Who can help you draw up a business plan? How to write a business plan: step-by-step instructions with examples

It is an analytical document in which all the pros and cons of doing business, additional operations and everything that lays the foundation of entrepreneurship are clearly calculated. A business plan helps throughout the entire period of the organization’s activities. It describes the main objectives of the company, problems that may arise and methods for solving them.

For example, you decide to start your own business, but your finances cannot afford it. Then a business plan comes to your aid.

Proper planning will open up the possibility of attracting investors or creditors, which will help solve your financial problems.

In the process of compiling it, you will study the economic structure of the company in more detail, calculate all the financial aspects and decide for yourself whether you can manage the project.

That is, creating a business plan from scratch is first of all necessary within the organization: to analyze the company's performance. Secondly, he necessary for strategy consideration for the safety of investors' investments.

What will help in compilation?

When drawing up a business plan, it is not necessary to have an analytical mind. If you decide to open your own business, then you will probably understand all the specifics of the process. What is important here is knowledge about the needs of the target audience (the demand of potential clients), financial costs, possible losses and ways to increase the profitability of the company.

If you are experiencing difficulties in the initial stages of planning, we recommend that you contact a highly qualified organization that provides business project writing services. Together with you there will develop a business form of the requested document.

Main points and sections

Different projects differ in the scope of content and company activities.

Main points there must be goals and description of the company, in order to show interest to the company's financial assistants.

Main sections for drawing up a business plan:

• summary (main topic of the project, author's summary);
• the main goals and objectives of the organization;
• general presentation of the company (product description, location and other functions);
• relevance and development analysis;
• consumer market research;
• competitiveness;
• sales policy and planned marketing;
• internal company targets: personnel, finance, organization, etc.

We invite you to download several examples of business plans:

What calculations are coming?

To carry out a clear organization of the enterprise, there will be a system of payments within the company:

• cash calculation;
• forecasting;
• document flow (securities, risk factors, insurance services);
• occupation period (especially important in case of attracting investors);
• internal profitability of the company;
• production volume.

Calculations for each company are made based on the specific activities of the company.

How to build a business plan from scratch?

Each project is compiled individually, but we will try to analyze the standard type of project.

Short biography:

Higher economic education. Graduated from NSU, managing a small business.

The main goal and task of opening a grocery chain

Prospects for job creation. Expansion of the product market. Creating your own brand. High financial profitability of the store, due to the lack of grocery chains and high demand for these services.

General introduction of the company

This product will provide a list for all age categories. The location will be located in the center of the village, which is convenient for consumers.

Available range: food, household chemicals, etc.

After analyzing the development, we came to the conclusion that within 2 years the payback period will increase by 120%.

Competitiveness

Having examined the competitor's market, we discovered that the competitor will not be active in the next year and a half due to financial and social problems.

Sales policy and marketing research

In the first month sales “at zero” are possible, due to lack of information among the population. Later, when the entire locality knows about our store, the planned indicators should exceed 100%.

Covering the spectrum of marketing, we investigated the implementation of a small volume of advertising campaigns, which will significantly save on the enterprise’s budget.

For each employee, a planned indicator will be introduced: sales volume, customer acquisition, freshness of goods and cleanliness of the store. Financial indicators and other cash movements will also be maintained.

When deciding to create an enterprise, it is necessary to study complete information about possible losses, risks, characteristics and much more related to the initial stage of starting a business.

In conclusion, we invite you to watch the video: how to create a business plan from scratch - step-by-step technology.

If you are going to seriously do business, you cannot do without a business plan. The most successful idea must be supported by a well-designed action plan. The rules for drawing up a business plan for a small business will help you understand the sequence of actions.

There is little in common between dreams of owning your own business and real business - in fantasies we clearly imagine only the result, in business it requires planning. Even the most successful business idea is worthless without a well-designed action plan. We will look at the rules for drawing up a business plan for a small business, and we hope the information will be useful to aspiring entrepreneurs.

When we go on a trip, we draw up a route so as not to wander at random; starting a new business requires a similar approach.

What is a business plan

A business plan is a guide to action describing the idea, process, implementation mechanisms and goals.

Defining a specific goal in this chain is crucial, since it is this point that allows you to clearly formulate:

• What is your current position, i.e. where is the starting point to start.
• What should you get as a result?
• What steps need to be taken to promote and develop the business.

Purpose of the business plan

Drawing up a business plan is useful at the start of any business, but in two cases a plan is required:

To provide investors and creditors, as well as to obtain financial support from the state.

The purpose of drawing up a business plan is to confirm the viability of the idea and the efficiency of using money. The information presented in the plan should be detailed, appear reliable and logical. For clarity, it is useful to accompany the defense of the business plan with a presentation of slides.

Real business plan “For yourself”

A working version of a business plan for “internal use.” There is always a difference between the “front” and “working” plans.

