Business Plan Sections: 1-16

SECTION 1: THE BUSINESS PROFILE

Description of My Business (Session 1): Describe your product or service.

Targeted Market and Customers (Session 1): Describe your customer profile and why customers want or need your product or service.

Growth Trends In This Business (Session 1): Is the market for your product or service growing or shrinking?

Pricing Power (Session 1): Explain the unique qualities or circumstances concerning your product or service that will enable you to maintain profitable pricing.

SECTION 2: THE VISION AND THE PEOPLE

(Session 2): Describe convincingly that you are passionately committed to your new business and have the realism to make inevitable hard choices.

THE PEOPLE

Work Experience Related to My Intended Business (Session 2): Describe your work experience in the business you plan to start including a list of your skills and knowledge, which will be required in your business.

Personal Background and Education Credentials (Session 2): Describe yourself, including your education.

SECTION 3: COMMUNICATIONS

Computer and Communications Tools (Session 3): Furnish a tabulation of each piece of equipment you intend to use including a description and the budget for each. You can use the following as a guide. Resource Requirements: Communications Enter a description and budget for all communications equipment. Telephones Enter a description and budget for all telephone equipment. Pagers Enter a description and budget for all pagers. Facsimile Enter a description and budget for all fax equipment. Computers Enter a description and budget for all computer equipment. Internet Enter a description and budget for all necessary Internet providers and access.

SECTION 4: ORGANIZATION

Business Organization (Session 4): Explain the form of business organization you intend to use and why it is best for your business.

Professional Consultants (Session 4): List the names of your lawyer, accountant, insurance agent and any other professionals.

Licenses (Session 4): List what licenses you will require to go into business.

SECTION 5: LICENSES, PERMITS AND BUSINESS NAMES

Due Diligence Procedures for Licenses, Permits and Business Names (Session 5): List the following: DBA: List the name you intend to do business as. Zoning: Indicate if the zoning if appropriate for your intended office location. Licenses: List the appropriate licenses you will need at the local, state, and federal level. Local: State: Federal: Trademark: Indicate your trademark intentions if any exist. Sellers Permit: List any sellers permits that you may need. EIN: Indicate if you will obtain an employers identification number.

SECTION 6: INSURANCE

Insurance (Session 6): List the forms of insurance coverage including costs are anticipated.

SECTION 7: PREMISES

Location Criteria (Session 7): Outline your location criteria. space requirements future requirements site analysis study if needed (attach) demographic study if needed (attach) lease check-off list (attach) estimated occupancy cost as a % of sales zoning and use approvals

SECTION 8: ACCOUNTING AND CASH FLOW

Accounting (Session 8): Furnish, as a separate exhibit of your starting balance sheet and projected income statements for the first six months to one year.

Cash Flow Planning (Session 8): Provide a separate exhibit of your one year cash flow analysis including estimated sales, all costs and capital investments. Provide a checklist of all expense items for input into your cash flow projection.

Analysis of Costs (Session 8): What are all of my costs: fixed, variable, product, delivery, etc.

Internal Controls (Session 8): Explain your: Intended internal controls and cash controls, check signing policy, strategy for controlling shrinkage and dishonesty and control of incoming merchandise.

SECTION 9: FINANCING

Financing Strategy (Session 9): Provide a chart or spreadsheet showing all of the sources of your start-up capital. Explain any government assistance or loan guarantee programs you intend to apply for. If your business is for use with potential lenders, include a cash flow projection and projected income statements to show sources of repayment of loans. Be conservative in your forecasts. List your sources of referrals to lending institutions. (Your accountant, etc.)

SECTION 10: E-COMMERCE

E-Commerce Plans (Session 10): Describe in detail how you plan to use the Internet in marketing your product or service.

E-Commerce Budgeting (Session 10): Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in crating, operating and maintaining your e-commerce activities.

E-Commerce Competition (Session 10): Describe how your best competitors utilize e-commerce and your strategy to improve on their practices.

