Business Plan

Industry

Summarize the industry:

SIC/NAICS?

Market segmentation:

Industry size, growth rate, trends:

Trends or factors that could affect the business:

Key success factors for the industry and conclusions:

Standard and key financial ratios for the industry:

Company, Concept, and Product

The Company and Concept

Define the company, where it will be based, and when it will begin operations:

Outline of the history of the company and it's founders and it's current status:

Objectives of the company:

Describe the concept of the business, how it will address user's needs:

Product

Fully describe the product, what it is and is not:

Describe what the product does, who will use it, and why:

Describe differences between other products and this product, and what will account for market penetration:

Describe drawbacks of the product:

Describe key factors for the success of the product:

Describe where the product is in it's development:

Discuss what improvements or other products can be developed and how they can be implemented:

Entry and Growth Strategy

How will the company enter the market: Summarize how quickly the business intends to grow over the next 5 years and for growth beyond the initial product: Discuss how the company will stay competitive against others:

Market Research and Analysis

Definition of Relevant Market and Customer Overview

Provide a very specific definition of the relevant market, where the specific customers will come from, and what parameters are being used to define the relevant market:

Discuss who the customers for the product will be:

Provide general demographics for the customer base:

Market Size and Trends

Estimate market size and potential:

Note assumptions that projections are based on:

Estimate the size of the primary and selective demand gaps:

Describe the potential growth rate for 3 years for the product for each major customer group and region:

Discuss major factors affecting market growth and review previous trends in the market:

Buyer Behavior

Why buys what, where, why, when, how:

Who is the actual purchase decision maker, and does anyone else get involved in the buying decision process:

How long is the customer's buying process:

What are the key stages of the customer's buying process and what happens in each stage that might have marketing implications:

Show who and where the major purchasers are for the product in each market segment:

Indicate if this is a high medium or low involvement purchase and draw implications:

Indicate if customers are easily reached and receptive:

Describe customer's purchasing processes including factors influencing purchasing decisions and why they might change current purchasing decisions:

Discuss interviews you have had with users of the product category:

List orders or contracts already placed, list potential customers that have expressed interest and indicate why, list potential customers who have shown no interest and discuss why, explain how you will overcome negative customer reaction, and how quickly the product is believed to be accepted in the market:

List and describe the 5 potentially largest customers and what percentage of sales they will represent:

In what way are customers dissatisfied with current offerings in the market or what emerging customer groups are being ignored: