TTA Business Proposal Page |1

Stephen Colby

Business Plan Proposal

Tabletop Advancement
To Be submitted to
BUA 259
Strategic Management for Small Business

Stephen Colby
Owner Operator
UMA Student of
Interdisciplinary Studies
Stephen.colby@maine.edu
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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary 3
a. Summary
b. Mission Statement
2. Industry Profile 5
3. Management Overview 9
4. Marketing Strategy 11
5. Financial Structure 14
a. Proforma Income Statement 14-15
b. Proforma Cash Budget 16-20
c. Proforma Balance Sheet 21
6. Appendices 22

a. Industry Articles
b. Resumes
c. Sample Slide Show
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Summary
Tabletop Advancement (TtA1) aims at providing the most effective, engaging, and

enjoyable professional development training possible through a non-traditional

approach. TtA’s professional development focuses on developing leadership and a

variety of invaluable soft skills through long term engagement. These skills include

creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, decision-making and more. TtA

combines the best parts from a variety of different types of professional development,

such as being interactive, flexibility to come to your business location, weekly or

monthly training session, and being highly customizable. TtA’s primary approach to

professional development is through the use of role-play and game-based activities led

by a trained facilitator, making TtA not only effective but highly enjoyable and rewarding.

The most important part is that TtA is affordable, compared to the cost of sending 1

employee to a conference you get up to 12 hours of training for 6 employees over the

course of a month. Additionally, TtA’s services can be used purely as a leisure time

benefit to reward or help retain employees. We seek _____ (insert what you are asking

for)

1
TtA is the abbreviation that I have given the company and will be used many times throughout this Business Plan
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Mission Statement

“The mission of Tabletop Advancement is to provide

positive, dependable, and efficient professional
development through creative, engaging activities that
foster a variety of invaluable skills. Our trained facilitators
provide businesses and their employees with
personalized, rewarding, and innovative skill developing
exercises.”
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Industry Overview

Professional Development

This industry covers many different types of services in a variety of forms. Some

examples include: conferences tailored to specific industries, mindfulness retreats,

online training, continued education, management and leadership training, and training

workshops.

Environment of Industry

Maine has many small businesses, employees are returning to office spaces

from remote work, and many of the businesses are recovering from Covid. Many

businesses may be looking for creative ways to retain employees and alleviate

burnout/stress. No direct rivals due to the unique approach TtA has on professional

development.

Issues my business may encounter

TtA may not be taken seriously by some business owners or older demographics

due to the terminology and may not understand the benefits provided by the service.

TtA, as many new businesses, does not have an established/recognized brand. The

services being offered are new to the industry and does not have an established market

for services.

Competitive Advantages that my business has

TtA provides a long-term engagement approach to professional development that

provides continuous growth and development. The services provided are cheaper and
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Stephen Colby

easier to access than any other form of professional development. Developmental

activities are also fun, rewarding and engaging for employees.

Regulation

Services offered can be considered outside of FLSA, as the services are

intended to be optional, outside of work hours, do not have the employees producing

work, and is not targeted towards improving job proficiency. 2

Economic

Benefits of Professional development service to potential customers include:

increased productivity, increased retention, improve efficiency, boosts earning potential

of the company, and general skill building for the employees. 3

Social Demographic

The activities are specifically appealing to those who are 45 or younger and male

audiences as well as appealing to audiences who live or commute from suburban

areas. Individuals employed in the industries of sales, finance, and marketing tend to

participate in the designated activities more frequently. 4

Similar Industries

Similar industries and professional development activities include retreats, tuition

reimbursement, conferences, mentoring, training programs, and other similar activities.

All of these are costly and can cost a company 1000+ dollars per person per year. Plus

2
According to SHRM.org breakdown of the Fair Labor Standards Act
3
Information sources from Kaplan Solutions a leading global Professional Development Company
4
Data from a demographics survey from aarki.com
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they often include employee reimbursement or paying the employee for their time

engaged in the activities.

