Build A Business From Your Kitchen Table: The Business Plan by Sophie Cornish & Holly Tucker

Author:Sophie Cornish & Holly Tucker [Cornish, Sophie, Tucker, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

THE BUSINESS PLAN

Now you’ve got the basic structure of your business together – the who, the where and the why – you need to get down to details. This is where you write down your well-researched three-year business plan. You’re halfway there already, because you’ve done the Down and Dirty Test in Chapter 2, but this is where you really knock all that information into shape. It’s a big job, but just as some people relish a therapeutic spring clean (which we both love) or conjuring up a home-cooked meal from scratch (which we don’t), it’s a highly satisfying task.

At the beginning, just jot down a few bullet points. Don’t start with a huge document or template to fill in – that will kill it. The headings should naturally spell out why your big idea is great and lead into structure and detail, but at the heart of its thirty-odd pages should be you, sharing with your reader what excites you about your business. It is this document that you will take to investors, personal backers, the bank manager, your parents . It will also contain all the information that you’ll need to be able to pull out of the hat at a moment’s notice when, for example, negotiating with suppliers. Even if you’re the only person who ever reads it, don’t run a business without one. This process helps you understand every corner and every detail of your business. By the end of it, you’re not just best friends with the idea – you’re soulmates for life.

Our format for a business plan isn’t revolutionary. You simply need to cover the idea and product (that’s the opportunity), why it’s needed (that’s the market), who you’re up against (your competition), then back it up with all the research you’ve done to prove you’re right. A timing plan or roll-out will explain how you’re going to make it happen and what happens when it does.

What your business plan should include:

• A detailed description of the business opportunity – who you are, what you plan to sell or offer, why you are doing it and who your customers will be.

• The market conditions and a brief review of the competition.

• Your marketing and sales strategy – why you think people will buy what you want to sell and how you plan to sell it to them.

• Your team – your own relevant credentials and those of the people you plan to recruit.

• Your operations – where you will work from and the facilities you have, from IT to pottery kilns.

• Financial forecasts – this shows that what you are promising stacks up when it comes to the numbers.

• A timed roll-out plan for the next twelve to twenty-four months.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.