The main sections of the business plan. Quick guide

Earlier, we have already talked about the importance of competent business planning and the fundamental role of a business plan in the fate of your business. Recall that a business plan is a special document that provides information about the company, the product or service it produces, sales markets, marketing and financial policies. Also, the business plan contains a description of the list of business operations that are performed in the process of organizing and operating a business.

So, you are full of ideas and determination to start your own business. Now it's time to find out where exactly the preparation of a business plan begins, what is its structure and the content of the main sections.

Business plan: section content structure

First of all, it should be said that there is no one, universal "recipe" for drawing up a business plan. As noted in our last article, depending on the nature of the final goal, there are different kinds business plans. Thus, a business plan can be oriented both to an “external” addressee (a potential investor) and an “internal” one (a company employee, founder, department).

In addition, in accordance with the specifics of the functioning of each particular enterprise for which a document is being developed, the structure and sections of the business plan can vary significantly. It is obvious that the structure innovative business plan will be fundamentally different than the structure of the organization's business plan.

However, there are certain modern standards for compiling business plans. And there are many standards. Among the most common are:

• the standard of the Federal Fund for the Support of Small Business (FFPMP),
• European Union standard under the program to help speed up the process economic reforms in commonwealth independent states(TACIS),
• and etc.

International economic institutions have developed recommendations that determine what basic information should be contained in the relevant sections of the business plan. According to these recommendations, a typical business plan structure includes:

1. Title page;
2. Annotation;
3. Memorandum of confidentiality;
4. Table of contents.

Among the main sections of the business plan should definitely be called:

1. Summary;
2. Analysis of the object;
3. Analysis of the object's business environment;
4. Marketing plan;
5. Production plan;
6. Financial plan;
7. Risk assessment.

More about each point of the business plan structure

Now consider in order the content of the main sections of the business plan.

Title page contains basic information about the organization, such as the name, data of leaders, legal and physical addresses, contacts.

Confidentiality Memorandum, often placed immediately after title page, serves to warn all persons with access to the business plan of the confidentiality of the information contained in the document.

AT annotations the goals and objectives of this business plan are briefly defined.

Summary is a section that contains a description of the entire document, a summary of the main proposals of the plan.

Sections object analysis and analysis of the object's business environment provides basic information about the enterprise and its scope of activity, analyzes the market, competition, identifies the real and potential target audience of the project.

Marketing plan. And in this section, the main tasks of the marketing mix are being worked out, such as pricing, methods of distributing goods, stimulating sales, ways to attract new customers.

Production plan necessary to show what resources are required to produce a particular product. In this section, the technical aspects of production are worked out.

By using financial plan the most effective ways of using the organization's funds are determined. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of reporting, analysis of the current financial situation, as well as forecasts for the sale of goods or services.

In chapter risk assessment, as a rule, all are listed possible types risks that the company may face, and ways to reduce them are considered.

Once again, we emphasize that there is no general standard for compiling a business plan. The range of tasks for which business plans are drawn up is very wide. Starting to draw up a business plan, remember that the main thing is that in the end this work will help you achieve your goals.

Someone is faced with the need to draw up a business plan directly at the stage of creation own business, but many students of economics have to deal with a business plan for the first time while studying at a university. Proper preparation of a business plan is a complex and multifaceted process that requires a certain amount of experience.

Of course, the implementation of such a training task can cause a number of difficulties. If the task associated with compiling a business plan is difficult, you can always turn to those who will help you sort out the problematic points. Dare, develop your ideas, and do what you really like. Remember - only with love for your work you can achieve real success.

A modern business plan consists of the following main sections and elements:

1) summary;

2) business history of the organization (description of the industry);

3) characteristics of the organization's business object;

4) analysis of the business environment of the organization;

5) marketing plan;

6) production plan;

7) organizational plan;

8) financial plan;

9) risk assessment and insurance;

Sections of the business plan can be changed, other sections can be added, depending on the specifics of the business plan.

Let us briefly characterize the sections listed above.

Summary (business concept) - a summary of the main provisions of the proposed plan, i.e. information about the intended business and the goals that the enterprise or entrepreneur sets for himself when starting his own business or developing an existing one.

The concept is drawn up after writing all sections of the business plan, as it contains the most basic of all its sections.

The summary indicates business opportunities, their attractiveness, importance for the enterprise and the region, necessary financial resources (own or borrowed), possible repayment period of borrowed funds, expected profit and its distribution, investment conditions. The summary should contain the main purpose of the proposed business and the purpose of the business plan being developed.

In addition to highlighting the main goal (goals) of the business plan, it is indicated for whom it is intended: for a potential investor or lender, possible business partners or shareholders, co-founders, management of the enterprise or the entrepreneur himself (as a means of self-organization), state or municipal authorities authorities (in order to obtain support).

Thus, the summary contains the following data:

Ideas, goals and essence of the project;

Features of the offered goods (services, works) and their advantages in comparison with similar products of competitors;

Strategy and tactics for achieving the set goals;

Qualification of personnel and especially leading managers;

Demand forecast, sales volumes of goods (services, works) and the amount of revenue in the coming period (month, quarter, year, etc.);

The planned cost of production and the need for financing;

Expected net profit, level of profitability and payback period;

Main factors of success (description of ways of action and activities).

