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Business Plan
For Durham Strategic Response Unit
Tom Rundle
Durham Strategic Response Unit
Street Address
Address 2
City, ST ZIP Code
Telephone
Fax
E-Mail
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I.
Table of Contents
I.
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 2
II.
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 3
III.
General Company Description ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
IV.
Products and Services ............................................................................................................................. 3
V.
Marketing Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 5
VI.
Operational Plan .................................................................................................................................... 21
VII.
Management and Organization ........................................................................................................... 25
VIII. Personal Financial Statement............................................................................................................... 26
IX.
Startup Expenses and Capitalization .................................................................................................. 27
X.
Financial Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 28
XI.
Appendices ............................................................................................................................................. 31
XII.
Refining the Plan ................................................................................................................................... 32
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II.
Executive Summary
Our Company Business will be doing bed bug Killing
Our bed bug service is a mobile heat unit and is 100% environmentally safe.
All of our Service is done with 100% environmentally free products.
Our Mission Statement: is to help keep a safe and healthy environment for you.
Company Goals and Objectives: Goals are to be in 90% of all homes and Motels Hotels by 2013 and 80% of
all Restaurants. Objectives are to help keep mattresses out of our landfills and to prevent the spread of bed
bugs and keep mattresses out of our landfills.
We also would like to work closely with the local health units in the area to help keep beg bugs under control.
Business Philosophy: We treat you like family and want to keep you safe and healthy.
Job well done is a job we like.
Describe your industry: our industry will help keep our environment clean and safe by preventing more waste
and keeping our customers healthy, by preventing the spread of bed bugs in Motels, Hotels, Homes and
health Care centers. Our oil pickup service will help keep our environment clean by turning the oil into Bio
Fuel for our Business.
The most important company strengths and core competencies are we are trying to save our environment
and keeping homes and Businesses safe and healthy
. The factors that will make the company succeed is we provide a safe and natural service in the bedbug
removal there are no chemicals used in this process.
What do you think your major competitive strengths will be or major strength will be our Eco friendly
products and service that you can count on day after day. What background experience, skills, and strengths
do you personally bring to this new venture, my back ground is 15 years part owner of Durham Lawn and
Garden Services, providing top landscape services in Durham for 15 years.
Legal form of ownership will be Sole proprietor at this time.
Products
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Our product is a mobile Heat Unit
Our bed bug control is safe and works anywhere.
The HEAT ASSAULT 500X is a revolutionary new heat insect eradication system. It has been engineered to
be so simple and safe to operate that no special training is required. This GREEN PRODUCT will eliminate
insect infestations at all stages of life in only a few hours. If you are looking for the safest, most cost effective
alternative to chemical fumigation, look no further, the HEAT ASSAULT 500X has your answer!

Self contained and powered mobile system

3 - 200,000 Btu/H heat exchangers complete with 25 foot 1" supply and return hoses with quick
disconnects

3 High Temperature Circulating Fans

1 - 3 outlet supply and return remote manifolds complete with quick disconnects

1 each supply and return 75 foot 1.25" hoses for supplying the remote manifolds

Digitally controlled heating system (sets temperature of glycol temperature in reservoir)

Digital monitoring system (measures return glycol temperature)

