historique du business plan

Les origines du projet

Quel est l'historique de votre projet de création d'entreprise ? Qui a contribué à l'aboutissement de cette décision importante ? Les réponses à ces questions, vous pouvez les mettre en exergue dans le business plan. Cela permettra aux investisseurs et aux futurs partenaires de découvrir d'ores et déjà vos objectifs et votre sérieux.

Vous êtes ici :

La naissance du projet

Les membres fondateurs, quelques points essentiels à prendre en compte.

• Les origines du projet, ce qu'il faut retenir :

Le business plan expose les points clés de votre projet de création d’entreprise tout en détaillant ses principales caractéristiques. Il doit permettre aux potentiels financeurs de comprendre les véritables motivations qui vous ont poussé à créer une société . La meilleure manière de leur transmettre le message est de leur raconter les origines du projet. Votre histoire doit être très accrocheuse pour inciter les lecteurs à chercher à en savoir un peu plus sur votre projet. Elle doit fournir des détails clairs et précis sur la naissance du projet et les membres fondateurs . Si vous voulez apprendre davantage sur la création d’un business plan, suivez ce guide .

Pour convaincre les investisseurs de vous soutenir financièrement, leur exposer en détail l’aspect technique, administratif et juridique du projet ne suffit pas. Vous devez leur expliquer la ou les véritables raisons qui vous ont poussées à vous lancer dans cette aventure. N’oubliez pas que vos partenaires financiers sont également des êtres humains . Vous pouvez alors jouer sur les émotions sans pour autant les manipuler. Exploitez les anecdotes qui entourent l’histoire de la naissance de votre projet . N’hésitez pas à les raconter pour créer un lien émotionnel avec le lecteur. Votre histoire doit avoir un but : permettre au lecteur de comprendre :

• Qui est à l’origine du projet ?
• Quels sont les faits qui vous ont poussés à idéaliser ce projet ?
• Qu’est-ce qui vous motive à concrétiser ce projet ?
• Quel est le potentiel de votre idée d’entreprise ?

Vous ne pouvez pas raconter l’histoire de votre projet sans parler de celle des membres fondateurs . La présentation du porteur de projet et des membres à l’origine de la création d’entreprise favorise la pertinence de votre business plan. Les investisseurs ont effectivement besoin de savoir à qui ils ont affaire.

Cette section inclut ainsi des renseignements relatifs à votre équipe – nom, prénom, âge ,etc. Vous devez aussi fournir des informations précises sur leurs diplômes, compétences, expériences… Idéalement, vous devez exposer les véritables motivations et les objectifs de chaque membre fondateur.

Pour assurer le succès de votre projet, les personnes membres de la société doivent avoir la même vision et viser les mêmes objectifs . Cette section doit également permettre au lecteur de connaître le rôle de chaque membre dans la mise en oeuvre du projet. En effet, vous devez montrer aux lecteurs qu’il y a une véritable cohérence entre le projet et les moyens humains à votre disposition. Cela vous aidera à les convaincre que vous avez les moyens nécessaires pour mener à bien le projet.

Lorsque vous présentez le business plan , avoir une belle histoire à raconter ne suffira pas à accrocher le lecteur. Soignez la forme de votre plan d’affaires. Si vous insérez l’origine du projet dans l’executive summary , n’oubliez pas que cette partie ne comprend que 2 pages maximum .

Dans ce cas, vous devez être aussi clair, précis et concis que possible. Racontez une histoire courte, mais forte qui donnera aux lecteurs l’envie de continuer à lire le document.

Les origines du projet, ce qu’il faut retenir :

Vous devez expliquer les origines de votre projet. Faites-le comme si vous racontiez une histoire . Vous devez notamment aborder les points suivants :

• Racontez la naissance du projet : qui en a eu l’idée, comment cette idée lui est-elle venue ?
• Présentez le parcours des membres fondateurs. Mettez en avant leurs formations et leurs expériences. L’objectif est de démontrer au lecteur la cohérence et le lien entre leurs parcours personnels et le projet d’entreprise.

Les réponses à ces questions doivent permettre au lecteur de votre business plan de comprendre que vous êtes les mieux placés pour porter ce projet . Si vous avez beaucoup de contenus, vous pouvez utiliser ce chapitre comme une introduction et détailler chaque point dans des sous-chapitres.

Business Plan à télécharger

Nous proposons une large gamme de modèles de business plan. Une fois téléchargé, il ne vous restera plus qu'à l'adapter à votre projet. Idéal pour les débutants, nos modèles ne nécessitent aucune compétence particulière et tout est modifiable (texte, couleur, images).

Evaluez Gratuitement votre projet

Vous avez besoin d’être rassuré sur la solidité de votre projet ? Répondez en 5 minutes à ce questionnaire. Il évaluera les points forts et les points faibles de votre projet. Il vous donnera également les pistes d’amélioration à prendre en compte dans votre business plan.

L’histoire du Business Plan

Le  business model … les origines du concept depuis les années 1960… .

Il s’agit d’un concept  assez nouveau, assez tendance de par sa consonance « anglo-saxonne » . le business model a trouvé son élan avec le développement du commerce électronique et se répand dans plusieurs domaines . L’idée de base est d’avoir un concept global qui permette d’ aider les entreprises à répondre aux nouveaux défis face auxquels elles doivent lutter.  

En 1960, le terme business model est utilisé pour la première fois dans un article de Jones (Osterwalder 2004). 

Dans les années 1980 , le terme se généralise mais explose réellement à partir des années 1990 . 

Pourquoi le Business Model est devenu tendance ? 

Cette période se caractérise par des changements majeurs dans le monde des affaires.

• Il y a eu tout d’abord l’émergence de l’e-business et la diffusion massive des technologies de l’information . 

Ensuite, certains modèles très novateurs fondés sur la gratuité sont arrivés, ce qui a aidé à faire passer Internet pour un marché gratuit . Les business models ont donc servi aux entreprises d’ expliquer aux investisseurs comment elles allaient gagner de l’argent tout en conservant un modèle gratuit . Des métiers traditionnels  ont vu l’apparition de pure players qui ont révolutionné le marché comme Amazon … 

• Il y a eu par la suite la déréglementation du secteur économique entier. 

Ces deux éléments ont donc nécessité l’utilisation de business modèles pour expliquer leur modèle et leur logique d’innovation face aux investisseurs vis-à-vis de leur activité .  

Le terme proche est «  Business model  » qui, sur  Google , comptabilise plus de 6 950 millions d’ occurrences à fin décembre 2018. Ces résultats montrent le rôle important de ce concept dans le monde des affaires . 

Le business plan – ou plan d’affaire – est la déclinaison concrète, opérationnelle et chiffrée du business model qui a donc suivi le même historique depuis les années 1960. 

• Pour aller plus loin :
• Culture du business plan
• Lexique du logiciel business plan 2020

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How Did All This Business Plan Stuff Get Started?

Business plans are designed to help entrepreneurs and investors look into the future and see the success and growth of a business. But, sometimes a quick look backward can help you to move forward, to learn from the successes and mistakes you may have made.

The 18th century

The 19th century, the 20th century.

Although each business plan is a unique document designed specifically for a company or startup, the history of business plans has changed very little throughout time.

Going from parchment paper to online presentations, the end result, having a written plan that demonstrates to the business owner and possible investors how they will make a profit, hasn’t changed. Here’s a quick study of the history of the Business Plan.

The first business plans were probably pressed into clay tablets by the Sumerians in ancient times when they were writing about trading and livestock, but the invention and author of the modern business plan are often credited to Pierre Samuel, Sieur du Pont de Nemours.

Before Samuel and his son Éleuthère Irénée left their native France in 1799 to build a gunpowder mill in Delaware, they wrote numerous letters to potential investors that offered a plan on how the mill would make a profit. Clearly, this was a business plan that worked. Samuel and his son secured their investors, and today their business is known as the DuPont Company.

During the 1800s, business plan competitions began. You might call it an early version of crowdsourcing. Industry leaders offered cash prizes to encourage the best and brightest to submit their ideas for improving production or fixing problems.

In 1874, the National Butter and Egg Convention awarded $1,000 to the best essay that showed how to produce the largest quality of best quality butter, for the cheapest price and how to sell it at the highest price.

The Convention was looking for a business plan ; and they referred to it in a lengthy statement: “… the best incentive to the adoption of any business plan is to show that it pays. Let it be provided and illustrated in practice that improvements in butter making secure larger profits, and they will be adopted …”

In modern times, universities, communities, corporations, and others sponsor business plan competitions, as a way to encourage entrepreneurship and industry best practices.

By now, it was common wisdom that a business plan was crucial to the success of a new business.

For instance, a 1921 major publication noted the importance of a business plan, especially if you wanted the business to succeed , “It is necessary not only to have big men in the operation of big business, but it is above all necessary to have a good business plan. Individuals come and go, they work and they pass, but the work must go on.”

Bankers, suppliers, and others you’ll rely on for help will want to see your plan. It needn’t be a formal document, but it should contain information that demonstrates you know what you’re doing.”

Business plans are still just as vital as ever, although how you write them and what they’ve written may be different than in the past.

Now, you can take workshops, seminars, and college classes on the subject. Or, you can choose to use your time wisely and have a professional team like Wise Business Plans put their years of expertise to work for you. Developing one of a kind business plan that will stand the test of time has been Wise Business Plans’ focus from the start.

The centuries and decades may change, but the facts are still the same, business plans not only benefit the investor but the business owner. Business plans force business owners to think critically about their business.

Recommended Resources:

• How to write a business plan
• How to write a business plan outline

Having a business plan is crucial as it serves as a roadmap for your business. It helps you outline your goals, strategies, and financial projections, providing a clear direction and increasing your chances of success. A well-crafted business plan also helps attract investors or secure financing.

A business plan typically includes sections such as an executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization and management structure, product or service offerings, marketing and sales strategies, financial projections, and funding requirements. These components provide a comprehensive overview of your business and its operations.

Market research involves gathering and analyzing data to understand your target market, industry trends, competition, and customer preferences. It can be done through surveys, interviews, online research, industry reports, and analyzing demographic or market data. Market research helps you make informed decisions and validate the viability of your business idea.

Financial forecasting involves estimating and projecting future financial performance based on current and expected business conditions. It includes elements such as sales forecasts, expense projections, cash flow statements, and profit and loss statements. Financial forecasting helps you assess the financial feasibility of your business and demonstrate its potential profitability to investors or lenders.

A business plan is not a static document; it should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changes in the market, industry, or internal factors of your business. It is recommended to review and update your business plan at least annually, or whenever there are significant changes in your business model, target market, competition, or financial projections. Regularly updating your plan ensures its relevance and alignment with your evolving business goals.

Hey, the information you provided is just spot on and correct in every aspect but it just left me wondering if you have any business plan samples or templates. This will help me a lot to get a general idea of how to write business plans by myself. I will be looking forward to your reply.

Hey Fin, I hope you are doing great. It was lovely to see your comment. if you want samples and templates of our business plans, you can check here. Sample Business Plans and feel free to look at our 3-step Wise business Plan templates

Very informative data. Can I hire any Business plan writer or do I have to write It on my own? which is better?

Hi Lily, Yes is the answer, You can hire our Professional Business Plan Writers

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Business Plan : savoir raconter une belle histoire

Entrez dans le vif du sujet dès le début de votre business plan : démontrez la pertinence du projet et détaillez sa valeur ajoutée.

Par Valérie Froger Publié le 24/02/2017 à 13h21 , modifié le 07/03/2019 à 13h10

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La première partie du business plan, qu’on appelle aussi plan de développement ou plan d’affaires, est traditionnellement consacrée à la description et à la mise en valeur du projet et des personnes qui le portent. La part du rédactionnel y est importante, mais pas exclusive : il est recommandé d’illustrer le texte par des éléments chiffrés, des tableaux, des graphiques ou des photos. Quelles informations y faire figurer ? "Tous les éléments qui justifient la création de l’entreprise. Mais efforcez-vous d’être concis. La qualité première pour rédiger un bon business plan, c’est l’esprit de synthèse", prévient le gérant d’un cabinet de conseil spécialisé dans l’aide à la création d’entreprise. Il faut donc faire un tri entre l’essentiel et l’accessoire.