Business history of the organization (industry description)

This section contains basic information about the company and the scope of its activities. It reflects the main events that influenced the emergence of the ideas of the proposed business, as well as the main problems facing the organization at the present time. The actual position of the enterprise in the market is assessed, the directions of its development for the future are indicated. A long-standing enterprise leads a brief history his economic activity. Specifies the type of proposed business. The types of activities that the enterprise intends to engage in or is already engaged in are represented.

The section describes the positive and negative aspects of the location of the enterprise. The main factors influencing or capable (under certain conditions) of influencing the activity of the enterprise are considered. This section also contains general characteristics industries.

The section ends with the formulation of the mission and goals of the enterprise and the definition of a business strategy.

Characteristics of the organization's business object

In the section of the business plan "Characteristics of the organization's business object" ("Characteristics of services and products"), a description of the company's products from the consumer's point of view is presented. For this purpose, the following information is provided:

Needs satisfied by the product;

Quality indicators;

Economic indicators;

External design;

Comparison with other similar products;

Patent protection;

Export indicators and its possibilities;

Main directions of product improvement;

Possible key success factors.

The main purpose of the goods is to satisfy the needs of the client of the company. The business plan reflects the scope, list functional features, product attractiveness factors. The factors of product attractiveness include value, possibility of purchase, price, quality, environmental friendliness, image, brand, shape, packaging, service life, etc.

Quality indicators are associated with the properties of the product - durability, reliability, ease and safety of operation and repair, etc. Some quality indicators can be quantified, the relevant data are given in the business plan. The presence of certificates of industrial products is indicated.

The difference between a new or existing product and a competitor's product is formed. The patent rights of the enterprise, patents for utility models, trademarks are described. The presence of licenses, as well as know-how, is indicated. Specifies the possibility of exporting products. If the products are supplied to the foreign market, then the main indicators characterizing the export (country, sales volume, foreign exchange earnings) are given.

For a new product, the business plan indicates whether this product meets the novelty requirement. This term refers to the following products:

A product that has no analogues on the market;

A product that has a significant qualitative improvement in comparison with analogue products;

A product that was already on the market, after which it was improved so that its properties fundamentally changed;

Product of market novelty, i.e. new only for this market;

An old product with a new use.

The role of this section of the business plan is to present to the potential investor what new unique properties possesses the goods, to prove that it is capable of arousing the interest of buyers.

Analysis of the organization's business environment

This section, as a rule, is devoted to research and analysis of the market, competition on it, etc. First of all, market research is aimed at identifying today's consumers of products, services and identifying potential ones. The priorities that guide the consumer when buying are determined - quality, price, time and accuracy of delivery, reliability of supplies, after-sales service, etc.

As part of market research, market segmentation is carried out, the size and capacity of markets for the company's products are determined.

marketing plan

Marketing is a system for organizing the activities of a company in the development, production and marketing of goods and the provision of services based on a comprehensive study of the market and real customer requests in order to obtain high profits.

The main thing in marketing is a dual and complementary approach. On the one hand, it is that all the activities of the company, including the formation of its production programs, scientific and technical research, capital investments, financial resources and work force, as well as sales programs, Maintenance and others should be based on deep and reliable knowledge of consumer demand and its changes. It is necessary to identify unsatisfied customer requests in order to focus production on their provision. On the other hand, it is important to actively influence the market and the existing demand, the formation of needs and consumer preferences.

Production plan

This section of the business plan is prepared only by the firm that is or will be engaged in production. For non-manufacturing firms, the need for long-term assets, working capital and cost forecast are defined in the Financial Plan section.

Depending on the type of business in terms of production, short description features technological process manufacturing products or providing services. The production plan is formed on the basis of the marketing plan for manufactured products and the projected production capacities of the enterprise.

Business planners in this section should show that the business can realistically produce required amount products in the right time and with the required quality.

organizational plan

This section of the business plan is devoted to the company's management system and its personnel policy. The section structure might look like this:

Organizational structure;

Key management personnel;

Professional advisors and services;

Staff;

Personnel policy of the company;

Calendar plan;

Social development plan;

Legal support of the company's activities.

The organizational structure is a way and form of bringing together employees to achieve the production and management goals set for the enterprise. It is documented in the graphic diagrams of the structure, staffing tables personnel, regulations on the divisions of the enterprise management apparatus, job descriptions individual performers. The organizational structure is characterized by the number of links, hierarchy, the nature of the distribution of powers and responsibilities vertically and horizontally in the structure of the management system.

The organizational structures used in industry depend on many factors - the size of the enterprise, the volume of funds, the number of employees, the principle of operation, the structure of the market, etc.

The business plan provides information on:

On the production and technological structure of the enterprise;

On the functions of key divisions;

On the composition of subsidiaries and branches, their organizational relationships with the parent company;

On the organizational structure of management;

On the organization of coordination of interaction between services and departments of the company;

On the automation of the control system.

Conformity assessment is given organizational structure goals and strategies of the enterprise.

Financial plan

This section of the business plan considers the issues of financial support for the company's activities and the most efficient use of funds (own and borrowed) based on an assessment of current financial information and a forecast of the volume of sales of goods on the markets in subsequent periods, i.e. here a reliable system of data is presented that reflects expected financial results of the firm.

Forecast financial results is designed to answer the main questions that concern the manager. It is from this section that the manager learns about the profit that he can count on, and the lender - about the ability of a potential borrower to service the debt.

