Draw up a business plan for starting your own business. How to write a business plan - sample. Making a cheat sheet for yourself

In this article we will look in detail at what a business plan is, why it is needed and how to draw it up correctly.

Greetings, dear readers! Alexander Berezhnov is in touch. Today we will talk about business, or more precisely about business planning.

As you know, any business or project begins with. But in itself it does not have much value, since most people come up with dozens of ideas every day.

Many famous entrepreneurs and outstanding people in the field of management, leadership and planning education speak about this. This is Stephen Covey, John Maxwell, Vladimir Dovgan, Alex Yanovsky, Tony Robbins and others.

Surely you have had situations when an idea was born, but you didn’t have enough energy and time to bring it to life, and most importantly, you didn’t know where to start.

This article will be useful for both beginners and existing entrepreneurs, because, as you know, any thriving company or project always has a plan to achieve its goals.

When I myself took training in the field of business planning, I well remembered the words of one of the trainers:

A dream differs from a goal in that it does not have a clear plan for achieving it!

In other words, if you don't have a good plan for achieving your goal, it's unlikely to become more than just a dream for you, even after many years.

In this article I will cover issues related to business planning, since myself I have experience writing business plans for my own entrepreneurial projects. And in order to convey the information in an accessible language, before writing the article, I talked with two of my friends who professionally write business plans for entrepreneurs to order in order to attract third-party capital to their clients’ businesses. The guys help entrepreneurs in obtaining loans, grants and subsidies by writing professional business plans.

Dear readers, I draw your attention to the fact that in these articles we will consider a simplified model for writing a business plan for starting a small business. And if you are faced with the task of writing a business plan for a large company, then I advise you to use the services of professionals who specialize in this.

I won’t waste any more of your precious time, let’s begin...

1. What is a business plan

Any term has many definitions. Here I will give my own, it is quite brief and reflects the main meaning of the concept of “business plan”.

Business plan– this is a document or, in other words, a guide that describes the idea of ​​a project, business processes and mechanisms for their implementation in order to achieve the goals stated by the author of the document (business plan).

In general, business planning, like any process, must have a goal, in this case the success of your project will depend on 3 key factors:

1. Awareness of your level at the current moment in time (point “A”);
2. A clear idea of ​​the ultimate goal of where you (and your company) plan to end up (point “B”);
3. A clear understanding of the sequence of steps to get from point “A” to point “B”.

2. Why do you need a business plan?

From my practice, I will say that a business plan is needed globally in 2 cases, and in each case its writing is different in a certain way.

These are the cases:

1. Business plan for investors(lenders, grant providers, bodies providing government support in the form of subsidies, etc.)

Here, the main goal of the business plan is to prove the viability of the project and the effective use of funds. And it doesn’t matter whether you repay them, if it’s a loan or not, if it’s a subsidy or grant.

In a situation where you are thinking about how to write a business plan for investors, you need to emphasize the logic of the actions you plan to take, perhaps even bluffing about certain points that will help you get funding. When writing a business plan, you can embellish something, but the main thing is not to get carried away.

In short, your finished plan should be clean, neat, and logical. Everything should be beautifully described in it, explanations should be given to the facts you cited, and so on.

It would be a good idea to prepare a good computer presentation and speak publicly to investors.

Therefore, when they ask me how to write a business plan, I ask the question in response: “Who is a business plan written for? For yourself or for investors?

2. Business plan for yourself(according to this plan, you will actually act for the successful implementation of your own project)

Let me explain with an example. If, when writing a business plan to attract financing, you write that you need 300,000 rubles to buy 10 computers, then in the form of a table you write out a detailed estimate:

№	Name of expense	Quantity (pcs.)	Cost, rub.)	Amount (rub.)
1	System unit based on Intel processor	10	20 000	200 000
2	Monitor "Samsung"	10	8 000	80 000
3	Mouse	10	300	3 000
4	Keyboard	10	700	7 000
5	Speakers (set)	10	1 000	10 000
Total:				300 000

That is, you really need 10 computers to run the project. That's how you write it. BUT!

If you are drawing up a business plan for yourself, then most likely even this small estimate for computers will look different for you. You will ask why?

Example

You know that you and your partner, with whom you are planning to open a business, already have 3 computers between you, and you can find 3 more at your father’s place of work, at home on the loggia, and at your grandmother’s in the garage by upgrading them a little.

This is very figurative, but I think you understand the meaning. This all relates to available resources, but as an investor you will be requesting funds to purchase new office equipment, as you will need to document an account for it.

The same thing, if you are going to open a business in the field of cargo transportation, then in the business plan for the investor you write that you need 5,000,000 rubles to buy 5 trucks. Then it will be easier for the investor to navigate the appropriateness of using his funds.

Even if you already have 1 or 2 similar trucks, you can simply add them to the new fleet when you receive financing and everyone will be happy.

Because there is often a situation when, in negotiations with an investor, you say that for the successful operation of your project you need 5 trucks, but in principle you have 2... And then you begin to mislead the investor by saying that one of these vehicles was purchased in half with your friend, and the other belongs to your wife and she may not give it to you for a new project, and so on.

Conclusion

Write a business plan for investors as much as possible detailed and beautiful.

When writing a business plan for yourself, focus on the resources you have and write a plan that is as close to yours as possible. realities.

Let's move on to the technology of writing a business plan...

3. How to write a business plan correctly

Drawing up a business plan begins with a preliminary analysis of the current situation.

Before moving on to the formulation, description and filling of sections, you need to collect together all the information that you have, and if it is missing, then fill in these gaps by using third-party sources or turning to specialists.

One of the recognized technologies for preliminary analysis before upcoming business planning is the so-called SWOT analysis.

It is quite easy to understand and clearly structures all the information you have.

4. What is SWOT analysis and how is it used in business planning?

SWOT- this is an abbreviation and it stands for this:

• S trengths– strengths;
• W eakness- weak sides;
• O pportunities- possibilities;
• T hreats– threats.

SWOT analysis is needed in order to assess the internal and external factors of the company, creating an objective picture for upcoming business planning.