Il n’existe pas de plan type : il doit être original, et adapté aux spécificités du produit que l’on souhaite vendre ou du service que l’on désire rendre. Les différentes rubriques énumérées ci-dessous sont, néanmoins, toutes incontournables.

>>> Entrepreneur, pour votre assurance RC Pro : testez notre comparateur d'offres

Allez à l'essentiel pour être sûr d'être compris

"Pourquoi créez-vous cette société ? A quel besoin du marché répond votre initiative ? Quel problème allez-vous résoudre pour votre client ? Voilà les réponses que je souhaite obtenir lorsque je lis un business plan", explique un managing partner d’iSource, une société de capital-risque spécialisée dans les entreprises en création et en phase de développement. Expliquez dès la première page le manque que va combler votre entreprise. Même s’il s’agit d’une innovation sur une niche complexe, sa présentation doit être intelligible.

C'est le fameux pitch : votre idée, aussi complexe soit-elle à mettre en œuvre, doit pouvoir se résumer en une seule phrase et laisser devenir le potentiel de business qui se trouve derrière. "Vous avez peut-être, comme 400.000 français, une ébauche de roman qui dort dans un tiroir ? Et si vous demandiez à l'écrivain Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt de vous aider à le terminer ?" C'est ainsi qu'Evelyne Platnic Cohen, Marjorie Leblanc Charpentier et Sophie de Parseval, les fondatrices de The Artist Academy ont accroché les investisseurs et réussi à lever 900.000 euros auprès de onze business angels pour lancer leur plateforme de cours en ligne qui propose des masterclasses virtuelles avec des artistes et sportifs de renom.

Luca Verre, brillant ingénieur, eu l'idée d'utiliser des travaux de l'Institut de la vision pour repenser totalement le mode d'acquisition des informations visuelles par les caméras et capteurs d'image. Pour convaincre les investisseurs, il ne se lance pas dans des explications détaillées sur la technologie elle-même, mais sur ce qu'elle change : alors que ses concurrents augmentent sans cesse la puissance de calcul pour leurs caméras, les siennes, en ne traitant que l'information pertinente, sont, par exemple, 20 à 30 fois plus rapides pour détecter un piéton qu'une caméra classique. Un énorme avantage sur le marché colossal des véhicules autonomes, objets connectés, caméras embarquées… estimé à 54 milliards de dollars à l'horizon 2023. Avec sa start-up Prophesee, il a ainsi réussi à lever… 19 millions de dollars début 2018 !

Décrivez le profil des créateurs et de leurs éventuels partenaires

C’est LE critère essentiel de sélection : "Pour les investisseurs, l’homme qui porte le projet est au moins aussi important que le projet lui-même", avertit Laurence Piganeau, consultante à l’AFE (Agence France Entrepreneur). Le document doit donc mettre en valeur l’expérience professionnelle du ou des dirigeants. Pour les jeunes créateurs qui n’ont pas de carrière derrière eux, avoir gagné un trophée ou participé à un programme d’accélérateur sont de bons moyens de rassurer.

Lorsque le créateur est accompagné d’un ou plusieurs partenaires, il est indispensable de les présenter de façon aussi précise que possible : expérience, compétences, complémentarité avec vous… "L’idéal, dans une start-up, c’est un profil geek pour le côté technique, et un profil marketing, pour la gestion", recommande Benoît Galy, auteur de Bien s’associer pour mieux entreprendre (Leduc.S.). Inclure un organigramme est une bonne façon de mettre en évidence les spécialités de chacun et la façon dont seront distribués les rôles. Si des seniors reconnus dans votre secteur d’activité participent à la création de votre entreprise – en tant que conseils occasionnels, parrains, investisseurs ou soutiens financiers –, ne vous privez pas de le mentionner.

>> A lire aussi - Création d'entreprise : comment construire votre business plan

Faites ressortir la valeur ajoutée de votre produit

Suite naturelle de la partie précédente, le créateur doit présenter en détail son produit. "Les investisseurs abusent en ce moment d’un terme qui a le mérite de bien dire ce qu’il veut dire : la “rupture” ", prévient Nicolas Fritz, directeur des opérations chez Content Square, une société qui analyse le comportement des internautes, et auteur, avec Raphaël Boukris, de Les Business Angels : guide des bonnes pratiques à l’usage des investisseurs et des entrepreneurs (Pearson). Autrement dit, qu’est-ce qui différencie votre offre de la concurrence ? Appuyez votre démonstration en joignant en annexe des photos de prototypes ou des maquettes s’il s’agit d’un site Internet.

Autre élément de cette partie du business plan à ne pas oublier : l’ étude de marché réalisée lors de la phase précédente. Ses conclusions seront reprises et détaillées. Elle doit permettre de mesurer à la fois les caractéristiques de la demande (volume, clientèle, localisation, solvabilité, degré de satisfaction) et celles de l’offre (parts de marché des concurrents). Et ainsi de mieux comprendre votre positionnement.

Enfin, quels que soient l’originalité et le caractère innovant de votre produit ou de votre service, vous devez identifier clairement vos futurs concurrents, existants ou potentiels. Pour cela, fréquentez les foires et les salons professionnels. C’est un excellent moyen pour réunir des informations et de la documentation, mais aussi pour comprendre comment les autres travaillent et donc mieux préciser votre avantage concurrentiel.

Adoptez le ton juste et une présentation claire

Ne cherchez pas à faire de la grande littérature, veillez avant tout à être clair. Votre business plan doit commencer par une première partie essentiellement rédactionnelle. Trois écueils sont à éviter :

• Trop technique : le jargon professionnel doit être proscrit, les anglicismes aussi. Il peut être tentant de montrer que vous connaissez bien le milieu dans lequel vous vous lancez, mais vous risquez surtout de décourager vos lecteurs.
• Trop enthousiaste : oubliez les points d’exclamation, les couleurs flashy, les slogans mirobolants, du genre : "Investissez dans l’Amazon de demain !" Un ton un peu décalé est envisageable s’il correspond à votre personnalité.
• Trop dense : évitez les phrases trop longues, aérez votre dossier et illustrez.

Inspirez-vous d’un modèle existant

Plus de 500 exemples de business plans, bien réels et développés en intégralité, sont disponibles sur le site Bplans.com.

Avantage : tous les secteurs d’activité et tous les types de projets sont représentés. Vous y dénicherez par exemple les business plans d’un site d’e-commerce, d’une société de conseil et même… d’une compagnie aérienne, si l’envie vous venait de vous lancer dans ce secteur d’activité.

Inconvénient : ce site est uniquement en anglais.

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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)

Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.

If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.

Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.

You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.

Let’s get started.

What Do You Need A Business Plan For?

Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.

1. Secure Funds

One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.

For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.

A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.

Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.

2. Monitor Business Growth

A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:

• The business goals
• Methods to achieve the goals
• Time-frame for attaining those goals

A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.

You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.

3. Measure Business Success

A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.

Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.

You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.

4. Document Your Marketing Strategies

You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.

Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.

In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:

• How do you want to reach your target audience?
• How do you plan to retain your customers?
• What is/are your pricing plans?
• What is your budget for marketing?

How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step

1. create your executive summary.

The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.

Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.

A good executive summary should do the following:

• A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
• Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
• Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
• The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
• Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
• Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
• Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
• Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
• Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.

The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.

Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.

View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What sector or industry are you in?
• What are your products and services?
• What is the future of your industry?
• Is your company scaleable?
• Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
• What is the motivation for starting your company?
• What are the next steps?

Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.

The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.

If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.

2. Add Your Company Overview

The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.

Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.

Your company overview should contain the following:

• What products and services you will provide
• Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
• What you need to run your business
• Who your target audience or customers are
• Who will service your customers
• Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
• Information about your company’s founders
• Who the founders are
• Notable achievements of your company so far

When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.

If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.

• Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
• What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
• How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
• Where is the location of your business?
• What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
• How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
• How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?

After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.

The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.

Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”

When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:

• Founding Date
• Major Milestones
• Location(s)
• Flagship Products or Services
• Number of Employees
• Executive Leadership Roles

When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.

Business Objectives

Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.

3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity

The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.

Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.

This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.

Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?

You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.

Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?

Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?

Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.

Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.

Market Analysis

Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.

The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.

A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.

• Market Research

To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.

• Your target market’s needs or pain points
• The existing solutions for their pain points
• Geographic Location
• Demographics

The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.

Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.

You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.

How to Quantify Your Target Market

One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:

• Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
• Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
• Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
• Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.

What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?

Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.

You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:

• Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
• Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
• Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
• Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
• Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
• Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
• Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
• Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.

The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.

Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.

• Is your product or service of superior quality?
• What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
• Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?

Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.

Competitive Analysis

In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.

Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.

Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.

The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.

Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.

When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.

Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.

• What are your successful competitors doing?
• Why is what they are doing working?
• Can your business do it better?
• What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
• What are they not doing well?
• Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
• How good is your competitors’ customer service?
• Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
• What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
• What marketing strategies are they using?
• What kind of press coverage do they get?
• What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?

If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.

If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.

Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.

The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.

Direct vs Indirect Competition

You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.

There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.

If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.

In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.

For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.

There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.

Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.

1. Cost Leadership

A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.

A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.

2. Product Differentiation

Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.

Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.

3. Market Segmentation

As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.

If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.

4. Define Your Business and Management Structure

The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.

Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.

If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.

Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.

The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.

Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.

Management Team

The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.

Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.

A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.

Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.

Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.

If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.

Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team

• Who are the key leaders?
• What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
• Do your key leaders have industry experience?
• What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
• What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
• What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?

Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section

1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team

There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.

Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.

2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles

Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.

While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.

Organizational Chart

Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.

If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.

An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.

You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.

5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering

In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.

Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.

The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.

If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”

Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:

• A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
• The pricing model for your product or service.
• Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
• The ideal customers that want your product or service.
• The benefits of your products and services.
• Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
• Plans for filling the orders you receive
• If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.

What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services

In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.

When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Unique features
• Translating the unique features into benefits
• The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
• Intellectual property rights or any patents

When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
• Time between purchases
• Plans for research and development.

When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:

• The creation of new or existing products and services.
• The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
• Assembling the products
• Maintaining quality control
• Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
• The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.

Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan

1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords

The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.

A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.

2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors

When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.

If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.

For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.

3. Long or Short Products or Services Section

Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?

There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.

If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.

Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.

The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.

If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.

A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.

4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers

Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.

Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.

5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers

The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.

When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.

While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.

Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section

Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.

• Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
• What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
• What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
• Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
• Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
• How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
• What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
• What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
• What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
• Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
• Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
• How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?

You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.

6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan

Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.

The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.

There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.

In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.

Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).

Target Market and Target Audience

Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.

Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.

Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.

Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.

Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.

Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.

Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?

Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market

• What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
• What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
• Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
• How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?

After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.

All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.

Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.

For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].

For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.

“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”

You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.

After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.

Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.

You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.

Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering

Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.

• Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
• Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
• Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.

• Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
• Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
• Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.

After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.

As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.

There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.

Advertising

Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.

Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.

Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.

A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.

Public Relations

A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.

Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,

Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.

Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.

If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.

Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.

When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.

• Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
• What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
• How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?

Social Media

Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.

You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.

Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.

Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.

You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.

Strategic Alliances

If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.

Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.

The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.

Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.

Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan

1. Focus on Your Target Market

Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.

You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.

These questions can help you know your competition.

• What makes your competition successful?
• What are their weaknesses?
• What are customers saying about your competition?

3. Consider Your Brand

Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.

4. Focus on Benefits

The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.

Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.

5. Focus on Differentiation

Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan

• What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
• What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
• What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
• Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
• What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
• Where will you sell your products?

You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.

The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.

7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request

If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’

A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.

Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.

In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.

Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.

If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.

Funding Request: Debt or Equity?

When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.

Case for Equity

If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.

Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.

Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.

Case for Debt

You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.

When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.

Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.

Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.

You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.

Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan

The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.

If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.

You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.

If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .

Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.

8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections

If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.

The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.

If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.

If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.

When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.

Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.

Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.

Use Graphs and Charts

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.

Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.

Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections

Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.

You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.

What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.

A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.

Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.

1. Sales Forecast

Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.

One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.

For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.

Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.

Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.

For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.

2. Personnel Plan

The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.

However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.

The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.

3. Income Statement

The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.

Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.

The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.

• Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
• Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
• Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
• Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
• Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
• Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
• Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.

4. Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.

5. Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.

You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.

6. Exit Strategy

The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.

Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.

Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.

Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection

Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.

You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.

Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.

