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The Bplan Workbook Freeware
The Bplan Workbook Freeware
1
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
www.bplanresources.com
o Print out the BPlan Workbook, make notes on this form or jot
your thoughts into a notebook
o Simply create your formal business plan to get the best funding
for your venture!
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Introduction
3
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
4
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Consider your audience, who are you writing the plan for;
Prepare a timeline (how much time you will commit to the project
and the completion date)
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Before you begin writing within the following section, Business Plan
1. Introduction Outline, make sure that you have done some research. Business Plan
Research helps you make informed decisions and create a successful
direction for your business plan.
2. Workbook
Gather information sources
Objectives Record relevant information
Analyze the information you have gathered and note the
associated opportunities and risks
3. Business Plan If you are going to submit the business plan to investors,
Research research what types of investment opportunities are available to
you, why you need investment (banks, government,
postidea.com, private equity investors, etc.)
4. Business Plan
Outline What types of information to gather:
(Drafts)
1. Primary Data Sources:
o Focus Groups
5. Actions o Questionnaire/Survey
o Product or Service Sampling
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Note that there are many different types of Business Plan formats. The
layout is dependant upon the type of business, purpose of the plan,
readership, etc. You may choose to add some more sections to this
outline or ignore some others, but the basics are listed below:
1. Introduction
1. Executive Summary
2. Workbook 2. Company Profile
Objectives
3. Business History
4. Marketing Plan
3. Business Plan
o Industry Trends
Research o Product/Service
o Target Market
o Competitive Analysis
4. Business Plan o Marketing Mix (distribution strategy)
Outline
(Drafts) 5. Operational Plan
Manufacturing
Insurance (Risk Mgmt)
5. Actions
6. Management Team/Human Resources
7. Financial Plan
o Start up costs
o Cash Flow Statement
o Income Statement
o Balance Sheet
o Summary of Financials and Use of Funds
o Expected Outcome of business operations
8. Conclusion/ Actions
9. Appendices
The following pages contain the remainder of the Business Plan Outline
section of the workbook. Be sure to have done some research before
beginning the exercises. Simply use point form descriptions if you like.
Once you have gone through all of the sections of the Outline, you will
be ready to begin your formal Business Plan!
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
1. Executive Summary:
1. Introduction Answer the question of “what business am I in?” (define the core of the
value you are providing to a consumer)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Workbook
Objectives Define the opportunity for you to deliver this value (in one sentence)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3. Business Plan Marketing Highlights:
Research
Distinctive features of the Product/Service
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
4. Business Plan
Outline Target market Summary
(Drafts) __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
www.bplanresources.com/financialworksheets.
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
1. Introduction What is the equity that you and any partners have invested in the
venture?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Workbook
Objectives
2. Company Profile
3. Business Plan (Draft)
Research Form of Business:
Sole Proprietorship
Partnership
4. Business Plan Corporation
Outline Franchise
(Drafts)
Owners/ Principals
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
5. Actions
Name of Business
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Location
Why is it important: __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
o It is the follow up section to
the Executive Summary, Contact Information (tel, fax, http address, email)
providing an overall
__________________________________________________________
impression of the business
__________________________________________________________
o Suppliers and potential
partners are often interested Business Advisors (Include Lawyers, Accountants, Consultants, etc.)
in this page. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
________________________________________________________________
2. Workbook ________________________________________________________________
Objectives ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Business Plan ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Research ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Business Plan ________________________________________________________________
Outline ________________________________________________________________
(Drafts) ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Actions
If the business plan is being used to support a new business venture, state the
requirements of support. That is, are you seeking a partner, a bank loan, a
private investment, access to an incubator, etc., state the reasons why you are
seeking this type of investment and how an investment in your firm will benefit
this particular type of investor or partner.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Many issues not necessarily within the control of your business must be
B. Product/Service addressed. These can either positively or negatively directly affect the
your sales. Note any trends, legislation or changes within the following
C. Target Market categories from which your business will ultimately benefit from:
Demographic Change
__________________________________________________________
What is the Industry Overview __________________________________________________________
This section provides a synopsis Economic Change (economic & spending trends, tax, interest rates, etc)
for the reader about the industry
and general economy that your
__________________________________________________________
business will be operating in. __________________________________________________________
Note trends, characteristics, etc. Environmental Change (raw material availability, pollution, weather, etc)
from which you can later justify __________________________________________________________
opportunities or risks. __________________________________________________________
Consider the trends and how they relate to your venture. What are the
key success factors of your business, which will allow you to benefit from
these trends?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What are the barriers to entry for this industry? Is the size of the industry
large or small? Are the costs to enter the market high or low? Is it based
on technological advantage or supplier relationships?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
B. Product/Service
Marketing Plan
What are your product or service’s unique characteristics?
A. Industry Overview __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
B. Product/Service
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
C. Target Market Are there any complimentary products/services that your product is
dependant upon? What are they if any?
_____________________________________________________
D. Competitive Analysis
_____________________________________________________
__
E. Marketing Mix
What are the value added features to the end user?