For example, in your case these could be the following indicators:

Strengths:

• Low production costs;
• High professionalism of the project team;
• The company's product (service) has an innovative component;
• Attractive product packaging or a high level of company service.

Weak sides:

• Lack of own retail premises;
• Low brand awareness among potential buyers.

Opportunities and threats represent characteristics of the external environment that the company cannot directly influence, and therefore, they can influence the outcome of its work in the future.

Such factors may be:

• Economic and political situation in the country or region;
• Socio-cultural environment (features of consumer mentality);
• Level of technology development in the business area;
• Demographic situation.

According to the analysis of current conditions, potential opportunities for a future project can be identified.

Possibilities:

• Introduction of new materials and technologies for the production of the company's product;
• Obtaining additional funding for the project;
• Adaptation of product design to the cultural and age characteristics of the region.

Threats:

• High customs duties on raw materials for the production of goods;
• Strong competition in this market segment.

After the SWOT analysis has been completed, you can move on to describing the sections of the business plan. Below I will describe each of them, explain my point of view, and in the 3rd part of this instruction I will give examples in a concise form of filling out each section. This will help you clearly see the technology for writing a business plan.

And so that my examples are not general phrases like “it’s better to be healthy and rich than poor and sick,” I will expand on the question “How to write a business plan” using the example of an opening anti-cafe or in another way time-cafe * .

Anticafe(or time-cafe) is a new format of cultural and entertainment establishments that first appeared in Moscow in 2010.

Their essence lies in the fact that visitors do not order food and drinks for money, as in a regular cafe, but pay by the minute for the time they are in the establishment. For this payment, they get the opportunity to play board games (for example, the very popular game “”), play video games on the X-BOX game console, organize their own events: birthdays, corporate events, parties, and also use free WI-FI Internet.

Here visitors can also participate in entertainment and educational events: musical and theatrical evenings, trainings, foreign language clubs, take training courses in playing musical instruments, and so on.

By the way, I personally, as a person leading a healthy lifestyle, am glad that drinking alcohol and smoking are not allowed in these establishments.

5. What sections should be in a business plan

In order to understand the structure of a business plan, you need to decide on its sections. I will offer you my version, which is classic for most business plans.

Business plan sections:

1. Introductory part (summary);
2. Description of goods and services;
3. Market analysis and marketing strategy;
4. Production plan;
5. Organizational plan;
6. Financial plan (budget);
7. Expected results and prospects (final part).

When starting to develop a business plan, I recommend that you conduct a little brainstorming, describing your idea on 1-2 A4 sheets. This is necessary in order to understand the overall picture and only then proceed to a detailed description of the above sections.

Important point!

Before filling out the sections in detail, collect as much information as possible on the topic of your project (business).

It can be:

• Industry analysis with quantitative indicators;
• Ways to promote your products or services;
• Current competitors in the market;
• The amount of tax deductions for your company;
• Technologies used in the industry of your future business.

All this will help you write a business plan yourself as efficiently as possible and not search for material for its sections along the way. This way you will save a significant amount of time and get good results.

In the second part, we will look in more detail at how to fill out the sections of a business plan.

A cheat sheet for dummies on how to write a business plan.

A serious project must begin by writing a competent business plan. This is a document that describes the main points of future activities, expected risks, financial indicators and much more.

Writing a business plan from scratch is often left to third-party firms. This entails a number of disadvantages:

• unnecessary costs - drawing up a document costs at least 50,000 rubles;
• consultants create it using standard tracing paper, without delving into the individual features of the case, which are understandable only “from the inside”;
• If a document is written in dry language, it will not attract the attention of investors.

It is up to current or future project leaders to do the work. They see the intricacies of the matter and will take responsibility for implementation.

If you figure out how to write a business plan, you will not only be able to make a forecast for future entrepreneurial activity, but also strengthen your faith in the success of the business.

How to write a competent business plan?

If a business plan is written correctly, it will accomplish three tasks:

• outlines the procedure for the entrepreneur;
• helps to assess development prospects;

The document should answer the questions: what is the value of the project described, who is the future competitor, what risks lie in wait?

To avoid missing details, it is worth writing the document following a standard structure.

The most important point, which must be disclosed in detail, is the financial side of the issue. You need to write down future income and expenses, and supplement with information about the starting capital.

P.S. As for income, it is important to write in the document not only the amount of profit, but also when the amount will begin to arrive in the account. This point is especially relevant when writing a business plan for the purpose of lending.

A section with financial indicators (for an existing company) or a reliable forecast for a future one is included in the text or formatted as an appendix. Use more numbers and graphs.

Choosing a plan type

There are several types of business plans in Russia:

• Business plan of the company.
  The most popular and widespread type. To write a document, use a standard outline. Needed by entrepreneurs for market and financial analysis.
• Loan document.
  Used to justify obtaining a loan from a bank. Answers questions: where will the money go, how soon will the debt be repaid?
• Investment plan.
  Used for presentation to investors. Contains detailed case characteristics and research data on the market niche and target audience.
• Grant document.
  Used to receive development assistance from the government. Display the benefits of future activities for the region or the entire country.

Structure of writing a business plan

The plan looks like a complex document. In fact, it is clearly structured. To write a business plan yourself from scratch, you need to follow every point.

The history of the company's existence is described in stages: from the moment of creation to gaining stability. The text should be written in business language, but lively and exciting enough so that a potential investor would want to study it completely.

Any type of activity has its own characteristics, so a standard tracing paper of a document exists to build on it, adjusting it to your own needs.

How to write a business plan point by point?

This part is called the “introduction” to the business plan or “abstract.”

It briefly reveals the essence of the project and consists of 5-7 sentences. It may seem that this part is not as important as the others. However, the more interesting the section is written, the greater the chance of captivating the reader.

Goals and objectives.

Here the entrepreneur must write what and how he wants to achieve. Unlike a summary, this part of the document is disclosed in detail, but without “water”.

Write in the business plan the address of the location, work schedule, characteristics of the building that is being purchased or rented.

Staff.

The plan must include a section on the future staff. You need to write a list of positions, job responsibilities, and create a payroll calculation table.

There should also be information about the schedule for going to work.

If you plan to increase your salary in the future, arrange refresher courses, or provide door-to-door delivery for those who work late, indicate this.