• What is your sales forecast for the next year?
• When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
• What are the core expenses you need to operate?
• How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
• How will you use the loans or investments?

9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan

Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.

The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.

When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.

Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.

You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.

If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.

A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.

The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.

People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.

Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan

The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:

• Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
• Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
• Additional financial documents or projections
• Articles of incorporation and status
• Backup for market research or competitive analysis
• Bank statements
• Business registries
• Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
• Copies of insurances
• Credit histories (personal or/and business)
• Deeds and permits
• Equipment leases
• Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
• Industry associations and memberships
• Images of product
• Intellectual property
• Key customer contracts
• Legal documents and other contracts
• Letters of reference
• Links to references
• Market research data
• Organizational charts
• Photographs of potential facilities
• Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
• Purchase orders
• Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
• State and federal identification numbers or codes
• Trademarks or patents’ registrations

Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.

Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan

To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.

The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.

Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.

• A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
• A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
• A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.

2. Get Inspiration from People

Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.

To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.

When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.

3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic

Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.

The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.

In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.

The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.

To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.

4. Keep it Simple and Short

When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.

One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.

Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.

You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.

To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.

5. Make an Outline and Follow Through

A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.

For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.

To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.

This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Product or service description
• Target audience
• Market size
• Competition analysis
• Financial projections

Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.

6. Ask a Professional to Proofread

When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.

You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.

In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.

Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.

Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time

1. hubspot's one-page business plan.

The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.

Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:

• Business opportunity
• Company description
• Industry analysis
• Target market
• Implementation timeline
• Marketing plan
• Financial summary
• Funding required

2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template

Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.

The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.

3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.

The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.

There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.

4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute

My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.

The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.

• The Business Profile
• The Vision and the People
• Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
• Organization
• Licenses and Permits
• Business Insurance
• Communication Tools
• Acquisitions
• Location and Leasing
• Accounting and Cash Flow
• Opening and Marketing
• Managing Employees
• Expanding and Handling Problems

There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.

5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.

The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.

There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.

The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.

6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage

The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .

There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.

7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.

There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Service Line
• Marketing and Sales

8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.

There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.

9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template

The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.

There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Products and services
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion / Call to action
• Confidentiality statement

You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)

PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.

10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.

Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.

Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan

A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.

Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.

The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.

Segments of the Business Model Canvas

The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.

• Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
• Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
• The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
• Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
• Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
• Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
• Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
• Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
• Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?

Lean Canvas

The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.

Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:

• Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
• Solution: The solutions to each problem.
• Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
• Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.

Startup Pitch Deck

While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.

Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.

Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.

Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.

Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.

• Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
• Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
• Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
• Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
• Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
• Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
• Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
• Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
• Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
• Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
• Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
• Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.

It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.

Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.

Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan

• Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
• Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
• Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
• Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.

Business Plan FAQ

Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time.  They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.

Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans.  A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.

A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs.  Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.

The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.

A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.

Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.

Exlore Further

• 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
• 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
• 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
• How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

Planning, Startups, Stories

Tim berry on business planning, starting and growing your business, and having a life in the meantime., a short history of business plans.

Somebody on Quora asked for a history of business plans , and Noah Parsons suggested I answer. I searched for an authoritative source, and didn’t find anything that really goes into history. But the topic is interesting to me, and I’ve been dealing with business plans since 1974, so I thought I might at least add some anecdotal history.

First, an interesting bit of data, a word search on the appearance of the phrase “business plan” in books, compared to “venture capital” and “entrepreneurship,” using Google’s beta ngram search. It shows the relative use in books, from 1900 to 2008, of the terms “entrepreneurship,” “venture capital,” and “business plan.”:

What I think we see there is how the business plan (the blue line) became really prominent in synchronization with venture capital (the red line) and entrepreneurship (the green line). There was some kind of a bump in all three in 1907, then a steady increase in entrepreneurship from the late 1960s. Notice how the blue line for business plan seems to track very closely with the high-tech boom and growth of Silicon Valley, and with Venture capital.

This fits my anecdotal history, my impression of what I’ve seen in the general area of business plans since I first started with business plans in 1974, through to the present. My earliest references to business plans, back in the middle 1970s, were generally corporate. I had friends and business contacts who were managers of large companies, and they dealt with business plans as annual corporate exercises.

My first focused involvement with business plans was in 1979, when I took a course at Stanford called “small business management,” which was in fact a course on developing business plans for seeking venture capital, for high-tech ventures. It was taught by Steve Brandt. As I got out of business school and into consulting with Creative Strategies, and then when I left that company to go out on my own, business plans were a core component in all high-tech startups.

If you look carefully at the high points and drops, remember that this is book usage, so it’s on a longer cycle than say use in newspapers or magazines. It takes a couple of years for a trend to show up in a search of books.

I started on my own in 1983. I was based in Palo Alto, across El Camino from Stanford, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. There was a huge demand for business plans. Venture capital was taking off, Silicon Valley was taking off, the PC boom was in full swing. That drop in the middle 1990s, all three terms, that shows up on the chart? That was the recession of 1992-1993, I think. The PC boom started to settle, but the Internet boom hadn’t started. Then the second big drop in recent times is the aftermath of the dot-com crash beginning in 2000.

My personal opinion, not backed by research, and just a guess, is that the term “business plan” is suffering lately from the misunderstanding of the business plan as if it only exists as a formal document. In my mind, the format is evolving as tools and capabilities evolve, so that the business plan of today is as valuable as ever, but not as a set formal document, but rather as the first step in planning, to be part of a process that includes regular revision and review. If you check the large number of posts here in the business planning category, you’ll see what I mean. (Sorry, there’s 186 posts right now in that category; I write about business planning a lot.)

thank you a lot! your article at least helped me to finalize this part of academic research of the business plan ( I’m preparing my MBA theisis too) . one thing ,I couldn’t find the date of your article publication ?

Hi! I’m working on my thesis about the business plan and I’m also interested in putting in it something about business plan history. I found this article, it’s very interesting, but can you please tell me if you have more information about the historical context, sir? Thank you.

@Filippo sorry, but, as I say in the post, I couldn’t find better sources than what I have there. That’s the best I can do. Good luck with your thesis … I’d love to get a copy. Tim

Tim. Loved the way your graph trended and the correlation between the green red and blue lines. Amazing that one would never build a dream home without a detailed plan or a boat without drawings, yet with a business will happily go along with someone saying everything will be alright.

Thanks Gerald. I think part of the problem you point out is that people think a business plan has to be a big formal document written over a long time at great pain, full of elegant carefully worded summaries and descriptions. If people realized it is a plan, not a work of art …

In the good old, bad old days before the explosion of technology one would talk about five-year plans as (comparatively) the pace and change were slower. These days with disruptive marketing and creative destruction is the “Five-year plan” appropriate or, as I suggest, should we focus on the three-year plan?

I really agree with your statement that a business plan is the first step in planning. I relate the business plan to that of a battle plan mapped out by generals. The plan that generals make is out the door a battle begins. The crucial thing is the ability to adjust that plan, whether it be for battle or for business, as new facts and data come in.

Greg, yes, my theme on business planning for several years now emphasizes the planning instead of the plan. Your military reference reminds me of the famous Eisenhower quote, which I use a lot: “The plan is useless; but planning is essential.” Tim

There is a critical shortage of informvtaie articles like this.

In 1965 I was a loan officer with the SBA. A Business Plan was a requirement of loan applications. Loan applicants struggled to provide their business plans since there was so little available for guidance. Ironically, small business persons still struggle to provide viable business plans even though there are significantly more support resources. Some things just don’t seem to change!

I just started using you soft ware this evening. I am reading the your book, Hurdle, required reading for my MBA class here at FIT. I am enjoying the straight forward reasoning for having a business plan. Seems to be a no brainier, but your post seems to show why so many people failed during the dot com boom. I was in San Francisco during those years doing hair and had more than one start up sit in my chair. I would ask questions, listen to them try to tell me what someone had just given them a large amount of cash to do. I always wondered why they sounded more like a wing and a prayer. As you know, most fell by the waste side with over decorated business and no product. I am sure you will see more from me on you site.

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ian, Gretchen Glasscock and bryan janeczko, Capital Relocation. Capital Relocation said: Worth a Read and a Tweet: A Short History of Business Plans http://t.co/PqyYtGT via @Timberry […]

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How to make a business plan

Table of Contents

How to make a good business plan: step-by-step guide.

A business plan is a strategic roadmap used to navigate the challenging journey of entrepreneurship. It's the foundation upon which you build a successful business.

A well-crafted business plan can help you define your vision, clarify your goals, and identify potential problems before they arise.

But where do you start? How do you create a business plan that sets you up for success?

This article will explore the step-by-step process of creating a comprehensive business plan.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a formal document that outlines a business's objectives, strategies, and operational procedures. It typically includes the following information about a company:

Products or services

Target market

Competitors

Marketing and sales strategies

Financial plan

Management team

A business plan serves as a roadmap for a company's success and provides a blueprint for its growth and development. It helps entrepreneurs and business owners organize their ideas, evaluate the feasibility, and identify potential challenges and opportunities.

As well as serving as a guide for business owners, a business plan can attract investors and secure funding. It demonstrates the company's understanding of the market, its ability to generate revenue and profits, and its strategy for managing risks and achieving success.

Business plan vs. business model canvas

A business plan may seem similar to a business model canvas, but each document serves a different purpose.

A business model canvas is a high-level overview that helps entrepreneurs and business owners quickly test and iterate their ideas. It is often a one-page document that briefly outlines the following:

Key partnerships

Key activities

Key propositions

Customer relationships

Customer segments

Key resources

Cost structure

Revenue streams

On the other hand, a Business Plan Template provides a more in-depth analysis of a company's strategy and operations. It is typically a lengthy document and requires significant time and effort to develop.

A business model shouldn’t replace a business plan, and vice versa. Business owners should lay the foundations and visually capture the most important information with a Business Model Canvas Template . Because this is a fast and efficient way to communicate a business idea, a business model canvas is a good starting point before developing a more comprehensive business plan.

A business plan can aim to secure funding from investors or lenders, while a business model canvas communicates a business idea to potential customers or partners.

Why is a business plan important?

A business plan is crucial for any entrepreneur or business owner wanting to increase their chances of success.

Here are some of the many benefits of having a thorough business plan.

Helps to define the business goals and objectives

A business plan encourages you to think critically about your goals and objectives. Doing so lets you clearly understand what you want to achieve and how you plan to get there.

A well-defined set of goals, objectives, and key results also provides a sense of direction and purpose, which helps keep business owners focused and motivated.

Guides decision-making

A business plan requires you to consider different scenarios and potential problems that may arise in your business. This awareness allows you to devise strategies to deal with these issues and avoid pitfalls.

With a clear plan, entrepreneurs can make informed decisions aligning with their overall business goals and objectives. This helps reduce the risk of making costly mistakes and ensures they make decisions with long-term success in mind.

Attracts investors and secures funding

Investors and lenders often require a business plan before considering investing in your business. A document that outlines the company's goals, objectives, and financial forecasts can help instill confidence in potential investors and lenders.

A well-written business plan demonstrates that you have thoroughly thought through your business idea and have a solid plan for success.

Identifies potential challenges and risks

A business plan requires entrepreneurs to consider potential challenges and risks that could impact their business. For example:

Is there enough demand for my product or service?

Will I have enough capital to start my business?

Is the market oversaturated with too many competitors?

What will happen if my marketing strategy is ineffective?

By identifying these potential challenges, entrepreneurs can develop strategies to mitigate risks and overcome challenges. This can reduce the likelihood of costly mistakes and ensure the business is well-positioned to take on any challenges.

Provides a basis for measuring success

A business plan serves as a framework for measuring success by providing clear goals and financial projections . Entrepreneurs can regularly refer to the original business plan as a benchmark to measure progress. By comparing the current business position to initial forecasts, business owners can answer questions such as:

Are we where we want to be at this point?

Did we achieve our goals?

If not, why not, and what do we need to do?

After assessing whether the business is meeting its objectives or falling short, business owners can adjust their strategies as needed.

How to make a business plan step by step

The steps below will guide you through the process of creating a business plan and what key components you need to include.

1. Create an executive summary

Start with a brief overview of your entire plan. The executive summary should cover your business plan's main points and key takeaways.

Keep your executive summary concise and clear with the Executive Summary Template . The simple design helps readers understand the crux of your business plan without reading the entire document.