Towing weight (with fuel) 6,600 lbs

Dimensions 156"L x 79"W x 81"H

Electric Brakes

Integrated Supply and return Manifolds with 1 ¼" quick disconnects

ONAN Model 7.5HDKAT/41934 - 7,500 Watt Generator

- 50° Cold Start System

Operates on #1 diesel or B5 Bio Diesel
The HEAT ASSAULT draws 100% environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid (HTF) out of its reservoir, heats it
up in two robust oil fired coil heaters and returns it to the reservoir. The heated HTF is then pumped out of the
reservoir through the hoses to unit heaters in the insect eradication area. Fans in the Unit Heaters remove the
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heat from the HTF and blow it into the insect eradication area. The HTF then returns to the HEAT ASSAULT for
reheating. Only clean, dry heat is left in the insect eradication area!
This two loop system provides consistently high temperatures to ensure that the insect eradication area is in
the kill zone (120F) in minutes. Remote temperature probes are used to track progress and ensure that the
insect eradication is a success!
What factors will give you competitive advantages or disadvantages?
Our advantage is we are chemical free and there is no health risk in this process.
Our disadvantage is the process is new to Canada and new to the public.
What are the pricing, fees, of your products or services?
Our pricing is $1000.00 Per home
Marketing Plan
Our Marketing plan is fliers, newspapers ads and internet.
The fliers will be placed in stores, health care centers, hotels, motels
Market research
Our market research shows that Bed bugs are high in this area last year in low incomes homes, rental homes,
and apartments.
Market research - How?
Using demographic profiles, census data in the Durham Region Health unit we found that we are really
needed and bed begs are on the rise.
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Until recently, bed bugs have been considered uncommon in the industrialized world. This study
determined the extent of re-emerging bed bug infestations in homeless shelters and other locations in
Durham Region, Canada. Durham Public Health documented complaints of bed bug infestations from 56
locations in 2010-2011, most commonly apartments (68%) in 2010 (86%) in 2011, shelters (28%) in 2010
(34%) in 2011, and rooming houses (19%) in 2010 (29%) in 2011. Pest control operators in Durham
reported treating bed bug infestations at 11,200 locations in 2010 and in 2011 20,987, most commonly
single-family dwellings (80%), apartments (56%), and shelters (45%). Bed bug infestations were reported
at 28 (39%) of 65 homeless shelters. At 1 affected shelter, 98% of residents reported having bed bug
bites. Bed bug infestations can have an adverse effect on health and quality of life in the general
population, particularly among homeless persons living in shelters.
Durham Public Health and Pest Control Operators Survey
The log of telephone calls made in 2010 to Durham Public Health was reviewed to identify calls
related to bed bug infestations, the types of locations affected, and the regions of the city where
infestations were reported. Durham is divided into 8 public health regions . The population of
each region was determined from 2010 census data and ranged from 800,000 to 900,898.
A telephone survey of all pest control operators listed in the Durham Region telephone directory
was conducted using a structured interview. The survey documented the number of bed bug–
related calls received, the number of treatments provided by pest control operators in 2010, and
the types of insecticides used to treat bed bug infestations. To protect the confidentiality of
persons and establishments affected by bed bugs, we asked each pest control operator to report
the number of different locations treated for bed bug infestations by general type (e.g.,
apartment, single-family dwelling, shelter) and not by specific name or address.
Survey of Homeless Shelter Staff
A telephone interview of the director or supervisor at each homeless shelter in Durham Region
was conducted to determine which shelters had experienced bed bug infestations. Interviewees
were assured that the information they provided would be reported in a way that would not
identify their shelter. At affected shelters, follow-up, interviews were conducted with staff from
December 2009 to May 2010. A predefined strategy was used to select shelter managers, frontline staff, and healthcare professionals for interviews. The questionnaire included items on time
course, manifestations, and extent of the infestation; control measures undertaken; and effects of
the infestation on shelter residents and staff. Bed bug infestations were considered confirmed if
an entomologist or pest control operator identified a specimen collected at the shelter as C.
lectularius. Infestations were considered probable if shelter staff reported resident complaints
consistent with bed bug infestations.
Homeless Shelter Resident Survey
As part of a separate study of bacterial colonization among shelter residents, a sample of 243
residents at 1 shelter affected by bed bugs was surveyed in July and August 2010. Participants
were selected at random from among persons registered at the shelter, and 80% of those
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contacted agreed to participate. Participants were asked if they currently had any skin-related
illness, injury, or condition, and if so, what type. We obtained permission from the principal
investigator of this study to review participant responses to determine the prevalence of selfreported bed bug bites
III.
Results
Calls to Durham Public Health
In 2011, Durham Public Health received insect-related calls from 556 different street addresses;
345 were complaints of bed bug infestations, 56 were requests for information about bed bugs,
and 12 were unrelated to bed bugs. The 89 separate locations where infestations were reported in
schools. In response to these calls, public health staff spent a total of 67hours providing
information, and health inspectors spent a total of 96 hours conducting site visits to confirm
complaints and offer assistance. More complaints of infestations were received in the last 6
months (45 calls) than in the first 6 months (89 calls) of 2010. In which includes the Low income
area of Durham, 12.7 complaint calls were received per 100,000 population; this rate was 9.1
times higher (95% confidence intervals than the rate in the rest of the Region. A total of 45
complaints (90%) were from low income locations in the region.
Table 1. Reports of bed bug infestations in Durham Region
Calls to Durham Public
Health
Calls to pest control operators
Type of location
No. locations treated No. treatments
(%)*
(%)
Mean no. treatments per
location
No. locations (%)
Single-family
dwelling
588 (70)
641 (49)
1.1
2 (4)
Apartment unit
155 (18)
297 (23)
1.9
29 (63)
Homeless shelter
68 (8)
218 (17)
3.2
8 (17)
Hotel
19 (2)
96 (7)
5.1
1 (2)
Rooming house
6 (0.7)
16 (1)
2.7
5 (11)
Community center
5 (0.5)
5 (0.4)
1.0
1 (2)†
University dormitory
4 (0.5)
36 (3)
9.0
0 (0)
Restaurant
1 (0.1)
1 (0.1)
1.0
0 (0)
Other residential
institution
1 (0.1)
5 (0.4)
5.0
0 (0)
847 (100)
1,315 (100)
1.6
46 (100)
Total
*Figures in this column may reflect some double counting of locations (see details in Methods section).
†Infestation located at the clothing bank in a community center.
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Table 2. Locations at homeless shelters affected by bed bugs and chemical and environmental control measures
implemented
Locations and control measures
No. shelters (%), N = 17
Affected locations
Sleeping rooms
Bed or bed frames
Mattresses
Sheets
Floorboards or walls
Lockers
Other*
No sleeping rooms†
Chemical control measures (insecticides)
Spot treatment only
Treatment of affected rooms
Treatment of entire building‡
All beds dismantled and treated
Environmental control measures
Residents encouraged to shower and wash belongings
Increased room inspections to detect infestations
Ripped or torn mattresses discarded
Limits on amount of personal belongings
Beds and bedding steam cleaned and vacuumed
Building renovations§
Adhesive boards on the legs of beds to trap bugs
Replacing wooden beds with steel beds
15 (88)
15 (88)
13 (76)
13 (76)
9 (53)
3 (18)
11 (65)
11 (65)
4 (24)
5 (29)
8 (47)
5 (29)
17 (100)
13 (76)
8 (47)
8 (47)
6 (35)
6 (35)
4 (24)
3 (18)
In Toronto there were 565 bedbug calls, Mississauga there were 386, Kawartha Lakes 125, Markham there
were 135.
Motels, Hotel, homes need us.
Economics
Facts about your industry:
Myth: Bed bugs are too small to see.
Fact: Although they may be difficult to find because they hide well, bed bugs are
big enough to be seen with the naked eye. Bed bugs look similar to an apple seed
in size and appearance.