Risk assessment and insurance

The activities of business entities are constantly associated with risk.

There are different types of risk depending on the object or action, the riskiness of which is assessed: political, industrial, property, financial, currency, etc.

With the development of market relations, business is always carried out in conditions of uncertainty and variability of both the external and internal environment. This means that there is always ambiguity about the usefulness of the expected end result and, consequently, there is a danger of unforeseen losses and failures.

Thus, summing up, we can say that a business plan is one of the effective tools for creating new projects and development, which is in the arsenal of the top management of an enterprise, regardless of its size, scope and scale of activity.

Nowadays, many people are beginning to be imbued with thoughts of doing own business and not depend on work "for an uncle." However, in practice this solution is not so easy to implement. To begin with, in order to receive funds for the initial development of your business, you need to provide a detailed and clear plan that describes in detail the directions of your activity to potential investors.

If you do not know what sections of the business plan should be done, it is unlikely that you will end up with something really sensible. In this article, we will not only consider all the stages, but also give an exhaustive description of them.

Title page

It is very strange, but many people completely forget about this detail, considering it a “trifle” and a “waste of time”. Of course it isn't. A competently and beautifully designed title page is useful if only because it shows your responsible attitude to the matter, and this is already an important circumstance. So, what should be indicated in the "title"?

First, you should specify the data about your company, or just the name of the individual entrepreneur. All the necessary contact information is also written there: physical address, phone number, address Email. Many people forget that the title page must indicate brief information about what you expect to do, as well as the total estimated cost. Important! AT without fail write a footnote, which should contain something like: "The data that contains sections of the business plan should not be disclosed and / or transferred to third parties."

Summary

There is one subtlety to keep in mind when writing this section. Despite the fact that the sequence of sections of the business plan assumes that this item is at the forefront, it is drawn up at the very last turn, when the entire document is ready. In general, the whole purpose of this data is that they should be of interest to prospective investors or creditors. Its volume should not exceed four pages, but not less than two. A remark should be made here: when you describe the features and prospects of your project, you need to do without vague and intricate phrases.

In general, it is necessary to describe the matter in such a way that no one has even the slightest doubt about its full prospects. In general, the characteristics of the sections of a business plan are a rather vague concept, since everyone has their own business, but still some aspects always remain unchanged.

So, it is very important to make a long-term forecast (at least for a couple of years) on the expected sales volumes, as well as on how much money you will need to set up production. Of course, it is necessary to especially emphasize the rate of return that you are counting on. In this case, you should not embellish the situation. At the end, in a separate paragraph, write down after what period of time you will return the money invested in you to investors and with what profit for them. What other sections of a business plan are needed?

Analysis of the state of affairs in the industry

This stage is extremely important, because here you describe how things are in your chosen industry, what is the annual gross income and its prospects for the next few years. As in other cases, the structure and content of the business plan sections when writing a resume should reflect the most important information:

• What happened in this field of activity in five to seven years.
• The probability of its stagnation or, on the contrary, development.
• It is important to find out how many new companies that entered the market you are discussing stayed afloat, and how many had to leave. Explain the reasons for poor outcomes.
• It is necessary to describe all types of new goods and services that have appeared in this field of activity, indicating their prospects.
• Investors will be very curious to know what competing organizations exist on the market, what is your advantage over them.
• How are you going to take a leading position, what methods will you use to achieve the highest possible results.
• What are the sales rates of competing firms?
• List their strengths and weak sides, build a methodology for "pushing" your products to the market, based on the data obtained before.
• Indicate which segments of the population will be your potential buyers, what is their purchasing power.
• How will your customers differ from the consumers served by competitors?

Practice shows that investors tend to ask exactly these questions. If you find the answers to them and correctly formulate your report, creditors will surely turn their attention to you.

The essence of the proposed project

All other sections of the business plan are important, but at this stage you will have to try especially hard. You must show everyone that your product or service will be competitive in today's market, that they will always have buyers. To do this, you need to write answers to some sections in the document. So, what should the structure of a business plan include (the sections are given approximately):

• The name of the product or service.
• Describe trademarks, used patents (if any), other features.
• Once again, indicate the location of your company.
• Where is the premises used as production shop or places to provide services?
• Indicate if you own (if you have not already answered the previous question) such a workshop or you will have to rent it.
• If you have a room, is it in need of repair. What is the condition of the property you are going to rent?
• What kind of workers and what skills will you need?
• Complete list of required equipment.
• Is it possible to rent these means of production or will you have to purchase them all?
• What experience do you have in entrepreneurial activity? This information, by the way, should contain sections of the business plan (business project).
• Do you have experience in a leadership position. If so, what is the experience.
• Bring your short resume.
• Why did you decide to start your own business?
• Why are you confident in the success of your business?
• What stage is the project currently in?

Once again, reveal other nuances: what kind of packaging you are going to do for your product, how you are going to distribute it, what advertising costs you can lay down, and also give an example of your (or similar) marketing research in the field of demand for this product or service in your country. region (or city). If you describe exactly how you are going to form a stable demand for your products, this will be a huge plus. What is the next sequence of sections of the business plan?

Production plan

Many at this point make the gross mistake of describing only the standard production plan. In fact, it is important to describe not only this, but also the timing of the deployment of production, as well as ways to control the quality of products. Whether you will be able to meet the allotted schedule and whether the services you offer will meet the quality standards is another, no less important, question.