2. Write your company description

Provide a detailed explanation of your company. Include information on what your company does, the mission statement, and your vision for the future.

Provide additional background information on the history of your company, the founders, and any notable achievements or milestones.

3. Conduct a market analysis

Conduct an in-depth analysis of your industry, competitors, and target market. This is best done with a SWOT analysis to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Next, identify your target market's needs, demographics, and behaviors.

Use the Competitive Analysis Template to brainstorm answers to simple questions like:

What does the current market look like?

Who are your competitors?

What are they offering?

What will give you a competitive advantage?

Who is your target market?

What are they looking for and why?

How will your product or service satisfy a need?

These questions should give you valuable insights into the current market and where your business stands.

4. Describe your products and services

Provide detailed information about your products and services. This includes pricing information, product features, and any unique selling points.

Use the Product/Market Fit Template to explain how your products meet the needs of your target market. Describe what sets them apart from the competition.

5. Design a marketing and sales strategy

Outline how you plan to promote and sell your products. Your marketing strategy and sales strategy should include information about your:

Pricing strategy

Advertising and promotional tactics

Sales channels

The Go to Market Strategy Template is a great way to visually map how you plan to launch your product or service in a new or existing market.

6. Determine budget and financial projections

Document detailed information on your business’ finances. Describe the current financial position of the company and how you expect the finances to play out.

Some details to include in this section are:

Startup costs

Revenue projections

Profit and loss statement

Funding you have received or plan to receive

Strategy for raising funds

7. Set the organization and management structure

Define how your company is structured and who will be responsible for each aspect of the business. Use the Business Organizational Chart Template to visually map the company’s teams, roles, and hierarchy.

As well as the organization and management structure, discuss the legal structure of your business. Clarify whether your business is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC.

8. Make an action plan

At this point in your business plan, you’ve described what you’re aiming for. But how are you going to get there? The Action Plan Template describes the following steps to move your business plan forward. Outline the next steps you plan to take to bring your business plan to fruition.

Types of business plans

Several types of business plans cater to different purposes and stages of a company's lifecycle. Here are some of the most common types of business plans.

Startup business plan

A startup business plan is typically an entrepreneur's first business plan. This document helps entrepreneurs articulate their business idea when starting a new business.

Not sure how to make a business plan for a startup? It’s pretty similar to a regular business plan, except the primary purpose of a startup business plan is to convince investors to provide funding for the business. A startup business plan also outlines the potential target market, product/service offering, marketing plan, and financial projections.

Strategic business plan

A strategic business plan is a long-term plan that outlines a company's overall strategy, objectives, and tactics. This type of strategic plan focuses on the big picture and helps business owners set goals and priorities and measure progress.

The primary purpose of a strategic business plan is to provide direction and guidance to the company's management team and stakeholders. The plan typically covers a period of three to five years.

Operational business plan

An operational business plan is a detailed document that outlines the day-to-day operations of a business. It focuses on the specific activities and processes required to run the business, such as:

Organizational structure

Staffing plan

Production plan

Quality control

Inventory management

Supply chain

The primary purpose of an operational business plan is to ensure that the business runs efficiently and effectively. It helps business owners manage their resources, track their performance, and identify areas for improvement.

Growth-business plan

A growth-business plan is a strategic plan that outlines how a company plans to expand its business. It helps business owners identify new market opportunities and increase revenue and profitability. The primary purpose of a growth-business plan is to provide a roadmap for the company's expansion and growth.

The 3 Horizons of Growth Template is a great tool to identify new areas of growth. This framework categorizes growth opportunities into three categories: Horizon 1 (core business), Horizon 2 (emerging business), and Horizon 3 (potential business).

One-page business plan

A one-page business plan is a condensed version of a full business plan that focuses on the most critical aspects of a business. It’s a great tool for entrepreneurs who want to quickly communicate their business idea to potential investors, partners, or employees.

A one-page business plan typically includes sections such as business concept, value proposition, revenue streams, and cost structure.

Best practices for how to make a good business plan

Here are some additional tips for creating a business plan:

Use a template

A template can help you organize your thoughts and effectively communicate your business ideas and strategies. Starting with a template can also save you time and effort when formatting your plan.

Miro’s extensive library of customizable templates includes all the necessary sections for a comprehensive business plan. With our templates, you can confidently present your business plans to stakeholders and investors.

Be practical

Avoid overestimating revenue projections or underestimating expenses. Your business plan should be grounded in practical realities like your budget, resources, and capabilities.

Be specific

Provide as much detail as possible in your business plan. A specific plan is easier to execute because it provides clear guidance on what needs to be done and how. Without specific details, your plan may be too broad or vague, making it difficult to know where to start or how to measure success.

Be thorough with your research

Conduct thorough research to fully understand the market, your competitors, and your target audience . By conducting thorough research, you can identify potential risks and challenges your business may face and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Get input from others

It can be easy to become overly focused on your vision and ideas, leading to tunnel vision and a lack of objectivity. By seeking input from others, you can identify potential opportunities you may have overlooked.

Review and revise regularly

A business plan is a living document. You should update it regularly to reflect market, industry, and business changes. Set aside time for regular reviews and revisions to ensure your plan remains relevant and effective.

Create a winning business plan to chart your path to success

Starting or growing a business can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, a well-written business plan can make or break your business’ success.

The purpose of a business plan is more than just to secure funding and attract investors. It also serves as a roadmap for achieving your business goals and realizing your vision. With the right mindset, tools, and strategies, you can develop a visually appealing, persuasive business plan.

Ready to make an effective business plan that works for you? Check out our library of ready-made strategy and planning templates and chart your path to success.

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Les origines du projet dans le business plan

Comment est née votre idée de création d’entreprise ? Quel est le cheminement vous ayant permis d’aboutir à la décision de créer une entreprise ? Les réponses à ces questions, entre autres, permettront au(x) destinataire(s) du business plan ou du prévisionnel de mieux vous connaître et surtout de comprendre et d’évaluer le potentiel de votre projet. Les investisseurs doivent pouvoir identifier rapidement les raisons qui vous ont poussé à vous lancer dans l’aventure de la création d’entreprise et de toutes ces embûches. Il sera donc très intéressant de leur présenter les origines de votre projet. Vous allez devoir verbaliser votre idée, leur raconter votre histoire, faire un story-telling qui retrace votre parcours et vos motivations.

Rappel : Le prévisionnel financier c’est la partie financière du business plan,  mais le prévisionnel n’est pas un business plan à lui tout seul, en savoir plus

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Comment est né votre projet ? De l’idée à la concrétisation

Vous devez bien sûr exposer aux potentiels financeurs tous les aspects de votre business plan . Vous allez devoir leur présenter votre future structure juridique, des tableaux financiers, une analyse du marché. En d’autres termes, vous devez concrétiser votre idée de projet !

Cependant, tout ce travail n’aura pas de valeur si ces investisseurs n’ont pas la conviction que vous êtes vraiment motivé, ils auront besoin de vous connaître humainement et de ressentir que vous faites vivre votre projet.

C’est pourquoi il est nécessaire d’apporter une réponse la plus complète, la plus objective et la plus personnalisée possible à la question : quelles sont les origines de ce projet ?

Il faut pouvoir expliquer brièvement et simplement comment ce projet à germer jusqu’à se concrétiser. N’hésitez donc pas à incarner votre projet en racontant votre histoire, en le rendant singulier, sans trop exagérer bien entendu. Ce projet peut être né d’une expertise développée tout au long d’une expérience professionnelle, ou tout simplement d’une rencontre vous ayant ouvert les yeux sur différentes opportunités qui pouvaient s’offrir à vous. Il se peut aussi que ce soit intrinsèque, vous avez l’âme d’un entrepreneur… il faudra néanmoins bien le démontrer et l’argumenter !

Afin d’établir une feuille de route claire et précise pour vos investisseurs vous devrez répondre aux questions suivantes :

• D’où vous vient exactement l’idée de votre entreprise ?
• Pourquoi vouloir concrétiser cette idée en ce moment précis ?
• Quels sont vos objectifs à court et moyen termes ?
• Quelles sont les perspectives d’évolution que vous prévoyez ?

Parlez des créateurs dans votre business plan

Pour parler des origines du projet, vous ne pouvez pas faire l’impasse sur les créateurs qui le porte. La présentation des créateurs contribuera à donner de l’épaisseur à votre business plan, d’autant plus s’il y a une complémentarité entre ceux-ci. Vous devrez fournir un certain nombre de renseignements sur l’État civil et sur les différentes expériences, compétences et diplômes de chacun des porteurs du projet. Tout comme sur un CV vous devez vous vendre sur une page, vous allez devoir ici défendre votre projet au travers de cette présentation à prendre très au sérieux. Ne dit-on pas que les premières impressions sont toujours les bonnes ? Les investisseurs auront ainsi une meilleure perception de vous et auront l’impression de mieux vous connaître. S’il existe plusieurs créateurs, il est fortement conseillé d’exposer la vision et les motivations de chacun d’entre eux.

Dans quelle partie renseigner les origines du projet ?

Vous pouvez consacrer une section dans la partie rédactionnelle du business plan dans laquelle vous parlerez uniquement des origines du projet. Le plus souvent dans cette partie figure également la présentation des créateurs et de l’équipe .

Vous pouvez également présenter brièvement les origines du projet et l’équipe dans votre executive summary , mais n’oubliez pas que le résumé du projet ne doit pas dépasser deux pages.

Nous ne pouvons donc que fortement vous conseillez de développer ces différents aspects au sein d’une partie dédiée.

En conclusion

Vous devez raconter une histoire émouvante et passionnante qui saura convaincre vos investisseurs de miser sur vous sans le moindre doute. Vous devez raconter la genèse de votre projet et toutes les étapes que vous avez parcouru jusqu’à l’aboutissement de celui-ci. Vous devez parler des fondateurs, de vos parcours, de leurs complémentarités, et de l’influence que ceux-ci auront sur la réussite et le développement de votre société.

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SERVICES D’HÉBERGEMENT ET DE RESTAURATION (SECTEUR 72)

Le modèle d’affaires… les origines du concept (depuis 1960 jusqu’à aujourd’hui).

LE MODÈLE D’AFFAIRES

Il s’agit d’un concept relativement nouveau qui trouve ses origines avec le développement du commerce électronique, le terme « modèle d’affaires »  [ 1 ] a aujourd’hui tendance à se répandre dans plusieurs domaines. Il s’agit d’un concept englobant qui aide les entreprises à répondre aux nouveaux défis auxquels elles doivent désormais faire face (technologie, mondialisation, rareté des ressources, évolution rapide des désirs, besoins et attentes des consommateurs, et, etc.)  [ 2 ]

Osterwalder (2004) date la première utilisation du terme de Business Model à 1960, dans un article de Jones (1960).

L’expression est employée régulièrement par la suite à partir des années 80, avec une augmentation significative au milieu des années 90.

LES ANNÉES 90… Cette période se caractérise par des changements majeurs dans le monde des affaires.

Le premier changement est ce que l’on a appelé l’émergence de l’e-business et la diffusion massive des technologies de l’information. On a vu apparaître durant cette période des modèles d’affaires révolutionnaires fondés en partie sur des offres gratuites ce qui a contribué selon Demil et al. (2013, p. 112) à faire passer internet pour un vaste marché du gratuit.

Les modèles d’affaires ont donc joué un rôle important pour expliquer aux investisseurs comment ces entreprises allaient gagner de l’argent sans faire payer les clients.

Des métiers traditionnels ont vu apparaître de nouveaux concurrents utilisant à plein la puissance de diffusion d’internet, Amazon pour la vente et la distribution du livre est à cet égard le meilleur des exemples. — Demil et al. (2013, p. 112)

Le second facteur de changement important tient à la déréglementation de secteur économique entier (Rédis 2007) cité par — Demil et al. (2013, p. 112)

Ces deux tendances lourdes ont amené des entrepreneurs à recourir à la notion de modèle d’affaires pour expliquer la logique novatrice de leur future activité et justifier auprès des investisseurs comment ils allaient gagner de l’argent.

