What your business plan should include

1. Company name, address and other contact details.

2. Non-disclosure statement
3. Table of contents
4. Executive summary (easier to do after rest has been completed) to include:

5.

Summary of business, when formed etc, and what it does

The objectives of the business plan
The personnel involved in the business
The market the business is aimed at and how much this market is worth / what % the
business expects to cover
Any development plans
Financial summary showing sales in 1st year, gross profit margin, fixed costs, and
expected month of break even
Funding how much required / received so far

Business description to include:

The business idea (what the business will be and why the legal trading format was chosen)
Brief history of the business
Current position
6.

Management and personnel

Brief description of yourself (CV in appendices may be useful) and role of key personnel,
details of roles

Reporting structures
Advisers to the business
7.

The products and services

Description (range of products / services) include price list in appendices x Distinctions

why are you different?

Products / services development strategy

8.

The market

Market sector positioning

Target customers
Market research (describe how gathered, who are competitors, what is your USP)

9.

Sales and marketing

Marketing strategy (how you will find customers)

Sales methods (face-to-face / internet / telesales etc)
10

Operations

11

Premises (now and in the future)

Production facilities
Suppliers
Distribution
Equipment
Business systems
Training requirements

Finance

Financial analysis
Explanation of assumptions used to produce P&L account
12

Risk analysis

Explanation of what could go wrong and how you would overcome it

13

Cash flow and profit and loss forecasts

Detailed forecasts for twelve months

Summarised forecasts for years 2 and 3
14

Appendices