Comparable sales information

 A retreat that is all inclusive can cost 1261 dollars per person for four days at

Rolling Meadows Retreat

 Yearly tuition reimbursement can cost a company up 2000 dollars per person per

year5

 Conferences cost an average of 1000 dollars per person 6

 Dale Carnegie professional Development services offer 3 session all day

seminars for 2,195 dollars

How is success measured in your industry?

Common metrics in the consulting, facilitation, and professional development

field are based on gross margin, customer satisfaction, and number of clients. TtA will

be looking to have 5 or more positive reviews by the end of the year, be operating at

preferred service capacity, and have at least 2 or more consumers contracted or on a

waiting list for the next business year.

Major players in the industry

5
According to Chron.com a small business blog site
6
According to SMI blog and financial counseling service
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There are no known direct competitors at the moment, but I have compiled a list

of competitors from adjacent industries.

 Rolling Meadows Retreat

 Local collages: UMA, KVCC, Thomas, and Colby

 Professional Facilitator and Public Speaker Craig Freshley

 Dale Carnegie professional development seminars

Potential Consumers

 United Way of Mid-Maine

 The Game Loft

 Maine Community Solar

 Spectrum

 1820 Brewing

 Tortoise Labs

 Gallant Therapy Services

 Becket Family of Services

 Creative Works
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Management Overview

Organizational Structure

Tabletop Advancement (TtA) will be a sole proprietorship run and managed by

the owner (Stephen Colby). This person will be responsible for the daily operations,

administration, program delivery and all other aspects of the business. Identifying that

this individual may lack expertise in legal matters and accounting, the company will hire

and retain services to aid in these areas. A legal consultant will be hired to assist with

drafting contracts and retained for consulting on any matters of concern.

Stephen Colby (Owner/Operator)7

Has finished over 90 credit hours (approximately junior year) of his

Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor’s degree. Stephen worked 7 years part-time in sales

for a company called All About Games. Additionally, Stephen spent 3 years as a senior

program manager with experience in management and professional development for

the Maine Youth Alliance. Stephen was given the previous management role due to his

leadership and strong skills in problem solving and creative thinking. Skill building and

positive development (the program was aimed at youth rather than professionals) were

the focus of the program that Stephen was managing.

Growth Plan

As TtA is within the introductory period the owner/operator will be looking for

innovative ways to introduce the service to the market. They will be negotiating

contracts within the confines of how much service they can provide, meaning that they
7
See appendix for Resume
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will be aiming to keep work hours and provided services at a part time level (less than

32 hours a week). When services demand begins to reach operation hours that go

beyond 24 hours a week the owner/operator will initiate contact with their retained

lawyer, accountant, and a local consulting firm to develop an expansion and growth

plan. The owner/operator will reduce direct service hours and increase administration

hours but will continue to provide direct service. Potential employees within the Waldo

County, Kennebec County, and Penobscot County have already been scouted for part

time positions. These individuals have extensive and professional experience within the

field but will need a varying level of training on facilitation and professional development

coordination.

Potential Hires8

The two individuals hold profession positions in industries that promote growth

and development. Rio holds a position as an afterschool program coordinator,

mentoring young adults and running programing that promotes the development of soft

skills. Ian is a special education teacher during the school year and during the summer

is a professional coordinator for conventions working at local one in Portland and Gen-

con in Indianapolis.

8
Resumes not requested at this time as the growth plan will not come into effect until after the first year of
successful business
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Marketing Plan

Market

The primary market for TtA is small businesses in Maine or companies with small

numbers of employees or groups of employees while the secondary target market for

TtA will be any companies that have an emphasis or need for soft skills such as

nonprofits and sales related companies. Other important factors to target market include

companies that primarily employ younger individuals, newer companies that have just

started up, and companies that have a strong focus on employee development/

benefits.