Dans les revues académiques, le Business Model est un mot clé depuis 1999. — Verstraete et Jouison (2006, p. 9 ; 2007, p. 3)

À travers le monde de très nombreux chercheurs se penchent désormais sur le Business Model et de grandes revues ouvrent leurs pages à la publication d’articles qui lui sont dédiées. Les ouvrages se multiplient. — Verstraete, (2012, p. 10)

En cherchant « Business model » sur internet à l’aide du moteur de recherche Google, j’ai obtenu en date du 13 décembre 2018 le résultat suivant : 6 950 millions d’occurrences. Pour ce qui est de « Modèle d’affaires » , j’ai obtenu comme résultat : 204 millions d’occurrences. Ces résultats montrent le rôle important de ce concept dans le monde des affaires.

Pour en apprendre davantage sur la genèse du concept, nous vous invitons à consulter — Rédis, Jean. (2007). « Le Business model : notion polymorphe ou concept gigogne ? ». In 5e Congrès International de l’Académie de l’entrepreneuriat. En ligne : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242596483_Le_Business_model_notion_polymorphe_ou_concept_gigogne

Quelques citations qui aide à comprendre les origines du concept

La notion de Business Model est apparue avec la nouvelle économie et les fameuses « Start-ups » — Verstraete et Jouison (2006, p. 1)

À L’origine le Business Model servait essentiellement les business sur Internet, puis plus largement les projets high-tech, il semble aujourd’hui utilisé pour tout type de projet. — Verstraete et al. (2011, p. 5)

Le Business Model est né pour rendre intelligible des affaires imaginées sur, et/ou avec, Internet. — Verstraete et al. (2011, p. 7)

Le Business Model est né avec la nécessité de modéliser des affaires pour en offrir une représentation par une traduction de l’organisation globale du système entreprise. — Verstraete et al. (2011, p. 7)

Il convient de se placer au début d’internet pour imaginer la difficulté des partenaires à comprendre les affaires. Par exemple les financeurs, qui sont évidemment intéressés par le retour sur investissement, comprenaient difficilement, d’une part, comment gagner de l’argent alors que les utilisateurs du service offert ne payaient pas ce dernier et, d’autre part, combien gagner dans ce monde nouveau donc sans repère. — Verstraete et al. (2012, p. 11)

Le Business Model est à la base une expression ayant connu un certain essor avec les start-ups sur internet. — Servantie et Vertraete, (2012, p. 60)

Le terme « business model » s’est diffusé très largement avec l’émergence de la révolution numérique dans les économies occidentales. » — Demil et al. (2013, p. 111)

Un outil pour théoriser la pratique

Le concept de Business Model, c’est-à-dire l’intellectualisation ou la modélisation de cette notion (ou a minima de ce vocabulaire) est partie d’un souhait de théorisation de la pratique. — Verstraete et al. (2011, p. 7)

⬅️ La page : MODÈLE D’AFFAIRES des entreprises de restauration alimentaire

MÉDIAGRAPHIE

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[ 1 ]  Le modèle d’affaires est aussi appelé : le modèle économique , le business model ou tout simplement le BM.

[ 2 ]  Les entreprises doivent absolument réviser leur modèle d’affaires afin de l’adapter au nouvel environnement dans lequel nous vivons. Depuis l’arrivée d’internet, les sources de revenus ont changé et les modèles d’affaires traditionnels risquent de ne plus être en mesure de répondre aux nouvelles exigences du marché. Le modèle d’affaires est l’outil approprié pour permettre aux entreprises de réévaluer leur fonctionnement ainsi que les alternatives qui s’offrent à elles. Utilisé de pair avec la stratégie, il peut sans aucun doute contribuer à améliorer la performance des entreprises de restauration alimentaire qui en arrache actuellement.

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• Principales caractéristiques du business plan de création d'entreprise
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Rédiger votre business plan en ligne

Replay webinaire bpifrance création - comment faire son business plan .

Faire un  business plan (ou plan d'affaires) consiste à rédiger un dossier solide de présentation du projet de création d'entreprise. C'est la première concrétisation de votre projet ! Ce travail utile et fructueux vous permettra de mesurer la maturité et le niveau d'aboutissement de votre projet, de vérifier son réalisme et sa rentabilité et surtout de convaincre vos interlocuteurs de vous suivre et vous soutenir : vos proches, vos partenaires, vos fournisseurs et naturellement les financeurs que vous allez solliciter.  "Un bon dossier est un dossier où souffle l'esprit d'entreprise" .

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Principales caractéristiques du business plan de création d'entreprise

Le dossier que vous allez constituer doit permettre au lecteur de :

- comprendre rapidement de quoi il s'agit, à quel besoin répond le produit ou service proposé, - savoir qui en est à l'origine, ses motivations, objectifs et atouts pour le mener à son terme, - évaluer sa valeur et le sérieux de sa préparation, - prendre position sur le projet. 

C'est pourquoi votre dossier doit être 

• Soigné : la première impression étant la bonne pour susciter un intérêt favorable chez le lecteur, votre business plan doit avoir une présentation impeccable.  
• Concis : il n'y a pas véritablement de règles en la matière. Un business plan comporte une dizaine à une trentaine de pages, hors annexes. Pour ne pas alourdir inutilement le dossier, il est judicieux de réunir toutes les pièces justificatives dans un dossier bis. En rédigeant votre business plan, pensez au lecteur ! Ce sera le plus souvent quelqu'un de très occupé et très sollicité. Le meilleur service que vous pouvez lui rendre - c'est de lui faciliter le travail, en lui confiant un document suffisamment synthétique. En effet, un banquier qui doit s'attaquer à la lecture d'un "pavé" commencera, inconsciemment ou pas, par un préjugé défavorable. Il faut donc aller à l'essentiel.  
• Complet : faire court, mais sans rien oublier de ce qui permet de juger de la faisabilité et de la viabilité du projet. Tous ces aspects doivent donc être traités dans votre business plan (voir plus loin "la composition du dossier").  
• Clair : il doit être rédigé dans un style simple et facilement compréhensible. Mettez-vous à la place d'un lecteur non initié en évitant tout jargon. Le texte doit avoir une bonne lisibilité (choix judicieux des caractères d'impression et des symboles, de la mise en page, etc.) avec une pagination correcte et un sommaire.  
• Bien structuré : il doit être ordonnancé de façon logique dans sa décomposition en parties et sous-parties. Les titres donnés aux chapitres doivent aider le lecteur dans l'appréhension de l'ensemble du sujet.  
• Précis : pour être crédible, il ne faut affirmer que des choses vérifiables. Soyez attentif à citer vos sources d'informations : références d'ouvrages ou d'études, coupures de presse, identité de l'expert dont vous rapportez les propos, etc. Faites figurer dans le dossier d'annexes, un maximum de justificatifs : copies d'articles, comptes rendus de conversations ou d'entretiens téléphoniques, ou des lettres que vous aurez demandée et su obtenir de l'expert pour qu'il confirme ses dires, etc.  
• Vendeur :  il s'agit de rester dans une teneur crédible, mais le dossier doit mettre en valeur les données essentielles du projet et plus particulièrement ses points forts. Ainsi les arguments développés, mis en caractères gras ou soulignés au moment où ils sont énoncés, seront repris en synthèse de chaque chapitre ou partie du dossier les concernant, de façon à influencer le lecteur et l'aider à structurer favorablement sa perception du projet.  
• Et n'hésitez pas à l'illustrer avec des photos et/ou vidéos de l'équipe, de vos produits et services, etc.

Composition du business plan de création d'entreprise

Il n'y a pas de règle absolue dans la présentation du contenu du business plan de création d'entreprise . Ce qui est important, c'est de respecter une certaine logique. Quel que soit l'ordre retenu, vous devrez y faire figurer les points ci-dessous. D'autres éléments pourraient être ajoutés pour des projets plus conséquents. 

1- L'executive summary Votre business plan doit s'ouvrir sur une présentation synthétique et "vendeuse" de votre projet. Cette présentation, qui ne doit pas dépasser une ou deux pages doit donner envie à votre interlocuteur de poursuivre sa lecture et de s'intéresser à votre projet. Pour cela, il doit comprendre immédiatement de quoi il est question. C'est "l'instant de découverte". Pesez vos mots, pour susciter l'intérêt du lecteur et l'inciter à poursuivre la lecture au-delà de l'executive summary !

2 - Vous et votre équipe La présentation du porteur de projet (c'est-à-dire vous) ou de l'équipe fondatrice doit se faire avec le même soin que la rédaction d'un CV d'embauche, en faisant valoir tout ce qui, dans votre expérience passée, se rattache de façon valorisante au projet en question. Cette présentation doit être "punchy". Dans certains projets, la personnalité du créateur ou la présentation de l'équipe est tout aussi importante que le projet en tant que tel. Et si vous êtes plusieurs, insistez sur la complémentarité de l'équipe !

3 - La présentation générale du projet de création d'entreprise Vous pouvez à ce stade parler de la genèse de votre projet : comment et pourquoi l'idée vous est venue ? Quelles sont les motivations qui vous poussent à vous lancer dans la création de cette entreprise ? Quels sont les objectifs que vous poursuivez ? Quels sont vos atouts pour sa réussite ?

4 - La partie économique du business plan Elle comporte plusieurs parties : - Une présentation du ou des produits et services que vous allez proposer. Attention à être compréhensible ! Évitez le jargon propre à votre profession ! - Une présentation du modèle économique (ou business model ) que vous allez adopter : décrivez comment l'entreprise délivre et partage de la valeur à destination de l'ensemble des parties prenantes. Pour en savoir plus sur  les différences entre le business plan et le business model . - Les conclusions de votre étude de marché : expliquez quel est le marché dans lequel vous vous situez, détaillez les caractéristiques des clients potentiels, indiquez quels sont vos concurrents directs ou indirects, exposez les éventuels risques liés à votre environnement économico-juridico-socio-professionnel, etc. - La  stratégie commerciale   que vous avez retenue pour vous insérer dans votre marché et développer votre activité : la segmentation opérée du marché, le choix du couple produit/marché, le positionnement retenu par rapport à la concurrence, ainsi que les décisions de mix marketing que vous avez prises (politique de produit, de prix, de distribution et de communication). - L'estimation du chiffre d'affaires prévisionnel , en vous appuyant le plus possible sur des éléments tangibles. - Les moyens à mettre en œuvre pour réaliser vos prévisions de vente : expliquez concrètement comment va fonctionner l'entreprise avec quoi et avec qui ? La rédaction de ce paragraphe doit être l'occasion de visualiser le futur marché de l'entreprise, en décomposant le processus de fonctionnement et en mettant en parallèle les équipements, les effectifs et les autres moyens, notamment incorporels, nécessaires.

5 - La partie financière du business plan  Elle comporte tous les éléments qui traduisent en termes financiers la partie économique . Sa composition dépendra naturellement du secteur d'activité et du potentiel de développement de votre projet. À titre indicatif, pour convaincre un investisseur, voici les éléments financiers que l'on retrouve fréquemment dans un business plan : - Le tableau des investissements : il indique le prix d'achat des investissements, leur date prévue d'acquisition, la durée d'amortissement comptable et la dotation annuelle d'amortissements qu'ils entraînent pour chacun des trois premiers exercices. - Le plan de financement initial : il indique les capitaux à réunir pour pouvoir lancer le projet dans de bonnes conditions. Afin de recenser correctement tous les besoins durables de financement (pour mettre en regard les ressources financières durables nécessaires), une analyse et un calcul approfondi doivent être menés pour déterminer correctement le montant du besoin en fonds de roulement . - Le compte de résultat pour les trois premières années : il permet de juger de la rentabilité future de la nouvelle entreprise. - Le plan de trésorerie sur 12 mois : ce tableau permet, sur une période relativement courte, de s'assurer que la nouvelle entreprise pourra toujours, sur la base de ce que l'on peut raisonnablement prévoir, faire face à ses engagements financiers. - Le calcul du seuil de rentabilité : il est important de connaître le chiffre d'affaires que l'entreprise devra impérativement réaliser pour couvrir l'ensemble de ses charges, et de déterminer le moment où ce seuil (point mort) sera atteint. Au-delà l'entreprise commence à faire des bénéfices. - Le plan de financement à trois ans : ce tableau est nécessaire pour apprécier l'évolution prévisionnelle de la structure financière de l'entreprise à moyen terme, car une bonne structure financière est une des conditions de pérennisation des nouvelles entreprises. - Le tableau des annuités de crédit (s'il y a emprunt à moyen ou long terme) : connaître la décomposition des remboursements d'emprunt est nécessaire pour alimenter le compte de résultat (charges financières) et le plan de financement à 3 ans (remboursement du capital emprunté).

6 -  La partie juridique  du business plan La présentation du régime juridique de la nouvelle entreprise doit servir à expliquer et justifier le choix retenu, à présenter la répartition du capital et des pouvoirs en découlant. En savoir plus sur le choix de la structure juridique

7 - Le sommaire A ne pas oublier pour faciliter la lecture du business plan ! Il est généralement placé en début de dossier, avant ou après l'executive summary.

8 - La partie documentaire Cette partie doit faire l'objet d'un dossier à part pour réunir toutes les pièces justificatives et ne pas alourdir le business plan.

Bpifrance Création met à votre disposition des outils pour vous aider dans la rédaction de votre business plan :

• Une application gratuite "Mon business plan" pour construire son business plan en ligne ( Pass Cap Créa ).
• Un modèle de business plan à télécharger et son  mode d'emploi pour vous aider à le remplir.

Ce webinaire qui s'est tenu le jeudi 25 mars 2021 avait pour objectifs de vous présenter notre outil gratuit de business plan en ligne et de vous donner des conseils pratiques pour l'élaboration de votre business plan de création d'entreprise en répondant aux questions suivantes : 

• Pourquoi faire un business plan ? 
• Pour qui faire un business plan ? 
• Quels sont les éléments indispensables à mettre dans un business plan ? 
• Quelles différences entre business plan et business model ?
• Qui peut vous accompagner à faire un business plan ?
• Consultez le replay : comment faire son business plan ?

• Téléchargez  le support de présentation  (Maj 26/03/2021)

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Comment faire un business plan : étapes, modèle et outils à connaître.

Voici tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur l’utilité d’un business plan et les étapes de conception de ce document.

Qu’est-ce qu’un business plan ?

Le business plan, autrement appelé plan d’affaires, est un document synthétique qui permet de structurer, mais aussi de présenter de façon simple et efficace les tenants et aboutissants d’un projet. Il est indispensable à tout créateur d’entreprise, qu’il s’agisse de la création ou de la reprise d’une organisation, mais aussi d’un projet de développement de l’activité de l’entreprise.

Ce document écrit devra être présenté à différents interlocuteurs et devra contenir des informations telles que :

• Une présentation du ou des porteur(s) du projet,
• Une présentation des produits et/ou services proposés et pour quelle cible,
• Une analyse de la concurrence et ce qui vous distingue,
• Les besoins financiers du projet et comment y répondre,
• Les étapes de déploiement du projet,
• Une anticipation du retour sur investissement.

Il convient également de donner une vue d’ensemble des actions qui seront menées par l’entreprise, les moyens déployés pour y parvenir, mais également de préciser une temporalité pour atteindre ses objectifs. Un business plan sert d’argumentaire notamment pour le besoin de financement et le potentiel de rentabilité d’un projet, afin de convaincre de potentiels investisseurs, distributeurs et/ou partenaires commerciaux. Il représente également un document de référence pour le ou les créateur(s) d’une entreprise durant les étapes de déploiement d’un projet.

Des outils en ligne vous permettent de concevoir de manière intuitive votre business plan, en optant pour un modèle et en renseignant les informations relatives à votre projet pour les différentes parties de ce document. Ces données servent ensuite à ces logiciels pour effectuer des calculs financiers automatiques, notamment en ce qui concerne le bilan prévisionnel.

Les meilleurs outils pour créer son business plan

Les 6 étapes pour créer un business plan

Un business plan se doit d’être clair et concis. Il doit également être exhaustif et faire preuve de transparence, notamment en ce qui concerne les besoins financiers. Il doit représenter au mieux votre vision et montrer que votre projet est fiable. Les 6 étapes pour concevoir un business plan efficace sont les suivantes :

1. Présenter le projet et l’équipe fondatrice

Cette 1ère étape descriptive entend présenter le projet dans sa globalité, ainsi que les fondateurs et partenaires qui le portent. Concernant le projet, il s’agit ici de montrer succinctement en quoi il consiste. Cela signifie évoquer la nature du projet et l’offre qui en découle, le potentiel du projet dans le secteur d’activité auquel il est lié, et mentionner les besoins liés à celui-ci.

La présentation de l’équipe est également très importante. Celle-ci doit montrer que l’équipe fondatrice constituée dans le cadre de ce projet possède des compétences complémentaires et nécessaires à sa réalisation. C’est pourquoi il est recommandé de mentionner précisément le parcours de chaque membre. Cette présentation doit aussi montrer que les membres de l’équipe fondatrice partage la même vision.

2. Réaliser une étude de marché et de la concurrence

Cette étape implique une étude approfondie de l’environnement, c’est à dire le marché ciblé et les concurrents sur le secteur. Ainsi, il convient d’expliquer à quel segment de clientèle vous souhaitez vous adresser. Cela implique une description détaillée des clients, leurs besoins, leurs critères d’achat, leurs habitudes de consommation, leur localisation ou encore leur budget.

De plus, cette partie sert à montrer les résultats de l’analyse de la concurrence, en se focalisant sur les principaux concurrents, mais surtout à montrer les opportunités observées sur le marché ciblé. Cette étape est également importante pour mettre en lumière les avantages concurrentiels sur lesquels vous pouvez miser.

3. Montrer la valeur ajoutée de vos produits ou services au sein du marché

Suite à l’analyse concurrentielle , vous êtes en mesure de présenter l’offre que vous souhaitez proposer. Ce positionnement doit refléter ce qui va vous distinguer de la concurrence. Cette étape entend montrer la description détaillée de votre offre de produits ou de services (caractéristiques, prix, processus de vente, service client, etc.).

4. Préciser les besoins financiers et la forme juridique qui sont relatifs à votre projet

Cette étape d’un business plan sert à indiquer des éléments clés pour la configuration de votre future entreprise tels que le financement du projet, le statut juridique de votre organisation ou encore la nécessité d’un local professionnel.

D’une part, en ce qui concerne les besoins financiers, il convient d’évoquer de manière concrète les ressources que vous souhaitez mobiliser pour réaliser votre projet et financer les dépenses et investissements. D’autre part, il vous faut afficher la forme juridique de votre future entreprise. Pour définir cette partie, vous pouvez vous faire accompagner par un professionnel.

5. Présenter le plan d’évolution des actions et les objectifs

Cette étape sert à montrer les objectifs que vous vous fixez, qu’ils soient quantitatifs ou qualitatifs, tout en les rendant mesurables. En effet, il convient de présenter les actions qui vont être mises en œuvre pour atteindre vos différents objectifs et de préciser un temps de réalisation, afin d’établir un plan d’action complet.

6. Fournir un dossier financier

Cette partie de votre business plan est capitale. Son objectif est de fournir une analyse comptable détaillée et complète sur 3 ans. Ce dossier financier doit contenir notamment :

• Le compte de résultat prévisionnel : il sert à montrer votre rentabilité en recensant les informations relatives aux produits (chiffres d’affaires, etc.) et aux charges (achats, salaires, frais, impôts, etc.).
• Le plan de trésorerie : il implique l’analyse de l’évolution de votre trésorerie.
• Le plan de financement : il s’agit de l’ensemble des besoins financiers et ressources financières apportées au projet.

Les éléments indispensables pour votre business plan

Pour réussir son business plan, il convient de garder en tête que :

• Le business plan n’est pas un document figé : un business plan doit être adapté en fonction de votre interlocuteur (banquier, investisseur potentiel, distributeur,  etc.). Il faut donc prévoir plusieurs versions de ce document, en faisant ressortir les informations prégnantes en fonction du destinataire.
• L’executive summary est indispensable : il s’agit de la partie introductive de votre business plan. Elle sert de résumé à l’ensemble de votre document, prenez donc le temps de soigner cette partie.
• La présentation de votre business plan ne doit pas être négligée : votre objectif doit être l’exhaustivité, la clarté et la cohérence sur le fond comme sur la forme. Ainsi, soignez vos chapitres, titres et intertitres, intégrez des visuels, un sommaire et/ou des annexes.
• Les données chiffrées doivent être justifiées : tous les chiffres avancés, notamment en ce qui concerne les prévisionnels financiers doivent être argumentés et basés sur des données fiables (étude de marché, enquête de terrain, etc.).

Un modèle de business plan à télécharger

En plus des outils de business plan qui peuvent être d’une aide précieuse, vous pouvez également télécharger un modèle prêt à l’emploi pour rédiger ce document. Bpifrance Création propose notamment un modèle à remplir pour élaborer et rédiger un business plan, comprenant les différentes étapes indispensables à la conception de celui-ci.

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Création d'entreprise : De l'idée au business plan

Existe au format livre et ebook.

• Présentation
• Caractéristiques

Présentation du livre

On ne présente plus Robert Papin !  Fondateur et dirigeant de HEC Entrepreneurs pendant vingt ans, il a formé plusieurs milliers de dirigeants et futurs dirigeants. Créateur de plusieurs entreprises, il est aussi l’auteur des 16 éditions du best-seller « La Création d’entreprise », livre de référence. Ces nouveaux petits livres couvrant chaque étape de la création d’entreprise sont rédigés dans un langage simple et très accessible. Ils évitent à la fois l’écueil des livres de conseils psychologiques trop légers laissant entendre que la création d’entreprise serait facile, et l’écueil des livres trop techniques poussant les lecteurs à se tourner vers des spécialistes.   Dans Créateur d’entreprise : de l’idée au business plan , toute la pédagogie Papin est mise en œuvre pour passer du projet au plan détaillé. Quelques notions très simples et indispensables de comptabilité et de gestion financière sont clairement exposées. Le lecteur trouvera toutes les clés pour élaborer son dossier de financement, puis rédiger pas à pas son business plan. De nombreuses histoires de grands et moins grands entrepreneurs permettent au lecteur de s’approprier des expériences variées, et de faire les bons choix pour son propre projet.

Sommaire de l'ouvrage

Du projet au plan d’action détaillé.  Maîtrisez quelques notions simples de comptabilité et gestion financière. Elaborez votre dossier de financement. Rédigez votre business plan.

Auteur(s) de l'ouvrage

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Personne qui investit de l'argent dans une entreprise innovante à fort potentiel. Elle est expérimentée et apporte des contacts, conseils. Elle espère faire une plus-value.

Autres cas ?

Reprise d’entreprise : bâtir un business plan

Vous avez un projet de création d'entreprise ? Le business plan (ou plan d'affaires) est un document écrit qui présente en détail votre projet de création entreprise. Le business plan sera l'outil pour convaincre les banques et les investisseurs . Nous vous expliquons comment faire un business plan étape par étape .

La démarche par étapes

1 Ce qu'il faut savoir avant de faire votre business plan

À quoi sert le business plan , un guide et un outil vendeur.

Le business plan doit être vendeur , rassurant , c'est-à-dire réaliste.

Vous devez le construire à partir du terrain , de vos recherches et de votre analyse .

Il doit prouver que votre projet de création d'entreprise est sérieux .

Le business plan doit être à la fois synthétique et très précis avec des prévisions chiffrées .

Un outil adapté à chaque investisseur

Votre business plan est l' outil pour convaincre les investisseurs et tous ceux qui soutiendront votre projet.

Il s'adresse donc aux investisseurs suivants :

• Collectivités locales
• Business angels : titleContent
• Futurs associés
• Tous ceux auprès de qui vous cherchez des fonds

À savoir  

En fonction de l'investisseur à qui vous vous adressez, vous mettez certaines informations en avant.

Vous devez donc faire plusieurs versions de votre business plan selon chaque destinataire .

Les étapes du business plan

Le business plan est un document qui se construit en 5 étapes :

• Introduction ou pitch de présentation
• Présentation de votre produit (ou service)
• Présentation de votre business model (appelé aussi stratégie commerciale )
• Votre étude de marché (synthèse)
• Votre prévisionnel financier (synthèse)

2 Préparer un pitch de présentation

À quoi sert un pitch de présentation .

Le pitch de présentation du business plan est aussi appelé executive summary .

Il s'agit de la présentation de votre projet de création d'entreprise.

