, then it is quite difficult to draw up your own business plan. But there is another way to calculate the prospects of your project - using the SME Business Navigator.

How to write a business plan yourself

If you decide to open such a store, you will need to find the missing amount of 1.7 million rubles. Of course, you can take out a loan, especially since Business Navigator offers you to choose one of the partner banks. However, we must not forget that such interest-bearing borrowed funds increase the cost of the project and extend its payback period. You need to carefully weigh whether this is worth doing.

If you do not want to attract additional funds to the project, especially borrowed funds, then the navigator will prompt you to select the type of business based on the volume of investment. We go to the appropriate tab and see an extensive list of projects that you can start using only your own funds. All that remains is to select several areas that interest you and calculate their payback.

Now you know how to make a business plan with calculations for a small business in a specific situation. On the Internet you will find many more methods for writing and drawing up business plans, samples for different businesses (coffee shop, car service center, beauty salon, etc.). But remember - you need a business plan for your specific business, an individual one, and no one has ever written one for you. This video briefly and succinctly describes how to do this “on the fingers of a milling machine operator”:

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A business plan is a document that provides a detailed justification for the project and the ability to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of decisions made, planned activities, and answer the question of whether it is worth investing in a given project.

The business plan should:

• show that the product or service will find its consumer, establish the capacity of the sales market and prospects for its development;
• estimate the costs required for the manufacture and sale of products, provision of works or services on the market;
• determine the profitability of future production and show its effectiveness for the enterprise (investor), for the local, regional and state budget.

Main functions of a business plan:

• is a tool with which an entrepreneur can evaluate the actual results of activities for a certain period;
• can be used to develop a business concept in the future;
• acts as a tool for attracting new investments;
• is a tool for implementing the enterprise strategy.

One of the most important stages of the planning process is the preparation of a business plan, which is necessary both for internal planning and for justifying the receipt of funds from an external source, i.e., receiving money for a specific project in the form of bank loans, budgetary allocations, and equity participation of other enterprises in the implementation of the project.

1. Business plan summary (brief summary)
2. Project goals and objectives
3. Company Description
4. Analysis of the industry and its development trends
5. Target market
6. Competition
7. Strategic position and risk assessment
8. Marketing plan and sales strategy
9. Operations
10. Technological plan
11. Organizational plan
12. Personnel plan
13. Financial plan
14. Social and environmental responsibility
15. Conditions for going out of business

How to write a business plan correctly

Any form or sample business plan offered on the Internet provides only a general idea. Any business has its own characteristics, therefore, there cannot be a “standard” writing algorithm that is suitable in all cases. There is only one proven principle for drawing up any business plan: IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE SHORT.

Start from the right premises. As paradoxical as it may sound, for most entrepreneurs a business plan as a document is one of the least important factors in obtaining capital.

• If the investor is inclined towards a positive decision, then a good business plan will be an additional argument in favor; but it is not the plan itself that is the reason for such a decision.
• If an investor is inclined to make a negative decision, it is unlikely that a business plan will be able to convince him. In this case, the investor most likely will not even read this plan to the end.

Unfortunately, naive entrepreneurs believe that a business plan is capable of causing delight and awe in the investor with an immediate request: “ Please tell me where to transfer the money».

Well, there's no harm in dreaming. The correct and realistic motivation for writing a plan should be the following: which was downplayed in the first euphoria - for example, customer service policy.

Finally, the plan exposes holes in the founding team. If, looking around the office, you realize that there is no one who could implement some key element of the plan, then someone is missing from the team.

All midnight, romantic, abstract dreams of changing the world become completely material and controversial, as soon as you transfer them to paper. Thus, the document is not as important as the process leading to its creation. Even if you do not pursue the goal of raising capital, it is still worth writing a business plan.

COMPLETION INSTRUCTIONS

Title page and contents. Start with the basics: company name, address, phone number and contact information for all founders, as well as a table of contents throughout the document.

Introduction. List all the most important things in no more than two pages. First, talk about the value of the project: what your company will do, how much profit it will generate, and why people will want to pay for your product or service. If you are sending a plan to investors, communicate the capital you will need and how you plan to use it. To highlight the essence, you need to imagine the whole picture, so it is better to start this part after completing the entire plan.

Market opportunities. Explain to whom you will sell your product or service and why this group of consumers is attractive to you. Several key questions need to be answered. How big is the market? How fast does it grow? What are the growth opportunities and potential threats? How will you deal with them? Much of this information can be found through industry websites and media, official statistics, analyst reports, and even from other businessmen. Be sure to indicate the source of information.