Financial part.


The most important section of a business plan. It is described here:
• income and expenses;
• unexpected expenses;
• movement of finances;
• taxation system;
• form of receiving money;
• types of contracts for future partners.

If it seems to you that you cannot write this part of the document from scratch yourself, delegate the financial section of the business plan to professionals.

The best option for formatting data for a business plan is graphs, tables and charts. Visual information is absorbed better and easier. All these figures must be supported by calculations.

Marketing.

This section of the business plan includes the following subparagraphs: an analysis of the state of affairs on the market, the presence or absence of a niche for the company, a description of competitors and advantages that will allow them to be overcome, and a potential target audience.
Based on this data, you need to write a conclusion in the document about the most suitable advertising techniques to be used.

Production.

This point of the business plan is necessary if a manufacturing business is planned.

In this case, in the section you need to indicate all the details of the production from scratch to finish (from ordering raw materials to shipping the goods to points of sale). All the important points are covered here: technology, the need for equipment, know-how. Taking into account every detail will help avoid problems when implementing the plan.

If you are not going to produce products, but to make wholesale purchases for further sale, indicate in the document the suppliers, delivery method, and place for storing the goods.

Risk analysis.


If the main goal of the document is to find investors, this section of the business plan is simply necessary to write.

It is important for any person who has a large amount of money sufficient to finance a project to invest it in a reliable company. To confirm the seriousness of your intentions, you must write down all the possible risks for the enterprise. These may include:

• falling demand levels;
• decrease in sales level;
• deterioration of the economic situation in the country;
• failure to deliver raw materials or send products to customers on time;
• emergency circumstances (war, fire, volcanic eruption).

Problems must not only be listed in the document, but also solutions must be written in a given situation. This will not only emphasize your level of responsibility, but also instill confidence in your own abilities. In case of emergency, you will not panic, but will use the ready-made instructions from the business plan.

At the end of the business plan, the results are summed up.

They include data on the amount invested, a profit growth chart and the payback period for the project. All words must be supported by specific figures, calculations and graphs.

Traditionally, calculations for a business plan need to be written for 3-4 years.

However, in the conditions of our unstable economy, it makes sense to take a term of no more than 1-2 years. Moreover, for the first year it is necessary to break it down by month. And from the second you can reduce it to a quarterly plan.

Don't pour water.

A good business plan requires brevity, but at the same time covering all the necessary aspects. It is enough to write 40-70 pages of a business plan.

It is allowed to submit additional materials in a separate appendix of the document.

Don't try to turn it into War and Peace. Having details and covering the topic fully is good. But only if dry facts are used, and not “water”. Leave artistic expressions for personal correspondence.

There is no need to write in the business plan the phrases “a product without analogues” or “there is no competition.”

The service market is huge and rapidly developing. Due to long-term planning, no one can guarantee that a product similar to yours will not appear in the near future. Even if at first glance it seems that you are a monopolist, tomorrow the situation may change.

Accurately analyze the market for prospects and potential customers.

The data in the business plan must be written in specific numbers. If you can't do this, it means you don't understand the situation well.

Try to adhere to the standard document structure outlined above.


Pay special attention to financial tables and graphs: they must be complete and correct. Otherwise, the document may simply not be accepted for consideration.

1. The text of the business plan must be literate, understandable and “alive”.

   Your goal is to interest the investor and make them read to the end.

   Avoid strong emotional assessments in your business plan.

   To make it convincing and realistic, you need to use only numbers and reliable facts.

   To find an approach to future investors, study their activities: the history of projects, work with other entrepreneurs.

   Before you start drawing up a business plan, be sure to study ready-made examples.

   Even if your activity is unique in its kind, find the closest analogues. This will help you better understand the structure and style of writing. But the calculations must be unique and based only on your specific indicators.

   All calculations for a business plan must be written as accurately as possible.

   Of course, it is simply impossible to correctly indicate the amount of future profit down to the penny. In this case, an analysis of the sales of your closest competitors and information about the average cost of your most popular services are provided.

Detailed methodology for writing a competent business plan

presented in this video:

« How to write a business plan? - this is only the first question that a future businessman must answer.

The finished document should not be left to gather dust on a shelf. It is not enough to simply write a development course from scratch until you reach break-even. You need to constantly return to it: analyze successes, correct mistakes, fill in gaps...

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It is a document that highlights all the characteristics of the future organization, analyzes possible problems and risks, predicts them and methods by which they can be avoided.

Simply put, a business plan for an investor is the answer to the question “Should I finance the project or throw it in the trash?”

Important! A business plan is drawn up on paper, taking into account some procedures and rules. This presentation of the project to some extent materializes your idea and shows your desire and willingness to work. Also, putting it on paper makes it easier for investors to perceive the idea.

Drawing up a business plan yourself

Making a business plan yourself is not that difficult, you just need to think about the idea carefully. Before you grab a calculator and calculate your income, there are several steps you need to take.

1. Identify the “pros” and “cons” of the idea that has arisen. If the number of “minuses” is off the charts, don’t rush to give up. Some aspects can be turned in the opposite direction, think about ways to solve such “cons”.
2. Important characteristics are competitiveness and market sustainability.
3. The sales market needs to be thought through to the smallest detail.
4. The payback of the product (service) and the time of receiving the first profit will allow you to determine (approximately) the required amount for investment.

If after such a superficial analysis you don’t want to abandon your brainchild, then it’s time to take a clean slate and start creating a business plan.

It is important to know! There is no single structure and step-by-step instructions on how to calculate a business plan. Therefore, the presence and order of items included in the plan are determined independently. However, experts have established the most optimal plan structure option. If you have no experience in drafting such documents, you need to use these recommendations to correctly compose your work.

Structure and procedure for drawing up a business plan

The structure of a good business plan, according to economists, should include 12 points. Each of them is described below.

Title page

The following parameters are specified here:

• name of the project;
• name of the organization where the project is planned to be implemented, indicating telephone numbers, addresses and other contact information;
• head of the above organization;
• developer (team or manager) of a business plan;
• date of document preparation;
• It is allowed to include the most significant indicators of financial calculations for the project on the first sheet.