Il doit être condensé .

Son objectif est de convaincre un interlocuteur.

Vous devez convaincre dans un temps court .

L' objectif de cette synthèse est de prouver :

• Votre capacité à créer et diriger une entreprise
• Votre adéquation avec le projet
• Votre sérieuse préparation du projet
• Si vous êtes plusieurs associés, votre cohésion d'équipe

Il est conseillé de rédiger plusieurs versions de cette présentation selon chaque investisseur à convaincre.

• Pour convaincre un investisseur public, vous insisterez davantage sur le service que vous rendez à la société.
• Pour convaincre un business angel : titleContent , vous insisterez sur le caractère innovant de votre offre.

Ces informations doivent permettre de comprendre quelles sont vos idées , vos valeurs , ce qui vous motive , donc le sens de votre projet .

Si vous êtes plusieurs à porter le projet de création, on doit sentir la cohésion de l' équipe et la complémentarité des membres.

Cette présentation doit prouver votre capacité à créer et diriger une entreprise sur le court et le long terme .

Quel est le contenu du pitch ?

Cette présentation doit permettre de répondre aux questions suivantes  :

• Qui êtes-vous et quels sont les membres de votre équipe (collaborateurs, associés) ?
• Quel est votre projet ? Il s'agit du nom de votre entreprise, sa forme juridique, sa domiciliation, la nature de l'activité, l'histoire du projet.
• Quelle est votre cible ? Il s'agit de montrer que vous avez identifié vos futurs clients.
• Quel est l' environnement ? Il s'agit de montrer que vous avez identifié la concurrence, les contraintes, les risques, les tendances de votre marché, etc.
• Quelles sont vos ambitions de développement ? Il s'agit de montrer que vous avez une vision du projet à court , moyen et long terme .

La présentation du business plan est en partie un résumé de l' étude de marché .

3 Expliquer quel est votre produit ou service

Vous décrivez ce que vous allez vendre .

Cette description doit être précise, concise, claire.

Il faut éviter d'employer des termes trop techniques.

Vous devez être compris par des personnes qui ne connaissent rien à votre domaine d'activité.

Vous pouvez faire des schémas, dessins, etc. pour accompagner cette description du produit.

4 Définir la stratégie marketing ou business model

Qu'est-ce que le business model d'une entreprise .

Vous devez présenter comment vous allez vendre votre produit ou votre service.

Le business model s'appelle de différentes façons : une stratégie marketing , une stratégie commerciale, un " mix-marketing " ou encore un modèle économique .

Le business model de votre entreprise doit répondre aux questions suivantes :

• De quelle façon allez-vous faire la promotion et la publicité de votre entreprise, de votre produit ou service ?
• Quels seront vos tarifs ?
• Quels seront vos fournisseurs ?
• Par qui sera fabriqué votre produit ou service ?
• Quels seront vos canaux de distribution , où sera vendu votre produit ou service (internet, réseaux professionnels, boutiques etc.) ?
• Quelle sera la relation avec vos clients, comment les fidéliser ?
• Où seront stockés vos produits ?
• Quelles seront les pistes de développement de votre activité (internet, national, international, etc.) ?

Avez-vous analysé les contraintes ?

Il s'agit de prévoir ce qui peut freiner votre activité .

Vous devez identifier ce qui peut faire grimper vos coûts : stockage, production, distribution, communication.

• Le cours fluctuant des matières premières influe-t-il sur votre production ?
• Les fournisseurs du secteur ont-ils un monopole ?
• La demande vis-à-vis de votre produit est-elle saisonnière ?

Vous devez prouver que vous avez réfléchi aux solutions suivantes :

• Comment dépasser les contraintes
• Comment faire face à des pertes de bénéfices, à une hausse de vos charges, à de nouveaux concurrents, etc.

5 Rédiger la synthèse de votre étude de marché

L'objectif de l'étude de marché et de sa synthèse est d'expliquer :

• Quels sont vos futurs clients ?
• Quelle plus-value votre produit apporte-t-il sur le marché ?
• Dans quel environnement s'insère votre future activité ?

Nous vous expliquons en détail comment faire une étude de marché dans notre fiche sur l'étude de marché .

6 Rédiger la synthèse du prévisionnel financier

L'objectif d'un prévisionnel financier est de montrer que votre entreprise sera rentable .

Il est aussi appelé plan de financements ou budget prévisionnel .

Le prévisionnel financier (ou budget prévisionnel) fait partie de votre étude de marché. Il s'agit de la dernière partie de votre étude de marché.

Vous devez construire ce budget sur les 3 années à venir .

Vous devez chiffrer :

• Vos charges, les dépenses nécessaires
• Vos recettes (chiffre d'affaires)
• Vos besoins de financements
• Les fluctuations de votre activité et celles du marché

Il se déroule en 4 parties  :

• Compte de résultat
• Plan de financement
• Budget ou plan de trésorerie

Ces 4 parties correspondent à 4 tableaux chiffrés.

Nous vous expliquons en détail les 4 étapes d'un budget prévisionnel dans notre fiche sur l'étude de marché .

Services en ligne et formulaires

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Projet de création d’entreprise : comment faire une étude de marché

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Réseau entreprendre : des entrepreneurs vous aident à créer

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Business Model (Modèle d’Affaires) : explication, importance et premiers pas

Le terme de Business Model (Modèle d’Affaires ou Modèle Economique) a gagné de l’importance ces dernières années. Il n’est malheureusement pas toujours utilisé de manière correcte. L’objectif principal de cet article est de vous apporter les éléments nécessaires à une meilleure compréhension de celui-ci ainsi que de son importance dans toute organisation ou entreprise. Puis, dans un deuxième temps, vous donner quelques éléments de base permettant sa création.

Qu’est-ce qu’un modèle d’affaires?

Tout d’abord, petit rappel historique : Le terme de Business Model a réellement pris de l’importance ces 10-15 dernières années. Néanmoins, les origines de ce terme, même s’il n’est pas décrit exactement sous sa forme actuelle, remonte aux écrits de P. Druker, dans « The Practice of Management », en 1954. Aujourd’hui, dans le monde académique, il existe pléthore de travaux sur le sujet. Toutefois, sa mise en pratique dans les entreprises reste un exercice délicat.

Le Modèle d’Affaires traduit les intentions d’une organisation sur son environnement et décrit, principalement, comment elle crée de la valeur. Voici une première définition synthétique : Un modèle économique (ou business model) décrit les principes selon lesquels une organisation crée, délivre et capture de la valeur 1 .

Dans une forme simplifiée, le modèle d’affaire est la manière, le comment et le combien nous allons faire payer un client tout en tenant compte des coûts générés par le fonctionnement de l’activité en elle-même. Malheureusement, dans la pratique, on a trop souvent tendance à oublier ce dernier aspect en se focalisant simplement sur comment générer de la rentabilité. En complément à cela, et comme indiqué volontairement dans la définition de A. Osterwalter, la notion de la valeur a toute son importance. En effet, nous devons définir comment et quelle valeur nous créons ainsi que son transfert au client.

Le choix d’un modèle d’affaires

Le choix d’un Modèle d’Affaires, dont un exemple de canevas est fourni plus bas, fait partie d’un processus impliquant la définition de ce qui, dans l’entreprise, génère de la valeur. Les éléments centraux d’un Modèle d’Affaires sont les mécanismes de capture de valeur, de présentation de valeur au client, les coûts et les revenus.

La valeur perçue par le client : comme sous-entendu précédemment, il est essentiel de générer de la valeur pour ses clients. Sans création de valeur, il sera difficile d’être attractif dans ses différents segments. La valeur elle-même est subjective. En effet, qu’est ce qui fait que mon produit ou service a une valeur supérieure ou inférieure à celui de la concurrence ? Pour cela, je préfère parler de valeur perçue et non de valeur intrinsèque. La valeur perçue est certes influencée par les caractéristiques intrinsèques du produit ou service, mais pas seulement. L’entreprise elle-même, son image, ses valeurs, sa capacité à innover , son capital confiance, la qualité de son service après-vente, sa distribution, etc… le sont aussi. Et bien évidement, son Modèle d’Affaires également.

Il n’existe pas réellement de bon ou de mauvais Modèle d’Affaires. En revanche, il existe le bon modèle pour votre entreprise à un moment donné et dans un contexte donné.

L’importance du modèle d’affaires

Le Modèle d’Affaires, au même titre que la stratégie , est un aspect crucial dans le succès ou non d’une entreprise. L’histoire nous démontre un nombre important d’échecs ou de réussites fortement liés au Modèle d’Affaires. Voici quelques exemples négatifs : Spanair, Kodak, SecondLife ou encore Moulinex. Voici, en revanche, d’autres exemples où le Modèle d’Affaires a sérieusement contribué au succès, nous pouvons notamment citer des sociétés telles que ITunes, Starbucks ou encore Ryanair. Cependant, il existe aussi des entreprises, comme Facebook, où l’évolution du Modèle d’Affaires, ou en tous les cas son application pratique a clairement ralenti sa croissance et généré des risques importants.

Les Modèles d’Affaires existants : tout d’abord, la copie d’un Modèle d’Affaires à succès n’est pas toujours une bonne idée. En effet, comme la majorité des éléments constituant et guidant l’organisation, il est soumis à un nombre de facteurs internes et externes difficilement adaptables. De plus, les notions de temporalité et de tendance sont à considérer. Il n’est toutefois pas inintéressant de voir ce qui se fait en la matière.

Les sources de revenu basiques

Comme indiqué et d’un point de vue pratique, le Modèle d’Affaires a pour objectif de générer du revenu. Il me semble donc indispensable de se remémorer quelques sources de revenu basiques. Il existe une multitude d’entre-elles. En voici les plus classiques :

Les produits : c’est quelque chose de physique que l’on produit ou l’on fait produire tels que des voitures, des ordinateurs ou encore des téléphones portables. C’est plutôt quelque chose de facile à vendre car on peut généralement, facilement les voir, les toucher et les tester. Par conséquent, l’acheteur potentiel peut facilement se faire une idée de l’utilité et de la valeur qu’il y accorde. Leurs coûts sont généralement très sensibles aux économies d’échelle.

Leur nature physique rend, en règle générale, les marges possibles assez faibles suite aux problématiques d’amortissement de la R & D, de la production, de la logistique ou encore du stockage. Bien évidemment, il existe toujours des exceptions comme par exemple, certains produits horlogers ou des produits réellement innovants sur lesquels on peut obtenir des marges élevées.

Les services : les services sont généralement basés sur un savoir-faire, une connaissance ou une capacité technique. Ils sont donc intangibles, tels les produits financiers, la mise en relation ou encore l’enseignement. Ils ont donc peu de contraintes de conception et peuvent être facilement personnalisables. De plus, ils offrent des possibilités de marges intéressantes car leurs coûts variables sont plutôt bas.

Toutefois, ils peuvent être facilement copiés et donc imitables. Par conséquent, les barrières à l’entrée sont souvent faibles.

Brevets ou licences d’utilisation : cette troisième catégorie peut tout autant être des produits que des services. Ils bénéficient d’une protection légale qui peut être transférée contre rémunération. Les coûts variables sont bas voire inexistants et bénéficient d’un fort effet d’échelle.

Comment créer un modèle d’affaires ?

La création d’un Modèle d’Affaires viable n’est pas des plus aisés. Il existe toutefois plusieurs méthodes permettant de simplifier ce procédé complexe. En effectuant quelques recherches, vous trouverez une multitude de canevas. Toutefois, les éléments principaux pris en compte reste toujours les mêmes. Ici vous trouverez celui qui, à notre avis, a démontré sa pertinence et sa relative simplicité d’application à travers la pratique : Le « Business Model Canevas » 2 .

Ce canevas est axé sur 9 points inter-reliés :

• Le/les segment/s client/s : pour qui créons nous de la valeur ?
• La proposition de valeur (l'offre) : quelle valeur apportons-nous au client (quelles solutions apportons-nous ou quels besoins satisfaisons-nous) ?
• Les canaux de distribution : par quel canal interagissons-nous avec nos clients ?
• La relation client : quel type de relation chaque segment client souhaite que nous établissions avec lui ?
• Les sources de revenus : pour quelle valeur nos clients sont vraiment prêts à payer ?
• Les ressources clés : quelles ressources sont nécessaires pour réaliser notre offre ?
• Les activités clés : quelles activités sont nécessaires pour réaliser notre offre ?
• Les partenaires clés : qui sont nos partenaires clés ?
• La structure des coûts : quels sont les coûts les plus importants de notre Modèle d’Affaires ?

