[INSERT YOUR BUSINESS LOGO, if any]
[Business Name]
Business Plan
Prepared: [Date prepared]
Executive Summary
[Please write this page last]
[Your Executive summary should be no longer than a page and should focus on what is your
business is all about and why your business is going to be successful. It is a summary of the
different element of your business.]
The Business
Business name: [Enter your business name as registered in your state/territory. If you have
not registered your business name, add your proposed business name.]
Business structure: [Sole trader, partnership, trust, company.]
Business location: [Main business location]
Date established: [The date you started trading.]
Business owner(s): [List all of the business owners.]
Relevant owner experience: [Briefly outline your experience and/or years in the industry and
any major achievements/awards.]
Products/services: [What products/services are you selling?
Target market:[Who are you selling to?
Marketing strategy:[How do you plan to enter the market? How do you intend to attract
customers? How and why will this work?]
[if applying for a loan, state clearly how much money will you need? How you are going to
use it? How much of your own money are you contributing towards the business? And how
much profit you intend on making in a particular timeframe.
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Business Description
Vision statement: [state clearly what your overall goals for the business are.]
Goals/objectives: [What are your short & long term goals? What activities will you
undertake to meet them?]
Products/services: [What products/services are you selling? What is the anticipated demand
for your products/services?]
Legal form of ownership: [Sole trader, partnership, trust, company.]
Business location:
[Describe the location and space occupied/required. What is the size of the space you
occupy/require? Which city or town? Where in relation to landmarks/main areas? If you have
a retail business, where are you in relation to other shops? What is the retail traffic like?]
Organisation chart
[Outline your business structure in an organisation chart.]
Figure 1: Example Organisation Chart.
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Management
You will need to provide information for the following questions:
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Who will manage the business?
What qualifications do you have?
How many employees will you have? What will they do?
Any consultants or specialists will you use?
What legal form of ownership will you have?
What regulations will affect your business? How you will deal with them?
Names of owners: [List all of the business owners.]
Name
Age
% ownership
Financial
contribution
ID number
Experience: [What experience do the business owner(s) have? How many years have you
owned or run a business? List any previous businesses owned/managed. List any major
achievements/awards. What other relevant experience do you have? Don’t forget to attach
your resume(s) to the back of your plan.]
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Marketing
(2 -3 pages)
Market research:
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Where is the gap in the market?
How was this gap identified?
Who will be your customers? (target market)
How big is the market? (Number of customers?
Who will be your competitors?
How are their businesses prospering? How will you promote sales?
What market share will you want?
Do you have a pricing strategy?
What strategies do you have for promoting and advertising your products/services?
What sales and distribution channels you will use?
What is the total size of the market?
How fast is the market growing?
Pricing strategy: [Do you have a particular pricing strategy? Why have you chosen this
strategy?]
Market position: [Where do your products/services fit in the market? Are they highend, competitive or budget? How does this compare to your competitors?]
Value to customer: [How do your customers view your products/services? Are they a
necessity, luxury or something in between?]
Identify your compeitiors:
− How do you rate against your competitors? How can your business improve on
what they offer?
− Why do you have an advantage over your competitors? How will your
products/services succeed in the market where others may have failed?]
Competitor
Established date
Size
Market
share (%)
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Value to
customers
Strengths
Weaknesses
Operations
Production process
[What is the process involved in producing your products or services. This process will
vary depending on your product or service. Here are some examples of questions you
may consider. Is there a manufacturing process? Who is involved in the process? Are
there any third parties involved? What is involved in delivering the service to your
customers?]
Suppliers
[Who are your main suppliers? What do they supply to your business?
Equipment
[List your equipment needs or purchases. These can include vehicles, computer
equipment, phones and fax machines.]
Equipment
Purchase date
Purchase
price
Running
cost
Technology (Software): [What technology do you require? And what is the estimated
cost?
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Financial Plan
[2-4 pages]
Funding requirements: state clearly the reasons why need funding, and how much money
you need for example, for start-up, how much you will contribute from you own money
towards the business?
Also, you need to provide the following: (ask experts for help preparing financial documents)
 12-month profit and loss projection (month-by-month) and a three-year profit and
loss projection (quarter-by-quarter) / Pro-Forma financials if not available
 A 12-month cash-flow projection and a three-year cash-flow projection (quarter-byquarter)
 A projected balance sheet at start-up and at the end of years one to three
 A break-even calculation
 Asset register
 Gross profit calculation
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Appendix
Here are examples of what you include in appendix:
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Brochures and advertising materials
Maps and photos of location
Magazine or other articles
Detailed lists of equipment owned or to be purchased
Copies of leases and contracts
Letters of support from future customers
Any other materials needed to support the assumptions in this plan
Market research studies
Detailed financial calculations and projections
Page 8