Sample Business Plan
3. Sample Business Plan - Market Analysis
The Market Analysis section should reflect your knowledge of your industry and present highlights and analysis of your market research. Detailed market research studies, however, should be presented as appendices to your plan. A. Industry Description and Outlook
1. Description of your primary industry
2. Size of the industry
1. Historically
2. Currently
3. In five years
4. In ten years
3. Industry characteristics and trends
1. Historically
2. Currently
3. In the future
4. Major customer groups
1. Business
2. Governments
3. Consumer
B. Target Markets
1. Distinguishing characteristics of your primary target markets and market segments (Narrow your target markets to a manageable size. Efforts to penetrate target markets that are too broad are often ineffective.)
1. Critical needs
2. Extent to which those needs are currently being met
3. Demographics
4. Geographic location
5. Purchase decision-makers and influences
6. Seasonal / cyclical trends
2. Size of the primary target market
1. Number of prospective customers
2. Annual purchases of products or services meeting the same or similar needs as your products or services
3. Geographic area
4. Anticipated market growth
3. Market penetration (Indicate the extent to which you anticipate penetrating your market and demonstrate why you feel that level of penetration is achievable based on your market research.)
1. Market share
2. Number of customers
3. Geographic coverage
4. Rationale for market penetration estimates
4. Pricing / gross margin targets
1. Price levels
2. Gross margin levels
3. Discount structure (volume, prompt payment, etc.)
5. Methods by which specific members of your target market can be identified
1. Directories
2. Trade association publications
3. Government documents
6. Media through which you can communicate with specific members of your target market
1. Publications
2. Radio / television broadcasts
3.
The Market Analysis section should reflect your knowledge of your industry and present highlights and analysis of your market research. Detailed market research studies, however, should be presented as appendices to your plan. A. Industry Description and Outlook
1. Description of your primary industry
2. Size of the industry
1. Historically
2. Currently
3. In five years
4. In ten years
3. Industry characteristics and trends
1. Historically
2. Currently
3. In the future
4. Major customer groups
1. Business
2. Governments
3. Consumer
B. Target Markets
1. Distinguishing characteristics of your primary target markets and market segments (Narrow your target markets to a manageable size. Efforts to penetrate target markets that are too broad are often ineffective.)
1. Critical needs
2. Extent to which those needs are currently being met
3. Demographics
4. Geographic location
5. Purchase decision-makers and influences
6. Seasonal / cyclical trends
2. Size of the primary target market
1. Number of prospective customers
2. Annual purchases of products or services meeting the same or similar needs as your products or services
3. Geographic area
4. Anticipated market growth
3. Market penetration (Indicate the extent to which you anticipate penetrating your market and demonstrate why you feel that level of penetration is achievable based on your market research.)
1. Market share
2. Number of customers
3. Geographic coverage
4. Rationale for market penetration estimates
4. Pricing / gross margin targets
1. Price levels
2. Gross margin levels
3. Discount structure (volume, prompt payment, etc.)
5. Methods by which specific members of your target market can be identified
1. Directories
2. Trade association publications
3. Government documents
6. Media through which you can communicate with specific members of your target market
1. Publications
2. Radio / television broadcasts
3.