<LOGO HERE>
<Business Name>
Business Plan
<Business Address>
Prepared by: <Name>
Date: <Date>
This template is provided as a complimentary service of Dolman Bateman & Co Pty Ltd
ABN 88 052 851 019. It contains general information only and is not substitute for commercial judgement or professional
advice.
Contents
Business Snapshot................................................................................................................................... 2
Purpose of this business plan ............................................................................................................. 2
Business structure ............................................................................................................................... 2
Business activity .................................................................................................................................. 2
Products and services ......................................................................................................................... 2
Points of differentiation ...................................................................................................................... 2
The market .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Vision, goals and objectives ................................................................................................................ 2
Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 3
BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................................... 3
When and why the business started................................................................................................... 3
Current position .................................................................................................................................. 3
What’s changed since the business was started/purchased? ............................................................ 3
Key milestones .................................................................................................................................... 3
Approach to decision making ............................................................................................................. 3
STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................................. 3
Business entities ................................................................................................................................. 3
Key People........................................................................................................................................... 4
Key advisors ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Marketing Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 4
MARKETING......................................................................................................................................... 4
Target marketing................................................................................................................................. 4
Competitors ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Marketing and promotion .................................................................................................................. 5
Recent activities .................................................................................................................................. 5
Planned activities ................................................................................................................................ 6
Cost of customer acquisition .............................................................................................................. 7
Business Environment............................................................................................................................. 7
MARKET ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................. 7
SWOT Analysis..................................................................................................................................... 7
Operating Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 8
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES .................................................................................................................. 8
Pricing.................................................................................................................................................. 8
Payment .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Distribution ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Key suppliers ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Asset and equipment .......................................................................................................................... 8
Intellectual property ........................................................................................................................... 9
Page 1 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Business Snapshot
Purpose of this business plan
> Outline the reason you’re writing this plan, what will you use it for, the people you will share this
with and the frequency you’ll update it
Business structure
> Who owns the business and what is the ownership structure?
Business activity
> What does your business do?
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Products and services
> What products and/or services do you offer?
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Points of differentiation
> What reason would a customer choose you over one of a competitor?
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The market
> What industry do you operate in?
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> Who are your target customers?
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Vision, goals and objectives
> What are your top three goals over the next 5 years?
1.
2.
3.
Page 2 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Overview
BACKGROUND
When and why the business started
> What opportunity or opportunities did you identify? If you bought an existing business, why did
you choose that particular one?
Current position
> Is your business mature or growing? Are you expanding, consolidating, or preparing to sell/hand it
over?
What’s changed since the business was started/purchased?
> How have your structure, director, focus, products, services, and/or customers changed? Have you
acquired/sold any businesses of divisions? What hurdles have you overcome?
Key milestones
> What are your key achievements?
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Approach to decision making
> Do you have guidelines or values – implicit or explicit – that guide your decision making? How do
you deal with differences of opinion?
STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES
Business entities
> What is your ‘family tree’ of business entities (if applicable)? What are they used for and how do
they fit together? Who are the Directors for reach entity?
Page 3 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Key People
> Who are the people your business wouldn’t survive without? What revenue do they generate of
what skills, qualifications and knowledge do they have your industry or product/service?
Name
Role
Skills/attributes
Key advisors
> Who are the advisors (e.g. accountants, lawyers, financial planners) that your business relies on?
Name
Company
Role the play
Marketing Plan
MARKETING
Target marketing
>Who is your target market? How does your target market compare to your current customer base?
Have you researched either of them?
Profile
Ideal target market
Current customers
What’s their gender
What’s their age?
Where do they live?
What sort of work do they do?
How do they spend their spare
time?
What are their values?
What are their needs?
Why would they choose your
productive/service?
Page 4 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Competitors
[Business name]
[Competitor
name]
[Competitor
name]
[Competitor
name]
Products
Price
Market share
In business since
Business structure
Target customers
Positioning in the
market
Point of
differentiation
Strength
Weaknesses
Marketing and promotion
> How do you promote your business? How do you get your customer to buy from you? Complete
the following tables for recent and planned activity (change/delete as required)
Recent activities
Communication
method
Target
audience
Objectives
Key
message
When
Where
Cost
Return
Advertising
Letters / Flyers /
Brochures
Calling / Visitation
programs
Sponsorship /
Events
Trade shows
Media Coverage
(PR)
Page 5 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Loyalty programs
Social Media
Google adwords /
Content Network
Email
Website
Sales platform
Competitive
research
Planned activities
Communication
method
Target
audience
Objectives
Key
message
When
Where
Cost
Return
Advertising
Letters / Flyers /
Brochures
Calling / Visitation
programs
Sponsorship /
Events
Trade shows
Media Coverage
(PR)
Loyalty programs
Social Media
Google AdWords /
Content Network
Email
Page 6 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Website
Sales platform
Competitive
research
Cost of customer acquisition
> What is the dollar cost of acquiring a new customer? How many do you expect to acquire each
year?
Business Environment
MARKET ANALYSIS
SWOT Analysis
> Strengths (internal factors)
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> Weaknesses (internal factors)
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> Opportunities (external factors)
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> Threats (external factors)
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Page 7 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Operating Plan
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Pricing
> How do you price your products and services? Do you add a margin to your purchase price or
running costs? Do you allow for changes in exchange rates, interest rates, Government subsidies,
insurance payments or input prices?
Payment
> What are you payment terms (on delivery, 39, 60, 90 days)? How do customers pay you? What
strategies, processes, systems and people do you have in place to facilitate this? What does it cost
you? Are your customers price sensitive?
Distribution
> Do you sell direct, or through a wholesaler? Do you sell via a website or phone, or at a retail store?
Do you use salespeople, agents or distributors?
Key suppliers
> Which suppliers are critical to your business? What impact would a supply interruption have?
Supplier
Terms offered
Why critical
How supply risk is
managed
Asset and equipment
> List key business enterprise tools
Platform:
 eBay
 Shopify (WP ecommerce)
 Big Commerce
 Magneto (increase complexity)
 Other: ___________
Page 8 of 9 | 5 April 2013
Traffic sources plan:
 Organic search
 Google AdWords
 Google Content Network
 Social
 Other: ___________
<Business Name> | Business Plan
Email provider / CRM:
 Awebber
 MailChimp
 Office AutoPilot
 InfusionSoft (increasing cost)
 Other: ___________
Measurement:
 Analytics
 Webmaster Tools
 Crazy Egg
 Zen Tester
 Other: ___________
Intellectual property
> How do you protect your intellectual property such as copy rights, licences and patents?
IP to be protected Type of
Protection end
Geography
Conditions that
protection
date
covered
apply
Page 9 of 9 | 5 April 2013
<Business Name> | Business Plan