How to make your own business plan. Why it is important to find out the disadvantages in advance What is SWOT analysis and how it is applied in business planning

A business plan is a project that allows an entrepreneur to reflect all the moments of organizing his future business. A competent and convincing business plan makes it possible to attract large investors, lenders and start a promising business.

Thorough study of each point of the business plan is the key to drawing up a competent and promising project. Initial points to pay attention to.

Key points	Description
Line of business	Determining the direction of work is the starting point when drawing up a business plan. It is important to clearly describe the type of activity that the entrepreneur plans to engage in. It is necessary not only to determine the direction of development, but also to justify why this particular type of activity, in the opinion of the compiler of the business plan, will bring him profit. Here is a list of goods and services that will be the products of the entrepreneur
Business location	In modern conditions, a business can be located not only in real premises, but also on the Internet. In the second case, the business plan indicates the address of the site and the dwelling from which the entrepreneur plans to go online. In the first case, it is important to indicate not only the location of the retail space, but also the method of its operation (purchase, rent, leasing). It is necessary to justify the choice of the location of the business
Control	The entrepreneur must determine for himself who will be the manager. It can be directly the owner of the business, or an outsider, endowed with the powers of a manager
Staff	The staff plays an important role in the formation and development of any business. The more qualified the specialists working in the company, the more profit they will bring. The desired number and quality of employees is indicated in the business plan along with the calculation of the approximate costs of maintaining this team and the justification for the need for these costs
The target audience	An entrepreneur must decide which categories of citizens will be his clients. The business plan provides a description of these categories of consumers, as well as ways to attract them (advertising, marketing business strategy)
Competitors	It is important to soberly assess the situation in the market for the provision of similar services, or the sale of similar goods. In the business plan, you need to list all major competitors, study their activities and describe possible ways to fight
Cost amount	The business plan must indicate the total cost that will have to be incurred in the implementation of this project. It takes into account the cost of equipment, employee salaries, rental and advertising costs, purchase costs, unexpected costs, etc.

In order to draw up a competent business plan, you need to carefully study the factors presented in the table.

Key research points	Description
Market condition	The region of residence of potential customers, age and gender of potential buyers, existing prices, variability of demand (for example, for a seasonal product), etc. All these data can be found in the media, on the Internet, through observations and surveys, in statistical reports.
Competitors' activities	Name of companies, location, characteristics of goods and services, distinctive features, price level, ways of promoting products, rates of development. Analysis of competitors makes it possible to adjust your plans at the initial stage and focus on goods and services that compare favorably with what competitors offer
The price for similar products	To calculate the estimated price, you can take into account: competitors' prices, demand for the product, production cost, expected profit, uniqueness markup, etc.
Existing risks	The threat of falling demand, unreliability of suppliers, inflation, government activities, increased cost of equipment, etc.
Sources of financing	Possible subsidies, investments, loans, leasing.
Taxation methods	It is important to study all methods of paying taxes and choose the best option. There are three types of taxation in Russia: general, simplified, imputed.

When drawing up a business plan, it is advisable to take into account the following recommendations:

at the beginning of the business plan, make a short discussion of it, which will concisely state the essence of the document;
describe the future company in as much detail as possible (name, actual address, legal address, description of the line of business, area of \u200b\u200bpremises, landlord, etc.);
give a detailed analysis of the sales market (market segments, consumers, development trends, possible risks, expected profit, etc.);
talk about future goods, services (reasons for choosing this particular product, target audience, advantages over competitors, the process of producing goods, etc.);
describe the chosen strategy (a way to conquer the market and find your niche);
carefully study the activities of dozens of the closest competitors, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses;
to draw up a complete description of production, paying attention to even the most insignificant at first glance moments (method of delivery of goods, procedure for writing off debts from debtors, the process of training and training of personnel, equipment, technologies, licenses, legal aspects of activities, etc.);
describe the workflow. You can attach CVs and letters of recommendation of key employees (for example, a manager and key managers), describe job descriptions, calculate the approximate costs of staff salaries;
attach all relevant documents to the business plan. In addition to documents describing the duties and qualifications of employees, it is necessary to attach accounting documents, credit documents, lease or leasing agreements, statistical reports, etc.

At the initial stage of drawing up a business plan, it is important to avoid common mistakes. These errors include:

excess of unnecessary information. The business plan should be dedicated exclusively to the description of the proposed business activity. The presence of a large amount of secondary information (personal merits of the author, professional terms, too detailed description of the production process, etc.) can make a negative impression on future investors;
blurry and unattainable goals. The tasks that the entrepreneur sets himself must be realistically achievable;
adequate financial performance. Indicating an unnecessarily high percentage of the profitability of an enterprise in order to impress investors can lead to the opposite result. Financial indicators should be based on real research and calculations, as well as take into account possible risks;

Thus, when drawing up a business plan at the initial stage, it is important to determine the direction of activity, to collect all the necessary information. A competent project will be the key to building a successful business.

Every successful entrepreneur can confidently declare that a well-designed business plan acts as one of the most important elements in the formation of his own business. Understanding how to correctly design a future enterprise, you can predict a positive result when contacting a credit institution or an investor. Consider further the basic rules for writing a business plan.