Subparagraphs

Economists and financiers of potential investors are extremely interested in this issue, and therefore it is important to approach the design of the section with all possible responsibility. Here are the topics that need to be covered in more detail:

• Must be listed in full production cycles, and especially focus on attracting subcontractors: is it planned to do this, and if “yes”, then what technological operations will you put them on?
• In the case of involving subcontractors, you will have to list all their contact details.
• Explain why you chose these particular companies.
• How much do you plan to pay subcontractors?
• Be sure to draw up technological schedules and diagrams.
• Bring in the plan as much as possible detailed list equipment and materials that you have to buy and/or rent.
• Tell us in detail what kind of raw material you need and what technical characteristics it should have.
• List all available providers Supplies, indicate the terms of cooperation with them.
• What is the expected cost of your product?
• Try to make a list of the equipment that you may need in the future, indicate its price.

If you plan to engage in trade or services, the development of business plan sections also includes an analysis of the following issues:

• Specify specific suppliers of goods.
• It does not hurt to decide in advance which system you will use for warehouse control, and what configuration you will need to buy for this. Prices for their varieties can differ significantly, so the size of your profit directly depends on this.
• Do you have a room that you can use as a warehouse. Please indicate if you own it or intend to rent it.

Please note that when planning for a large enterprise, you must provide all the data in this section four to five years in advance. If your company does not reach this size, a three-year period will suffice. It is very important to show a simple and transparent scheme of how and where you intend to take raw materials, what quality they will be, and how you intend to communicate this information to potential consumers of your product. Once again, we remind you of the importance of how much detail you write about the proposed quality control scheme. It is especially important to indicate how and at what stages of production you are going to implement it, as well as the estimated cost of this event.

In the same section, you can talk about environmental protection measures, their cost, which will affect the cost finished products. This is especially important for those entrepreneurs who plan to open their own production of such a scale for the first time.

Marketing research

This is the main section of the business plan. It involves the detailed influence of internal and external factors on your chosen field of activity. Particularly important external forces. The entrepreneur is not able to influence them, but they have an extremely serious impact on his activities, and therefore it is impossible not to take them into account. Here is a list of such factors:

• Macroeconomic indicators, including GDP dynamics, statistics on the level of income of the population and real numbers for your region. This is the financial section of your business plan, so include bright, eye-catching charts with detailed charts.
• Social factors: the size of the population, its focus on the consumption of your specific products and services, average age your potential buyers.
• Indicate the dynamics of technology development in the world and in Russia regarding your chosen field of activity.
• Show the stability of the level of demand for your products and immediately predict and simulate your actions in cases when it will decrease or increase.
• Important! Show that you are aware of all the laws that regulate your activities, provide excerpts from the laws and comment on how this or that rule applies to you specifically.
• It is necessary to draw up a strategy for the development of the enterprise in the light of the actions of competitors. What can you oppose to more developed and older companies?

Finally, describe your response to a sharp decline in the supply of raw materials needed by your production. Will you be able to change your profile to produce other products in the shortest possible time, or will you have to close your company? Some highlight this item in a separate section, “business plan risks”, but practice proves that it is undesirable to focus on undesirable points, as creditors may not like it.

To begin with, it is important to understand what a business plan is and what goals and objectives it carries. Any business plan includes the most detailed information about all aspects of planning the activities of an organization. It is developed not only in order to justify a specific investment project, but also in order to most effectively manage the company in the present, while thinking over the financial strategy.

Such a document will be relevant not only for those who provide services, but also for those who work in production. Of course, depending on the goals and functionality, the structure and content of the business plan may change somewhat. However, in any case, the business plan is a kind of calculated forecast for the following periods of time.

Who is the business plan for?

• Firstly, for the head of the enterprise himself, who can assess the development opportunities.
• Secondly, for potential lenders and investors who may be interested in a properly developed business plan.
• Thirdly, to obtain funding from the state.

In any case, properly drawn up, it can only bring positive effects to the organization.

It is important to understand that a business plan is a rather voluminous document that displays many aspects of an idea. Each object of consideration is connected with all the others, in the aggregate they become a kind of strategy for the compiler, a long-term guide.

There are several options for the structure and sections of a business plan. They depend on the area of ​​activity for which the project is being developed. The detail of the business plan is also chosen by the developer. For the service industry, this may be a simple project that does not contain some sections. But for the big ones manufacturing enterprises it must be detailed and detailed business plan. The choice of methods for calculating certain indicators may also depend on the tasks.

Title page

Every business plan starts with a design title page, which indicates the name of the project itself, the name of the organization for which it was developed, its location (country, city), phone numbers, details of the owner and the person who compiled and developed this document, the date of creation. Financial indicators can also be placed on the title page if it is planned to show the business plan to potential creditors or investors. Most often, in this case, the payback period, profitability, the need to obtain borrowed funds and their amount are indicated.

In addition, the cover page may contain information about the privacy policy. As a rule, it indicates the fact that the developed business plan should not be disclosed to third parties.

Summary

After the title page, the first section of the business plan is drawn up - a summary. It contains general information. The purpose of this part of the document is to attract the attention of readers, or rather potential investors or creditors. It is the summary that creates the first impression, on which the fate of the project often depends.

