Business plan is my business. Typical mistakes of novice entrepreneurs

No one is complete without a business plan entrepreneurial project. This document is detailed instructions opening a commercial business, where the tasks that need to be solved in order to achieve the ultimate goal (that is, maximizing profits) are described step by step, as well as the methods and means that the entrepreneur is going to use. Without a business plan, it is impossible to receive investments in a commercial project, or apply to a bank for a loan for business development. However, even if the entrepreneur does not plan to attract third-party funds, he still needs a business plan - for himself.

Why is this document needed, and what is its exceptional importance? A well-written business plan, which contains verified information and verified figures, is the foundation of a commercial project. It will allow you to analyze in advance the state of the market and the severity of competition, predict possible risks and develop ways to minimize them, estimate the size of the necessary start-up capital And total amount investment, as well as the expected return - in short, to find out whether it is advisable to take a financial risk and invest in this idea.

"Business idea"

The basis of any project is a business idea - that for which, in fact, everything is conceived. An idea is a service or product that will bring profit to the entrepreneur. The success of a project is almost always determined the right choice ideas.

• What idea is successful?

The success of an idea is its potential profitability. So, at every time there are directions that are initially favorable for making a profit. For example, some time ago it was fashionable to import Russian Federation yoghurts - this product instantly gained popularity among the population, and in proportion to this popularity, the number of firms involved in imports grew. Only a completely unfortunate and incompetent entrepreneur could fail a project in this area and make a business unprofitable. Now, the idea of ​​trading yogurt with a huge degree of probability will not be successful: the market is already oversaturated with domestic products, imported goods is unlikely to be favorably received by consumers due to the high price and customs difficulties, in addition, the main players in this segment have already established themselves in the market and have established supply and marketing channels.

Most entrepreneurs, choosing an idea for making a profit, think in terms of the majority - they say, if this business brings income to my friend, then I will be able to establish my own business. However, the more “role models”, the greater the level of competition and the less opportunity to dictate their prices. In a mass business, approximate prices are already set, and in order to increase their competitiveness, a newcomer has to set prices below market prices in order to attract customers - which, of course, does not contribute to making big profits.

Potentially high-margin ideas now are those proposals that help the entrepreneur to occupy a free market niche - that is, to offer something that other businessmen have not yet thought of. To find an original business idea, sometimes it is enough to look around and think about what consumers in a certain area lack. So, a successful idea was the production of mops that allow you to wring out a rag without getting your hands wet, or special lamps that cannot be dismantled without the use of special tools - this know-how has significantly reduced the number of light bulb thefts in porches.

Often original ideas you don’t even need to generate it yourself - you can use new products that are successfully implemented in other countries or cities, but have not yet occupied the corresponding market niche in your region. Following this path, you will be the first to offer this know-how to consumers in your region or country, which means you will be able to set prices for this product (service).

However, originality alone is not enough for a successful business idea. There are two objective prerequisites for a business to be successful:

1. - a potential buyer feels the need for your product or at least understands its usefulness (for example, a person may not yet know about a certain medicine, but he realizes that something similar can cure his illness);
2. - the buyer is ready to pay for your product or service) exactly the price that you plan to ask (for example, almost everyone wants to buy a car - however, as we know, not everyone can afford a car).

And one more thing about innovative business ideas - too much originality can only hurt your profits, because the potential audience may simply not be ready for your proposal (most consumers are conservative by nature and have difficulty changing their habits). The least risky option is to stick to the golden mean - that is, to bring already familiar goods or services to the market, but in an improved form.

• How do you know if a given business idea is right for you?

Even a potentially successful business idea may not turn out to be successful in practice if it does not suit a particular entrepreneur. So, opening a beauty salon is relatively easy - but if you do not understand the intricacies of the salon business, then your offspring is unlikely to bring you good profit. A business idea must necessarily be supported by the experience of the entrepreneur, his knowledge and, of course, opportunities. What indicators indicate that your project will be within your power?

1. - Professionalism. You can have a specialized education in your chosen field, or you can just as well be self-taught. The main thing is that you have an understanding of the production process and other necessary knowledge in the selected area.
2. - Enthusiasm. You should like what you are going to do and offer. And not only should you like final product, but also the process itself, because you will not be able to give all your strength to an unloved business, which means it will be difficult to bring it to good level. Remember the famous proverb: "find a job that you like - and you will not have to work a single day in your life."
3. - Personal features. If you are a closed and uncommunicative person, you feel uncomfortable in the company of other people, then it will be difficult for you to negotiate. And if, for example, you are a staunch vegetarian, then it makes no sense to consider trading semi-finished meat products- even if this business can bring good profit, you will still be uncomfortable doing it.
4. - What you have (land, real estate, equipment, etc.). Starting a production will be much less expensive if you already have suitable equipment. And if you inherited, say, private house close to the road, it good opportunity to profit from roadside trading, because your competitors, if any, do not have such a good location, and this advantage can even outweigh your inexperience.

Competition: how to become special:

As mentioned above, for the application of their entrepreneurial efforts, it is best to choose those areas where competition is not serious or does not exist at all. However, in most cases, entrepreneurs one way or another have to face competitors, and businessmen face the question - how to stand out from their background? You can do this through the following benefits:

Competitive advantages

When making yourself known to potential consumers, try to immediately draw their attention to the advantages that distinguish your offer from similar ones, so that buyers see that it is you who can satisfy their needs in the best possible way. Do not hesitate to stick out your merits and do not rely on the ingenuity of consumers - they are unlikely to guess why your product (service) differs from the product (service) of your competitors in better side. For example, if the recipe for the bread you bake involves enriching the product with vitamins and other beneficial substances, then be sure to convey this fact to your future buyers. You should not position your bread simply as a tasty and fresh product, because your competitors have exactly the same bread - hardly anyone will sell tasteless and expired goods. But vitamins are your competitive advantage, and the buyer must definitely know about it, so advertising must be thought out accordingly.

So, we have analyzed some of the nuances of preliminary preparation for writing a business plan, and now we can pay close attention to this particular document and its main sections.

1. Title page.

The title page is the "face" of your business plan. It is he who is primarily seen by your potential investors or bank employees who decide to issue you a loan for business development. Therefore, it should be clearly structured and contain all the key information about your project:

1. - Name of the project (for example, "Production of self-squeezing mops" or "Creation and development of a commercial Internet radio station called "XXX");
2. - The organizational and legal form of the project and the name of the legal entity (if there are several such entities, then a list indicating areas of responsibility is required);
3. - Author and co-authors of the project
4. - Annotation to the project (for example, "this document is a step-by-step plan for the founding and development of a commercial radio station ...");
5. - Project cost (required start-up capital)
6. - Place and year of creation ("Perm, 2016").

2. Summary.

This paragraph is a brief description of the idea of ​​the project, the timing of its implementation, the main goals and objectives for the implementation of the idea, the expected turnover and production volumes. forecast of key indicators - the profitability of the project, its payback period, the size of the initial investment, sales volume, net profit, etc.

Despite the fact that the summary is the first section of the business plan, it is drawn up after this document has already been completely written and rechecked, since the summary covers all other sections of the BP. The summary should be concise and extremely logical and fully disclose all the advantages of the project, so that investors or a potential lender can see that this business idea is really worth investing in.

3. Market analytics

The section reflects the state of the market sector in which the project will be implemented, assessment of the level of competition, characteristics target audience and industry trends. It is very important that the market analysis be carried out on the basis of a qualitative marketing research containing real indicators (a falsified or inaccurate analysis reduces the value of a business plan to almost nothing). If an entrepreneur is not competent enough in the chosen area, then in order to avoid inaccuracies and mistakes, he should outsource marketing research by ordering it from a trusted marketing agency.

This section usually takes up at least 10% of the total business plan. An example plan is:

1. - general description the selected industry (dynamics, trends and development prospects - with specific mathematical indicators);
2. - Characteristics of the main market players (that is, direct and indirect competitors), an indication of the competitive advantages and features of your business project compared to other entities;
3. - Characteristics of the target audience ( geographical position, age level, gender, income level, type of consumer and user behavior, etc.). Creation of a portrait of a “typical client” indicating the main motives and values ​​that guide him when choosing a product (service), pessimistic forecasting (that is, a minimum flow) of consumers of a product (service);
4. - Overview of the most effective channels and ways to promote goods (services);
5. - Review and identification of the most likely risks that an entrepreneur may face in this market segment and offer ways to eliminate or minimize them (it must be remembered that risks are external circumstances and factors that do not depend on the entrepreneur);
6. - Forecast of possible changes in this market segment, as well as an overview of factors that may affect the profitability of the project.

4. Characteristics of goods (services) and their implementation

This paragraph describes in detail those goods that the entrepreneur is going to produce, or the services that he is going to sell. Special attention should be drawn to the competitive advantages of the business idea, that is, what will distinguish this proposal from the general variety. However, one should not be silent about the shortcomings and weak points ideas, if any, it is better to play fair with investors and creditors, besides, they can analyze this item on their own, and in the case of a one-sided description, you risk losing their trust, and along with it, hope for financial investments in your idea.

The presence of a patent will make the described idea especially attractive - if an entrepreneur offers any know-how and has already managed to patent it, then this fact must be reflected in the document. A patent is both a competitive advantage and a reason to be more likely to receive loans or investments.

The chapter must include:

1. - a brief description of the idea;
2. - ways of its implementation;
3. - description life cycle product (service);
4. - percentage of secondary purchases;
5. - the possibility of creating additional product lines or service options, the possibility of segmenting the proposed product;
6. - the proposed modification of the offer in accordance with changes in the market situation and factors affecting profits.

5. Ways to promote business (marketing and strategic plans)

In this chapter, the entrepreneur describes exactly how he is going to inform the potential consumer about his product and how he will promote this product. Here are reflected:

6. Description of the production process

The production plan is a detailed description complete algorithm production of a product from its being in a raw state to the moment when the finished product is on display in stores. This plan includes:

1. - a description of the required raw materials and the basic requirements for them, as well as the suppliers from whom you plan to purchase these raw materials;
2. - reception, processing and pre-production preparation of raw materials;
3. - actually technological process;
4. - output finished product;
5. - the procedure for testing the finished product, its packaging and transfer to the warehouse and subsequent delivery to the buyer.

In addition to the actual description of the production process, this chapter should also reflect:

1. - characteristics of the equipment used, as well as the premises where the production process will be carried out - indicating all the necessary standards and requirements;
2. - list of main partners;
3. - the need to attract resources and borrowed money;
4. - calendar plan business development - from the start of production to the time when the funds invested in the project begin to pay off.