This document is necessary to protect the copyright of the idea and business plan. This reflects the reader's awareness that he does not have the right to distribute the information contained in the document without the permission of the author. There may also be an instruction prohibiting copying, duplicating the document, or transferring it to another person, or a requirement to return the read business plan to the author if the investor does not accept the agreement.

An example of a confidentiality memorandum can be seen below.

The next 2 sections of the plan – “Brief Summary” and “Main Idea of ​​the Project” – are introductory. They can be used as a preliminary proposal (for review) to partners and investors until negotiations are scheduled.

Brief summary

Although a brief summary of such a document is at the beginning, it is written at the final stage, as a summary. A summary is a short description of the project idea and a list of the most significant characteristics of the financial component.

The following questions will help, answering which can lead to an excellent resume:

1. What product does the company plan to sell?
2. Who would want to buy this product?
3. What is the planned sales (production) volume for the first year of the company’s operation? What will be the revenue?
4. What is the total cost of the project?
5. How will the enterprise be formed according to its organizational and legal form?
6. How many workers are planned to be recruited?
7. What is the required amount of capital investment to implement the project?
8. What are the sources of funding for this project?
9. How much is the total profit (profitability) for a specific period, the payback period, the amount of cash at the end of the first year of operation of the enterprise, profitability. Net present value.

It is important to know! The summary is read by the investor first. Therefore, the future fate of the project depends on this section: the investor will either become interested or bored. This part should not exceed 1 page.

Main idea of ​​the project

1. What is the main project goal?
2. What are the objectives of the enterprise to achieve the main goal?
3. Are there any obstacles to your goal and how to get around them?
4. What exact actions does the author propose to perform in order to achieve results and achieve the goal as soon as possible? What are these deadlines?

Important! It is necessary to provide clear, real and explicit arguments that will confirm confidence in the profitability and success of the project. The volume of this part is optimal within 1-2 pages.

In this section, it is customary to use the conducted SWOT analysis – assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, opportunities (prospects), as well as possible threats. It is unlikely that you will be able to make a business plan correctly and as completely as possible without such an analysis.

A SWOT analysis reflects two aspects that influence the life of an organization: internal, relating to the enterprise itself, and external (everything outside the company that it cannot change).

Do not forget: You are describing a company, not a product! A common mistake authors make is that they start writing product characteristics in the “strength” column.

Here are some parameters you can use to describe strengths or weaknesses:

• high-tech production;
• service and after sales service;
• versatility of the product (without affecting its specific properties);
• level of qualifications and professionalism of employees;
• level of technical equipment of the enterprise.

External factors (“opportunities” and “threats”) include:

• market growth rate;
• level of competition;
• political situation in the region, country;
• features of legislation;
• features of consumer solvency.

Example

Characteristics of the industry on the market

• dynamics of sales of similar products in the industry in recent years;
• market industry growth rate;
• trends and features of pricing;
• comprehensive assessment of competitors;
• search and identification of new and young enterprises in the industry, as well as characteristics of their activities;
• description of the consumer market, their desires, intentions, requirements, opportunities;
• assessment of the possible impact of scientific, social, economic aspects;
• prospects for development in the market.

Essence of the project

This section reveals the idea, the subject of the business plan. It also reflects the level of preparedness of the enterprise to go “into the world”, the availability of all the funds required for this.

The most important provisions in this section:

• primary goals;
• description of the target consumer segment;
• key performance factors for market success;
• a detailed presentation of the product, the characteristics of which must be within the market segment defined above;
• stage of product development (if production has started), patent and copyright purity;
• characteristics of the organization;
• the total cost of the project, indicating the financing schedule by periods and investment amounts;
• required initial expenses for a marketing campaign and the formation of a coherent organizational structure.

Marketing plan

The objectives, goals of marketing policy and methods for solving and achieving them are indicated here. It is important to indicate which task is intended for which personnel, in what time frame it is required to be completed and with the help of which tools. The funds required for the latter also need to be indicated.

Marketing plan is a strategy, a set of sequential and/or simultaneous steps created to attract consumers and provide effective returns on their part.

The investor will be attentive to such points as:

• a well-developed system of comprehensive market research and analysis;
• the planned volume of sales of goods (services) and its assortment, scheduled by time periods until the enterprise reaches full capacity;
• ways to improve products;
• description of product packaging and pricing policy;
• procurement and sales system;
• advertising strategy – clearly formulated and understandable;
• service planning;
• control over the implementation of the marketing strategy.

Production plan

Everything that directly concerns the creation of products is reflected in this part. Therefore, it is advisable to compile this section only for those companies that plan not only distribution, but also production of products.

Points that must be specified:

• required production capacity;
• detailed interpretation of the technological process;
• a detailed description of the operations entrusted to subcontractors;
• necessary equipment, its characteristics, cost and method of purchase or rental;
• subcontractors;
• required area for production;
• raw materials, resources.

It is important to indicate the cost of everything that requires expenses.

Organizational plan

At this stage, the principles of organizational strategic management of the company are developed. If the enterprise already exists, then this point is still mandatory: the compliance of the existing structure with the intended goals is determined here. The organizational part must certainly contain the following data:

• name of the organizational and legal form (individual entrepreneur, JSC, partnership and others);
• an organizational management system that reflects the structure in the form of a diagram, regulations and instructions, communication and dependence of departments;
• founders, their description and data;
• management team;
• interaction with staff;
• supplying the management system with the necessary material and technical resources;
• location of the company.

Financial plan

This chapter of the business plan provides a comprehensive economic assessment of the written project, accompanied by calculations of the level of profitability, payback period, and financial stability of the enterprise.

A financial plan is very important for an investor; here it determines whether a given project is attractive to him.

Here you need to make some calculations and summarize them:

Risk analysis

In a risk analysis, the author must examine the project and identify potential threats that could lead to decreased revenue. It is necessary to take into account financial, industry, natural, social and other risks. At the same time, it is necessary to develop a detailed and effective plan to prevent them or minimize the impact on the company. Therefore, the business plan must indicate:

• a list of all potential problems;
• a set of techniques and tools that prevent, eliminate or minimize risks;
• models of the company’s behavior when events occur that are not conducive to its development;
• justification for the low probability of such problems occurring.

