Business Plan Writing – IC

Why attend this course?

Learn how to write a document which describes your business, your goals and how you intend to achieve them over a given period.  A business plan is a forecast. It describes your starting point and the strategy you need to reach your proposed end point in perhaps one, two or three years.

It details your aims, describes your products and services, analyses market demand, details the resources you need, the capability you have, and the income you anticipate generating over a defined period.

In essence, your plan provides sufficient information to calculate the credibility of your strategy, your chance of success, and the risk you and others may take by investing in the business.

A Business Plan details what you wish to achieve – the business benefits – and the why and how, and when and where you expect to achieve them.

Learning outcomes

Attend our business plan writing course and you will be able to:

• Prepare effectively
• Define your plan in detail
• Produce a compelling business plan

Who should attend?

This course is aimed at aimed at those who wish to increase the quality of their business plans as well as those who need to contribute to business plans.

How will I benefit from this course?

You will learn how to produce business plans which are complete, balanced, accurate and compelling.

Outline of programme

Business Plans defined

• Purpose of a business plan
• Characteristics of a sound business plan

Preparation

• Value proposition
• Product, service, or idea
• Opportunity, difficulty, or cost.
• Benefits of your business plan over alternatives.
• Cost advantages of your business, product, service, or idea over competitive alternatives.

Typical sections

• Executive Summary
• Management profiles (of people leading the business, if relevant)
• Vision statement
• Mission statement
• Your proposition – company, product or service
• Market description, analysis, segmentation and targeting
• Explanation of how my product, service or idea is different
• Sales plan and forecast
• Resources
• Financials (to include ROI and cash flow)
• How can I make it happen?

Executive Summary

• Purpose
• Vision
• Mission
• Situation
• Considerations
• Financials
• Payback
• Benefits

Management profiles

• Capability
• Skills
• Knowledge
• Experience
• Track record

Vision Statement

• Future characteristics envisaged
• Goals that it will have been achieved

Mission Statement

• Purpose
• Operations
• Market
• Scope of activity.

Proposition

• Essential details
• Charts,
• Diagrams
• Images

Market description

• Analysis
• Segmentation
• Targeting
• Marketing mix
• Demographics
• Geography
• Behaviour
• Psychological/lifestyle

Positioning

• Competitive products and services.
• Identifying differential advantage

Outline Marketing plan

• Aims and objectives
• Analysis
• Environment
• Competitors
• Customers
• Resources
• Positioning
• Marketing mix
• Proposed campaigns
• Financial targets

Outline sales plan and forecast

• Market
• Strategy
• Tactics
• Segments
• Target organisations

Resources

• People
• Time
• Equipment

Financials

• Funding requirements, envisaged return on investment, and cashflow.
• Clear description attached to numbers and lines as appropriate.
• Tables and charts with a consistent style.
• Key messages highlighted from each table or chart.

Timelines

• Who?
• What?
• When?

Review

• Personal action plan
• Support options

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