7. Structure of the enterprise. Personnel and management.

This chapter describes the internal scheme of the business project, that is, the administrative and organizational plan. The chapter can be roughly divided into the following subsections:

1. - organizational and legal form of the enterprise (LLC, individual entrepreneur, etc.);
2. - the internal structure of the enterprise, the distribution of responsibilities between services, the channels of their interaction (it would be best if this subparagraph is additionally illustrated with appropriate diagrams);
3. - staffing, a list of duties of each employee, his salary, channels and criteria by which personnel will be selected;
4. - a list of measures for the policy in the field of work with personnel (training, training, personnel reserve, etc.)
5. - participation in business development events (competitions, conferences, fairs, grants, government programs, etc.).

8. Risk assessment. Ways to minimize risks.

The purpose of this paragraph is a preliminary assessment of possible negative circumstances that will affect the achievement of the desired indicators (business income, client flow, etc.) - the basis for this assessment is, again, market research. The risks are divided into external ones (for example, tougher competition and the emergence of new strong players in this segment, an increase in rental rates and utility bills, natural disasters and emergencies, changes in tax legislation in the direction of increasing rates, etc.) and internal (what can happen directly within the enterprise - equipment breakdowns, unscrupulous employees, etc.).

If an entrepreneur has information in advance about what exactly he should be afraid of on the way to implementing and promoting his project, then he can think in advance about the ways in which he will neutralize and minimize negative factors. For each risk, a set of alternative strategies should be proposed (a kind of emergency response table). Risks should not be hidden from investors or creditors.

Special attention should be paid to such a form of protection as insurance against various risks. If an entrepreneur plans to insure his business, then this must be mentioned - indicating the chosen insurance company, the amount of insurance premiums and other details related to the case.

9. Forecasting financial flows

Perhaps the most responsible chapter of the business plan. Because of its importance, its writing should be entrusted to professionals if the entrepreneur himself does not have a financial and economic education. Thus, many startups with creative ideas, but not having sufficient financial literacy, in this case, they resort to the services of investment companies, which later put their verification visa on the business plan - this is a kind of guarantee of the reliability of calculations and will give the business plan additional weight in the eyes of investors and creditors.

Financial plan any business project includes:

1. - balance of the enterprise;
2. - calculation of expenses (fund wages employees, production costs, etc.);
3. - statement of profit and loss, as well as on the movement Money;
4. - the amount of necessary external investments;
5. - calculation of profit and profitability.

The profitability of the project is a key indicator that has a decisive influence on the decision of investors about investing in this business. Calculations on this topic cover the period from the introduction of start-up capital and third-party investments into the project until the moment when the project can be considered break-even and begins to generate net profit.

When calculating profitability, the basic formula R = D * Zconst / (D - Z) is usually used, where R is the profitability threshold in monetary terms, D is income, Z is variable costs, and Zconst are fixed costs. However, for long-term calculations, one should also include in the calculation formula such indicators as the inflation rate, renovation costs, deductions to the investment fund, an increase in the wages of employees of the enterprise, etc. Again, it is advisable to use the Gantt chart as a visualization method, according to which it is convenient to track the level of growing income and reaching the break-even point.

10. Regulatory framework

It indicates all the documents that are necessary for the legal support of the business - certificates and licenses for goods, permission for certain types of activities, acts, permits, etc. - with a description of the conditions and terms of their receipt, as well as the cost. If any documents are already in the hands of the entrepreneur, this must be indicated, and given fact will also be an advantage in the eyes of investors.

11.Applications

At the end of the business plan, the entrepreneur provides all calculations, diagrams, graphs and other auxiliary materials, which were used to make financial forecasts, market analysis, etc., as well as all materials that visualize the points of the business plan and facilitate its perception.

“The main mistakes when drawing up a business plan”

At the end of the article, I would like to say a few words about the most common mistakes that inexperienced entrepreneurs make when drawing up business plans. So, what should you avoid if you do not want to scare potential investors away from your project?

Excessive bloat and volume. A business plan is not homework, where big size writing increases the chances of a good grade. The approximate volume of a business plan is usually 70-100 sheets.

Difficulties of presentation. If an investor reading your plan can't figure out your idea after reading two or three pages, then there's a good chance they'll put BP aside.

Lack of necessary explanations. Remember that an investor is not required to understand the area of ​​the market in which you offer him to invest money (and in most cases he really does not understand it, otherwise he would have already launched an independent business). Therefore, you need to succinctly introduce the reader to the main details.

Streamlined phrases-characteristics ("huge market", "great prospects", etc.). Remember: only accurate and verified information and forecasts.

Providing approximate, unverified or knowingly false financial indicators. We have already focused on this topic above, therefore - without comments.

Basic rules and tips on how to create a business plan to make life easier for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Smart entrepreneurs will not start a new business before they figure it out, how create a business plan.

This most important document for any startup will help to avoid many unpleasant surprises, will allow you to start growing your customer base and turnover from the first months of opening, and will lead your business to success and prosperity in a shorter time.

Of course, drawing up a business plan is not a panacea for any troubles, but it greatly simplifies the life of entrepreneurs, especially beginners.

Do you even need to know how to create a business plan?

Naturally, it is necessary.

Once in a cafe, I heard an excerpt from a conversation between two hucksters (sorry, gentlemen, businessmen, but I can’t name these creatures in another way).

One complained to another that "this skinny bespectacled man" came to teach me: "It was necessary to create a business plan, then you would see the futility of this project."

All this was generously flavored with obscenities, whining about complexity modern life for respected people and dreary memories of the most beautiful times of the 1990s, when it was not the one who was smarter who was right, but the one who had a more serious roof and a bigger gun.

No matter how much these relics of the past whine, it is no longer possible to act in the old fashioned way.

There is too much competition now, the market is too saturated, mistakes are too expensive.