Myth: Bed bugs are only found in shelters; only poor people or dirty people get them.
Fact: Bed bugs can be found in hotels, motels, dormitories, apartments, condos, private homes,
and even in some public places, such as businesses and offices. Anyone can get bed bugs.
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Myth: Walking into a room that has bed bugs means you will get bed bugs.
Fact: Bed bugs do not jump. They spend 90% of their time hiding and are usually active at night.
Bed bugs avoid light and do not like to be disturbed.
Myth: Bed bugs cause disease.
Fact: There is no evidence that shows bed bugs transmit disease. Bed bug bites, however, can
cause allergic reaction in some people similar to a mosquito bite. Frequent scratching of the bite
marks or picking the scabs can cause infections. And people with severe and/or repeated
infestations can feel anxious, worried or ashamed.
Myth: Chemicals/pesticides will kill bed bugs and not harm us
Fact: Pesticide application alone will not kill bed bugs at all stages.

The Chemicals/pesticides can harm you and cause health problems.

Successful treatment depends on an Integrated Pest Management approach to bed bug control
which involves, vacuuming, and steaming, laundering belongings, sealing areas and gaps where
bed bugs can hide. Do not use over the counter pest control products or home remedies such as
kerosene.

Myth: High hea will not kill bed bugs

Fact High heat of 120 does kill bed bugs and is the best way to deal with bed bugs an dust
mites.


Growth for this market is high and growing fast.

Growth for this type of business is very large.
o
Barriers for our business will be Consumer acceptance and brand recognition
o

To overcome this we must show the public our service and what we can do by ads and fliers in stores
and health centers..