Development forecast and prospects

Consider several business development options. Try to objectively assess the prospects based on expected income and expenses. Put yourself in the shoes of an investor and think about whether you would agree to invest money in the company described.

In this article we will look in detail at what a business plan is, why it is needed and how to draw it up correctly.

Greetings, dear readers! Alexander Berezhnov is in touch. Today we will talk about business, or more precisely about business planning.

As you know, any business or project begins with. But in itself it does not have much value, since most people come up with dozens of ideas every day.

Many famous entrepreneurs and outstanding people in the field of management, leadership and planning education speak about this. This is Stephen Covey, John Maxwell, Vladimir Dovgan, Alex Yanovsky, Tony Robbins and others.

Surely you have had situations when an idea was born, but you didn’t have enough energy and time to bring it to life, and most importantly, you didn’t know where to start.

This article will be useful for both beginners and existing entrepreneurs, because, as you know, any thriving company or project always has a plan to achieve its goals.

When I myself took training in the field of business planning, I well remembered the words of one of the trainers:

A dream differs from a goal in that it does not have a clear plan for achieving it!

In other words, if you don't have a good plan for achieving your goal, it's unlikely to become more than just a dream for you, even after many years.

In this article I will cover issues related to business planning, since myself I have experience in writing business plans for my own entrepreneurial projects. And in order to convey the information in an accessible language, before writing the article, I talked with two of my friends who professionally write business plans for entrepreneurs to order in order to attract third-party capital to their clients’ businesses. The guys help entrepreneurs in obtaining loans, grants and subsidies by writing professional business plans.

Dear readers, I draw your attention to the fact that in these articles we will consider a simplified model for writing a business plan for starting a small business. And if you are faced with the task of writing a business plan for a large company, then I advise you to use the services of professionals who specialize in this.

I won’t waste any more of your precious time, let’s begin...

1. What is a business plan

Any term has many definitions. Here I will give my own, it is quite brief and reflects the main meaning of the concept of “business plan”.

Business plan– this is a document or, in other words, a guide that describes the idea of ​​a project, business processes and mechanisms for their implementation in order to achieve the goals stated by the author of the document (business plan).

In general, business planning, like any process, must have a goal, in this case the success of your project will depend on 3 key factors:

1. Awareness of your level at the current moment in time (point “A”);
2. A clear idea of ​​the ultimate goal of where you (and your company) plan to end up (point “B”);
3. A clear understanding of the sequence of steps to get from point “A” to point “B”.

2. Why do you need a business plan?

From my practice, I will say that a business plan is needed globally in 2 cases, and in each case its writing is different in a certain way.

These are the cases:

1. Business plan for investors(lenders, grant providers, bodies providing government support in the form of subsidies, etc.)

Here, the main goal of the business plan is to prove the viability of the project and the effective use of funds. And it doesn’t matter whether you repay them, if it’s a loan or not, if it’s a subsidy or grant.

In a situation where you are thinking about how to write a business plan for investors, you need to emphasize the logic of the actions you plan to take, perhaps even bluffing about certain points that will help you get funding. When writing a business plan, you can embellish something, but the main thing is not to get carried away.

In short, your finished plan should be clean, neat, and logical. Everything should be beautifully described in it, explanations should be given to the facts you cited, and so on.

It would be a good idea to prepare a good computer presentation and speak publicly to investors.

Therefore, when they ask me how to write a business plan, I ask the question in response: “Who is a business plan written for? For yourself or for investors?

2. Business plan for yourself(according to this plan, you will actually act for the successful implementation of your own project)

Let me explain with an example. If, when writing a business plan to attract financing, you write that you need 300,000 rubles to buy 10 computers, then in the form of a table you write out a detailed estimate:

That is, you really need 10 computers to run the project. That's how you write it. BUT!

If you are drawing up a business plan for yourself, then most likely even this small estimate for computers will look different for you. You ask why?

Example

You know that you and your partner, with whom you are planning to open a business, already have 3 computers between you, and you can find 3 more at your father’s place of work, at home on the loggia, and at your grandmother’s in the garage by upgrading them a little.

This is very figurative, but I think you understand the meaning. This all relates to available resources, but as an investor you will be asking for funds to purchase new office equipment, as you will need to document an account for it.

The same thing, if you are going to open a business in the field of cargo transportation, then in the business plan for the investor you write that you need 5,000,000 rubles to buy 5 trucks. Then it will be easier for the investor to navigate the appropriateness of using his funds.

Even if you already have 1 or 2 similar trucks, you can simply add them to the new fleet when you receive financing and everyone will be happy.

Because there is often a situation when, in negotiations with an investor, you say that for the successful operation of your project you need 5 trucks, but in principle you have 2... And then you begin to mislead the investor by saying that one of these vehicles was purchased in half with your friend, and the other belongs to your wife and she may not give it to you for a new project, and so on.