This section is a concise business plan, it reveals the essence and objectives. To compile a summary, use the information from all subsequent sections. That is, to write this section, you must first draw up the entire business plan, and only then proceed to it. summary. A resume usually shows:

• Brief description of the selected project, main goals and objectives.
• Required resources.
• Implementation methods.
• Chances of success based on whether the product or service being created is new and relevant to the consumer.
• The amount of necessary financing, which the owner himself will not be able to take on.
• Information about the return of borrowed funds to creditors or investors.
• Data on key performance indicators.

It is very important that the summary is simple, understandable and small. Perfect Size– 1-2 printed pages.

Setting the goal of the developed business plan

This section defines a clear and precise goal, describes the activity, products or services produced. It will also be useful to pay attention to the technological processes that will take place. It is very important to highlight the benefits that the consumer will receive from the products and services produced. But to delve into technical features not worth it. It is better to take them out separately in the application.

It is important to show that the products will be unique or special. Can this be achieved by developing a completely new technology, a higher level of product quality or low cost. It is worth highlighting ways to improve production or the product itself.

Analysis of the selected industry and assessment of the viability of the project in it

This section contains information about how things are in the selected industry. At the same time, the possibility of working on it is analyzed. In addition, development opportunities are being considered. External factors are also taken into account here, and emphasis is placed on the impact they have on the development and effectiveness of the project. It is important that the business plan is relevant to the current market situation. It is very important to take into account all kinds of factors, thus showing that the project can be competitive in any situation.

If this section also indicates potential competitors (names of organizations, their advantages and capabilities) and industry innovations, then this will only increase the chances of success. It is also important to make a portrait potential buyer, detailing which segments of the population will be interested in a product or service.

Evaluation of the organization's capabilities in a given industry

It is very important to approach the study of this section responsibly, having considered all aspects. A comprehensive analysis should contain the following information:

• Goods and services provided by the organization, activities.
• Information about the legal form (OPF) of the company, its administrative structure, employees, partners, owners, date of creation.
• The main financial and economic indicators of the organization.
• The location of the firm, including its address, description of the premises, information on the form of ownership.
• Aspects of the selected activity (working hours, seasonality and other information).

Particular attention is paid to this section if it is planned to open new organization. Then the description should be more detailed. This also includes, in this case, the possibility of successful development, information about the skills of the future owner.

The main task of this section is to convince potential lenders or investors that the proposed idea is reliable and has great prospects.

Description of the product or service itself

In this section, attention is paid to the most important characteristics of the product for the consumer, as well as its advantage over competitive products on the market. The ideal option it will be the case if a sample or photograph of the finished product is attached to the business plan. You can also add a description, information about technical specifications. It specifies:

• The name of the product or service.
• Direct appointment, possibilities of use.
• Description and list of the most important characteristics.
• Evaluation of the advantages of the product and its competitiveness.
• Availability of copyrights and patents.
• An indication of the need to obtain a license for the production of goods or the provision of services.
• Information about the availability of quality certificates for goods.
• Harmless to humans and the environment.
• Delivery data, designed packaging.
• Availability of warranties and service.
• Information about the operation.
• Methods of disposal after the expiration date.

Drawing up a marketing plan

After assessing the market and a specific industry, analyzing them, a specific strategy is developed. At the same time, volumes of consumption and possible buyers are indicated. The levers of influence on demand (price changes, development of an advertising company, improvement of product quality, and other methods) are also considered. Attention is also paid to the methods of marketing, approximate cost, development of advertising policy.

When specifying possible consumers, the methods of purchase (wholesale, retail, end consumer), as well as their status (legal and natural persons, as well as ordinary people) are taken into account.

By revising possible characteristics products are evaluated appearance, tasks performed, cost, shelf life and service life, safety for the consumer and the outside world. It is worthwhile to adhere to the following structure in the section:

• Analysis of potential buyers.
• Competitiveness analysis.
• Analysis of sales opportunities for a product or service.
• Description of the sequence of deliveries from production to the final consumer (this also includes a description of the packaging, places and methods of storage, after-sales service, forms of marketing).
• Ways to attract buyers (this includes various promotions, free trials, exhibitions).

It is very important to justify the relationship between price, quality and profitability.

Often the development of a marketing plan requires a lot of effort, because it is a very time-consuming process. At the same time, such quite complex mechanisms as ways to advertise, promote, support, identify interests, predict and much more.

Drawing up a production plan

This section focuses on production and other work processes. This includes information on the various premises used, equipment, personnel involved in the work. In addition, the production plan contains a detailed consideration of ways to increase or decrease the volume of production of goods or services.

If the business plan includes information about the establishment of production, then the sequence of the production process is also prescribed, starting with the costs used and ending with the system for issuing goods. In a word, all the nuances are taken into account.

If part of the processes is taken over by the partner, then you need to indicate information about him, about the cost of the services provided, their volume, as well as the grounds for concluding a contract with this particular company. Moreover, if the contractor provides equipment or some raw materials, information about each item is indicated. Calculations of cost, benefits are also given.