How could the following affect my company?
o
o
o
o
Change in technology will help take us far.
Change in government regulations will not hurt us but will help us.
Change in the economy will not hurt us, because people want to save money through us.
Change in your industry no factor.
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Product
Our product is the Heat unit.
0
Heat Assualt
Bed bug's worst
nightmare






Why Heat Assault?
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Products
FAQs
Media
Tradeshows
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Products
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Accessories
Heat Assault Unit Heater
200,000 Btu/H heat exchangers complete with 25 foot 1" supply and return hoses with quick disconnects
Heater Extension Hoses
25 ft set of unit Heater Extension Hoses (Supply and Return) – Used to extend the maximum length of the unit
heaters from the remote manifolds
Replacement Wireless Temperature and Data Logging Kit
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Includes travel case, with laptop, software program and remote thermometers. (this package comes with the
Heat Assault 500X)
7 story ¾hp centrifugal Booster Pump
7 story ¾hp centrifugal booster Pump (includes disconnects and 10ft hose). This pump will boost capacity from
4 – 7 stories.
20 story 3hp booster pump
20 story 3hp booster pump (includes disconnects and hose)This pump will boost capacity from 4 – 20 stories.
Remote Manifolds
Remote Manifolds (Supply and Return) 3 Outlets (this comes with HA500X)
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Remote Manifolds
Remote Manifolds (Supply and Return) 6 Outlets. This remote manifold allows you to run up to 6 unit heaters.
(Can be bought as a upgrade when purchasing HA 500X).
Heat Assault 500X - 2 outlet manifold
The HA 500X comes standard with one supply outlet and one return outlet, the 2 outlet supply and return is
optional and allows you to heat more than one location at a time. (i.e. row housing)
200 ft set, 75 ft set, 50 ft set, 25 ft set of Supply and Return Hoses
Compensates for heights and long hallways. All supply and return hoses can be connected to achieve greater
lengths.
Window Saddle
This is used to raise hoses and lock them in place. Higher buildings may require two units to prevent wind
sway.
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20" floor fan
120 volt 3 Speed Heat Resistant
Hose and Unit heater Dolly
Used for transporting hose and unit heaters into insect remediation area.
© 2011 Heat Assault. All rights reserved.
Customers
Reports of bed bug infestations in Durham Region 2010
Calls to Durham Public
Health
Calls to pest control operators
Type of location
No. locations treated No. treatments
(%)*
(%)
Mean no. treatments per
location
No. locations (%)
Single-family
dwelling
588 (70)
641 (49)
1.1
2 (4)
Apartment unit
155 (18)
297 (23)
1.9
29 (63)
Homeless shelter
68 (8)
218 (17)
3.2
8 (17)
Hotel
19 (2)
96 (7)
5.1
1 (2)
Rooming house
6 (0.7)
16 (1)
2.7
5 (11)
Community center
5 (0.5)
5 (0.4)
1.0
1 (2)†
University dormitory
4 (0.5)
36 (3)
9.0
0 (0)
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Restaurant
1 (0.1)
1 (0.1)
1.0
0 (0)
Other residential
institution
1 (0.1)
5 (0.4)
5.0
0 (0)
847 (100)
1,315 (100)
1.6
46 (100)
Total
*Figures in this column may reflect some double counting of locations (see details in Methods section).
†Infestation located at the clothing bank in a community center.
Table 2. Locations at homeless shelters affected by bed bugs and chemical and environmental control measures
implemented
Locations and control measures
Affected locations
Sleeping rooms
Bed or bed frames
Mattresses
Sheets
Floorboards or walls
Lockers
Other*
no sleeping rooms†
Chemical control measures (insecticides)
Spot treatment only
Treatment of affected rooms
Treatment of entire building‡
All beds dismantled and treated
Environmental control measures
Residents encouraged to shower and wash belongings
Increased room inspections to detect infestations
Ripped or torn mattresses discarded
Limits on amount of personal belongings
Beds and bedding steam cleaned and vacuumed
Building renovations§
Adhesive boards on the legs of beds to trap bugs
Replacing wooden beds with steel beds
No. shelters (%), N = 17
15 (88)
15 (88)
13 (76)
13 (76)
9 (53)
3 (18)
11 (65)
11 (65)
4 (24)
5 (29)
8 (47)
5 (29)
17 (100)
13 (76)
8 (47)
8 (47)
6 (35)
6 (35)
4 (24)
3 (18)
*Other areas consisted of personal belongings, light fixtures, electrical switches and plugs, baseboards, carpeting,
and other furniture.
†Affected no sleeping rooms were the lounge, cafeteria, intake office, or storage room.
‡Treatment of the entire building entailed closing the shelter for 6 to 72 hours.
§See text for details.
Competition
What products and companies will compete with you?
List your major competitors: Lloyd Pest Control Services Ltd, Pro-X Services Pest Control, Presto Pest
Control
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(Names and addresses)
Lloyd Pest Control Services Ltd
133 Taunton Rd W, Oshawa, ON L1G 3T4
905-436-0111
Pro-X Services Pest Control
1141 Norman Cres, Oshawa, ON L1H 7W9