SECTION 11: ACQUISITIONS

Due Diligence Procedures for Acquisitions (Session 11): List the following: Your consulting team: Attorney, accountant, banker, broker, etc. Verification of seller's revenues: how you plan to authenticate. Sellers records to be inspected: Financial statements, income tax returns sales backlog, cash deposit records, utility bills, accounts payable and receivable, backlog, financial comparisons of similar businesses, etc. Inspections and approval of leases and contracts. Appraisals, as appropriate. If a franchise, interview with randomly selected franchisees. Finance plan for acquisitions: include sources including seller financing. Market conditions. Value of goodwill. Method of purchase: stock, assets, etc.

SECTION 12: MARKETING

Marketing Plan (Session 12): Describe your overall marketing and sales strategy including how you plan to get and retain customers.

Advertising and Promotion Plans (Session 12): Describe your plans and budgets for advertising and promotions.

Purchasing and Inventory Control (Session 12): See "how to buy" checklist.

Training Policies (Session 12): Describe your plans for hiring and training your sales associates.

The Competition (Session 12): Describe your strongest competitors and how you intend to compete.

How I Plan to Take Advantage of Competitors Weak Points (Session 12): List your competitor's shortcomings and how you can capitalize on them.

SECTION 13: GROWTH PROGRAM

Expansion (Session 13): Describe your growth: You might include development of profitable pilot operation, sources of financing, cash flow, accounting system in place, incentive compensation plan for managers, benefits package and policies, economics of scale.

Handling Major Problems (Session 13): Describe scenarios of adverse conditions and how you intend to respond to them. For example how you would plan to handle a 25% reduction in sales, or new competitions, etc. Prepare a cash flow projection based on lowered expectations and Prepare a cash flow projection based on lowered expectations and show how and where you would reduce costs to maintain liquidity.

SECTION 14: INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Due Diligence Procedures for International Trade(Session 14): List the following: Export Counseling: List your sources of counseling including your export legal counsel. Export Readiness: Describe the economic reasons and justification for your plans. Outline the personnel, budget and procedures you plan to implement. Agent/distributor Agreement: Provide a draft of your agent/distributor agreement and the agents/distributors you are considering to do business with. Analysis of Competitive Considerations: Explain the due diligence resources to be used in the evaluation opportunities including appropriateness for your business. Evaluation of Country Risk: Explain the resources to be used in the evaluation of country risk (is the country in good standing?) including potential sources of financing. Describe your plans to insure protection of your intellectual property rights. Describe your marketing and advertising plans. Evaluate potential problems regarding product adaptation to standards and measurements. Describe the licensing requirements for export or import of the product or service you plan to market in international trade.

SECTION 15: MANAGING EMPLOYEES

1. (Session 15): Describe the services to be provided by your Payroll Service Provider and identify the provider.

2. (Session 15): Include copies of job descriptions for all employees you intend to hire.

3. (Session 15): Include a copy of the job application form and screening procedures you intend to use.

4. (Session 15): Provide a copy of your intended benefits package.

5. (Session 15): Provide a copy of your employee handbook.

6. (Session 15): Outline your initial and ongoing training programs for employees.

7. (Session 15): Identify the labor attorney who will be advising you on employee matters.

SECTION 16: Home Based Business Issues

1. Factors in Selecting the Business (Session 16): Describe the services to be provided by your Payroll Service Provider and identify the provider. 1. Your experience in the business 2. Why appropriate for home based 3. Your utilization of Internet and communications tools 4. Home based zoning and licensing required 5. Your competition

2. The Home Based Business Format (Session 16): Describe if the business is part-time (moonlighting) or full time. 1. If a full time business describe your preparations before quitting your job (see check list in session)

3. Conflict of interest management (Session 16): If business is part-time describe your conflict of interest policy and compartmentalization of job and business.

4. Operating personnel (Session 16): Provide a copy of your intended benefits package.