Writing a Business Plan

Reference / Source: Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures (Bruce R. Barringer / R. Duane Ireland) Copy -
right ©2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Dr. Faheem Bukhari

02.02.2019
What Is a Business Plan?
 Who Reads the Business Plan?

There are two primary audiences for a firm’s business plan.

1. A firm’s employees.
2. Investors and other external stakeholders.
 Guidelines for Writing a Business Plan
Structure of the Business Plan
- Typically, investors are busy people and want a plan where they can easily find
critical information.

Content of the Business Plan

-The business plan should give clear and concise information on all the important
aspects of the proposed venture

Recognizing the Elements of the Plan May Change

- It’s important to recognize that the plan will usually change while written.
Guidelines for Writing a Business Plan
Types of Business Plans
 Key ingredients of a business plan
• The first is the business concept, where you discuss the industry, your
business structure, your particular product or service, and how you plan to
make your business a success.
• The second is the marketplace section, in which you describe and ana-
lyze potential customers: who and where they are, what makes them buy
and so on. Here, you also describe the competition and how you'll position
yourself to beat it.
• Finally, the financial section contains your income and cash flow state-
ment, balance sheet and other financial ratios, such as break-even analy-
ses. This part may require help from your accountant and a good spread-
sheet software program
Outline of Business Plan
Executive summary
Industry Analysis
Company Description
Market Analysis
The Economics of the Business
Marketing Plan
Operations Plan
Management Team and Company Structure
Overall Schedule
Financial Projections
 Presenting the Business Plan to
• The Oral Presentation
Investors
– The first rule in making an oral presentation is to follow directions.
If you’re told you have 15 minutes, don’t talk for more than the al-
lotted time.
– The presentation should be smooth and well-rehearsed.
– The slides should be sharp and not cluttered.

• Questions and Feedback to Expect from Investors

– The smart entrepreneur has a good idea of the questions that will
be asked, and will be prepared for those queries.
 Presenting the Business Plan to
Investors (Continued)
Twelve PowerPoint Slides to Include in an Investor Presentation
1. Title Slide 7. Marketing and sales

2. Problem 8. Management team

3. Solution 9. Financial projections

4. Opportunity and target market 10. Current status

5. Technology 11. Financing sought

6. Competition 12. Summary