Market overview. Make no mistake, your business is not unique. Try to take a sober look and evaluate your opponents. Who are they? What are they selling? What part of the market do they occupy? Why will customers choose your product or service over theirs? What obstacles may arise when entering this market? Don't forget about indirect competitors who are currently working in a different segment, but have similar capabilities and can compete with you later.

Promotion of goods to the market. Describe how you will promote your products or services to consumers. Conditions and organization of product sales. What promotion channels will you use? In this section, describe pricing issues.

Enterprise structure. Control. Staff. The execution is almost as important as the idea itself. Therefore, investors are interested in who is on your team. Attach a resume of all founders, partners and managers: what are their skills and achievements. Here you should also add information about the legal form of the enterprise and its internal organizational structure, the staff of the enterprise.

Business model. This section includes a detailed description of all sources of income (sale of product, service) and the company's cost structure (payroll, rent, operating expenses). Describe the premises, equipment, technologies, production flow diagrams. Make sure you mention and justify all potential revenues and costs. Also include the names of major suppliers and buyers. In essence, this section is the production plan of the future company.

Financial indicators and forecasts. Make a forecast for profits, losses and cash flows (income-expenses) for at least three years in advance (it is advisable to divide the first year into quarters or even months). Also provide an analysis that shows how quickly your startup investment will pay off.

Risks. Don't wait until disaster strikes to find out how your business can handle it. Work through possible worst-case, best-case and average scenarios, and what you will do to reduce the negative impact of the risks or prevent them altogether. Make sure you have enough money to weather any storm. If you insure risks, write down the amounts you will insure for and the types of insurance policies.

Sources of funds and their use. If you're trying to raise money from investors, they'll want to know how you plan to manage your capital. In this section you need to indicate the expected costs of launching: premises, purchase of new equipment, design of the company logo, etc. Most entrepreneurs underestimate the cost of starting a new business. So do your research in advance before approaching investors.

Applications. This may include a resume, credit information, market overview, schemes, promotion plan, copies of contracts, including leases, letters of guarantee from future clients, patent and trademark registration certificates, partnership agreements, and a company registration certificate.

10 mistakes when writing a business plan

According to professional project managers, there are 10 things that should not be written in a business plan.

1. "Dead Souls". A common mistake made by entrepreneurs preparing a business plan is that it includes information about certain management members who, in fact, have nothing to do with the team. Information about consultants should be reliable, because the investor may wish to communicate with them personally.
2. "Homework". There is no need to go through the trouble of going into confusing descriptions of the entire range of products and services. This will only overload your plan with a large size, which is not at all to your advantage, because the investor must understand the very essence from the first pages, otherwise further reading will not make sense for him.
3. "Fictional characters." All biographies of board members and founders must be extremely honest and not embellished.
4. "Who, when and how." Marketing plans should be based only on existing offers.
5. "Year after year." You cannot submit financial plans broken down solely by year in a business plan. As mentioned above, the first year's forecast should be done on a monthly basis and show start-up funding, and then a quarterly breakdown for the following period. The investor must see when the full return on investment will occur and whether the investment will pay off.
6. "Monopoly". There is always competition and similar products or services, the consumer market is not that large, and it takes a lot of effort to implement a business plan. Therefore, in the text you need to abandon phrases about the lack of competition, a huge market that has no analogues, products or services, and simple implementation of the project.
7. "Hockey stick" Financial indicators absolutely cannot, when viewed graphically, constitute a curve in the shape of a hockey stick, i.e., profits falling from the very beginning and boundlessly rising in the future. The most ingenious idea, even if it pays off, will generate competition, so income cannot grow indefinitely.
8. "There is no counting of indicators." The market must be assessed by you from different angles in quantitative terms: prospects, market share, customers. Otherwise, you are incompetent.
9. "Promises." You should not stipulate in the business plan possible financial investments that are at an unfinished stage. Either there is funding or there is not.
10. "Somewhere like that." Your business plan must operate with accurate numbers. You must clearly understand the scope of fixed, variable, direct, indirect and outsourcing costs.

Print out your business plan. Set aside all pages starting from the third. Re-read the first two pages - do they make you want to read the rest of the document? Brevity, simplicity, clarity - cross out everything unnecessary.