905-576-4807
Presto Pest Control
263 Kaiser Cr, Oshawa, ON L1G 4A2
905-725-9871
Will they compete with you across the board, or just for certain products, certain customers, or in certain
locations?
The real competition will be the pest control companies in the motel and hotel area, but the upside is we use
no chemicals and are a lot safer.
Will you have important indirect competitors?
The most important competitors will be the pest control companies.
(How will your products or services compare with the competition?
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The competition uses chemicals that can be unhealthy for you and can damage your mattress our product is
dry and will not damage the mattress.
For dumpster cleaning we use no bad chemicals and only safe products.
Now, write a short paragraph stating your competitive advantages and disadvantages.
Our advantages are no chemicals and no health risk, our disadvantages are we are new and the public have
not heard of our system.
Promotion
How we will promote our business is by door to door fliers, fliers in all health care centers, some
radio ads and ads in mattress stores and internet.
Promotional Budget
How much will you spend on the items listed above?
We will set a Budget of $96,000 per year.
The $96,000 will be used for weekly newspaper ads, Fliers, Radio ads and internet ads.
Start up Cost? Our start up cost will be $
Ongoing Cost? Our ongoing cost will be $
Pricing
Explain your method or methods of setting prices. For most small businesses, having the lowest price is not a
good policy. It robs you of needed profit margin; customers may not care as much about price as you think;
and large competitors can under price you anyway. Usually you will do better to have average prices and
compete on quality and service.
Does your pricing strategy fit with what was revealed in your competitive analysis?
Our pricing meets the competitive market very well.
Compare your prices with those of the competition. Are they higher, lower, the same? Why?
In the mattress cleaning the price is about the same in the bed bug Heat Assault area the price is high but you
get more for your money.
How important is price as a competitive factor? Not very important, do to the health side of our service.
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Do your intended customers really make their purchase decisions mostly on price? No I fell most customers
will make there decision on our service for health and safety for their children.
What will be your customer service and credit policies?
Customer service is our number one service, credit policies will be net 7 days there after 2% per day.
Proposed Location
Probably you do not have a precise location picked out yet. This is the time to think about what you want and
need in a location. Many startups run successfully from home for a while.
You will describe your physical needs later, in the Operational Plan section. Here, analyze your location criteria as
they will affect your customers.
Is your location important to your customers? If yes, how? Yes, location is very important, it helps to expose
or company and bring in customers.
If customers come to your place of business:
Is it convenient? Parking? Interior spaces? Not out of the way?
Is it consistent with your image?
Is it what customers want and expect?
Where is the competition located? Is it better for you to be near them (like car dealers or fast-food
restaurants) or distant (like convenience-food stores)?
Distribution Channels
How do you sell your products or services?
Mostly by newpaper, fliers and internet.
Retail
Your own sales force, we will have our own sales staff.
Bid on contracts, we will be bidding on contracts at motels,hotels and collages and schools
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Sales Forecast
Now that you have described your products, services, customers, markets, and marketing plans in detail, it’s
time to attach some numbers to your plan. Use a sales forecast spreadsheet to prepare a month-by-month
projection. The forecast should be based on your historical sales, the marketing strategies that you have just
described your market research, and industry data, if available.
You may want to do two forecasts: 1) a "best guess", which is what you really expect, and 2) a "worst case"
low estimate that you are confident you can reach no matter what happens.
Remember to keep notes on your research and your assumptions as you build this sales forecast and all
subsequent spreadsheets in the plan. This is critical if you are going to present it to funding sources.
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IV. Operational Plan
Explain the daily operation of the business, its location, equipment, people, processes, and surrounding
environment.
Production
How and where are your products or services produced?
Explain your methods of:

Production techniques and costs, Cost to maintain equipment is med about $5,000


Quality control, all of our equipment is tested everyday and is replaced if needed

Customer service, customer service is most important to us in every way.