Service Area

Owner/Operator currently lives in Somerset County within 1 mile of the Kennebec

County line and will provide initial services within 25 miles of Waterville with a focus

within the cities of Waterville and Augusta. Waldo County, Knox County and

Cumberland County will be considered on an individual basis.

Product

Facilitated professional development service that travels to the consumer.

Customizable to target a variety of soft skills or employee retention. Service delivered

through a series of sessions over the course of a negotiated/contracted period.

Activities primarily focused on role-playing and skill developing games.

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Targeted Sectors

 Nonprofit Organizations
 Sales Industries
 Customer Service Industries
 Leadership/Professional Services

Primary Developmental Areas

 Creative
 Problem solving
 Communication
 Teambuilding and Cooperation
 Empathy
 Decision Making
 Analytical thinking
 Listening Skills

Additional Benefits

 Fun and Engaging

 Highly Customizable
 Cost Effective
 Rewarding and Satisfying

Sample Packages

1. Leadership Development – Focused on analytical thinking, decision making,

empathy, and problem solving this package is designed to challenge you leaders
or future leaders with complex problems and dilemmas
2. Teambuilding – Weather your goal is to build comradery or developing teamwork
this package is focused on foster trust, communication, empathy and boosting
moral.
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3. Sales and Customer Service Skills Focus – This package aims at providing your
employees with scenarios that focused on developing skills in empathy, listening,
communication, and creativity
4. Retention and Benefits – Focused less on developing skills and more about
providing a fun and rewarding experience for your employees. Great to celebrate
success or for providing a unique benefit that will help with employee retention.

Market is Growing

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics unemployment rates during covid

spiked above 14%. As unemployment rates continue to decrease companies are (and

will continue to be) looking for ways to build retention, benefits, and in house training for

their employees now more than ever.

Short term action plan

The initial marketing strategy will be focused on breaking into the market and

building awareness. This will be done through employing the use of a website, social

media presence, business cards printed and designed at the home office, and cold

calling potential consumers to offer free consultation for services. This primary strategy

will be employed until the business has reached target capacity. Within the first year all

businesses will be offered a promotional discount. A power point will be prepared to

show case services, their value to consumers, and immense benefits to the individual

employees.

Cost

Resources are little to no cost and can all be done by the owner/operator in his

home office using the equipment and office supplies.

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Performance indicators/metrics

To measure success within the first year, the company will be looking to reach

capacity for services (Capacity for services is aimed at 12 direct service hours per

week). Additionally, the company website will be built on Weebly, a free website with

built in metrics for web traffic.

Service Cost Breakdown

Average cost of a professional facilitator ranges between 80 and 200, I will

market a cost of 125 with a first-year discount of 20% charging 100 dollars an hour for

the first year. Sessions will be offered for 3 hours at a time with contracts spanning a

variety of weeks depending on goal out comes for the individual company.
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Proforma Income Statement

12 Month Period
1/1/23 - 12/31/23
Revenue1 48,000

Cost of Sales (Direct (9,000)

Labor)2,3
Gross Profit 39,000

Operating Expenses Legal Retainer4 5,000

Phone Bill5 1,200

Admin2, 6 8,920

Program Prep2, 7 4,500

Equipment8 1,200

Supplies9 1,000

Milage Reimbursement10 6,000

Total Operating Expenses (27,820)

Operating Profit 11,180

Interest11 (1,200)

Income before Taxes 9,980

Taxes On Self paid Wages12 (1,715.13)

On Net Income12 (1,526.94)

