We are currently developing a new course to cover proactive Business Planning and we will publish the details in due course. Meantime here is a guidance list of what one would expect to see with a current Business Plan.

0. Executive summary
· Overview of the Plan

1. The business and its management
· History & position to date
· Current mission
· Objectives, near term
· Objectives, long term
· The current key management team
· Legal & existing capital structure
· Professional advisers

2. Products or services
· Descriptions & applications
· Readiness for market of new products/services
· Development cost estimates
· Proprietary position/barriers to entry
· Comparison with competition, performance and economics
· Guarantees and warranties
· Future potential/product development
· Sources of supply (if not a manufacturing/assembling business)

3. Market & competitors
· Description of customer needs and benefits
· Market and segment size & growth
· Customer decision criteria
· Target market segments (showing differentiation from competition)
· Marketing objectives
· Competitive strengths & weaknesses, and the opportunities & threats ahead
· Marketing strategy
· The sales forecast

4. Selling
· Current selling method(s)
· Proposed selling method(s)
· Sales team
· In-House support

5. Management & staffing
· Specific management roles for existing and planned staff and general organisation of the business under each role
· Strategies for retaining & motivating key staff
· Planned recruitment & selection
· Reward & recognition packages and their relationship to the required business performance
· Appraisal system
· The training & development plan

6 Manufacturing
· Make or buy considerations
· The manufacturing process
· Facilities needed (premises, etc.)
· Equipment & machinery needed
· Output limitation, if any, and scale-up possibilities
· Engineering & design support
· Quality control plans
· Staffing requirements
· Sources of supply of key materials

7 Acquisition, mergers, joint ventures and divestment’s
· Logic for acquisition/disposal/etc
· Target profile
· Plans for attaining acquisition/disposal/etc

8. Forecasts and financial data
· Summary of financial performance ratios, ROCE etc
· Summary trading forecasts
· Assumptions underpinning financial forecasts
· Sensitivity analysis
· Profit & loss accounts
· Cash flow forecasts
· Balance sheets

9. Financing requirements
· Current shareholders, loans outstanding etc
· Funds required & timing, including leasing plans
· The deals on offer
· Anticipated gearing & interest cover
· Exit routes for investor

10. Business controls
· Financial
· Sales & marketing
· Manufacturing
· Other controls

Appendices:

• Management team biographies
• Names and details of professional advisers
• Technical data and drawings
• Details of patents, copyright, designs
• Audited accounts
• Consultants' reports and/or other published data on products, markets etc
• Orders on hand and enquiry status
• Detailed market research methods and findings
• Organisation charts
  

MORE INFORMATION
If having read this guide you would like to discuss how we may be able to help you, please call us on (01373) 454576 and speak to Peter Beech-Allen, or E-mail a request to us for further information.