In addition, the cost of the goods or services provided is necessarily calculated, an estimate is drawn up, variables are determined (depending on production volumes and other factors) and fixed costs. In general, you can structure the section as follows:

• Information about the enterprise in terms of production (development of systems, including engineering, transport, resource).
• Description of the selected technology, as well as the rationale for the choice made.
• The need to purchase or rent premises for production.
• The need for personnel, while indicating their qualifications, skills, number, direction of activity.
• Actual evidence of the safety of production and the final product for people and the environment.
• Description of the required production facilities (indicating available ones).
• Description necessary equipment, their characteristics, general information.
• Description of the necessary resource and raw materials.
• Consideration of all possible suppliers, terms of contracts, selection of subcontractors.
• Calculation of the approximate cost of all manufactured goods or services provided.
• Drawing up an estimate of current costs.
• Analysis of the cost structure of products.

organizational plan

This section contains information about various laws and regulations and documents that you need to pay attention to when drawing up a business plan. In addition, a schedule for the implementation of the selected project is drawn up, with detailed description deadlines and procedures.

Financial plan

It is best to display the following documents and information in this section:

• Annual plan of expenses and incomes.
• Calculation of the timing of implementation (having detailed the first year on a monthly basis).
• Plan for the movement of financial assets and cash.
• Approximate balance for the first year.
• Break-even analysis (with consideration of prospects, schedule, finding the break-even point).

In addition, the possible investment investments(leasing, lending, etc.). Here sources are considered in detail, the possibility of obtaining investments is assessed, and the profitability of their use is also calculated. In addition, the terms of repayment of all debts are considered in detail.

At the end of the section, an analysis of the effectiveness of this business plan is made. For the calculation, any of the methods can be used, for example, one of the methods of project analysis or analysis of FCD (financial and economic activity). At the same time, profitability is calculated, as well as the financial sustainability of the project under development and many other indicators.

The structure of this section might look like this:

• Annual income statement.
• The structure of tax deductions.
• Financial flow plan for the first year.
• Planned balance of the first year.
• The need for investment.
• Necessary costs that are associated with the use of borrowed funds.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of the entire business plan, based on the chosen methodology.

Consideration and analysis of possible risks

Any project on its way meets various problems, difficulties that may call into question the implementation of the project or its effectiveness. That's why Special attention is given to the identification of possible risks, their assessment, as well as ways to eliminate them. Therefore, a competent financier pays special attention to this section. It develops various coping strategies. It is very important to determine the degree of each of the risks. Any of them must be justified and objectively evaluated.

It is worth thinking about the development of alternative strategies that help compensate for possible losses. As the saying goes, "forewarned is forearmed". In doing so, you can use various methods, including quantitative and SWOT analysis.

If we consider quantitative analysis, we can talk about the calculation of not only risk factors, but also about the calculation of possible losses. Various methods (expert, statistical, and others) can also be applied here.

Consideration of all risks, their minimization can become a guarantee for potential partners. The most significant of them:

• Guarantees from the authorities of various levels (local, regional, federal).
• Insurance.
• Presence of collateral.
• Bank guarantees.
• Ability to transfer rights.
• Finished product guarantees.

Applications

The last section may contain different information. So, it can include documents that are referenced in the main sections. It could be:

• Copies of licenses, agreements.
• Confirmation of the reliability of the initial parameters.
• Price-lists from possible suppliers.
• Tabular calculations of various financial indicators, which were taken out in order not to clutter up the project itself with calculations.

Conclusion

That's all the main sections of the business plan. As mentioned at the very beginning, the structures are different depending on the type of activity, but the main sections are still the same as described above. Drawing up a business plan is not difficult if you understand the planned business. But if you are far from it, then maybe you should not start such a business.

If you have questions or additions, then write them in the comments.

What is the optimal structure of a business plan. What sections must be included in it and what is their content. We will give answers to these questions in the article, as well as give examples.

How to write a business plan simply and clearly and at the same time include all the information an investor needs in it? How to correctly structure data into sections of a business plan? How to fill each of the sections so that the information does not mix into a pile of incomprehensible numbers and diagrams, but tells about your project step by step, section by section? Read on.

The optimal composition and structure of the business plan

There is no unambiguously prescribed structure of a business plan. It may vary depending on whether you have a production project or a trading, high-tech start-up or an existing business in the service sector.

The most universal business plan structure was introduced in 1978 by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization). Since then, the writing rules presented by the organization have been successfully used by enterprises, banks, government agencies and even entire countries.

According to UNIDO, a business plan should consist of 10 sections:

1. Summary.
2. Description of the industry and company.
3. Product description.
4. Marketing plan.
5. Production plan.
6. Organizational plan.
7. Financial plan.
8. Project performance indicators.
9. Risks and guarantees of the project.
10. Applications.

What information should be filled in these sections? Consider further the structure of the business plan point by point.

Summary

A resume is usually no more than a page. And on this page you should fit all the information about the market, about the project and its team, about the product. Be sure to indicate the volume and conditions for attracting financing, key indicators of investment efficiency in the summary. For example, in this way:

To implement the project, borrowed funds in the amount of 12 million rubles are required.

Discounted payback period of the project (DPP) – 17 months

Investment Effectiveness Ratio (ARR) – 223%

Net present value (NPV) - 283.68 million rubles.

Internal rate of return (IRR) – 89%

Investment Profitability Index (PI) – 9

Borrowed funds are planned to be insured in JSC IC ALLIANCE.

It goes without saying that pictures and graphics have no place in the resume, you will place them in other sections of the business plan. .