Conclusion

Write a business plan for investors as much as possible detailed and beautiful.

When writing a business plan for yourself, focus on the resources you have and write a plan that is as close to yours as possible. realities.

Let's move on to the technology of writing a business plan...

3. How to write a business plan correctly

Drawing up a business plan begins with a preliminary analysis of the current situation.

Before moving on to the formulation, description and filling of sections, you need to collect together all the information that you have, and if it is missing, then fill in these gaps by using third-party sources or turning to specialists.

One of the recognized technologies for preliminary analysis before upcoming business planning is the so-called SWOT analysis.

It is quite easy to understand and clearly structures all the information you have.

4. What is SWOT analysis and how is it used in business planning?

SWOT- this is an abbreviation and it stands for this:

• S trengths– strengths;
• W eakness– weaknesses;
• O pportunities- possibilities;
• T hreats– threats.

SWOT analysis is needed in order to assess the internal and external factors of the company, creating an objective picture for upcoming business planning.

For example, in your case these could be the following indicators:

Strengths:

• Low production costs;
• High professionalism of the project team;
• The company's product (service) has an innovative component;
• Attractive product packaging or a high level of company service.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of own retail premises;
• Low brand awareness among potential buyers.

Opportunities and threats represent characteristics of the external environment that the company cannot directly influence, and therefore, they can influence the outcome of its work in the future.

Such factors may be:

• Economic and political situation in the country or region;
• Socio-cultural environment (features of consumer mentality);
• Level of technology development in the business area;
• Demographic situation.

According to the analysis of current conditions, potential opportunities for a future project can be identified.

Possibilities:

• Introduction of new materials and technologies for the production of the company's product;
• Obtaining additional funding for the project;
• Adaptation of product design to the cultural and age characteristics of the region.

Threats:

• High customs duties on raw materials for the production of goods;
• Strong competition in this market segment.

After the SWOT analysis has been completed, you can move on to describing the sections of the business plan. Below I will describe each of them, explain my point of view, and in the 3rd part of this instruction I will give examples of filling out each section in a concise form. This will help you clearly see the technology for writing a business plan.

And so that my examples are not general phrases like “it’s better to be healthy and rich than poor and sick,” I will expand on the question “How to write a business plan” using the example of an opening anti-cafe or in another way time-cafe * .

Anticafe(or time-cafe) is a new format of cultural and entertainment establishments that first appeared in Moscow in 2010.

Their essence lies in the fact that visitors do not order food and drinks for money, as in a regular cafe, but pay by the minute for the time they are in the establishment. For this payment, they get the opportunity to play board games (for example, the very popular game “”), play video games on the X-BOX game console, organize their own events: birthdays, corporate events, parties, and also use free WI-FI Internet.

Here visitors can also participate in entertainment and educational events: musical and theatrical evenings, trainings, foreign language clubs, take training courses in playing musical instruments, and so on.

By the way, I personally, as a person leading a healthy lifestyle, am glad that drinking alcohol and smoking are not allowed in these establishments.

5. What sections should be in a business plan

In order to understand the structure of a business plan, you need to decide on its sections. I will offer you my version, which is classic for most business plans.

Business plan sections:

1. Introductory part (summary);
2. Description of goods and services;
3. Market analysis and marketing strategy;
4. Production plan;
5. Organizational plan;
6. Financial plan (budget);
7. Expected results and prospects (final part).

When starting to develop a business plan, I recommend that you conduct a little brainstorming, describing your idea on 1-2 A4 sheets. This is necessary in order to understand the overall picture and only then proceed to a detailed description of the above sections.

Important point!

Before filling out the sections in detail, collect as much information as possible on the topic of your project (business).

These could be:

• Industry analysis with quantitative indicators;
• Ways to promote your products or services;
• Current competitors in the market;
• The amount of tax deductions for your company;
• Technologies used in the industry of your future business.

All this will help you write a business plan yourself as efficiently as possible and not search for material for its sections along the way. This way you will save a significant amount of time and get good results.

In the second part, we will look in more detail at how to fill out the sections of a business plan.

Brief instructions

You have an idea. You want to create your own business. Great. What's next? Next, you need to “put everything into perspective”, think through the details (as far as possible) in order to first of all understand: is it worth developing this project? Perhaps after researching the market, you will realize that the service or product is not in demand, or you do not have sufficient funds to develop the business. Maybe the project should be improved a little, unnecessary elements should be abandoned, or, on the contrary, something should be introduced?

A business plan will help you consider the prospects of your idea.

End justifies the means?

When starting to write a business plan, keep its goals and functions in mind. First of all, you carry out preparatory work to understand how realistic it is to achieve the planned results, how much time and money is needed to implement your plan.