Net Profit 6,737.93

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Foot Notes

1. Average cost of professional development facilitator ranges between 80 and 200

(information from Facilitation & Process website), I will charge 125 for services
but factoring in a promotional discount and negotiating will assume a 100 dollars
per hour of services for the first year. See marketing plan for more information.
2. According to the Indeed website Facilitators make an average of 21 dollars an
hour I will be paying 20 dollars an hour to employees until the business expands.
3. Will be budgeting for a part time position of approximately 24 hours per week. 12
hours of program delivery per week (4 session).Using 50 weeks a year instead of
the standard 52 weeks. This is because I expect that no business will contract
services around the weeks of thanksgiving and Christmas.
4. Average retainers are 2000 or more. I have budget for 5000 as I will be using his
services right away to help create legal contracts and for general business
startup consulting
5. I pay 180 a month for two lines through US Cellular, adding a business line or
having a separate account I estimate the costs will be a little over half.
6. Admin time is budgeted equal to half of the program delivery time (this number
includes consultation and advertising activities)
7. Prep time is budgeted equal to half of program delivery time
8. Equipment costs of starting equipment needed taken from amazon totaling 1200
dollars
9. Supplies average cost per employee 922 rounded up for easier math from Chron
a small business blog site
10. Standard Business milage rate 58.5 according to the IRS increased to 60,
estimated at 50 miles per session at 4 sessions per week
11. 7,000 with 10% interest starting loan, based on 1 st month expenses and having
2050 Starting Cash
12. 7.65% Taxes on wages according to (Bench.co small accounting blogsite) and
15.3 on sole proprietorship income
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Monthly Cash Receipts

Month Jan5 Feb5 Mar6 Apr6 May6 Jun7 Jul7 Aug8 Sept8 Oct8 Nov9 Dec9

Contract 3,600
Type A1 (1)
Payment 12
N/A3
Contract 1,800 1,800 3,600
Type B1 (1) (1) (2)
Payment 12
N/A3
Contract 1,200 1,200 2,400 3,600 1,200 1,200
Type C1 (1) (1) (2) (3) (1) (1)
Payment 12
Contract 1,200 1,200 2,400 3,600 1,200
Type C1 (1) (1) (2) (3) (1)
Payment 22
Contract 1,20 1,200 1,200 600 600 1,800 600 600 600
Type D1 0 (2)4 (2) (2) (1) (1) (3) (1) (1) (1)
Payment 12
Contract 1,200 1,200 1,200 600 600 1,800 600 600 600
Type D1 (2) (2) (2) (1) (1) (3) (1) (1) (1)
Payment 22

Total 1,20
2,400 1,200 5,400 1,200 3,000 1,200 6,600 9,600 8,400 6,000 1,800
Assets 0
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Foot Notes
1. Contracts are broken up into different types
A. 24 Bi-weekly sessions total cost 7,200
B. 12 Monthly sessions total cost 3,600
C. 8 Weekly sessions total cost 2,400
D. 4 Weekly sessions total cost 1,200
2. Broken into two payments half up front, half after completion of services
3. Final Payment will not be received until the next fiscal year.
4. This indicates the number of contracts that is being paid for (starting and ending)
5. January and February
i. Are expected to have low numbers for the first year
ii. The majority of that time will be spent marketing and trying to break into the market with TtA’s new
services
iii. In future years these months will expected to be bigger months see #9
6. March, April, and May are expected to have some new clients trying out services
i. Spring is a good time for brainstorming, planning, and creativity which align with the skill building
provided by TtA
7. June and July are expected to be the least popular months because:
i. Schedules can be heard to line up with employee vacations
ii. People want to take advantage of the weather and outdoors
iii. Kids are out of school
8. August, September, and October or Q3
i. Provides the most amount of lead time for budgeting without conflicting with the holiday months
ii. Schedules start to normalize after the summer months
9. November and December
i. Difficult months to schedule due to the holidays and vacation schedules
ii. In future years January to March will be busier times due to companies using up the remainder of
their funds for professional development
iii. January, February, and March are often used for conferences, strategic planning, and professional
development
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Monthly Cash of Disbursements

