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

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

Careful study of each item of the business plan is the key to drawing up a competent and promising project. Initial points worth paying attention to.

Key Points	Description
Line of business	Determining the direction of work is the starting point in 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 a real room, but also on the Internet. In the second case, the business plan indicates the address of the site and the residential premises from which the entrepreneur plans to access the Internet. 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). Justify the choice of business location
Control	The entrepreneur must determine for himself who will be the manager. This can be directly the owner of the business, or an outsider who is empowered by the manager.
Staff	The staff plays important role in the formation and development of any business. The more qualified specialists working in the company, the more profit they will bring. Desired quantity and quality employees is indicated in the business plan along with the calculation of the approximate costs of maintaining this team and the rationale for the need for these costs
The target audience	The 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 strategy business)
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 fight
Amount of costs	The business plan must indicate the total amount of costs that will have to be incurred during the implementation this project. This includes the cost of equipment, wage employees, rental and advertising costs, purchase costs, contingencies, etc.

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

Research highlights	Description
Market Condition	The area of residence of potential customers, age and gender of potential buyers, current prices, volatility in demand (for example, for seasonal goods), etc. All these data can be found in the media, on the Internet, with the help of observations and surveys, in statistical reports.
Activities of competitors	Name of companies, location, characteristics of goods and services, distinctive features, price level, ways to promote products, pace 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
Price for similar products	To calculate the estimated price, you can take into account: competitors' prices, demand for goods, production costs, expected profit, uniqueness markup, etc.
Existing risks	Threat of falling demand, unreliability of suppliers, inflation, activity of authorities, increase in the cost of equipment, etc.
Sources of financing	Possible subsidies, investments, loans, leasing.
Methods of taxation	It is important to study all the ways to pay 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 desirable to consider 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 direction of activity, area of the premises, landlord, etc.);
give a detailed analysis of the sales market (market segments, consumers, development trends, possible risks, expected profit, etc.);
talk about future products, services (reasons for choosing this particular product, the target audience, advantages over competitors, the process of production of 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;
make a complete description of the production, paying attention to even the most insignificant moments at first glance (the method of delivery of goods, the procedure for writing off debts from debtors, the process of training and training personnel, equipment, technologies, licenses, legal aspects of activity, etc.);
describe the workflow. You can attach resumes and letters of recommendation of key employees (for example, the manager and key managers), describe job descriptions, calculate estimated costs for staff salaries;
attach to business plan significant documents. In addition to documents describing the duties and qualifications of employees, it is necessary to attach accounting documents, loan documents, lease or leasing agreements, statistical reports, etc.

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

excess information. The business plan should be devoted solely to the description of the planned entrepreneurial 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 for himself must be realistically achievable;
adequate financial performance. Specifying an unnecessarily high percentage of profitability of the 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 say that a well-written business plan acts as one of the most important elements in building your own business. Understanding how to correctly design a future enterprise, you can predict a positive result when contacting a credit institution or an investor. Let's consider further the basic rules for writing a business plan.

Purpose of the document

Writing a business plan (an example of a project will be discussed below) can be done different ways. There are various aids for this. However, in most of them the information is very specific and understandable only to economists or accountants. Along with this, the need to draw up a business plan arises for all start-up entrepreneurs. The document is required for submission to a credit institution, obtaining a loan from an investor to develop a business on early stages. In addition, a business plan allows you to see the immediate and upcoming goals, predict capital investments for one or another, foresee the moment when the first profit arrives, calculate total income from activities.

The specifics of enterprises

To obtain a loan for the construction of a plant or factory, it is more advisable to contact the relevant 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 execution. A business plan drawn up in this way can, without hesitation, be sent to both foreign investors and domestic credit companies. However, in this case, it should be understood that the services for designing a project for a future enterprise will not be cheap. To open mobile outlet or a clothing or shoe repair shop, for example, there is no need to study or calculate industry risks in detail. In this case, it will be quite competent to organize production, determine the sales market, and predict enterprises. The program for writing a business plan for such an activity will be understandable to a novice entrepreneur.

Important point

Entrepreneurs who have a fairly large experience in doing business do not recommend unconditionally relying on the experience of acquaintances or friends and only on their own intuition. Forecasting activity does not appear as an obsolete component of socialist reality. Planning is an essential element modern business. Analysis of payback periods, determination of periods of investment, development and subsequent returns 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. On the present stage development of the economy, it is enough to adopt experience successful companies and get positive results.

Business Plan Sample

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 items. These include, in particular:

introduction;
a brief description of the future enterprise;
assessment of the sales market, competition, investment risks;
production formation plan;
forecasts for the sale of services / goods;
financial plan;
management organization;
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 interpretation. So, taking into account the peculiarities of the Russian business sphere, the plan for writing a business plan should include a section that reveals an adequate understanding of the problems and issues related to the quality of services and goods. Here it is necessary to give possible solutions to them. It is also advisable to add a paragraph to the plan for writing a business plan that describes 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 in the ability to bring the matter to the end.