Purpose of the document

Writing a business plan (an example project will be discussed below) can be done in various ways. There are various manuals for this. However, in most of them, the information is very specific and is understandable only to economists or accountants. Along with this, the need to draw up a business plan arises for all beginning entrepreneurs. The document is necessary to provide it to a credit institution, to obtain a loan from an investor for the development of the business at the initial stages. In addition, a business plan allows you to see the immediate and future goals, predict capital investments for one or another, foresee the moment when the first profit will come, calculate the total income from activities.

Specificity of enterprises

To obtain a loan for the construction of a plant or factory, it is more advisable to contact the appropriate organizations that can provide qualified assistance in writing a business plan. In this case, the document will contain economic calculations and be supported by financial documents drawn up in accordance with all the rules for their registration. A business plan drawn up in this way can be sent without hesitation to both foreign investors and domestic credit companies. However, in this case, it should be understood that services for the design of the project of the future enterprise will not be cheap. To open a mobile point of sale or clothing or footwear repair shop, for example, there is no need to study or calculate industry risks in detail. In this case, it will be enough to competently organize production, determine the sales market, and forecast enterprises. A program for writing a business plan for such an activity will be understandable for a novice entrepreneur.

An important point

Entrepreneurs who have a lot of experience in doing business do not recommend relying unconditionally on the experience of acquaintances or friends and only on their intuition. Activity forecasting does not appear as an obsolete component of socialist reality. Planning is an essential element of modern business. Analysis of payback periods, determination of periods of investment, development and subsequent return are the most important aspects, even with a relatively small investment. Concepts such as "market" and "plan" are fundamental both in the East and in the West. At the present stage of economic development, it is enough to adopt the experience of successful companies and get positive results.

Sample business plan writing

The project of the future business is necessary for the investor, as well as for the entrepreneur himself. The structure of writing a business plan includes a number of mandatory points. These include, in particular:

introduction;
a short description of the future enterprise;
assessment of the sales market, competition, investment risks;
production formation plan;
sales forecasts for services / goods;
financial plan;
organization of management;
appendix.

Adaptation to the Russian market

The above plan for writing a business plan is recommended by Western analysts. However, in the practice of domestic entrepreneurship, some of its points require clarification and additional decoding. So, taking into account the peculiarities of the Russian business sphere, a section should be included in the plan for writing a business plan that reveals an adequate understanding of problems and issues related to the quality of services and goods. Here it is necessary to provide possible options for their solution. It is also advisable to include in the plan for writing a business plan an item describing the ability to competently manage and regulate the cost of services / products. In the same section, it is worth revealing ways to ensure its competitiveness. Another additional point will be a clear vision of the prospects for the development of the enterprise, guarantees of the ability to complete the business.

Business plan writing plan: independent work

First of all, one should clearly assess the competitiveness of the proposed services or goods, analyze the sales market, the timing of the first profit, the time during which the investment will pay off. The next step will be to determine the amount of required capital investment. Experts recommend dividing investments into several parts, backing up the justification with appropriate calculations. Taking into account the listed points, it should be understood that a business plan drawn up independently may differ radically from the above structure. It should also be noted that there is no project form regulated by norms and standards. Each entrepreneur has the right to independently establish a list of items, the amount of documentation for planning an enterprise. However, if external investment is needed to open a business, you should still adhere to the above scheme.

Introduction

This section of the business plan is a presentation of the future enterprise. It must describe the type of activity in an understandable form in the most optimistic light. It often happens that the introduction is the only section that the investor reads on his own and immediately makes a decision whether to take a project into development or reject it. The study of the remaining parts, which display calculations, marketing research, financial justifications, he will entrust his specialists. However, as practice shows, it is the introduction that decides the fate of the project. This section should be short and concise at the same time.

Industry and enterprise characteristics

This is the next important part of the business plan. This section provides a general description of the enterprise and industry:

Financial indicators.
Personnel composition.
Direction of activity.
Company structure.
List and description of services / products.
Development prospects and so on.

The section should contain the characteristics of the proposed production, a number of technological aspects. These points should be described in simple and accessible language. There is no point in delving into terminology, using a professional style. In this case, it is enough to point out the uniqueness of the services or products, the demand in the near and foreseeable future. You can also draw the investor's attention to the advantages of the offered products.

Marketing research

The conditions under which consumers become customers of the enterprise should be described here. The section outlines methods of sales promotion, formation of a positive image, distribution of services / goods. The marketing plan includes a list of advertising costs. In essence, it should be justified how and why consumers will purchase the service or product.

Production

This section should be described. It also contains the characteristics of the premises, indicates the established requirements for equipment and personnel. The production plan should also describe suppliers and contractors.

Organization of the enterprise and financial component

The business plan should contain a description of the form of management, the tasks of the specialists of the administrative apparatus. For a domestic investor, a resume for each member of the management department is important. In this regard, in this section it is worth listing the partners, noting as truthfully and objectively as possible the contribution of each of them to the development of the enterprise, functional responsibilities and role in the company. The financial part contains economic calculations. In particular, a table of income and expenses is compiled, the balance is forecast, variable and direct costs are indicated, and so on. Typically, three forecasts are developed in this section: realistic, optimistic and pessimistic. They are displayed as graphs.