You can't do without creating a business plan!

If a businessman intends to implement a new entrepreneurial business, does not even try to think about how to create a business plan, considering it absolutely superfluous, then there is a high probability that something will go wrong in the course of his work:

• it will take much more money than he originally thought;
• too much competition will not allow his business to develop;
• there are no suitable infrastructure facilities for it;
• it turns out that there are no specialists to work for you;
• your idea is generally unpromising in your locality etc.

All of these troubles can be avoided even before you start investing money in a dead end project if you take care to create a business plan.

The main types of business plans that you can create

"Business is an exciting game in which maximum excitement is combined with a minimum of rules."
Bill Gates

That a business plan is certainly a kind of instruction for the formation and development of a particular company, store, industrial enterprise, etc.

Indeed, most often competent businessmen create just such a business plan for a particular enterprise in order to avoid serious mistakes and unnecessary financial expenses.

If you are pursuing a goal other than opening a company with your own money, then you need to prepare one of the following business plans:

Investment.

It is very similar to the business plan of an enterprise in its structure, but its main difference is that it is not drawn up for the owner of the company, but for the investors he wants to attract.

The main emphasis here is on marketing research and the benefits that this venture can bring to future investors.

Credit.

Some banks and credit unions require their borrowers to create such a business plan.

In it, you must describe how much money you need, for what specific purposes they will go, when you can return them, etc.

Grant.

Getting a grant from the state or a private foundation is also not so easy.

Most likely, you will be required to create a business plan, in which you will have to describe what your organization or firm does, what goals you want to achieve with the funds received, what your success is already, etc.

Since most entrepreneurs are interested in how to create a business plan for an enterprise, we will talk about it further.

How to create a business plan for an enterprise: structure

If you are drawing up a business plan not only for personal purposes, but also, for example, in order for your investors or partners to get acquainted with it, then it is better to create it according to all the rules so that it is immediately clear that you are a serious business man and you can do business.

It is very important to stick to the traditional business plan structure:

It is read first, which means that you immediately need to take the bull by the horns and describe as briefly as possible what your company will do, where it will work, how much money you need to open it, and how long you are going to implement all the ideas.

In general, a resume is actually a miniature business plan.

Description of the enterprise.

The company is such and such (it is important to come up with a name for your company even before compiling a resume), it will deal with this and that.

Less water, more specifics.

Description of products/services.

What kind of goods is collected or what services it will provide to the population.

Market analysis.


A very important part of a resume.

The more thoroughly you analyze your direct competitors, consumers, the free niche you are going to fill, your company's pricing policy, distribution channels, etc., the more chances your company has for success.

It is this analysis that makes it possible to avoid major errors in further work.

Enterprise organization.

This is the main part of your business plan, where you should indicate in stages:

• what is needed to register a company;
• what infrastructure facilities are needed for work, whether they require repair or construction work;
• a list of commercial or construction equipment;
• ways to advertise yourself;
• main competitive advantages;
• members of the future team;
• the timing of the project;
• commercial plan, etc.

That is, here you describe what you need to do step by step to open a company, how much money and time you will have to spend on it.

Income and expenses of the enterprise.

How much capital investment will be required to open a company (be sure to include the “unplanned expenses” item), what income you plan to earn from the sale of goods or the sale of services, and how quickly your investment will pay off.

Description of risks and ways to minimize them.

To properly create your business plan,

in the next video:

How to create a business plan and avoid major mistakes?

Very often, entrepreneurs who are seriously thinking about how to create a business plan cannot avoid the main mistakes, which are:

Figures taken from the ceiling.

Let's say you found a business plan "" on the network.

Everything there is beautifully painted, chewed, all the numbers are indicated.

But you do not take into account that this plan was created three years ago and, taking it as the basis for your business, all the amounts had to be adjusted based on the current economic situation.

Unnecessary information.

Do not try to create a 100 page business plan, neither you nor your investors will read this Talmud.

Keep all information short and accessible.

Conducted anyhow as a market analysis.

For some reason, many businessmen believe that it is not at all necessary to devote too much time and effort to analyzing the market in which you are going to occupy.

As a result, they have to deal with many unpleasant surprises at the initial stage.

Lack of specific goals that you are going to achieve.

“I want to earn a lot!” - this is not a goal, this is a dream that may never come true.

Write down exactly what you want to achieve by opening your company.

These mini-plans, with specific goals and financial expectations, should be done at least once a quarter until your business is well established.

Inflated profit margins.

Of course, it is not harmful to dream that after two months of operation your shoe store will bring you two million profits, but a businessman must look at things realistically so as not to go broke.

I don't think you will have any difficulty how to create a business plan if you heed my advice.

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Brief briefing

You have an idea. You want to create your own business. Fine. What's next? Next, you need to “sort everything out”, think through the details (as far as possible), in order to first of all understand: is it worth developing this project? Perhaps after researching the market, you will realize that the service or product is not in demand, or you do not have sufficient funds to develop your business. Maybe the project should be improved a little, to abandon unnecessary elements, or, on the contrary, to introduce something?

A business plan will help you consider the prospects of your venture.

End justifies the means?

Starting to write a business plan, remember its goals and functions. First of all, you carry out preparatory work in order to understand how realistic the achievement of the planned results is, how much time and money are needed to implement the plan.

In addition, a business plan is necessary to attract investors, receive a grant or a bank loan. That is, it should include information about the potential profit of the project, necessary costs and its payback period. Think about what is important and interesting for your recipients to hear.