Pour plus de précision, vous trouverez le canevas « Business Model Canevas » en téléchargement ici.

Bien évidemment, les éléments qui précèdent ne ferons pas de vous un expert dans la création de Modèles d’Affaires car leur conception est une entreprise compliquée et complexe. Elle demande des connaissances en gouvernance , stratégie , organisation , analyse et des différents secteurs entre autres. Toutefois, nous espérons que cela vous a apporté une meilleure compréhension et les bases nécessaires à une bonne réflexion.

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1 Alexander Osterwalder, Wiley & Sons, Inc. Business Model Generation , Hoboken, New Jersey, 2010

2 Alexander Osterwalder, Wiley & Sons, Inc. Business Model Generation , Hoboken, New Jersey, 2010

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Que contient un business plan ?

Dernière mise à jour le 18 mai 2022

Bien s’il ne s’agit pas vraiment d’une obligation, l’ établissement d’un business plan profite tout de même à votre entreprise. Néanmoins, la complexité de sa rédaction constitue bel et bien une réalité. Il s’avère notamment difficile de déterminer l’ensemble des informations à inclure. En fait, le plan d’affaires comprend généralement deux grandes parties : la présentation du projet et l’étude financière. Nous vous en disons davantage dans cet article.

Executive summary : un élément essentiel du business plan

Avant d’entrer dans le vif du sujet, vous devez comprendre l’utilité de rédiger un executive summary ou « résumé opérationnel » en français. Il figure au début de votre plan d’affaires et doit faire une à deux pages. Son but ? Attirer l’attention de votre interlocuteur pouvoir le persuader de l’intérêt du projet.

Pour ce faire, l’executive summary doit comprendre uniquement des informations significatives. En même temps, il fournit un résumé complet du business plan. Il procurera notamment des renseignements au sujet de :

• Le marché visé et la concurrence ;
• Les chiffres clés ;
• L’objet de la demande (financement, incubation…).

En raison de son importance, l’executive summary doit se rédiger avec la plus grande minutie. Afin d’éviter toute erreur, nous conseillons de rédiger cette partie après avoir fini la présentation du projet et l’étude financière.

Première partie du business plan : La présentation du projet

Cette partie de votre plan d’affaires vise bien entendu à présenter le montage complet du projet. Mais encore, il justifie sa cohérence avec divers éléments comme arguments.

L’équipe fondatrice ou le porteur de projet

Pour commencer, il se révèle important de présenter la ou les personnes à l’origine du projet entrepreneurial. Dans cette première partie, il faut faire en sorte de démontrer la compétence et la fiabilité de ces individus ainsi que leur complémentarité. En effet, le document devra mentionner :

• Leurs compétences ;
• Leur parcours professionnel ;
• Leur expérience ;
• Leur rôle éventuel au sein de l’entreprise.

En plus, cette partie doit souligner les motivations qui incitent l’entrepreneur à lancer son projet. Le cas échéant, il importe également d’y inclure une présentation de l’équipe mobilisée pour le mener.

Les produits et les services proposés

Quels produits ou services prévoyez-vous de vendre ou fournir ? Précisez-le dans la suite de votre business plan. Ceci, de la manière la plus simple, claire et concise possible. Rappelez-vous que les lecteurs ne s’y connaissent pas forcément. Évitez donc d’utiliser des vocabulaires trop complexes ou de tourner autour du pot.

Pour mieux présenter ce que vous vous apprêtez à commercialiser, ajoutez tous les éléments nécessaires :

• Les caractéristiques ;
• Les atouts et les inconvénients ;
• Quelques illustrations ;
• Le prix de vente estimatif ;
• Les détails sur son évolution…

Pour le dernier point, il s’agit notamment d’informer le lecteur si le produit consiste encore une idée ou s’il a déjà été concrétisé. La mention d’un brevet ou d’une marque constituerait aussi un atout.

L’étude de marché réalisée

De toute évidence, l’on ne peut songer à créer une entreprise ou à établir un business plan sans d’abord analyser le marché . Pour cela, vous passerez par les étapes suivantes :

• La définition du marché : vous déterminez le périmètre sur lequel vous opérez, les clients ou les utilisateurs, les possibilités d’évolution du marché… Portez aussi votre attention sur les produits et les entreprises concurrentes.
• L’étude de la demande : étudiez les changements sur les tendances ainsi que le comportement des clients ou des utilisateurs. Sélectionnez ensuite ceux que vous allez cibler.
• L’analyse de l’offre : observez comment l’offre évolue globalement et analysez scrupuleusement vos concurrents.
• L’exploration de l’environnement du projet : analysez tous les facteurs qui risquent d’influencer positivement vos activités.

Les renseignements obtenus à partir de cette étude contribuent à convaincre le lecteur de la viabilité de votre projet.

Stratégie commerciale et plan d’action

Une bonne stratégie marketing s’impose pour permettre à une activité de démarrer et de se développer. Dans cette rubrique, vous devrez apporter en détail la manière prévue pour lancer votre produit ou votre service. Pour ce faire, mentionnez tous les informations que vous jugerez utiles :

• Les canaux de distribution ;
• Les fournisseurs et entreprises partenaires ;
• La structure de la stratégie de communication ;
• Les locaux commerciaux…

Deuxième partie : L’étude financière ou le prévisionnel financier

Même impressionnant, si un projet ne s’annonce pas rentable, il ne suscitera pas davantage l’attention du lecteur. C’est pour cette raison que la seconde partie du plan d’affaires existe. L’étude financière ou le prévisionnel financier vise à démontrer qu’il s’agit bien d’une idée lucrative. En même temps, elle vous permet d’émettre de manière exacte et détaillée votre besoin en financement.

Le bilan prévisionnel

Avez ce bilan, vous parvenez à estimer à combien s’élèvent les futurs résultats de votre structure. Il vous aide également à établir des objectifs atteignables lors des premières années d’exercice de l’entreprise.

Dans cette partie, vous devrez établir certains tableaux financiers. Il s’agira notamment du bilan, du compte de résultat, du plan de financement, du tableau de financement et du tableau de trésorerie.

Enfin, pour appuyer votre bilan prévisionnel, assurez-vous d’utiliser des indicateurs financiers pertinents :

• Seuil de rentabilité ;
• Marge de l’entreprise ;
• Coût de revient ;
• Besoin en fonds de roulement (BFR) ;
• Capacité d’autofinancement.
• Délai de règlement du fournisseur ;
• Délai de règlement du client ;
• Trésorerie nette.

Le plan de financement

Tout projet nécessite des ressources financières pour être mené à bien. Ainsi, pour connaître les besoins de votre future entreprise, vous devez dresser le tableau appelé « plan de financement ». Il doit comporter d’une part, les dépenses et d’autre part les moyens, dont vous disposez pour réaliser le projet. Les deux listes doivent être séparées en deux colonnes et leurs totaux sont censés être égaux. Si les dépenses se révèlent trop importantes, prévoyez d’autres financements. Mais si possible, favorisez les apports personnels.

Le plan de trésorerie

Ce tableau permet d’effectuer un constat sur les éventuelles difficultés de trésorerie de votre entreprise. Il vous présente les recettes et les dépenses possibles au cours de la première année d’exercice. Il contient :

• Chiffre d’affaires ;
• Apports en compte courant ;
• Subventions ;
• Capital de départ.
• Achat de marchandises ;
• Investissements variés.

La différence entre ces deux sommes est ce qu’on appelle la solde de trésorerie.

Par Romain Laventure

Secrétaire Général de Kandbaz, en charge du pôle juridique, Administrateur du Synaphe (syndicat professionnel de l’hébergement d’entreprise)

En savoir plus

• 10 conseils pour faire son business plan
• Comment obtenir un business plan gratuit ?
• Quand faut-il faire un business plan ?
• Qu’est-ce qu’une étude de marché ?

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Business Mobile Plan FAQs

• Are the unlimited minutes really unlimited? Yes, they are unlimited. However, please note that unlimited minutes are applicable to specific plans such as: AED 325, AED 600 and AED 900 plans.
• What type of calls can I make with the unlimited national minutes? Unlimited national minutes are valid for calls within the UAE only (to fixed or mobile lines). They are not applicable to roaming.
• What type of calls can I make with the unlimited international minutes? Unlimited international minutes can be used for international outgoing calls, from the UAE for the covered destinations. They are not applicable for roaming.
• What destinations can I call with my unlimited international minutes? For BMP 600 and BMP 900 plans, you can use the IDD minutes from the unlimited plans to call any of the 165 destinations in annexure 1. For all other plans, international minutes are applicable to the top 190 destinations. Visit du.ae/idd for the complete list of destinations.
• As an eligible customer, you can choose to subscribe to the plans with either a 12-month contract or without a contract.
• For plans with a 12-month contract, if you cancel before the contract ends, you will be charged a foreclosure fee (one monthly charge of your subscribed plan).
• For plans without a contract, no foreclosure fee will be charged.
• Do all the plans come with an Internet Calling Pack? All plans above AED 200 will include a free Internet Calling subscription.
• Roaming benefits are inclusive only on the AED 900 plan. For all other plans, you are required to subscribe to the roaming service and data or voice bundles.
• Roaming minutes and data benefits can be used in our preferred countries and our roaming partner networks. Visit du.ae/preferredcountries for the full list.
• Bundles with incoming minutes only cover roaming-call-forward charges. Inter operator termination charges [IOT] are not covered
• Incoming and outgoing cover both incoming (roaming-call-forward charges) and outgoing calls. Inter operator termination charges [IOT] are not covered.
• After consuming your plan’s roaming minutes, if any, incoming calls, outgoing calls and data are all charged as per standard rates or Easy Roaming rates, if your Easy Roaming service is active.
• Roaming minutes’ packages are not built on real-time billing; hence consumption of the benefits cannot be tracked and there will be no usage notification, including on full consumption.
• Roaming usage does not include Lebanon and in-flight operators.
• There are some LTE handsets designed to send and receive minor data sessions, even though the mobile data feature is turned off. To avoid these excess data charges, either buy a roaming data bundle or change your device’s network from LTE to 3G
• Non-preferred networks will have standard tariff set out on our website at du.ae/businessroaming . Please select the country from the dropdown list to check the applicable rates.
• We may, at a discretion and without notice, remove or modify any preferred roaming countries and operators. We recommend that, prior to travel, you check the current list on du.ae/businessroaming so you are fully aware on which countries we have roaming partners in and who those operators are.
• What is the charging method? All in-bundle and out-of-bundle charges will be per minute.

All charges are exclusive of VAT. * Business Calling Circle

• Can I subscribe to device offers with the Business Mobile Plans? Yes, our device instalment offers are available on top of the Business Mobile Plans. Please contact our sales channels for the latest offers on devices.
• Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan within the Business Mobile Plans? You can upgrade to a higher rate plan without any foreclosure fees. However, you have to pay the foreclosure fee for the downgrade.
• Will I still be charged the full monthly fee if my line got suspended within my contract? Yes. Since the plans are associated with a Minimum Term, you will be charged the monthly recurring fee during the suspension.
• What happens after the Minimum Term is complete? You will continue to enjoy your Business Mobile Plan benefits. If you choose to cancel your line after the end of your Minimum Term, no termination fee will apply on your plan. However, if you still have other active contracts such as a device that has not completed its Minimum Term, then a fee will apply.
• Can I still get one of the Business Mobile Plans, if I am an existing Business mobile customer? Yes.
• What is the activation fee? A fee of AED 55 is applicable for the activation of your SIM card.
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• An application form signed by Authorised Signatory.
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• A copy of your Establishment Card.
• A power of attorney document or letter of authorization will be required if applicant is not the owner defined on the Trade Licence.

The international minutes for BMP 100, BMP 200 and BMP 325 are applicable to 190 destinations. For BMP 600 and BMP 900, the international minutes are applicable to 165 destinations. Visit du.ae/idd for the complete list of destinations.

Disclaimer: All information on this product is subject to change.