Plan for writing a business plan: independent work

First of all, it is necessary to 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 is to determine the amount of required capital investment. Experts recommend dividing the investment into several parts, backing up the rationale with appropriate calculations. Given the above points, it should be understood that a self-composed business plan may be fundamentally different 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 enterprise planning. However, if outside investment is required to open a business, the above scheme should still be followed.

Introduction

This section of the business plan is a presentation of the future enterprise. It should 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 decides whether to take the project into development or reject it. Examining the rest of the parts that display calculations, marketing research, financial justification, he will instruct 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.

Characteristics of the industry and enterprise

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 indicate the uniqueness of services or products, the demand in the near and foreseeable future. You can also draw the attention of the investor to the advantages of the products offered.

Marketing research

Here you should describe the conditions under which consumers become customers of the enterprise. The section outlines methods of sales promotion, formation of a positive image, distribution of services / goods. Marketing plan includes a list of advertising costs. In essence, you should justify how and why consumers will purchase a service or product.

Production

This section should be described. Here, the characteristics of the premises are given, the established requirements for equipment and personnel are indicated. IN production plan suppliers and contractors should also be described.

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 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, a balance sheet is forecast, variable and direct costs are indicated, performed, and so on. Three forecasts are usually developed in this section: realistic, optimistic and pessimistic. They are displayed as graphs.

Having a business is a great way to start earning 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?

Business project describes all the features 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. Proper drafting 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:

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

Cheat sheet for dummies, how to write a business plan.

A serious project must begin 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 placed 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 standard tracing paper, without delving into the individual features of the case, understandable only “from the inside”;
if the document is written in a dry language, it will not attract the attention of investors.

The work should be done by current or future project leaders. They see the intricacies of the matter and will take responsibility for the implementation.

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

How to write a good business plan?

If the business plan is written correctly, it will perform three tasks:

outlines the course of action 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 the details, it is worth writing the document, adhering to the 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 item is especially relevant in the case of writing a business plan for the purpose of lending.

Section with financial performance(for an existing firm) or a reliable forecast for the future are included in the text or made out as an application. Use more numbers, graphs.

Choose the type of plan

In Russia, there are several varieties of a business plan:

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

Business plan structure

The plan looks like a complicated document. In fact, it is well structured. To write a business plan yourself from scratch, you need to follow each item.

The history of the existence of the company is written in stages: from the moment of creation to gaining stability. Text to be written business language, but lively and exciting enough to make a potential investor want to explore it in its entirety.

Any type of activity has its own characteristics, 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 the “summary”.

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 rest. However, the more interesting the 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. Unlike the summary, this part of the document is revealed in detail, but without "water".

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

Staff.

Be sure to include a section on the future state in the plan. Write a list of jobs job responsibilities, a payroll table is made.

There should also be information about the work schedule.

If you plan to raise your salary in the future, arrange refresher courses, or organize home deliveries for those who work late, indicate this.

Financial part.

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

income and expenses;
unexpected expenses;
the movement of finance;
taxation system;
form of receiving money;
types of contracts for future partners.

If it seems to you that writing this part of the document from scratch is beyond your power, delegate the financial section of the business plan to professionals.

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

Marketing.

This section of the business plan includes the following sub-items: an analysis of the state of affairs in the market, the presence or absence of a niche for the company, describes competitors and the advantages that will allow them to get around, the potential target audience.
Based on these data, you need to write in the document a conclusion about the most appropriate 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 specify all the details of the release of products from scratch to the finish line (from ordering raw materials to shipping goods to sales outlets). It highlights all the important points: technology, the need for equipment, know-how. Taking into account every detail will help to avoid problems in the implementation of the plan.

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

Risk analysis.

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

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

Problems need not only to be listed in the document, but also to write solutions in a given situation. This will not only emphasize your level of responsibility, but also instill confidence in own forces. 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 summarized.

They include data on the amount invested, a graph of profit growth and the payback period of 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 period of no more than 1-2 years. Moreover, for the first year it is necessary to make a breakdown by months. 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 necessary aspects. It is enough to write 40-70 pages of a business plan.

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

Don't try to turn it into War and Peace. The presence of 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 in the business plan the phrases “a product without analogues”, “there is no competition”.

The service market is huge and growing rapidly. Due to 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, tomorrow the situation may change.

Accurately analyze the market for prospects, potential customers.

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

Try to stick to the standard document structure 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 should be literate, understandable and "alive".

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

Avoid strong emotional assessments in the business plan.

To give credibility and realism, 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 starting to draw 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 writing style. But the calculations should be unique and based only on your specific indicators.

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

Sure size future profit it is simply impossible to specify to the penny correctly. In this case, it provides an analysis of the sales of the nearest competitors and the average cost of the most popular of your services.

A detailed methodology for writing a competent business plan

featured in this video:

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

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

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