Business Plan Assignment

Your task is to work as a team to produce a 25-35 page business plan prospectus for an original concept.
Each member of your team will be responsible for contributing an equal amount of effort to the
business plan. At the end of the project, each team member will assess the individual efforts of your
members for assistance with participation grades.

Elements of the Business Plan Prospectus

Front Matter:
1. Cover Page with company name and logo
2. Title Page with name of company, name of participants, course title and teacher, and date
produced
3. Table of Contents (The best format is to follow subject headings, labeled 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 2.0, 2.1,
2.2, etc)
4. Table of Figures (For all graphics)
5. Executive Summary (2-4 pages, exceptionally written)--This is the resume of your business plan,
highlighting the key selling points about your business opportunity. It should have elements of
each of the sections, but is not a formal "summary" of each. This section should sell the concept
as a whole, with the hope that the reader will be interested enough to read further.

Body:
Every business plan is different, so these section may or may not be appropriate, but these are common:
1. Company Description, Products and Services-- A clear, concise, and compelling description of
your business concept as well as the products or services it provides. In describing the company
and products it can be useful to describe the market for the products, who would purchase the
product and why.
2. Industry and Competitive Analysis-- This section provides analysis of the trends of the industry,
noting strengths and weaknesses (e.g. is it growing?), as well as analysis of the current and
potential competition, noting competitive advantages or disadvantages for specific competition.
3. Market Analysis and Marketing Plan--This section describes the potential market for your
products or services, identifying potential for sales within the target demographics. The
"marketing plan" describes how your company with reach the target audience, what kinds of
advertising, where, and what kinds of marketing themes may be appealing.
4. Financial Risks and Opportunities-- This section puts in writing and charts or spreadsheets an
explanation of the financial costs vs potential rewards. This should describe the startup costs
necessary, the expected revenue, and the time to profitability. Analysis should be made of the
potential financial risks involved in the venture.
5. Management and Personnel—Summarizes the backgrounds and qualifications of the members
of your business group.
Back Matter:
1. Works Cited in APA format
2. Appendix (Appendix A should be your team's resumes, Appendix B can be any supporting
material you think would be helpful)

Format and Design:

All business plans should have the following:
1. Consistent Subject Headings for all sections (Labeled 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, etc)
2. Visuals with proper Figure Captions and Cross References in text
3. Running Header and/or Footer (perhaps with company name, but definitely with page
numbers)
4. Citations In-Text throughout, and in Works Cited.

According to Ernst and Young Business Plan Guide, “the business plan is a hybrid document—part
projection and part sales tool—it must walk a fine line in content and tone of presentations. The
information must be accurate, yet must convey a sense of optimism and excitement. The tone should
be businesslike. If there is too much form over substance, people won’t take the plan
seriously….Therefore a business plan makes good use of graphics, or that paints a picture of the
company in a provocative way…Even minor errors in spelling and grammar can suggest substantial
negatives regarding the entrepreneur and therefore the entire enterprise. Have someone skilled in this
area review the plan to eliminate these minor annoyances that may have a negative impact on the
reader.”