Every business must interact with an infinite number of variables in its Micro and Macro environments. All businesses, particularly small businesses, are greatly influenced by the character, personality, background, experiences, and motivations of their owner manager/entrepreneur. Therefore, no two Business Development Plans are the same. The following is no more than a guideline.

Sect I Summary

Sect II The Product

Sect III The Market

Sect IV Marketing

Sect V Operations

Sect VI Management

Sect VII Finance

Appendices

This is a stand alone document. It must contain the highlights of the entire plan. It should NOT exceed two pages. It should NOT be written until the final draft of the plan is completed.

The product/service must be cleared defined in concise uncomplicated language. Describe its application/s. What are its salient benefits? Give some indication of how this product/business may be further developed.

Clearly define your target market. Highlight its size, growth, competitive structure, and your expected market share. Give a very brief description of your final consumer; age, sex, marital status, occupation, social grouping, purchasing patterns, etc.

Identify and justify the positioning of your product/service. How will your company support this position. Identify and justify your pricing policy. Distribution; how will you get the product to the final consumer? Describe your promotional/selling mix.

Highlight: sales targets, the number of individual accounts targeted, and the required sales per account per day/week. List your ten key targeted accounts. Have they been approached? Is there any feedback?

Very briefly describe; business format location, premises, and promotors. Briefly describe the manufacturing process and/or the business operations, from raw materials IN to finished product OUT. Pay particular attention to; quality controls, productivity targets, output capacity, flexibility in responding to fluctuating demand, and labour requirements, including forecast of employee numbers.

What are your key management requirements? How will you meet these requirements? To what extent can you match your own abilities, knowledge, and work experience, to your management needs? How will you pay management, method and amount? Can you make use of consultants?

Sales & Profits

Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3

Sales £ £ £

Gross profit £ £ £

Net profit £ £ £

G. Profit % Sales % % %

N. Profit % Sales % % %

Finance & Investment

Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3

Fixed Assets £ £ £

Working Capital £ £ £

Leased Assets £ £ £

____ ____ ____

Net Worth £ £ £

Financed by:

Investment £ £ £

Retained Earnings £ £ £

____ ____ ____

£ £ £

This should be followed by detailed financial plans.

* Profit & loss A/C, and Balance Sheet, on a yearly basis.

* Cashflow Forecast, monthly in year I, quarterly in year II, and

half yearly in year III.

* Breakdown analysis.

(Profit & loss may be done on a monthly basis in year I)

* Your peak funding requirements, should be highlighted and explained.

The plan MUST NOT EXCEED 20 TYPED PAGES (single spaced), excluding; Title, Contents, Summary, and Appendices.

The rationale behind a successful plan is common sense first and business theory second.