Applications

This is the last link in the structure of a business plan. It includes documents, quotes, sources, copies of contracts, agreements, certificates, letters from consumers, partners, statistical data, calculation tables used in the preparation of this document. It is required to insert links and footnotes to the appendices in the text of the business plan.

General requirements for the document

• it is necessary to write a business plan in clear, precise language, without long and complex formulations;
• desired volume – 20-25 pages;
• the business plan must cover all the information required by the investor in full;
• the document must necessarily be based on real facts, substantiated rational proposals;
• the plan must have a strategic foundation: strict, delineated and complete, with clear targets;
• interconnectedness, complexity and consistency are important features of drawing up a plan;
• the investor must see the future, prospects for the development of the project idea;
• The flexibility of the business plan is a significant plus. If adjustments can be made, amendments to the written project are a pleasant bonus for the investor;
• conditions and modes of control over the functioning of the enterprise should become part of the business plan.

Making a business plan from scratch without the help of a specialist is not easy, but it is possible. It is important to adhere to the above rules, construction structure and avoid mistakes.

The most common mistakes

• Illiterate syllable

The rules of language cannot be ignored. It often happens that the most incredible and promising idea goes into the trash bin along with a bunch of plans of mediocre IP specialists. And all because errors in spelling, vocabulary, punctuation and poor presentation of the text completely discourage any investor.

• Careless design

The design should be the same throughout the document: bullets, headings, lists, font, size, numbering, spacing, etc. Contents, headings, numbering, names of figures and tables, designation of data in graphs are required!

• Incomplete plan

To properly draw up a business plan, you need a comprehensive amount of information. The sections of the document listed above are the minimum that should be unconditionally included in the project.

• Vague plan

The work should be “like in a pharmacy on a scale.” Clear, defined, specific statements of goals and (important!) ideas.

• Too many details

An abundance of technical, financial, and marketing terms will only help in exams. For a business plan, you need to select only the most significant details. If there is a great need for a thorough description of a process, then you can add it to the appendix.

• Unrealistic data

Business proposals like these are based on assumptions. Therefore, the author needs to approach the idea rationally and have a reasonable background, a real reason, supported by calculations.

• Few facts

For each assumption there is its own justification - real, valid. Facts give work meaning and confidence. You shouldn’t create a fountain of facts either, but if you get carried away, then look at the rule about details.

• “We have no risks!”

The main rule: there is no business without risk. There is no such business in which it is “quiet and calm.” The investor knows this, and the author should know this. Therefore, it’s time to come down from the clouds to the ground and study, explore, analyze.

• “And we have no competitors either!”

There is always a competitor, as well as a risk. It can be direct or indirect. Study this topic carefully and meticulously, and a rival will definitely appear on the horizon, waving his hand at you.

• Neglecting outside help

Creating a business plan yourself does not mean doing absolutely everything yourself. Moreover, obtaining a high-quality result is possible through the joint efforts of several specialists. Don't be afraid of helpers!

Having a business is a great way to start earning money on your own, but it cannot be opened without first developing a special project. In this publication you will find the answer to the following questions: what is a business plan, how to draw up this document, are there any nuances of its design.

What is a business project?

A business project describes all the features of the future organization. It analyzes possible problems, identifies options for solving them, and predicts the result. How to draw up a correct business plan is a question asked by people who are planning to attract investors. Competent preparation of the document will guarantee the successful future of your enterprise.

Drawing up a correct business project is not easy even for an experienced entrepreneur, so it is advisable to entrust this work to a team of competent economists. The plan must contain, regardless of the type of activity:

1. Justification of economic feasibility.
2. The state of the economic environment in which it is planned to open a business.
3. Financial results (sales volume, revenue and profit).
4. Sources of financing.
5. Task execution schedule.
6. Appointment of people responsible for the implementation of the business.
7. Determine indicators that allow you to monitor intermediate results.

I know a lot about business planning. Planned and opened 3 family businesses. I compiled 4 business plans to receive grants and one subsidy from the Employment Center. I helped several friends formulate their ideas, edited dozens of documents for clients, and studied hundreds of materials from applicants - businessmen applying for a loan.

For two years I worked at a business financing institution. Beginning and experienced entrepreneurs applied for funds, and we assessed the prospects and payback of the idea, drew up a business plan or adjusted the client’s existing calculations. Information about the applicant was presented at a meeting of the credit committee, where a collective decision was made to issue the requested amount or to refuse.

To convince all credit experts to vote “for” financing, it was necessary to analyze all possible risks of the project and find solutions for any situation, protect the lender’s money from all sides, and provide escape options if everything goes according to a negative scenario.

The discussion of business projects at the credit committee was structured as follows:

– What if he divorces his wife, who will sell in his store, since she is now standing behind the counter herself?

– Hire a second salesperson. By the way, the wife acts as a guarantor for the loan, so she will take on half of the debt during the divorce.

– What will happen to the debt when the “off season” for sales comes?

– In the off-season, I propose to reduce the monthly payments in the schedule so that the client “pulls” this amount during the period of declining profits.

– What if his warehouse is robbed?

– The warehouse is guarded, but we still insure the inventory – this insurance company pays compensation within a couple of weeks without quibbles or delays, so the client will quickly recover losses and be able to order a new batch of goods.

Become such a strict commission for your own project and go through all the weak points of the business to find a plan B and C for any development of the situation. Discuss ideas and brainstorm with friends. It is better to find possible problems and think through their solutions on paper before opening a company, than to take risks and incur unnecessary expenses later.

Quite everyday situations can turn into a disaster for a micro-business and problems for a large enterprise. Take this into account when planning so that you don’t unexpectedly go into the red later.

My experience will help you create a business plan and get financing for it. It can be used when approaching private investors, requesting a bank loan, or obtaining a grant for start-up entrepreneurs from the local government.

Using the example of my new family enterprise - a small blacksmith's workshop - I will show you how to create a business plan to attract funds from the budget.

A business plan is a document that comprehensively describes the idea, project, work and results of such work. It takes into account everything from the launch schedule and recruitment to different development scenarios and payback periods. The full version of the document lists possible risks and options for minimizing them.

