Business Plan Notes

Executive Summary

• Summarizes business plan 
• Answers the Following Questions
• What does your company do?
• States:
• Exactly what your company does
• Format
• Bullet-Points
• Length
• Short and Concise
• Less than two-pages
• Tone
• Confidence

Mission Statement

• Tells what you do and for whom you do it for
• Answers the Following Questions?
• What does your company do, and for whom does your company do it for?
• States:
• The company's purpose
• Format
• A sentence or two.
• Length
• A sentence or two.
• Tone
• Informative/Inspirational 
• Clear and Concise

Company Background

• Answers the following Questions
• When did the company form?
• Who formed the company?
• For what purpose was this company formed?
• How close is your company to achieving its purpose?

Product/Service Description

• Provide a brief description of what you provide
• Answer the following Questions
• Who are your customers?
• How has your company grown overtime?
• What are your company's goals for the future?

Marketing Plan

• Answers the Following Questions
• How will you achieve your sales and customer goals?
• What is your plan for attracting and retaining customers?
• What types of supporting evidence do you want to include?
• Facts
• Numerical Data

Competitor Analysis

• Answers the Following Questions
• Who are your competitors?
• What are your competitors' strengths and weaknesses?
• What are the objectives of your competitors?
• How can your company take the market share of your competitors?

SWOT Analysis

• Answers the Following Questions
• What are your company's strengths?
• What are your company's weaknesses?
• What opportunities does your company have that will allow it to become more successful?
• What are threats that your company faces that could inhibit your company from becoming more successful?

Operations

• Answers the Following Questions
• What materials/labor/resources do you have in order to accomplish your goals?
• What are the resources you utilize to complete activities?

Financial Planning

• Answers the Following Questions
• How is your company going to accrue additional funds?
• How do you obtain revenue?
• What are your costs? 

Timeline

• Answers the Following Questions
• How far are you currently in achieving your goals?
• What goals would you like to achieve?
• How are you going to achieve your goals?
• Supporting Evidence
• Graph to show projections of possible growth
• Include anticipated income and expenses