Use a little cheat sheet for yourself:

• Analyze the market you are going to enter. What leaders-companies exist in this direction. Study their experience and work.
• Identify weaknesses and strengths your project, future opportunities and risks. In short, do a SWOT analysis*.

SWOT analysis - (English)strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities,Threats - strong and weak sides, opportunities and threats. A method of planning, developing a strategy that allows you to identify the main factors influencing business development.

• Be clear about what you expect from the project. Set a specific goal.

The main goal of the business plan is to help, first of all, you yourself in developing the company's strategy and planning its development, as well as assistance in attracting investments.

So every plan has a structure. Regardless of the specifics of the project and the requirements of investors, a business plan, as a rule, contains the following elements:

1. Firm CV(short business plan)

• Product description
• Description of the market situation
• Competitive advantages and disadvantages
• Brief description of the organizational structure
• Distribution of funds (investment and own)

2. marketing plan

• Definition of a “problem” and your solution
• Definition of the target audience
• Market and competition analysis
• Free niche, unique selling proposition
• Methods and cost of attracting customers
• Sales channels
• Stages and terms of market conquest

3. Plan for the production of goods or services

• Organization of production
• Infrastructure features
• Production resources and areas
• Production equipment
• Production process
• Quality control
• Calculation of investments and depreciation

4.Workflow organization

• Organizational structure of the enterprise
• Distribution of powers and responsibilities
• Control system

5. Financial plan and risk forecast

• Cost estimate
• Calculation of the cost of a product or service
• Calculation of profit and loss
• Investment period
• Break even point and payback point
• Cash flow forecast
• Risk Forecast
• Ways to minimize risks

It is clear that a business plan is one whole and its parts are inextricably linked with each other. However, a well-designed structure will help you not to forget the important, as well as to look deeper into each of the aspects.

Company resume. Briefly about the main

Marketing plan. There are empty seats?

When drawing up a marketing plan, you will have to analyze the market you are going to enter. Thus, you will identify trends for yourself, collect information about competitors and get to know your consumer, your target audience better.

After evaluating a potential client, his interests and preferences, you must determine the optimal location of the office, outlet etc. It should be comfortable. Calculate the required number of customers for your business to pay off and compare with the audience living or working around the intended location of the business. For example, for a public service business, this audience should not be less than 2% of the number of people living within a short walk or five-minute drive.

It is possible that the market that you were going to conquer is oversaturated with this moment. Analyze the actions of competitors, create your own strategy, focus on your uniqueness, bring something new to fill an empty niche in a certain area.

Of course, creating something that is not yet on the market is quite difficult. However, you can carefully analyze the situation and open, for example, a point where the consumer really needs it or play on the difference in prices and the level of services provided relative to nearby competitors.

Also, you will definitely have to decide on the sales channels. After reviewing the existing methods on the market - find the best for yourself. Calculate how much it costs you to acquire each client.

Finally, when deciding on pricing, you will need to calculate: which is more profitable? A high price with a small number of sales or a price lower than competitors, but a large client flow. We should also not forget about the service, because for many consumers it is crucial. They are willing to pay a price above the market average, but receive high quality service.

Production plan. What are we selling?

Here you will finally tell in detail about the essence of your business: what do you do?

For example, you decide to produce dresses and sell them. In the production plan, indicate the suppliers of fabric and equipment, where you will place the sewing workshop, what will be the volume of production. You will write down the stages of manufacturing products, the necessary qualifications of employees, calculate the necessary deductions to the depreciation fund, as well as logistics. From many factors: from the cost of threads to the cost of labor, the costs of the future business will also depend.

Prescribing the technology for creating your course product, you will pay attention to many little things that you have not thought about before. There may be issues with the storage of goods or difficulties with imported raw materials, problems with finding employees with the necessary qualifications, etc.

When you have finally written down the entire path of creating a product or service, it's time to calculate how much your project will cost you. It may well be that subsequently, composing financial calculations, you will understand that you need to make adjustments to the production plan: cut some costs or fundamentally change the technology itself.

Organization of the workflow. How will it work?

Will you manage the business alone or with partners? How will decisions be made? These and many more questions you need to answer in the "Organization of the workflow" section.

Here you can register the entire structure of the enterprise and identify duplication of authority, mutual exclusion, etc. Having seen the whole organization scheme, it will be easier for you to optimally distribute rights and responsibilities between departments and employees.

Having understood, first of all, for yourself how your company functions, it will be possible to more effectively develop a system of interaction between structures, a system for monitoring employees and the entire personnel policy.

The importance of this section is that it describes who and how will implement the project in reality.

“Plans are the dreams of knowledgeable people” Ernst von Feuchtersleben (English scientist, philosopher, literary critic).

Business planning goals

Having chosen your business, you need to decide how you will organize it, which means you need to plan for the near future. Everyone needs a business plan:

• Those from whom you will try to borrow money for the implementation of your project, that is, bankers and investors.
• Your employees who want to understand their tasks and perspectives.
• And you yourself - to test the reasonableness and realism of your ideas.

Business plan is a document that:

1. Describes all the main aspects of the future enterprise or project.
2. Analyzes all the problems that it may encounter.
3. Identifies ways to address identified issues.

A well-written business plan- this is a clear answer to the questions: “is it worth investing in the planned business and will it bring income that will pay off all the effort and money spent?”.

Important! Planning should be carried out by present or future companies, that is, those people who are not afraid to take responsibility for the implementation of the business plan. But this does not mean, of course, that it is not necessary to use the services of consultants and experts in this field. True, consulting firms charge decent amounts for its compilation, ranging from anywhere from $2,000 to $40,000. But you can make it yourself, while incurring minimal costs. By engaging in this work personally, you will not only model your future activities, but also test yourself and the idea itself for strength.