In addition, a business plan is necessary to attract investors, obtain a grant or a bank loan. That is, it must include information about the potential profit of the project, the necessary costs and the payback period. Think about what is important and interesting for your recipients to hear.

Use a small cheat sheet for yourself:

• Analyze the market you are going to enter. What leading companies exist in this direction. Research their experience and work.
• Identify your project's strengths and weaknesses, future opportunities and risks. In short, conduct a SWOT analysis*.

SWOT analysis - (English)Strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities,Threats - strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A method of planning and strategy development that allows you to identify the main factors influencing business development.

• Decide clearly what you expect from the project. Set a specific goal.

The main purpose of a business plan is to help you, first of all, develop a company strategy and plan its development, as well as help in attracting investments.

So, any plan has a structure. Regardless of the specifics of the project and the requirements of investors, a business plan, as a rule, contains the following elements:

1. Company summary(short business plan)

• Product Description
• Description of the market situation
• Competitive advantages and disadvantages
• Brief description of the organizational structure
• Distribution of funds (investment and own)

2. Marketing plan

• Defining the “problem” and your solution
• Determining the target audience
• Market and competition analysis
• Free niche, unique selling proposition
• Methods and costs of attracting customers
• Sales channels
• Stages and timing of market penetration

3. Plan for the production of goods or services

• Organization of production
• Infrastructure Features
• Production resources and space
• Production equipment
• Production process
• Quality control
• Calculation of investments and depreciation

4.Organization of the work process

• Organizational structure of the enterprise
• Distribution of powers and responsibilities
• Control system

5. Financial plan and risk forecast

• Cost Estimation
• Calculation of the cost of a product or service
• Calculation of profit and loss
• Investment period
• Break-even point and payback point
• Cash flow forecast
• Risk forecast
• Ways to minimize risks

It is clear that a business plan is one whole and its parts are inextricably linked with each other. However, a well-designed structure will help you not to forget important things, as well as to take a deeper look at each aspect.

Company summary. Briefly about the main thing

Marketing plan. Are there any free places?

When creating a marketing plan, you will have to analyze the market you are going to enter. In this way, you will identify trends for yourself, collect information about competitors and get to know your consumer, your target audience, better.

Having assessed the potential client, his interests and preferences, you must determine the optimal location of the office, retail outlet, etc. It should be comfortable. Calculate the required number of clients for your business to pay off and compare it with the audience living or working around the intended location of the business. For example, for a business in the field of public services, the size of this audience should not be less than 2% of the number of people living within a short walk or five-minute car ride.

It is quite possible that the market you were planning to conquer is oversaturated at the moment. Analyze the actions of your competitors, create your own strategy, focus on your uniqueness, bring in something new to fill an empty niche in a certain area.

Of course, creating something that is not yet on the market is quite difficult. However, you can carefully analyze the situation and open, for example, a point where the consumer really needs it or play on the difference in prices and level of services provided relative to nearby competitors.

You also definitely have to decide on sales channels. After reviewing the existing methods on the market, find the ones that are best for you. Calculate how much it costs you to attract each client.

Finally, when deciding on pricing, you will need to calculate: what is more profitable? A high price with a small number of sales or a price lower than that of competitors, but a large customer flow. You should also not forget about service, because for many consumers it is crucial. They are willing to pay a price higher than the market average, but receive high quality service.

Production plan. What are we selling?

This is where you finally get into detail about the core of your business: what do you do?

For example, you decide to produce dresses and sell them. In the production plan, indicate suppliers of fabric and equipment, where you will locate the sewing workshop, and what the production volume will be. You will describe the stages of product manufacturing, the necessary qualifications of employees, calculate the necessary deductions to the depreciation fund, as well as logistics. The costs of future business will depend on many factors: from the cost of threads to the cost of labor.

When prescribing the technology for creating your final product, you will pay attention to many little things that you had not thought about before. There may be issues with storing goods or difficulties with imported raw materials, problems with finding employees with the necessary qualifications, etc.

When you have finally written down the entire path to creating a product or service, it’s time to calculate how much your project will cost you. It may well be that later, when making financial calculations, you will realize that you need to make adjustments to the production plan: cut some costs or radically change the technology itself.

Organization of the work process. How will it work?

Will you manage the business alone or with partners? How will decisions be made? You need to answer these and many more questions in the “Workflow Organization” section.

Here you can describe the entire structure of the enterprise and identify duplication of powers, mutual exclusions, etc. Having seen the entire organization diagram, it will be easier for you to optimally distribute rights and responsibilities between departments and employees.

Having understood, first of all, for yourself how your company functions, it will be possible to more effectively develop a system of interaction between structures, a system for monitoring employees and the entire personnel policy.

The importance of this section is that it describes who and how will implement the project in reality.