Having polished your plan to a shine, do not send it to a distant drawer to gather dust. “A business plan is just the beginning of the process. Planning a business is like steering a ship at sea: you need to constantly adjust the course. The plan itself is of little value. It is important to go back to it and see where you were wrong and what it cost you.

We wish you success! Everything is in your hands!

The failures of beginning entrepreneurs are most often based on typical mistakes. A study of business failures at the start and an analysis of the reasons for this phenomenon showed that in most cases serious mistakes are made. They can be avoided. We bring to your attention the TOP most common mistakes of novice entrepreneurs.

Break-even point not determined

You'd be surprised how many people start a business without doing the basic math and figuring out how many products or services they need to sell to break even. But this is one of the most important markers and indicators of business viability.

The break-even point is determined by elementary calculations. Add up all your current expenses for the month. The break-even point is reached when your profits cover all expenses. This is the minimum you should earn. If, according to forecasts for several months, it is unrealistic to achieve this level of income, it is better to abandon this business.

Conclusion: You cannot invest money (loans or savings) in a business idea unless you have a complete and clear financial analysis.

Illusions about a perfect start

Many startups rely on a standard business - they purchase high-tech equipment, rent a luxurious office in the central area, organize an elite restaurant, etc. In itself, the desire for an ideal is very commendable, but in practice we record massive examples of bankruptcies of ambitious projects. After analyzing the reasons, two main errors appear:

• The service or product was not in demand. If there is no demand in a particular region or city, a luxurious office will not help.
• Incorrect capital allocation. Example. The young enterprise invested the lion's share of the start-up capital in the purchase of high-tech equipment, without leaving the necessary reserves for the purchase of raw materials and other current expenses. The first months of operation did not produce the expected profits. The result was that in order to pay off the debts, we had to sell the equipment.

Conclusion: Make sure your products or services will be in demand. Don’t rush to invest large sums, create a small business with minimal investments and test the viability of your idea in practice.

Lack of professionalism and love for your work

Are you smiling skeptically? In vain. Explore success stories in Russia and around the world. You will not find a single example of a profitable business whose owner does not understand the essence of his field or is not in love with his business. Regular economic development reports show the most profitable areas. If you don’t believe in the importance of love for your chosen field and passion for your business, choose the most promising field and get started. You will see from your own experience that this is a road to nowhere. But we see a lot of examples where businessmen, in love with their product or service, achieved outstanding results, despite the pessimistic forecasts of experts and the misunderstanding of others.

Conclusion: You must love your job and be the best specialist in it. This is the main component of success.

“Step-by-step plan for organizing a business”

Quite often we observe chaotic movements of novice businessmen and a complete lack of planning of actions. But the creation plan is extremely important. If you do not have knowledge in this area and do not know what stages are involved in creating a business, we offer you a plan that is suitable for any area.

Stage 1. Looking for an idea

This is the first place to start. If you can't come up with an idea, you shouldn't be an entrepreneur. But first, it’s worth understanding the terminology and making sure that you and I have the same understanding of the meaning of the expression “business idea.” We are not talking about a brilliant and innovative idea that can revolutionize an entire industry. We're talking about ideas that already work, but you can see how it can be done better and provide a better service to consumers. We are not talking about large-scale projects; you can start a business with minimal or no investment.

A true entrepreneur sees opportunity in the challenges he faces every day.

A simple example. How are things going with garbage collection in your city? Yes, this is a very serious problem, but this is an opportunity for you to organize a profitable waste removal and recycling business. Now this is one of the most promising areas.

Are you into handicrafts? Sell ​​your products online, handmade items are in great demand now. Do you have a cottage or a small plot of land at your disposal? Grow and sell herbs or vegetables - this is in great demand. Interesting ideas are right in front of your eyes, choose any one you are inclined towards.

Stage 2. Analyzing the market

You should have a few preferred ideas in mind. Now we need to evaluate each of them for relevance. Conduct a survey, observe the situation in your city or region, read the analytics. If your idea is in demand, evaluate your closest competitors. Objectively evaluate the pros and cons of their work, think about what you can do better. Compare everything: quality and service, range, prices. Soberly assess your capabilities and work out your advantages as carefully as possible.

If you have come to the conclusion that your product or service is truly needed and that you can compete with existing companies, proceed to the next step.

Stage 3. Planning

Drawing up a business plan must be approached with the utmost seriousness. Most people ignore this stage and order the writing of a business plan by specialists only when it is necessary to attract investment. But this is a big mistake. First of all, you need a clear and realistic plan. Do not buy ready-made business plans - they are useless.