So, main purpose of a business plan: it helps entrepreneurs to solve the following tasks:

– To study the capacity and development prospects of the future sales market.

- Estimate costs for production the market needs products. Compare them with prices.

- Determine the indicators by which it will be possible to regulate the state of affairs.

Keep in mind! A business plan is usually written for the future, and it should be drawn up approximately 3-5 years in advance. At the same time, for the first year, the main indicators should be divided in monthly breakdown, for the second - quarterly, and only starting from the third year, one should limit annual rates. Although if we take into account our economy, its volatility, then planning for a period of more than a year is not entirely effective. Therefore, many now limit themselves to writing a plan for the year.

Business plan structure

The business plan has a complex structure. The whole life of the company from the moment of creation to the moment of stability and sustainability should be written in business language, while being intelligible and lively. A business plan should be understandable to any entrepreneur, financier and banker, as well as potential partners. The confidentiality memorandum is drawn up in order to warn those who get acquainted with the business plan of the confidentiality of the information contained in it. The memorandum may contain a prohibition on copying, on the transfer of the project to third parties and a requirement to return the project to the author.

A business plan should always be short and concise. True, sometimes, in order to reveal the essence of the problem, it is made quite deep in content. Recommended volume: 30 - 70 pages, no more. And it is desirable to make all additional materials in annexes to the business plan.

Remember! It is important to provide metered information.

Here are the main points that you will need to consider:

1. annotation(up to 1 page) - a written appeal for senior management.
2. Summary(1-3 pages) - basic information to get acquainted with the business plan.
3. Business plan(45-60) - for a detailed study of the project by the investor's specialists and experts.

Remember! Any business has its own characteristics, therefore, there cannot be a certain “standard” plan that is acceptable in all cases. There is, so to speak, only general principle, the structure of the business plan.

Summary

Your business should always start with conclusions, you write them last, but they should be the very first paragraph of your business plan. A resume is the result of an already written business plan. This is the only part that most potential investors read.

• The purpose of the business plan.
• The need for finance, for what purposes they are needed.
• Brief description of the business and its target customer.
• Key differences from competitors
• Key financial indicators.

Business plan:

1. Goals and objectives

Here you will need to provide an idea analysis (SWOT analysis). Uncover strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats.

• Idea analysis.
• The purpose of the activity (what you want to achieve).
• Industry characteristics.

2. Product (service)

It is important that this part be written in clear, concise language that is understandable to the layman.

• Description of the product or service and its application.
• Uniqueness
• Technologies and qualifications necessary for business.
• License/patent rights.

3. Market analysis

The market and marketing is a decisive factor for all companies. You need to pre-collect and process a large amount of "rough" information.

• Buyers.
• Competitors (their strengths and weaknesses).
• market segments.
• Market size and growth.
• Estimated market share.
• composition of your clientele.
• The impact of competition.

4. Marketing plan

At this stage, the main task is to win the trust and favor of a potential investor. If you do not have a special education, you should read books on marketing, contact a specialist.

• Marketing arrangement (main characteristics of products, services in comparison with competitors).
• Pricing (how to set the right price for a product).
• Scheme of distribution of goods.
• Sales promotion methods.

5. Production plan

Here you should consider all issues related to the premises that you occupy, their location, equipment, personnel.

• Location of premises.
• Equipment.
• Sources of supply of basic materials and equipment.
• Use of subcontractors.

6. Management staff

Investments are made in specific people, not in a business plan, because this section is one of the most important.

• Key leadership team.
• The composition of the staff.
• Reward.

7. Sources and amount of required resources

In this section, you should present your thoughts on:

• The amount of funds required.
• Sources of their receipt, form, terms.
• Refund deadlines.

8. Financial plan and risk analysis

Business people are divided into those who love to work with numbers and those who are afraid of them. For those in the first category, this section of the business plan is by far the most important.

• Sales volume, profit, cost, etc.
• Risks and how they can be avoided.

9. Detailed financial plan

You need to include in your business plan a detailed financial plan:

• Forecast of sales volumes.
• Profit and loss estimates.
• Cash flow analysis (monthly for the first year, then quarterly).
• Annual balance sheet.

And finally, I would like to give a few useful tips for the preparation of a business plan:

1. To get started, read a few other business plans.
2. The business plan should reflect your personality.
3. Preparing a business plan is a job that requires imagination.
4. Gain experience and skills in the chosen direction.
5. Write only on days when you are full of energy, not when you are mentally and physically exhausted.

Wish you luck!

Often, budding entrepreneurs are faced with quite difficult problem- How to write a business plan. This task is not easy, because in order to work out each element, it is necessary to have certain knowledge and understanding of the activity in which you are going to start a business. If they are not there, then you will first have to get acquainted with the information, various methods, and only then move on to practice.

By the way, we have made a series of articles with examples and sample business plans in the section. We also recommend that you read the article:. This will help you write your business plan correctly.

In the meantime, let's move on to how to write a business plan yourself.

Set an end goal for yourself

Before writing a business plan, it is very important to understand for yourself at the beginning of the project development what specific goal the organization will pursue. For successful implementation, it is necessary to take into account the importance of three significant factors:

1. Awareness of the initial location (what we will start from, the so-called point "A").
2. Determination of the ultimate goal, the achievement of which will be the most important outcome(let it be point "B").
3. Drawing up a clear sequence of how to get from point "A" to point "B", as well as understanding the mechanism, its elaboration.

