Presenting the Plan

Your business plan is in your head. It needs to be on paper - as a prospectus (you are prospecting for funds/support) - so that you can tout it around and let people read it. The people will be your bankers, investors, your suppliers and sometimes your customers. They need to be influenced by it so it has to read well and follow a logical sequence.

You may be making a stand up or sit down presentation to an investor or group of people. This may call for you to use visual aids to support your efforts at communication.

The sequence of your business prospectus would typically follow the index of this resource - so this is a summary.

• Frontspiece
  Your logo. The title, "Business Plan for (name of Business)", date, author
• Table of Contents
  
• A short summary of the plan
  Give your reader a concise overview of the proposal. Summarise key points e.g. the business's current position (new start, growth, chnage), demand for the goods/services, business objectives in short to long terms, main operational programmes, financial forecasts and funding being sought

• The nature of the Business
  Business name and addresses/location, owner/partner names, addresses and contact information, type of business (sole trader, partnership, limited company etc), business objectives.

• The product/service concept
  Explain this very clearly. What are the USP's - the unique selling points? Why do people want it? Will it be a rising star or a cash generator? What are the complementary products and services and opportunities for growth/diversification?

• The market and competitors
  What is the market? Who are the competitors and what is the nature of the competition? Your clients and their characteristics/expectations. Why will they want your product?

• The Operating Plan
  Explain the nuts and bolts of the business. The premises. The equipment. Other fixed assets. Building work to be done. Your supply chain and purchasing arrangements. Your capacity and production/service schedules. Distribution and sales. nature of manufacture. The computer equipment you will need. Your staffing requirements - what people, what skills, how may hours, what kinds of employment contracts? How will you seel? What will be your office/admin. requirements. Computer system support? health and safety. Security.

  The operating plan identifies your fixed and variable costs - the costs of start up and costs of running your operation.

• Marketing and Promotions
  Explain the marketing activities and devices such as advertising or parties you are going to use to communicate with your customers. What is needed for start-up and then on a continuing basis as your operation develops momentum. Consider all advertising and promotional activity and who will do the marketing. Project the costs.
• Financial Analysis and Forecasts
  
• Legal Aspects of the Business
  

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