E.1. Promotion __________________________________________________________
E.2. Place __________________________________________________________
E.3. Price
E.4. Product
__________________________________________________________
What are you doing differently from what is on the market currently?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What this section describes: __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
This section describes the
features and benefits of the How has this product/service or a similar product performed in the
product or service that you are market?
selling. It defines the product __________________________________________________________
function, how it will be used, what __________________________________________________________
is the new feature that it brings to __________________________________________________________
market, etc.
__________________________________________________________
Note that this is your initial
definition of your product/service,
and most likely this will evolve, as Provide further descriptions of the product/service (Pictures, specifications,
does your business. So be sure diagrams, complimentary features to related products/services, functionality
to capture the core of what you description, design components, etc.)
are offering and keep the __________________________________________________________
description clear and concise. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Stress the uniqueness of your __________________________________________________________
product. This is the feature that __________________________________________________________
differentiates your product. That
is, the advantage that your
__________________________________________________________
product has over the competition. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
C. Target Market
Marketing Plan
Consumer Demographics:
A. Industry Overview
Age Range
Income Range
B. Product/Service
Gender
Are there any secondary target markets that will have a need filled by
your product or service? If yes, what are the characteristics of that target
market?
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
D. Competitive Analysis
Years in Business
B. Product/Service
Product/Service Description
C. Target Market
D. Competitive Analysis
Customer Profile
E. Marketing Mix
E.1. Promotion
E.2. Place Where do the competitors’ customer purchase the products (online,
E.3. Price through distributors, retail, direct from manufacturer, etc.)
E.4. Product ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Indirect Competitors:
E. Marketing Mix
Marketing Plan
Note that the basic purpose of the marketing mix is to take the customer
to the process of: Awareness => Trial => Adoption => Retention
A. Industry Overview
Thus, in your promotion strategy, you need decide what the intent is for
B. Product/Service each of your options, how much money to dedicate to it, and what the
intended outcome you are expecting. That is, are your efforts targeted
to build awareness, or to encourage trial, etc.
C. Target Market
E.1 Promotional Strategy
D. Competitive Analysis
For each of the potential promotion channels listed below create a table
E. Marketing Mix to consider:
Costs versus effectiveness
Yes No
E.1. Promotion Subscription and distribution
E.2. Place Target Market Profile
E.3. Price Distribution coverage
E.4. Product Distribution frequency Is this the
Type of distribution used within the channel right one
for me?
Direct Mail
Flyers
Giveaways
Magazines
Personal Selling
Radio
Sponsorship of related events
Television
Trade magazines
Yellow Pages
E.2. Place (Distribution strategy)
How are you going to get your product or service to your customer.
Marketing Plan What is the location of your business:
A. Industry Overview
B. Product/Service
Why have you chosen this location?
C. Target Market
What are the marketing advantages of this location:
What does “Place” cover ?
D. Competitive Analysis
This section describes “how” and
“where” you will sell your
E. Marketing Mix
products/service. Distribution advantages (if any):
E.1. Promotion
You should showcase any
market E.2. Placeyou have
research
E.3.toPrice
conducted add credibility to
E.4. Product
your claims in this section. What are the costs associated with this location:
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Are there any other methods of distribution you currently have or will
use in the future?
E. 3. Pricing Strategy
Marketing Plan
The general categories of costs for a service or a product as follows;
A. Industry Overview
Pricing a Product or Service:
B. Product/Service Labor = direct man hours into a product or service
Labor ____ Overhead = Indirect costs to produce the product or service
Overhead ____ (electricity, machine time, etc.)
Materials ____ Materials = the direct cost of materials going into the
C. Target Market
product/service
D. Competitive Analysis Your desired profit margin will be based on the pricing strategy you
choose to follow. Here are some considerations:
E. Marketing Mix
• retail cost and pricing
WhatE.1.
doesPromotion
“Pricing” cover ? • competitive position
E.2. Place • pricing below competition
The pricing of your
E.3. Price
product/service is the fee that • pricing above competition
E.4. Product • price lining
you will charge to the customer.
This is a number that will be • multiple pricing
based on your costs, competition,
and customers’ perceived value Is your target market price sensitive? Low Med High
for your product or service.
How important is value to the customer? Will the price reflect the
The pricing strategy should
provide with a desired profit level, perceived value of the product?
and should be consistent with the
positioning of the product/service
in the market.
Unit Selling Price: is the price per unit at which you will sell your service/product
Unit Variable Costs: Costs that you only incur if you are producing a unit.
Fixed Costs: These are costs that you incur regardless of how many units your
produce (eg. Rent, Property tax, Telephone, etc.)
E. 4. Product/Service
D. Competitive Analysis
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Also make note of the type of marketing positioning you will follow:
• Market Leader vs. Follower
• Price vs. Quality
• Innovator vs. Adaptor
• Customer vs. Product
• International vs. Domestic
• Private Sector vs. Government
Operational Plan
Development Synopsis:
Here you can briefly outline the design and development plans, an
1. Introduction overview of the strategy details for taking your venture from concept
to reality.