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Program 240 360 480 540 540 540 300 840 1,500 1,620 1,260 780
Delivery (labor)1
Program Prep 120 180 240 270 270 270 150 420 750 810 630 390
(labor)2
Administration3 240 280 240 320 240 320 240 440 480 440 400 240
Additional 960 960 960 720 480 480 240 0 0 0 0 240
Admin4
Labor Total 1,560 1,780 1,920 1850 1,530 1,610 930 1,700 2,730 2,870 2,290 1,650

Equipment5 1,200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Supplies6 175 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75
Milage 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500
Reimbursement7
Phone Bill8 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Legal retainer9 5,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Interest 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Expense10
Other Total 7,075 775 775 775 775 775 775 775 775 775 775 775

Total 8,635 2,555 2,695 2,625 2,305 2,385 1,705 2,475 3,505 3,645 3,065 2,425
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Foot Notes:
1. Program Delivery Labor is pay for program hours estimated from predicted contract under cash receipts
2. Program Prep Labor is estimated at 50% of program delivery time and is used to created and adjust personalized
programing
3. Administration initially estimated at 50% of program delivery time or 25% of total work time
i. This has been adjusted to the following formula 2 hours per contract starting/ending and a minimum
of 2 hours per week
4. Additional Admin is estimated primarily for marketing but to include any other admin needs outside of the minimum
time
i. Estimated higher during initial startup as much more time will be needed for marketing and
introducing TtA as a new service to the area
5. Equipment costs taken from amazon rounded up
i. 7 books, 7 set of dice, shield/divider, printer, computer
6. General office supplies
i. 1000 per year is the average cost of office supplies for 1 employee according to chron.com a small
business blog site
ii. First month expected to be more expensive as a start up
7. Standard IRS milage rate for 2022 is .585 cents a mile, TtA will use .60 cents a mile
i. Milage is estimated high but expected to be lower than estimated amount
ii. Milage will be used for the free consultations and for each program
8. Phone bill 100/month - I pay 180 a month for two lines, Adding a business line or having a separate account I
estimate the costs will be a little over half.
9. Legal Retainer 5,000 - Average retainers are 2000 or more. I have budget for 5000 as I will be using his services
right away to help create legal contracts and for general business start up consulting
10. Interest Expense for long term loan and line of credit
i. Line of Credit for 10,000 with 10% interest
ii. Long term loan need for 7,000 with 10% interest
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Monthly Cumulative Cash Budget with Borrowing and Payback

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Day 1 Cash 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,200
(minimum cash
ongoing)1
Actual Cash 5,115 9,870 12,805
Schedule of
1,200 2,400 1,200 5,400 1,200 3,000 1,200 6,600 9,600 8,400 6,000 1,800
receipts2

Schedule of 8,635 2,555 2,695 2,625 2,305 2,385 1,705 2,475 3,505 3,645 3,065 2,425
Disbursements3

Monthly -5,235 2,045 705 4,975 1,095 2,815 1,695 6,325 8,295 9,870 12,805 12,180
Balance
Proposed 7,435 155 1,495 0 1,105 0 505 0 0 0 0 0
Borrowing
Cumulative 7,435 7,590 9,085 6,310 7,415 6,800 7,305 3,180 0 0 0 0
Borrowing

Payback (2,775) (615) (4,125) (3,180)

Foot Notes
1. Estimated to cover average cost of wages and reimbursement
2. Estimated from Cash Receipts page
3. Estimated from Cash Disbursements page
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Balance Sheet
Opening Day
1/1/23
Assets Liabilities

Cash (Working Long Term

Capital)1 2,200 Loan4 7000

Equipment and Line of Credit5

Supplies2 1375 0
Legal Retainer3 Owner
5000 Investment6 1575

Total Fixed Total Liability

Assets 8575 and Equity 8575

Foot Notes
1. Approximate amount of cash need by the end of the month to cover all hourly
wages and monthly expenses
2. Starting equipment and supplies for the business, including laptop, printer, and
other necessary items.
3. Average legal retainer between 2,000 and 10,000. Will be needed for basic
consulting and to help with the creation of service contracts
4. Loan amount needed to cover legal retainer and most of the starting working
capital
5. Seeking a line of credit for 10,000 dollars, will initially be at a balance of zero but
throughout the year TtA will be looking to draw down to no more than 10,000
dollars but will be able to repay this amount before the end of the year. Please
see our Cumulative Cash Budget for more information.
6. To cover equipment supplies and some of the starting working capital
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Appendix