Having a business is a great way to start making money on your own, but it is impossible to open it 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 design nuances.

What is a business project?

The business project describes all the features of the future organization. It analyzes possible problems, identifies options for their solution and predicts the result. How to draw up a business plan correctly - this question is asked by people who are going to attract investors. Competent drawing up of the document will guarantee the successful future of your company.

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

Justification of economic feasibility.
The state of the economic environment in which it is planned to open a business.
Financial results (sales, revenue and profit).
Sources of financing.
Task execution schedule.
Appointment of people responsible for the implementation of the business.
Define indicators to monitor intermediate results.

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

A serious project should start with writing a competent business plan. This is a document that describes the main points of future activities, anticipated risks, financial performance and much more.

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

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

The current or future project leaders must do the work. They see the intricacies of the case and take responsibility for implementation.

If you figure out how to write a business plan, you will not only be able to predict future business activities, but also strengthen your faith in the success of the business.

How to write a competent business plan?

When written correctly, a business plan will serve three purposes:

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

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

In order not to miss out on details, it is worth writing your document using a standard structure.

The most important point, which is necessarily disclosed in detail, is the financial side of the issue. You need to write 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 be credited to the account. This point is especially relevant in the case of writing a business plan for lending purposes.

The section with financial indicators (for an existing company) or a reliable forecast for the future is included in the text or drawn up as an attachment. Use more numbers, graphs.

Choosing the type of plan

There are several types of business plans in Russia:

Business plan of the firm.
The most popular and common type. To write a document, a standard scheme is used. Needed by entrepreneurs to analyze the market and finance.
Credit document.
Used to argue for a bank loan. Answers the questions: where will the money go, how soon will the debt be paid off?
Investment plan.
Used for presentation to investors. Contains detailed case profiles and data on market niche and target audience research.
Grant document.
Used to receive development assistance from the state. Show the benefits of future activities for the region or the whole country.

The 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 each point.

The history of the company's existence is described in stages: from the moment of creation to the acquisition of stability. The text should be written in a business language, but vivid and exciting enough for a potential investor to have a desire to study it completely.

Any kind of activity has its own peculiarities, so the standard tracing paper of the 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 "annotation".

He 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 rest. However, the more interesting a section is written, the more likely it is to captivate the reader.

Goals and objectives.

Here the entrepreneur must write what and how he wants to achieve. In contrast to the summary, this part of the document is disclosed in detail, but without "water".

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

Staff.

Be sure to include a section on the future state in the plan. It is necessary to write a list of positions, official duties, a table of payroll calculations is made.

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

If you plan to raise salaries in the future, organize refresher courses, or arrange home delivery for late work, please indicate so.

The financial part.

The most important section of a business plan. It describes:

income and expenses;
unforeseen expenses;
finance movement;
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 yourself from scratch, delegate the financial section of the business plan to professionals.

The best way to format data for a business plan is graphs, tables and charts. Visual information is better and easier to digest. All these figures must be supported by calculations.

Marketing.

This section of the business plan includes the following sub-items: analysis of the state of affairs in the market, the presence or absence of a niche for the company, describes the competitors and advantages that will allow you to bypass them, the potential target audience.
Based on this data, you need to write in the document a conclusion about the most suitable advertising techniques that will 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 release of products from scratch to the finish (from ordering raw materials to shipping goods to points of sale) All important points are highlighted 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 manufacture products, but make bulk purchases with further sale, indicate in the supplier's document, the delivery method, and the place for storing the goods.

Risk analysis.

It is important for any person who has a large sum 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;
decline in sales;
deterioration of the economic situation in the country;
disruption of the delivery time of raw materials or sending products to customers;
extraordinary circumstances (war, fire, volcanic eruption).

Problems should not only be listed in the document, but also written solutions 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 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 graph of profit growth and the payback period of the project. All words should be backed up with specific numbers, 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 period of no more than 1-2 years. Moreover, for the first year it is necessary to make a breakdown by month. And already from the second one can be reduced to a quarterly plan.

Don't pour water.

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

It is allowed to make additional materials in a separate annex of the document.

Don't try to turn it into War and Peace. Having details and full coverage of the topic is good. But only if dry facts are used, and not "water". Leave artistic turns for personal correspondence.

There is no need to write phrases "a product without analogues", "there is no competition" in a business plan.

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

Analyze the market accurately for the presence of prospects, potential customers.

The data in the business plan must be written in specific numbers. If you cannot do this, then you do not understand the situation well.

Try to stick to the standard document structure outlined above.

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

The text of the business plan must be literate, understandable and "lively".

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

Avoid flamboyant 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 the 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 writing style. But the calculations should 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 indicate the size of future profits to a penny correctly. In this case, the analysis of sales of closest competitors and information about the average cost of the most popular of your services is 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 the shelf. It is not enough just to write a development course from scratch until the break-even level is reached. It is necessary to constantly return to it: analyze successes, correct mistakes, fill in gaps ...

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