What are the differences from feasibility studies?

A feasibility study is a feasibility study for launching a project. The calculations in it concern only the necessary investments, upcoming costs, expected income, and payback period. It calculates the financial benefits of planned activities. A feasibility study can be drawn up when a separate issue is being resolved, for example, about transferring accounting to .

A business plan, compared to a feasibility study, covers a wider range of issues, including promotion and marketing of the project, organizational arrangements, and risk assessment. The social component of a startup is also considered here. A business plan is a more comprehensive document; it is needed when opening a restaurant or store.

Why do you need a business plan?

A business plan shows the seriousness of the entrepreneur’s intentions and the depth of his immersion in the topic. He needs this himself in order to understand what awaits him in the process, how to avoid problems and get money.

But this document is most important when raising funds. Without a business plan, an investor, credit specialist or administration employee will not discuss the possibility of issuing borrowed or budget funds.

Let's return to our forge. My husband and I need a business plan for internal use - to understand what startup costs will be needed, how much and what will have to be purchased, what and how to register for legal work, what income is possible, what to produce and how to sell.

But another purpose of drawing up a BP is to apply for a grant. Budget funds are distributed at the district level to support start-up entrepreneurs. It is possible to receive up to 300,000 rubles free of charge by passing a competitive selection, during which a commission evaluates the business plan and its indicators. To get around and get it, you need to correctly draw up this document and competently present your project.

Internal – for making management decisions. A businessman needs such a document for himself, for his partners, for his employees.

External – to attract financing and government support, search for an investor. It is compiled for communicating with banks, applying to the district/city administration for a grant or subsidy, and negotiating with possible partners.

The tasks that different business plans solve differ. You cannot draw up one document and go with it for a loan, for budget support, and in search of a private investor.

1. Money from the budget

Objectives of the business plan when attracting budget funds:

• Demonstrate your vision of the project, convince officials distributing funds that you understand the chosen area and understand where to start. It doesn’t matter to them how and what you do during your work, the main thing is that your business stays afloat for at least 3-5 years. This is how long they track the fate of support recipients.
• Choose a priority direction of development: make and sell what the market needs, provide services that are lacking in the area, satisfy the demand of different categories of the population. This is again important for improving statistics in the area, so that the authorities can report that the consumer market is developing.
• Confirm the social significance of the project: job creation and employment of the unemployed, youth, disabled people, parents of large families - the more workers a business needs, the better. The number of new jobs is one of the criteria for evaluating the project.
• Calculate the budgetary efficiency of the business - the volume of tax and non-tax revenues, including insurance premiums for employees and personal income tax; the more you plan to pay to the state, the higher the likelihood of providing a grant. Ideally, these revenues should cover the costs of providing you with a grant in a couple of years, and then cover them.

Consider all these points when drawing up a business plan in order to correctly place the emphasis.

All indicators of the business plan and forecasts will be checked after the issuance of budget funds - once a quarter, six months or a year, the commission will go to the site and request financial documentation and reporting from you, and compare the indicators with the planned ones. If you don't hire employees or start delivering products to local stores as promised, you may be forced to return the money because you failed to fulfill your contractual obligations. Therefore, on paper, do not inflate the numbers and do not embellish anything; approach planning more realistically.

2. Bank loan

If you decide to go to the bank for money, then a business plan for a loan will perform other tasks:

• Prove the understanding of the project by the entrepreneur himself, provide a calendar plan that will help draw up a debt repayment schedule.
• Calculate the amount of income and expenses taking into account mandatory payments to repay the loan.
• List the risks of loan non-repayment and suggest possible ways to minimize them - guarantee, insurance, property pledge.

The lender needs the client to reach the planned income and be able to fulfill his obligations without delays or failures, even during an emergency. In a business plan for a bank, it is necessary to focus on this. He does not care about the number of jobs created or the amount of taxes paid; what is more important is the financial stability of the borrower.

3. Investor funds

The financial component of the project is also important for the investor; he needs information about the payback period of the investment. When investing his money, he must understand how quickly he will get some results - a return of money, a part of the profit.

The business plan should immediately provide for options for distributing profits between investors, providing them with a share in the company, and the degree of involvement in the work.

4. Internal resources

A business plan “for yourself” can perform any tasks and contain a wide variety of information about a future or existing enterprise. With its help, you can prepare a report for management and shareholders with calculations and arguments in favor of expanding production, opening a new outlet, entering the market of another region, or developing a product line.

In such a document, you can go into detail, describe all the nuances and take into account not only financial issues, but also organizational work, marketing policy, and production issues.

There is no universal business plan; you always need to understand what and for whom it is intended and draw it up with this in mind.

• To receive a grant, the forge’s business plan must tell more about what it will provide to the area and what benefits the budget will receive from its opening.
• Thus, it is necessary to indicate that the nearest forge is located in another area of ​​the region, 200 km away, so the opening of a new enterprise will provide local residents with affordable products. And it will be suitable for household needs and satisfy the needs of all categories of the population - hardware tools, interior items, furniture.
• It should be emphasized that in the first year the entrepreneur-blacksmith himself will be employed, and in the second year it is planned to hire another employee as an assistant. This will create 2 jobs.
• It is also worth calculating in detail how many insurance premiums a self-employed entrepreneur will pay for himself and how much for an employee next year.
• The employee’s salary must necessarily exceed the average salary in the relevant industry in the region. Thus, in the Novgorod region, statistics say that workers in the production sector receive an average of 32,000 rubles. Payments to the employee in calculations must be indicated no less than this amount.
• This will need to be mentioned in the brief description of the project - that part of the business plan that will be read and carefully studied by all members of the competition committee.
• If we went to the bank for a loan, we would focus on other details - payback, stable income, profitability, which allows us to repay the requested amount with interest.

Main sections of a business plan

Any business plan should contain a comprehensive description of the project so that important information is not missed. The main sections may have different names, be combined or divided into additional subsections, but their content must be in the document.

What sections does a business plan include?

Detailed content of sections of the business plan

What should we write about in the main points of this document in order to get a complete picture of the company’s development?

Business Description

date of creation, official registration of an individual entrepreneur or legal entity.