List everything you need for a successful start and plan your current expenses for the next six months. In the future, try to stick to your planned expenses, but create an emergency fund just in case. Based on the costs, you can determine the break-even point and begin setting prices. In the process of organizing and developing a business, try to check the plan as often as possible and analyze the reasons for deviations, if any.

Stage 4. We are looking for start-up capital

There are options in which a business is created without money or with minimal investment. But, as a rule, a certain amount is still needed to start. When writing a business plan, you have already determined how much money you need. Immediately add at least 20% to this amount. This way you will get a more or less real amount of the required starting capital. Start searching.

Great if you have the required amount. It is strictly not recommended to start with a loan. Look for options with franchises and small business assistance programs, attract partners with money or investors, try to find additional income, but do not take out a loan.

Stage 5. Registering a business

Don’t even hope that you will be able to work without registration. If you do not understand the intricacies of registration and find it difficult to choose a registration form, hire an experienced lawyer. Paying for his services will pay off with interest.

Stage 6. Reporting and paying taxes

During the registration process, you will determine the most advantageous tax payment system for you. The choice largely depends on the scope of activity and the scale of your business. Hiring an experienced and qualified accountant is extremely important. But you yourself should have at least minimal knowledge in the field of finance. Read articles, study, without this success in business is impossible.

Stage 7. Quick idea testing

This stage can be completed before registration, although much depends on the chosen field. As a last resort, try to do a quick test before making a serious investment of big money. How is testing carried out? Use your own funds to conduct a minimal advertising campaign, create a small batch of a product or offer services and try to sell it. Studying demand in practice is extremely important.

Remember one of the common mistakes? Don’t rush to invest large amounts of money and don’t immediately build the perfect business. Create something minimal and test how it works. If the expected result is not achieved, do not rush to abandon your idea. Perhaps the reason was hidden in incorrect planning, price, or incorrect assessment of the target audience. During the test, conduct a survey of consumers, find out why they do not buy your product or refuse services.

Based on the results of quick testing, you will be able to see your mistakes and make adjustments to the plan. The option of abandoning an attractive idea and looking for a new one cannot be ruled out. This is a very important stage, it allows you to save money, effort and time on the implementation of an erroneous plan or an unclaimed idea.

Stage 8. Development

You conducted testing, adjusted the plan based on its results and began to receive your first profits. You need to start developing right away. Distribute your income as follows:

Cover current expenses.
Set aside a certain percentage for possible force majeure circumstances.
The rest is invested in development.
In this list, you did not notice the costs of meeting your personal needs. There is no mistake here. When planning to start a business, you had to find a source to meet your family's needs in case of failure. Stick to this plan and do not waste the profits of your new business, they should be invested in development. Only a few adhere to this rule; this is one of the most common reasons for failures after a more or less successful start.

Stage 9. Active promotion

This is an integral part of development, but it is too important and requires a separate discussion. By development, everyone understands an increase in production capacity, expansion of staff and assortment or range of services. This is correct, but many entrepreneurs in Russia underestimate the importance of advertising and finding new markets.

It is not enough to expand the staff and capacity; the entire economy must be provided with work. Don't rely on word of mouth and half-hearted, cookie-cutter marketing methods. Use aggressive advertising, actively look for new clients using any available and currently possible methods. Use everything, but be sure to analyze the results and weed out what is not effective. Maintain and develop advertising methods that bring tangible results with minimal budget expenditure.

Stage 10. Expand your geography

You have reached the level at which the business operates decently within one city. Don’t stop and enter the market of neighboring towns or regions. There is no desire or opportunity to expand geography? Explore options for mastering a related field, master innovative areas. Don’t stop, otherwise you will gradually begin to roll back and wait for a more enterprising and nimble competitor to appear who will offer your customers more favorable conditions.

“Important criteria for assessing business performance”

There are very clear markers by which you can determine the success of an enterprise’s development and find dangerous mistakes at the very start. These should be taken with the utmost seriousness:

• After several months of work, conduct an audit. If, based on its results, you see that the business does not generate even minimal income and is even operating in the red, it is not viable. Investments and loans will not save the situation, but will only worsen your situation.
• If actual sales are much lower than planned, immediately change your work style or plan.
• Starting a business is a challenge. You will experience stress - this is normal only to a certain extent. If entrepreneurial activity causes you obvious and constant discomfort, either leave the business or change your approach.