3. Business Plan
Research
When is the proposed "finish" date of development? What obstacles,
if any, must the company overcome in this process? What specific
tasks must be completed?
4. Business Plan
Outline
(drafts)
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5. Actions
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
2. Workbook
Operational Plan cont’d
Objectives
Manufacturing Plan
3. Business Plan
Research What is your production methodology? What is the production
process for your product or service?
4. Business Plan
Outline
(drafts)
5. Actions 20
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
21
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Insurance
Are there any other risks inherent to your business that you should
consider preparing for such as bad credit, piracy of software, etc.
Why is insurance important? How have you prepared for these risks to offset their potential impact
on your business?
There is always a downside risk in
every venture. Potential investors
and partners, need to know that you
accurately assessed and provided
some type of insurance against the
risk of loss.
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Human Resources
9. Business Plan
Research
4. Business Plan
Outline Who are the other investors and/or shareholders, if any?
(drafts)
7. Actions
Who comprises the Board of Directors and/or Board of Advisors?
A strong management team is of Provide a job description of any staff required, note their a)
utmost importance to investors, as is responsibilities, b) F/T, P/T or contract status, c) Salary, d) benefits,
the recognition that where skill gaps & e) skill set.
exist, you have developed a plan to
fill in the “gaps” with the appropriate So for example, create a table that looks something like this:
staff to make it happen!
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The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Role #1 a) b) c) d) e)
Role #2 a) b) c) d) e)
Role #3 a) b) c) d) e)
Role #4 a) b) c) d) e)
Financial Plan
3. Business Plan The start-up budget should allow for Your operating budget also should
these expenses. include money to cover the first three
Research to six months of operation. It should
Start-up Budget
allow for the following expenses.
4. Business Plan • personnel (costs prior to
Operating Budget
Outline opening)
(drafts) • legal/professional fees • personnel
• occupancy • insurance
• licenses/permits • rent
5. Actions • equipment • depreciation
• insurance • loan payments
• supplies • advertising/promotion
• advertising/promotions • legal/accounting
Why is the Financial Plan important? •
• salaries/wages miscellaneous expenses
This section provides your • accounting • supplies
prospective investor with the facts • income • payroll expenses
and figures of your venture. What are • utilities • salaries/wages
the costs associated with your • payroll expenses • utilities
business, what is the marginal profit. • dues/subscriptions/fees
Do you have a secure path to grow
• taxes
your business, financed by cash flow • repairs/maintenance
or debt financing? What is the time
line within which the investor can
expect to earn his returns?
Prepare a list with the associated costs within each section. These
figures should be based upon research you have conducted or can
put forth based on experience or familiarity with the industry/
market, etc.
Financial Plan
Financial Statements
1) Cash Flow Statement: is the actual money that is collected from sales
2. Workbook and the money that is paid out for expenses during each month.
Objectives List your sources of Cash income:
Sales:
3. Business Plan
Research
Loans:
4. Business Plan
Outline Investments:
(drafts)
Total Receipts
Disbursements
Wages
Advertising
Insurance
Rent
Etc.
Total Disbursements
Total Receipts
After Disbursements
Note the components of a balance sheet. List the assets on the left side
and the debts/liabilities on the right.
Balance Sheet
5. Actions 3) Income Statement: shows the profit or loss of your business over a
certain period in time.
What do the Balance Sheet and List the Income for a period of time first, and then the expenses over that
Income Statement show? same period of time.
The Balance Sheet displays your
Income Statement
liquidity to an investor.
Expenses:
Variable Expenses
Fixed Expenses
Total Expenses
(Taxes owed)
The Use of Funds is an important Outline Below how you will you use the needed funding for the next year
point as well. It outlines how you or so. You define the term of investment:
will use the money that you are
borrowing from the bank, private USE OF FUNDS:
investor, partner, etc. It will __________________________________________________
highlight the capital allocation for Acquisition of business $___
the business.
Professional fees, consultants $___
If you would like download a financials
worksheet please click here
27
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
Idea
Actions
Business Plan Workbook
Congratulations! You have worked through and itemized some of the
general considerations for your business. You have probably confronted
some issues that have drawn attention to weaknesses as well as
Formal Business Plan highlighted some opportunities by going through this exercise.
Now that you have your notes in hand and stronger understanding of
how to organize and craft a business plan, you can move onto creating
Review your formal business plan!
Although you are well equipped to begin building your own business
Funding (PostIdea.com) plan, there are still other resources to help you bring your business to
reality with greater success. To help you in your entrepreneurial
endeavors we would like to suggest some of the following options:
Success!
Your own business.
1. Visit http://www.bplanresources.com to download for the Official
Business Plan Workbook for only $20:
www.bplanresources.com/bplancreat
or.htm
Bonus:
· Financial Worksheets
· Forecasted Financial
Download now and receive the Statements
bonus tools to complete your · Sample Non-Disclosure
bplan! Agreement
28
The Business Plan Workbook
You and the Bplan Chef, create better Business Plans
=============================
NOTES:
o
Format your business plan with
great narrative with the Bplan
o
Creator at:
www.bplanresources.com/bplancreat o
or.htm
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