Inventory control, all inventory is checked every day and is ordered as needed.

Product development
Location
What qualities do you need in a location? Describe the type of location you’ll have.
Physical requirements:

Amount of space min of 5,000 Sq feet.

Type of building Commercial/Industrial

Zoning Commercial/Industrial

Power and other utilities min 220 plus 3 faze.
Access:
Is it important that your location be convenient to transportation or to suppliers?
Do you need easy walk-in access?
What are your requirements for parking and proximity to freeway, airports, railroads, and shipping centers?
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Include a drawing or layout of your proposed facility if it is important, as it might be for a manufacturer.
Construction? Most new companies should not sink capital into construction, but if you are planning to build,
costs and specifications will be a big part of your plan.
Cost: Estimate your occupation expenses, including rent, but also including maintenance, utilities, insurance,
and initial remodeling costs to make the space suit your needs. These numbers will become part of your
financial plan.
What will be your business hours?
Legal Environment
Describe the following:

Licensing and bonding requirements

Permits

Health, workplace, or environmental regulations

Special regulations covering your industry or profession

Zoning or building code requirements

Insurance coverage

Trademarks, copyrights, or patents (pending, existing, or purchased)
Personnel

Number of employees

Type of labor (skilled, unskilled, and professional)

Where and how will you find the right employees?

Quality of existing staff

Pay structure

Training methods and requirements

Who does which tasks?

Do you have schedules and written procedures prepared?
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
Have you drafted job descriptions for employees? If not, take time to write some. They really help
internal communications with employees.

For certain functions, will you use contract workers in addition to employees?
Inventory

What kind of inventory will you keep: raw materials, supplies, finished goods?

Average value in stock (i.e., what is your inventory investment)?

Rate of turnover and how this compares to the industry averages?

Seasonal buildups?

Lead-time for ordering?
Suppliers
Identify key suppliers:

Names and addresses

Type and amount of inventory furnished

Credit and delivery policies

History and reliability
Should you have more than one supplier for critical items (as a backup)?
Do you expect shortages or short-term delivery problems?
Are supply costs steady or fluctuating? If fluctuating, how would you deal with changing costs?
Credit Policies

Do you plan to sell on credit?

Do you really need to sell on credit? Is it customary in your industry and expected by your clientele?

If yes, what policies will you have about who gets credit and how much?

How will you check the creditworthiness of new applicants?

What terms will you offer your customers; that is, how much credit and when is payment due?
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
Will you offer prompt payment discounts? (Hint: Do this only if it is usual and customary in your
industry.)

Do you know what it will cost you to extend credit? Have you built the costs into your prices?
Managing Your Accounts Receivable
If you do extend credit, you should do an aging at least monthly to track how much of your money is tied up
in credit given to customers and to alert you to slow payment problems. A receivables aging looks like the
following table:
Total
Current
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
Over 90 Days
Accounts
Receivable
Aging
You will need a policy for dealing with slow-paying customers:

When do you make a phone call?

When do you send a letter?

When do you get your attorney to threaten?
Managing Your Accounts Payable
You should also age your accounts payable, what you owe to your suppliers. This helps you plan whom to
pay and when. Paying too early depletes your cash, but paying late can cost you valuable discounts and can
damage your credit. (Hint: If you know you will be late making a payment, call the creditor before the due
date.)
Do your proposed vendors offer prompt payment discounts?
A payables aging looks like the following table.
Total
Accounts
Payable Aging
Current
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
Over 90 Days
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V.
Management and Organization
Who will manage the business on a day-to-day basis? What experience does that person bring to the business?
What special or distinctive competencies? Is there a plan for continuation of the business if this person is lost
or incapacitated?
If you’ll have more than 10 employees, create an organizational chart showing the management hierarchy and
who is responsible for key functions.
Include position descriptions for key employees. If you are seeking loans or investors, include resumes of
owners and key employees.
Professional and Advisory Support
List the following:

Board of directors

Management advisory board

Attorney

Accountant

Insurance agent

Banker

Consultant or consultants

Mentors and key advisors
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VI. Personal Financial Statement
Include personal financial statements for each owner and major stockholder, showing assets and liabilities
held outside the business and personal net worth. Owners will often have to draw on personal assets to
finance the business, and these statements will show what is available. Bankers and investors usually want this
information as well.
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VII. Startup Expenses and Capitalization
You will have many expenses before you even begin operating your business. It’s important to estimate these
expenses accurately and then to plan where you will get sufficient capital. This is a research project, and the
more thorough your research efforts, the less chance that you will leave out important expenses or
underestimate them.
Even with the best of research, however, opening a new business has a way of costing more than you
anticipate. There are two ways to make allowances for surprise expenses. The first is to add a little “padding”
to each item in the budget. The problem with that approach, however, is that it destroys the accuracy of your
carefully wrought plan. The second approach is to add a separate line item, called contingencies, to account
for the unforeseeable. This is the approach we recommend.
Talk to others who have started similar businesses to get a good idea of how much to allow for contingencies.
If you cannot get good information, we recommend a rule of thumb that contingencies should equal at least
20 percent of the total of all other start-up expenses.
Explain your research and how you arrived at your forecasts of expenses. Give sources, amounts, and terms
of proposed loans. Also explain in detail how much will be contributed by each investor and what percent
ownership each will have.
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VIII. Financial Plan
The financial plan consists of a 12-month profit and loss projection, a four-year profit and loss projection
(optional), a cash-flow projection, a projected balance sheet, and a break-even calculation. Together they
constitute a reasonable estimate of your company's financial future. More important, the process of thinking
through the financial plan will improve your insight into the inner financial workings of your company.
12-Month Profit and Loss Projection
Many business owners think of the 12-month profit and loss projection as the centerpiece of their plan. This
is where you put it all together in numbers and get an idea of what it will take to make a profit and be
successful.
Your sales projections will come from a sales forecast in which you forecast sales, cost of goods sold,
expenses, and profit month-by-month for one year.
Profit projections should be accompanied by a narrative explaining the major assumptions used to estimate
company income and expenses.
Research Notes: Keep careful notes on your research and assumptions, so that you can explain them later if
necessary, and also so that you can go back to your sources when it’s time to revise your plan.
Four-Year Profit Projection (Optional)
The 12-month projection is the heart of your financial plan. This section is for those who want to carry their
forecasts beyond the first year.
Of course, keep notes of your key assumptions, especially about things that you expect will change
dramatically after the first year.
Projected Cash Flow
If the profit projection is the heart of your business plan, cash flow is the blood. Businesses fail because they
cannot pay their bills. Every part of your business plan is important, but none of it means a thing if you run
out of cash.
The point of this worksheet is to plan how much you need before startup, for preliminary expenses, operating
expenses, and reserves. You should keep updating it and using it afterward. It will enable you to foresee
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shortages in time to do something about them—perhaps cut expenses, or perhaps negotiate a loan. But
foremost, you shouldn’t be taken by surprise.
There is no great trick to preparing it: The cash-flow projection is just a forward look at your checking
account.
For each item, determine when you actually expect to receive cash (for sales) or when you will actually have
to write a check (for expense items).
You should track essential operating data, which is not necessarily part of cash flow but allows you to track
items that have a heavy impact on cash flow, such as sales and inventory purchases.
You should also track cash outlays prior to opening in a pre-startup column. You should have already
researched those for your startup expenses plan.
Your cash flow will show you whether your working capital is adequate. Clearly, if your projected cash
balance ever goes negative, you will need more start-up capital. This plan will also predict just when and how
much you will need to borrow.
Explain your major assumptions; especially those that make the cash flow differ from the Profit and Loss Projection.
For example, if you make a sale in month one, when do you actually collect the cash? When you buy
inventory or materials, do you pay in advance, upon delivery, or much later? How will this affect cash flow?
Is some expenses payable in advance? When?
Are there irregular expenses, such as quarterly tax payments, maintenance and repairs, or seasonal inventory
buildup that should be budgeted?
Loan payments, equipment purchases, and owner's draws usually do not show on profit and loss statements
but definitely do take cash out. Be sure to include them.
And of course, depreciation does not appear in the cash flow at all because you never write a check for it.
Opening Day Balance Sheet
A balance sheet is one of the fundamental financial reports that any business needs for reporting and financial
management. A balance sheet shows what items of value are held by the company (assets), and what its debts
are (liabilities). When liabilities are subtracted from assets, the remainder is owners’ equity.
Use a startup expenses and capitalization spreadsheet as a guide to preparing a balance sheet as of opening
day. Then detail how you calculated the account balances on your opening day balance sheet.
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Optional: Some people want to add a projected balance sheet showing the estimated financial position of the
company at the end of the first year. This is especially useful when selling your proposal to investors.
Break-Even Analysis
A break-even analysis predicts the sales volume, at a given price, required to recover total costs. In other
words, it’s the sales level that is the dividing line between operating at a loss and operating at a profit.
Expressed as a formula, break-even is:
Breakeven Sales
=
Fixed Costs
1- Variable Costs
(Where fixed costs are expressed in dollars, but variable costs are expressed as a percent of total sales.)
Include all assumptions upon which your break-even calculation is based.
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IX. Appendices
Include details and studies used in your business plan; for example:

Brochures and advertising materials

Industry studies

Blueprints and plans

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

List of assets available as collateral for a loan
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X.
Refining the Plan
The generic business plan presented above should be modified to suit your specific type of business and the
audience for which the plan is written.
For Raising Capital
For Bankers

Bankers want assurance of orderly repayment. If you intend using this plan to present to lenders,
include:
o
o
o
o
o
Amount of loan
How the funds will be used
What this will accomplish—how will it make the business stronger?
Requested repayment terms (number of years to repay). You will probably not have much
negotiating room on interest rate but may be able to negotiate a longer repayment term,
which will help cash flow.
Collateral offered, and a list of all existing liens against collateral
For Investors

Investors have a different perspective. They are looking for dramatic growth, and they expect to
share in the rewards:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Funds needed short-term
Funds needed in two to five years
How the company will use the funds, and what this will accomplish for growth.
Estimated return on investment
Exit strategy for investors (buyback, sale, or IPO)
Percent of ownership that you will give up to investors
Milestones or conditions that you will accept
Financial reporting to be provided
Involvement of investors on the board or in management
For Type of Business
Manufacturing

Planned production levels

Anticipated levels of direct production costs and indirect (overhead) costs—how do these compare
to industry averages (if available)?

Prices per product line
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
Gross profit margin, overall and for each product line

Production/capacity limits of planned physical plant

Production/capacity limits of equipment

Purchasing and inventory management procedures

New products under development or anticipated to come online after startup
Service Businesses

Service businesses sell intangible products. They are usually more flexible than other types of
businesses, but they also have higher labor costs and generally very little in fixed assets.

What are the key competitive factors in this industry?

Your prices

Methods used to set prices

System of production management

Quality control procedures. Standard or accepted industry quality standards.

How will you measure labor productivity?

Percent of work subcontracted to other firms. Will you make a profit on subcontracting?

Credit, payment, and collections policies and procedures

Strategy for keeping client base
High Technology Companies

Economic outlook for the industry

Will the company have information systems in place to manage rapidly changing prices, costs, and
markets?

Will you be on the cutting edge with your products and services?

What is the status of research and development? And what is required to:
o
o

Bring product/service to market?
Keep the company competitive?
How does the company:
o
o
Protect intellectual property?
Avoid technological obsolescence?
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o
o
Supply necessary capital?
Retain key personnel?
High-tech companies sometimes have to operate for a long time without profits and sometimes even without
sales. If this fits your situation, a banker probably will not want to lend to you. Venture capitalists may invest,
but your story must be very good. You must do longer-term financial forecasts to show when profit take-off
is expected to occur. And your assumptions must be well documented and well argued.
Retail Business

Company image

Pricing:
o
o

Explain markup policies.
Prices should be profitable, competitive, and in accordance with company image.
Inventory:
o
o
Selection and price should be consistent with company image.
Inventory level: Find industry average numbers for annual inventory turnover rate (available
in RMA book). Multiply your initial inventory investment by the average turnover rate. The
result should be at least equal to your projected first year's cost of goods sold. If it is not, you
may not have enough budgeted for startup inventory.

Customer service policies: These should be competitive and in accord with company image.

Location: Does it give the exposure that you need? Is it convenient for customers? Is it consistent
with company image?

Promotion: Methods used, cost. Does it project a consistent company image?

Credit: Do you extend credit to customers? If yes, do you really need to, and do you factor the cost
into prices?