We determine for whom we draw up a business plan

Next, you need to understand for whom this plan is being drawn up. The choice of the final "reader" will depend on the detail of the presentation, the evidence base. Any project is compiled for one of the following "consumers":

• For potential investors . These can be creditors, state support bodies that provide subsidies and other incentives to developing businesses, and various grant givers.

When writing in this case, special attention should be paid to the evidence base of the viability of the project being developed, as well as the belief in the effectiveness of the use of the funds provided. This information will be relevant both for those who lend money and for those who give it free of charge (subsidies, grants).

It is very important at the same time to make all your actions logical and consistent. Some of the information may be presented slightly embellished to obtain financial support. However, there is no need to be zealous with this.

The main parameters of such a project will be such qualities as cleanliness, accuracy and consistency. All facts must contain specifics, explanations. Details in this case are also welcome.

Presentability will depend on speaking to potential investors, you will need to use slides, visibility (samples, research results, etc.).

• For myself . Such a plan is drawn up for the actions that will be used in the implementation to achieve maximum efficiency.

In this case, it is important to reflect information about the necessary and available resources. The business plan should be as close as possible to what it actually is.

It should be understood that these are completely two different cases that require individual approach. You cannot write the same business plan for yourself and for potential investors. And of course it is worth noting that the project for those who may provide financial resources will be more complete and detailed.

Doing a preliminary analysis

Work on any project begins with an analysis of the situation in the present time. To systematize all available information, describe and fill in all sections, you need to study the data, analyze them as a whole. If the initial information is not enough, it is necessary to fill it up by contacting specialists or additionally study all aspects of the situation.

Very often, for a preliminary assessment of the situation, as well as its analysis, a method recognized throughout the world is used, which is called SWOT -analysis . Its popularity is due to its simplicity, clarity and accuracy.

What is SWOT analysis and how to apply it in practice

The name of this technique stands for "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats". It is used to evaluate all internal and external factors affecting the organization. An important advantage is the objectivity of the SWOT analysis, it displays a really real picture.

We need to seriously approach the study of each of the indicators. At the same time, strengths are the initial advantages of working in this area. Weaknesses are studied to eliminate them. So, for example, if the weakness is the lack of own premises, it is worth considering the possibility of acquiring them, while eliminating this drawback. These two parameters are more related to internal factors, because they are determined by the position of the organization itself.

Opportunities and threats are directly related to external environment. The company cannot directly influence them. So, having considered the available opportunities, you can use them to your advantage, increasing efficiency or saving on something. For example, to adapt the packaging design for the consumer market, while increasing the demand for the product itself. But considering threats and responding to them will help to avoid difficulties and losses. Here it is important to either use the policy of "avoidance", or try to use the current situation for your own good.

After working out all aspects of the SWOT analysis, you need to start considering individual sections of the business plan. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the assessment of the resources of the described project, including monetary, labor, intellectual, and temporary. This will save a lot of time and will also help you to estimate the efficiency and costs of the project in advance.

You can get acquainted with the structure and sections in the corresponding article presented earlier.

We draw up a title page, resume, set the goals of a business project

The design of any project begins with writing a title page, which must indicate: type of activity, legal form, name of the organization, its legal address, as well as information about the founder and location of the company itself.

The next step is to write a resume. It is important to understand what constitutes this section after working through the rest. It contains consolidated information about what will be considered in the project. Conventionally, the summary can be called a kind of "squeeze" from the rest of the sections of the project. It is important that in this section the reader gets the answer to the two most important questions:

1. What benefits will potential investors have if they invest money in the project and it is successfully implemented?
2. What are the possible risks of loss, and what is their extent (partial or total loss)?

In the “Goal Setting” section, it is very important to indicate the goal itself, the tasks set, possible problems, actions, terms, as well as arguments that will allow the investor to be confident in the success of the proposed project. Here you can display the results of the SWOT analysis in a tabular form of the form:

We analyze the market

In this section, it is very important to reflect the current situation by collecting the most latest information rather than use the outdated one. You can consider competitors, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, in tabular form:

	Advantages	disadvantages	How to increase your chances of winning the competition
Our organization
Competitor #1
Competitor #2
…

It is necessary to draw up a portrait of a potential buyer (objectively assessing the situation), consider the possibility of attracting other segments of the population.

Assess the capabilities of the organization in the industry

This section contains information about the organization itself. It is worth paying attention to the mode of operation and seasonality, since these factors directly affect the size of possible income, their constancy. If a business plan is drawn up by an already existing organization that plans, for example, to start producing a new product, then the description of the section is reduced to listing already known data (legal form, taxation methods, goods, information about the company, and others).

For those companies that are just planning to open, it is necessary to take very seriously the choice of OPF and the taxation system. Legislation will also need to be studied: various regulations and other documents.

Describing a product or service

In this section, special attention should be paid to goods and services that will be profitable. Pre-required:

• Do detailed description major and minor goods. It is desirable to provide the project with photographs finished products(samples) or the samples themselves.
• Compare the product with the description of the portrait of a potential consumer.
• It is worth highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each product, compare with competitive products in branch. Based on the information received, competitiveness is assessed. This data can be presented in a tabular form as follows:

• Describe the process of supplying goods or providing services (wholesale, retail, end consumer).

Such a detailed consideration will help to understand what are the features of your products and the sales market as a whole.

Attention should also be paid to what additional documents will have to be issued (various patents, certificates, copyrights).

