Anatomy of a Business Plan & Automate Your Business Plan
The following document provide a suggested outline of the material to be included in your business plan. Your final plan may vary according to your specific needs or individual requirements of your lender or investor.
I. COVER SHEET: Serves as the title page of your business plan. y y y y y Name, address, and phone number of the company.
Name, title, address, phone number of owners/corporate officers.
Month and year your plan was prepared.
Name of preparer.
Copy number of the plan.
II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (or Statement of Purpose)
This is the thesis statement and states business plan objectives. Use the key word approach(who, what, where, when, why, how, how much) to summarize the following: y y y y
Your Company (who, what, where, when).
Who your management is and What their strengths are.
What your objectives are and Why you will be successful.
If you need a financing, why you need it, how much you need and how you intend to repay the loan or benefit the investor.
Note: Do not write the executive summary (statement of purpose) until you have completed your business plan! It is a summary and reflects the contents of the finished plan.
III. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Quick reference to major topics covered in your plan)
IV. PART I: THE ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN
What is included? This section should include a "summary description of your business" statement followed by information on the "administrative" end of your company. A. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS
In a paragraph or two give a broad overview of the nature of your business, telling when and why the company was formed. Then complete the summary by briefly addressing: y y y y y
mission (projecting short- and long-term goals) business model (describe your company's model and why it is unique to your industry) strategy (give an overview of the strategy, focusing on