Distribution of shares in a company between partners, co-founders, investors.

Businessman experience before that – education, experience as an employee. It is not necessary to indicate your entire work history and attach diplomas, unless this directly relates to a new project. So, when a businessman planning to open a cafe has previously worked for several years as a manager in public catering, this will be his advantage. If he graduated from a university with a specialty in the restaurant business, then this is another point in his experience. And if all his life he has been turning nuts in a car service center, trained as a veterinarian and then suddenly decided to open a bar, information about education and experience will be superfluous.

Place of registration, business area. You need to indicate not only the address, but also the overall coverage of the territory.

Project goals and objectives. Here you need to describe the scope of activity, as well as measurable results - open 1 cafe with 30 seats, sell 500 kg of baked goods daily, etc.

I’ll show you how to describe an enterprise in a business plan, using the example of a forge. In the “Project Description” section there will be the following information:

• IP registration date: May 2018.
• The entrepreneur will run the business independently, without involving partners. The employee will be hired in the spring of 2019.
• The entrepreneur spent a year doing forging in his home workshop. In the spring of 2018, I rented space for a forge on the production site, equipped it and continued working.
• At the end of 2017, I completed a three-month course in “Hand Art Forging” at the Academy of Metalworking (St. Petersburg) and received the qualification “blacksmith” (a copy of the education certificate is attached).
• The goal of the project is to open a forge in the N-rayon for the production and sale of forged products to the population.
• By 2019, it is planned to produce products worth 250,000 rubles monthly.

Market assessment. You need to estimate the market capacity, population, and number of potential customers. It is quite difficult to do this without full-fledged marketing research. Therefore, it is worth looking for ready-made results of such an assessment for your region. In extreme cases, you can roughly predict effective demand.

The main thing is to formulate sales goals for yourself: will you work only within the microdistrict, open retail outlets throughout the city, take the products for sale throughout the district, or supply them beyond its borders.

How exactly you plan to reach your target audience, how you will choose suitable promotion channels, you will describe in detail in the “Marketing Plan” section, now indicate only the direction.

Competitors. Make a list of your competitors who are already operating in this market.

Not only direct competitors offering similar goods and services are taken into account, but also those companies that produce substitute products and provide alternative services. If there is no specialized tea boutique in your city, this does not mean that the market is clear of competitors: you will have to compete for customers with those department stores and supermarkets that also sell different types of tea.

• There are no other blacksmiths engaged in artistic forging in the territory of the regional center itself or neighboring areas. The nearest company selling such handmade products is located 250 km away (in the regional center).
• Factory-produced hardware and entrenching tools - pokers, staples, machetes, axes, accessories - are offered in 6 hardware stores in the district, but consumers complain about their low quality, and monitoring of goods has shown that such goods do not last long. Hand-forged products are more durable, and a local blacksmith can compete with factory suppliers, guaranteeing not only high quality, but also sharpening of the tool, its repair, and manufacturing to the required dimensions to order. Forged decorative interior elements and household products - door handles, hooks for gates and hinges for gates, hangers and hooks for clothes - are rarely found in stores; mainly plastic products are sold. Forged garden furniture - benches, gazebos, lanterns, tables - are not sold in the area.
• These products are in steady demand among the local population. Handmade artistic forging products are bought not only by rural residents for their village homes, but also by summer residents, owners of tourist centers and country cafes.
• The forge will supply goods to the market of the N district, enter into contracts with stores for the supply of products for sale, and participate in craft fairs in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Production plan

Business processes. Write a list of equipment, tools, raw materials and supplies that are required to create the selected range of goods and provide services. Calculate the optimal production volumes that your equipment can handle. Indicate which employees and with what workload you will need.

Products. List the products, services and work that you will offer to clients. Calculations of the costs of organizing business processes will allow you to find out the cost and draw up a price list.

Starting investments. Calculate how much money you will need to start the project. Add up the cost of all assets, fixed assets, repairs, materials and other costs that will be required to begin production.

For example, this section might look like this:

• To operate a forge, it is necessary to equip the room with ventilation, a forge, an anvil with a hammer, a vice, a table for cutting metal, a paint booth for processing finished products with heat-resistant paint, anti-rust and other coatings. All this has already been done by the entrepreneur himself.
• The following equipment and tools will increase work efficiency and productivity: grinder for sharpening blades (40,000 rubles), grinder for cutting metal (5,000 rubles), grinder for processing forged products (10,000 rubles), automatic welding machine (20,000 rubles .), mechanical hammer (from RUB 150,000). The total cost of equipping the forge is 225,000 rubles.
• In the manufacture of products, metal is used - profiles, sheet iron, fittings, wire. Raw materials are purchased in small wholesale from a metal warehouse in a neighboring area, delivery is carried out by the supplier’s transport. The cost of a batch of raw materials including delivery is 10,000 rubles. There may be 2-4 batches per month, taking into account the load and volume of work.
• Forging requires coal and gas in cylinders. A combined forge allows you to process metal by heating it with coal or gas. The average monthly consumption of these types of fuel is 1,500 rubles and 2,000 rubles, respectively.
• Supply and exhaust ventilation, electric. Used to maintain the required temperature in the furnace and remove combustion products from the room. Electricity consumption is accounted for by a separate meter in the forge and reaches the amount of 2,500 rubles per month.
• During the first 9-10 months, the blacksmith will work alone, then it will be necessary to hire a worker as an assistant.
• The forge is located on the territory of a carpentry shop, so there will be no problems with the manufacture of mixed products - from wood with forged elements.
• List of products: benches, tables, bar stools, flower stands, fireplace sets (poker, scoop, stand for them), floor and wall hangers, coat hooks, latches and hinges for gates and gates, door and cabinet handles, lamps , coasters for the kitchen for hot dishes or for cutting boards, sickles, machetes, staples, knives.
• The forge is already working, but not at full capacity. Grant funds are needed to purchase additional equipment. Replenishment of current assets and payment of current expenses will be made at your own expense.

Organizational plan

Organizational and legal form. Is an individual entrepreneur or LLC, or some other form of organization suitable for the implementation of the selected project? What is the rationale behind the choice? What taxation system has been chosen and why is it suitable?