We draw up a marketing plan

Based on the previously obtained results, you can proceed to the development of a marketing plan. Particular attention should be paid to promotional tools. They can be: advertising, merchandising, direct sales, sales promotion and others.

It is necessary to study in great detail the demand in the market segment in which it is planned to work. At the same time, it is worth determining average prices, elasticity (variability) of demand, and methods of stimulation. It is also important to study target segments and customer groups.

It is worth thinking about marketing methods, as well as consumers, whether legal entities, individuals or end users. For each of them, you can develop a separate sales program.

You also need to think about possible ways attracting buyers. In addition, you can consider promotions, exhibitions.

It will be useful to predict the volume of future sales. This can be done visually using the following table:

It is important not to overestimate the sales forecast so that the data looks realistic. You need to justify the amount, while giving confidence to creditors.

If desired, you can make realistic, pessimistic and optimistic scenarios, substantiating each of them.

In general, any marketing program can be represented as:

We draw up a production plan

Drafting production plan not necessarily for those organizations that are not going to produce something on their own. So, if the company is only going to trade in goods or services, this section can, in principle, be omitted. But for those organizations that are directly related to production, drawing up a production plan is almost a paramount task.

At the same time, it is initially necessary to consider the available and necessary production facilities, including premises and equipment. Information can also be presented in tabular form:

It is also very important to draw up schemes for the supply of raw materials and their storage. In addition, you need to visualize yourself manufacturing process(this information can be placed in attachments).

Immediately, data on the required employees is indicated, a staffing table is drawn up, indicating qualifications, the method of calculating wages, work schedules and other information.

We draw up an organizational plan

This section displays all activities related to organizing a business. It is important to break them down into separate steps, while indicating the implementation timeline for each item. You can use a table view:

It is necessary to distribute all the steps in the correct sequence. You can also present the information in the form of an implementation schedule.

In addition, legal aspects must also be included here.

We draw up a financial plan

This section is devoted to the preparation of a detailed estimate. In other words, there is a planning of all costs that will be necessary. It is best to do this in tabular form, providing clarity and ease of study.

It should be understood that any organization has one-time costs and recurring costs. One-time costs include fixed assets, but periodic costs are further divided into fixed and variable. Fixed costs do not depend on the volume of production. Of course, it makes sense to talk about fixed costs only in the short run, because in the long run all costs become variable.

After all costs are taken into account, provided that the cost is known, you can also find the break-even point, which shows the sales volume at which income will be equal to expenses.

Everyone needs to find the break-even point in order to roughly represent the scale of production or sales that will ensure not only break-even, but also the profitability of the enterprise. For clarity, it is worth drawing up a graph showing the dependence of profit on the volume of goods (services) sold. It may look like this:

Depreciation costs should also be included in the calculations. Indeed, as a result of complete wear and tear, most fixed assets require replacement. In addition, tax and pension contributions (recurring costs) should be taken into account. The most complete display of all expenses will help to estimate the real size of profit.

To calculate the payback period, you can use a simplified formula:

Payback period \u003d One-time costs / Net monthly income.

You can also include profitability calculations here (it is worth considering that there are a lot of formulas, you need to choose the one that suits the type of business and what the profitability of which is calculated).

We consider risks

In this section, for clarity, you can create a table that will display:

• Possible risks.
• the likelihood of their occurrence.
• avoidance methods.
• Possible losses.

If you plan to insure any risks, this should also be reflected in the business plan. Remember to include insurance costs in your financial plan.

What is this section for? Everything is very simple. Any investor wants to be sure of the success of the project or at least compensation for losses. Knowing the possible dangers, you can always try to avoid them or reduce losses. The main thing in this case is the knowledge of vulnerabilities and their exclusion.

Sometimes various appendices are added, which include diagrams, graphs, tables, certificates, contracts, licenses. We can say that this is some kind of visual material, which is placed in a separate section in order not to clutter up the project itself.

Applications

You really need to attach to it all those documents that were discussed in the business plan and which would serve as confirmation of all of the above. These can be various schemes, plans, resumes, credit reports, letters of guarantee, various statutory documents, etc.

The most common mistakes made when writing a business plan

1. Ignoring the seasonality of work. Such a defect nullifies all the calculations made. If the business is seasonal, then this must be taken into account when calculating sales volumes, while trying to compensate for the lack in other months.
2. Overestimation of planned sales (production) volumes. Such an indicator will also affect the efficiency of fixed assets, the workload of production capacities.
3. Wrong calculation of working capital. It is important not only to determine the profit, but also the part that will have to be used for the further functioning of the business.
4. Mixing cash flows. This refers to the situation when the company itself finances the project.
5. Understating the discount rate. Also applies to own resources. The error is related to the fact that the possibilities of using funds are not assessed in the amount in which they could be involved.
6. Too much business plan. No need to clutter the project with unnecessary information.
7. Not realistic data. All information must be supported by weighty arguments.
8. It is impossible to talk about additional funding uncertainly. It either exists or it doesn't.
9. Incomplete information on financial projections. It is imperative that until the project pays off, all financial data must be indicated for each month separately.
10. Surface analysis of the market. You need to thoroughly study the segment in which you are going to work, because the success of the business depends on it.
11. "Approximation" of costs. All of them must be taken into account and be accurate, because the profit of your enterprise will depend on it.

Instead of a conclusion

Now you know how to write a business plan. There are no universal business plans. Much depends on the chosen industry, production features and other factors. It is necessary to approach the development of the project consciously, spending a lot of time and effort on it.