A resume can be compared to an elevator pitch (literally “speech in an elevator”) - the format of a presentation to an investor no longer than one minute. Imagine that you jumped after an investor into an elevator, and you need to enthrall him with your project until the elevator doors open and he goes about his business. About the same effect should produce a resume.

If it:

• uninteresting,
• does not promise sufficient financial benefits,

Many practitioners recommend writing a resume last. Because when, it is easier for you to formulate your idea in a concentrated way, to draw conclusions.

Description of the industry and company - the basis of a business plan

This section is the necessary basis for the entire business plan. After all, without a target market, there is no need to create a project. And you must clearly show the investor that the project will find its consumer and be successful.

To write good description industries, you should start from two starting points:

1. The investor knows nothing about your market.
2. You know your market well.

Everything is clear with the first point. It is necessary to describe the market as clearly as possible, its history, current situation and prospects, competition and the position of your project in the market.

But with the second point, many have difficulties. Precisely because, having decided to create a new project, entrepreneurs usually do not know their industry well or have a very subjective concept about it, not based on research.

by the most in a simple way write section "Industry Description" is the purchase of market research market, ready-made or custom. To attract large investments, this is the only right step, since the results of the study will be professional, objective, and, so to speak, more correct. But it is clear that this method is also the most expensive. Research can cost from 30 to 120 thousand rubles, and not every entrepreneur is ready to invest that kind of money in preparing a business plan.

An alternative would be to conduct an independent study based on information from open sources and your own experience. Here you will need to apply all your analytical skills, since information will need to be collected literally bit by bit from different sources.

In the Industry Description, you should talk about:

1. What market are you going to explore.
2. Whether it is independent or a niche of a larger market.
3. Who is the target audience - end users or manufacturers. Social characteristics target audience.
4. What is the scale of the market (within a city, region, country, or international).
5. His history for 3-5 previous years. What was happening with demand, supply, capacity and competition, with prices.
6. Are there special market factors such as seasonality, stage life cycle product.
7. About the current situation on the market (capacity, saturation).
8. Give a forecast of the dynamics of capacity and saturation for the planning period (3–5 years).
9. On competition in the market and its forecast for the planning period.

If studies of consumer preferences are available, it is good to give conclusions on them.

All information should be presented as objectively as possible and with links to authoritative sources, such as well-known consulting agencies, industry leaders, iconic personalities in the business environment. The presentation of information should look exactly like a story, with the logic of flowing from one number to another, and not a general heap of numbers and diagrams from which no conclusions can be drawn.

Briefly, you should tell the story:

Market X was formed in such and such a year and since then such and such changes have occurred on it (here is a diagram and specific figures).

Today, according to analysts, Y market capacity is such and such. The forecast for the market for 3-5 years, again, according to analysts, is such and such (again, a diagram and specific figures).

Competitors in the market such and such (give a brief description and shares), our share is Z%

Our forecasts for the strengthening / weakening of competition are such and such, therefore the forecast for the market share by years is %%% (diagram)

As a result, by linking all the numbers together, you should get sales figures by years, which you will later use in the sales plan. .

A little hint: you can focus on the indicators of a similar project that has already been implemented on the market, then it will be easier to make forecasts.

The description of the company (project) is not difficult task because all the information you need is at your fingertips. Here, too, you need to tell the investor a little story, identifying the main milestones in the development of the company and, of course, presenting the victories won by the company in a favorable way. Separately, it is worth mentioning the key members of the project team, describing their competencies and positive experience in the industry and in business. .

If you are writing a business plan for a startup, especially in an innovative industry, you may not have any initial market data at all, and of course, no history of the company. Then limit yourself to general calculations for similar industries and your own (not unfounded) forecasts, and place special emphasis on the description of the team. Let's take a look at other important elements the structure of the business plan and the content of its main sections.

Product description

In this section, you should convey three main messages to the investor:

1. What is your product.
2. How valuable is it to the consumer?
3. Why is it better than competitors' products.

A product description can take as much as half a page, if your project does not carry novelty and is technologically simple, or ten. The main thing is that you can explain to a potential investor who does not understand your business at all what you are going to do (produce).

It is good practice to support the text with diagrams, simple drawings and images of the product. Thus, you turn on visual perception and keep the investor's attention on the business plan.

It is not enough to tell what you are going to do, you need to answer the question “why?”. A product that is not needed by the consumer will not be sold. And you won't get funding for it. Therefore, try to prove as convincingly as possible that your project is necessary for the market. Among the arguments may be calculations from the previous section on unsatisfied demand, social surveys, consumer preferences.

In the third part of the section, you need to clearly show why your product is better than the competition. From experience, competitive analysis tables work best for this. For example (table 1).

Table 1. Competitor analysis

The presence of such a table in the business plan shows that you know your market, competitors' products, their advantages and disadvantages. When creating your product, you took into account existing analogues on the market and made your product better in some way.

Be sure to indicate in such a table significant parameters, such as price (!), Operation characteristics, quality. You can provide the table with additional parameters: after-sales service, brand awareness, modern design. Indicate all the characteristics by which your product outperforms competitors, but also indicate significant disadvantages. Investors will find them anyway.

Marketing plan

This section is strongly linked to the Industry Description, as it is where your future sales figures are indicated. AT marketing plan you must disclose step by step your actions to achieve these numbers.

A sales plan is another essential element of a business plan.