All Images are stock images from Microsoft office

Zagal, José P., and Sebastian Deterding. Role-Playing Game Studies: Transmedia
Foundations. Routledge, 2018.

This is a source of information for psychology and role-playing, which I used to

inform my understanding of cognitive development and skill building benefits of which
the services are founded on.

Guenther, Joseph F., and Lori L. Moore. “Role Playing as a Leadership Development
Tool .” Journal of Leadership Education, vol. 4, no. 2, 2005, pp. 59–65.

This source address leadership skill building and confirms improved

communication skills.
M. L. Fioravanti, C. D. de Oliveira Sestito, W. S. de Deus, L. P. Scatalon and E. F.
Barbosa, "Role-Playing Games for Fostering Communication and Negotiation
Skills," in IEEE Transactions on Education, doi: 10.1109/TE.2021.3117898.
This source studies the use of Role-playing games as a development tool for
entrepreneurs and confirms the growth of soft skills and increased engagement.
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Demographic Data
from Aarki.com
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Stephen Colby – Resume

14 Winter St. ~ Fairfield, Maine ~ 04937 ~ (207) 420-5410
Objective
I am searching for a career in a wonderful environment where my contributions are meaningful,
satisfying, and I can continue to learn and grow as an individual.

Work Experience
● Gallant Therapy Services, Oakland, Maine - September 2021 - Present | Adult Mentor -
Community Support - Transportation and supervision of clients, organizing and assisting
volunteer engagement, use of online databases, use of special apps and programs, filing and
tracking individualized case notes, assisting other staff as needed
● The Maine Youth Alliance, Belfast, Maine - September 2013 - 2015 | Special Program
Coordinator, Organizing and running community based or funded programs as needed outside
of the normal operations
May 2016 - 2020 | Senior Program Manager - I Know ME program
Management of volunteers/americorps members, developing workplans/job descriptions from
grant material and HR manuals, maintaining growth plans and case notes through excel/word
and printed materials, using online databases and interpreting data, organizing weekly
program/trips/expeditions, one-on-one mentoring, collaborating with RSU3 teachers and admin
for student support, transportation coordination
● All About Games, Belfast, Maine - August 2013 - 2020 | Customer Service Representative,
Attending to customers and daily store operation procedures, Key Holder
● Captain AV Nickels, Searsport, Maine - August 2015 -October 2015 | Bartending Bartender,
covering the tasks of: Seating & Serving Customers, Bartending, Liquor inventories, Host, and
Managing the floor

Education
● Belfast Area High School, Belfast, Maine - Graduated June 2013 -G.P.A. 3.4 Clubs/teams:
Drama (2010-2013) – Math Team (2012) – Science Team (2010-2013) American Legion Dirigo
Boy’s State 2012
● UMA, Augusta, Maine - Expected Matriculation June 2024 -G.P.A. 3.89
Interdisciplinary Studies Degree in Professional Development and Human Resources

Volunteer Experience
● The Game Loft (4-H Afterschool), Belfast, Maine
-Creator of Game Loft Speakers Bureau, Peer Mentor, Physical Education Program Coordinator,
Historical Education Program Assistant, President of Youth Board, Community Development
● Belfast Area High School, Belfast, Maine-
-Student Tutor, Student Senate, Peer Leadership Program 2011 - 2013
● AmeriCorps Volunteer, At The Game Loft, Belfast, Maine - January 2013 - September 2013 -
Working as a junior employee towards a college scholarship.