Doing a business plan is not simple. Even a plan to sell your body on a regular basis to customers is not so straightforward - although you won't need a written plan!

This resource is not a comprehensive, "how to do it" guide. It merely outlines the scope of a plan for business start-up, the sort of investigation and information that is needed and questions to be answered.

The resource is designed to support business undergraduates taking a first year course MBS111: Business Structures and Processes. Those whose entrepreneural spirit is driving them into a new business venture may also find it useful.

1. The need for a business plan
   The Business Plan as a Model. Are you capable and what do you want? What kind of business and why: sole trader, partnership, limited company? Trading name and identity
2. Resources of the Centre for Business Planning
3. The product/service concept
   Communicating the business concept. The business concept as "property"; patents, trade mark, design protection, copyright. The product life cycle. Objective setting; short, medium and long-term
4. Business Philosophy/Mission
   Keeping faith with yourself - your values and standards.
5. Market Research
   What is market research? Researching customers, competitors, suppliers and products. Feasibility of product/service concept. Desk and field research. Learning from competitors. Researching fixed/variable costs and pricing. " What if" analysis. Pricing Policy. Margins and Contribution. Quality awareness and systems.
6. The Operational Plan
   The features, capacities and demands of a planned operation.
7. The Business and the Law
   Contracts. Negligence. Insurance. Staff Employment
8. Sales Planning
   Projecting sales. Account customers and bad debts. Sales processing systems.
9. The Promotion Effort
   Reaching your customers, marketing activities, advertising and promotions.
10. Financial Analysis
    
    • profit and loss
    • cash flow
    • the balance sheet

11. Presenting the Plan
    Writing the business plan, informing and persuading.
12. Implementation - Actual vs Imagined
    Using the plan when implementing. Learning and making adjustments.
13. Other sources of advice and support - Getting support from your accountant, your bankers, the local Business Link etc
    • Imperial College Entreprenurship Centre
    • Bplans.com
    • Virtual Restaurant - Excel Spreadsheets Planning Set
    • Business Owners Toolkit
    • Miller Consulting Internal Business Plans
    • Devon & Cornwall Business Link Start Up
    • More links on Business Start-up and Planning

The enterpreneural spirit is rattling its chains

Having read these notes - consider how your entrepreneural drive can be dampened. Is the research, bureaucracy and presentational demand of doing a thorough business plan and then grovelling to others to put up money - really worth it? Perhaps sweating over the hot plan, you will come to your senses and, to improve the quality of life, take up poetry instead.

Alternatively you could always go and work for someone else, become a professional, take up a conformist career. Enjoy the relative security and safe existence (apart from the occasional redundancy!) working for a "boss". As a "salary-man or salary-woman" you can always invest in your semi-detached suburban dream and let your wealth grow without dirtying your hands as a trades-person (how non-U). Join the post-industrial society.

But then if the enterpreneural spirit is rattling its chains and as a sucker for punishment you are a risk taker), then good luck - you are "a braver man than I, Gunga Din!". Go and make your fortune...shrewdly but with integrity (ethically?) in a harsh competitive market-place!

Business analysis and planning WWW-links