Distribution of founder roles. If there are several partners, their role in the management and operation of the company is described. What will they do and what will they be responsible for?

Staff. What employees will be needed, who should be hired, who should be hired temporarily, what functions can be outsourced or performed independently.

Settlements with counterparties. How do you plan to receive money from clients? Do you need to open a cash register, buy an online cash register, or are there options for making payments in some other way?

Project Schedule. What needs to be done and when, which issues need to be resolved immediately, which ones - later. It is advisable to calculate the cost of each stage in order to clearly show when and in what volume financing is required.

• For a forge, it is enough for a self-employed blacksmith to be an individual entrepreneur. This simplifies accounting and reporting. Accounting is carried out by the entrepreneur himself, using the appropriate online services provided to him by the bank.
• A current account is used for settlements with clients and suppliers, and a cash register will also be purchased, although goods can be sold at fairs without it. A special deduction will be used when purchasing a cash register.
• After hiring an employee, it will be necessary to register with extra-budgetary funds as an employer; before that, it is enough to regularly pay insurance contributions to extra-budgetary funds.
• Activities are already underway. Upon receipt of the grant, equipment will be purchased, which will increase production volumes.
• When budget funds are issued in July, within a month all the necessary equipment according to the list will be purchased and installed (for 225,000 rubles), and from August the productivity of the forge will increase several times. It is planned to hire a worker in the spring of next year - in March-April, before which the blacksmith will work independently.

This section is devoted to channels and methods of promotion, necessary actions to increase sales, and advertising costs.

Promotion channels. Advertisements in newspapers, commercials on radio and TV, online advertising, creating your own website and group on social networks, advertising in local public pages and forums, participation in exhibitions and fairs.

The target audience. Who should you target when organizing sales? Who is your client - by age, gender, occupation, income level. Where to find him and how to contact him.

Cost of promotion. How much will it cost to find and attract target audience? How often will you need to run advertising, what options should you choose?

In our example business plan, this section would look like this:

Financial indicators

It is necessary to calculate the cost of production, planned sales volumes, necessary costs, projected income and profit, and the profitability of the project. If there are many and different products, it is not necessary to provide all the calculations in the business plan; they can be included in a separate application, and all indicators can be calculated based on the average cost value. You need to show your own contribution to the project and the need for raised funds. If necessary, repay the loan - an approximate repayment schedule. When making payments to an investor, calculate his share of the profit.

Risk assessment

External factors. Emergency situations and natural disasters, negative impact of local authorities, a new competitor, a change in the economic situation and a drop in household incomes.

Internal factors. Incorrect assessment of the sales market, delays in deliveries, problems with personnel, errors in production, problems with renting premises, industrial accidents.

Options for minimizing risks. Insurance of life, health, property, liability to third parties. The opportunity to reduce prices, change the range, switch to other products, change the circle of potential customers, expand the sales market and find new buyers outside the area, region or country. Agreements with partners and contractors, good personal relationships with the authorities, a large number of qualified workers on the market who are looking for work, etc.

Working out some of the risks for the forge will look something like this:

• At first, the income of the forge will depend entirely on the entrepreneur himself. Health problems or injuries will negatively impact work volume and profits. Industrial emergencies can be prevented by following safety precautions. Then it is planned to hire an employee who will take the increased load off the blacksmith himself.
• Fire, accidents, equipment breakdowns, natural disasters - damage from these accidents will be covered by property insurance, which will be issued for the rented premises, equipment and tools in the forge at their market value. The forge had already passed a fire inspection, and representatives of the energy company were also present; they checked the electrical wiring, the forge hood, ventilation and fire alarms. There were comments, but all the shortcomings were immediately eliminated. The room itself, with a separate entrance, is located in a brick building and meets general production safety requirements.
• If there are problems with rent, you can quickly move the forge to another location - there are enough suitable empty production areas in the area, the equipment is easily dismantled and can be installed in another location within 1-2 days.
• With low demand for products and small trade turnover, the sales market will be expanded, agreements have been obtained to supply products for sale to hardware stores in other areas of the region, the most popular goods will be selected, and the assortment policy will be revised. There is no need to change equipment or rebuild work - it is enough to purchase other raw materials for the production of other products, for example, forged fences, window bars, gates and wickets, entrance lobbies and canopies over the porch.
• If another competitor appears on the market, the entrepreneur will choose the most profitable niche and produce products that the new market participant will not have, or change the sales strategy and supply finished products to other markets.

Project Summary

This section contains the most important things: the essence of the project, the necessary investments, results after launch, development prospects, possible risks and ways to reduce them. The remaining sections with details will be read only if the summary of the business plan is of interest to the investor, lender, or official. So, think again about what the goal of your project is and identify the important metrics that meet that goal. Repeat what you will produce, how much income you plan to receive, what expenses will be required, how much money you will invest yourself, and how much you need to attract.

Common mistakes when writing a business plan

• Very optimistic. Insufficient market knowledge. Lack of adequate risk assessment.
• Copying other people's calculations. Using data without reference to reality and the specifics of the business.
• Without taking into account the purpose and addressee. Lack of important indicators. A lot of unnecessary information and “water”.
• Poor design, illiterate presentation of information, negligence in calculations. Confused presentation and lack of clear structure.

How to get money for a business plan

Studying the design requirements

When contacting a bank or municipal government to raise financing, ask for application guidelines. Often this is a simple and understandable list of necessary documents, as well as a list of requirements for the content and design of a business plan. Sometimes a template of this document is even provided with the sections and subsections already indicated. where you just have to enter your information. There are also wishes regarding its volume, a list of questions for analyzing the project, a list of important indicators that you must calculate.

Business plan protection

In some cases, it is necessary not only to draw up this document, but also to defend it before the commission. Bank employees will decide whether to issue a loan. Officials will assess your level of information proficiency in order to grade you for participation in the competitive selection for a grant or subsidy. The investor will get acquainted with your plans and decide whether he needs to participate in it.

With such protection, it is enough to retell the “Project Summary” section and say the main business indicators out loud, answer the questions of the commission members in order to convince them of your readiness and ability to use the raised funds in accordance with the plan.