First, you must detail exactly what, how and when you will sell.

The total sales figures by year should be broken down:

• by products (or groups of products), the technological cycle of which is different. For example, milk, dairy products, cheeses. Or software, technical support, development;
• by the number of products and price;
• by periods (forecast by months and years);
• distribution channels (wholesale, retail, e-commerce ...).

In fact, in this section, you should lay the foundation for the production plan, because after creating a sales plan, you will understand how much, what and when you will need to produce.

And it also begins with a sales plan, without which not a single business plan can do.

Sales channels

Second, you should describe how you will sell.

Who will be your buyers? End users or dealers, or both? Wholesales are different from retail, e-commerce is not like a network of offline stores. Each channel needs its own resources, its own rules, its own price for the product.

Only by describing each of the channels will you show that you understand your actions in the future and are ready to enter the market.

Advertising and promotion

We have decided on sales and resources, but what about your promotion? Need to understand:

• how consumers learn about a new product,
• what will be its positioning
• how will you create the information environment and whether,
• how you will form a positive image of the product and the company,
• whether you will create a trademark.

The answers to all these questions should be contained in the advertising and promotion plan. A plus would be the availability of a budget for each of the tools, but you can also specify total amount that you plan to spend on advertising.

Dealer policy and service policy

These sections are optional added to the business plan if your business involves working with dealers and after-sales service.

When you write about working with dealers, indicate the specific offer with dealer margin and terms of sale. Don't forget that all numbers must match the sales plan.

Also describe the after-sales service realistically: what after-sales activities you intend to perform, in-house or with the help of partners, what will be the cost of after-sales service for the project.

Production plan

A key section for production projects, for projects without any production, you can skip it.

Your main task in this section is to reasonably explain why you chose this or that raw material, suppliers, equipment and technological process.

It is advisable to start the section with a description of the technological process of manufacturing the product, providing it, if possible, with a diagram. More detailed diagrams, drawings, descriptions can be given in the Appendices.

Then move on to describing the raw materials and components needed for production. It is good to provide a business plan with a list of specific suppliers from whom you will buy, and give in the Appendix an estimate of the consumption of raw materials with prices per unit of the product produced. Do not forget about the planning of stocks of raw materials, processing and finished products.

Next, you should write about the equipment used, its characteristics, and cost. Calculate loading production lines and justify why you should acquire so many means of production.

It is necessary to continue the production plan by calculating the necessary labor resources, a description of the qualifications of workers and work schedules, the system of payment for work.

In conclusion, you must justify the choice of location of production facilities and organization of labor.

At the moment when the production plan is written, the financial model will also be almost ready, because the most difficult thing in creating a model is the calculation of production costs by combining the sales plan and the estimated cost per unit of output.

organizational plan

The purpose of the organizational plan is to provide the investor with the missing information on the organization of the business.

As a rule, this is:

• the organizational structure of the company, the number of legal entities and their relationship, the structure of divisions and workshops;
• description of support and administrative departments, such as financial services, HR, project management, and so on;
• rent or purchase of office and industrial (trade, warehouse) space;
• staffing and description of the mechanisms of remuneration and motivation;
• carrying out developments and surveys;
• description of the tax burden on the business;
• import/export policy, where applicable;
• and others.

All this information should be not only structured and reasonably presented, but also clothed in numbers, which should be reflected in the financial model.

Financial plan

The financial plan combines the three previous sections of the business plan and presents them in the form of financial calculations - Forecast of income and expenses, Cash flow of the project with the obligatory use of discounted cash flows, less often the Forecast balance.

All project flows should be divided financially into investment (investment of the investor in the project, capital expenditures), operating (sales plan, production and organizational plans), and financial (receipt and return of borrowed funds, interest, deposits) with the calculation of the result for each group.

The best way to present information in the financial plan section would be to keep the financial model itself concise, with detailed expansion in the Appendices.

Plus, in financial terms, you must justify the amount requested from the investor and the conditions for receiving it. You should describe whether it will be debt or equity financing, at what interest rate you discounted and why, how the mechanism for making profit by the investor and returning the invested funds (optional) will be built, how the investor’s exit from the project will be organized.

Project performance indicators

In this section, briefly present the findings on financial plan, explain in the language of numbers the benefits that the investor will receive from the project.

Be sure to calculate financial performance indicators:

1. .
2. .
3. Discounted payback period - DPP.
4. Profitability Index - PI.
5. Average rate of return - ARR.

If there are additional benefits, such as full acquisition of the business after a certain period or synergies, mention them here. In this section, they will attract the maximum withdrawal of the investor.

Project risks and guarantees

The most controversial section of the business plan, but it is mandatory to write it for all projects. On the one hand, the fact that you describe the commercial, financial, operational and organizational risks of the project and strategies for their reduction will not protect your project from the onset of unpredictable risks. But, on the other hand, you will show your discretion, insight and readiness to act at the right time according to a pre-planned scenario.

Investors do not like business plans that do not describe risks, because in such business plans they have to calculate the risks themselves. Do this work for them.

The larger the project, the more scientific approach must be used to calculate the risks. To attract a relatively small amount, it is enough to make a SWOT analysis of the project, relying on the opinion of 2–5 experts.

To attract large amounts, it will be necessary to carry out a sensitivity analysis of the project and scenario analysis, and then a risk assessment using probabilistic and statistical methods.