A Business Plan Outline

This is a standard business plan outline. You may copy it and use it as a basis for building your own business plan. Start with this outline. Fill in information and flesh out points as you work through it. Go over it several times until you feel you have all the information you can provide. It will likely (it should!) expend to several pages.

Review and revise your plan regularly. Keep it, perhaps, on loose-leaf pages in a binder so you can add and remove pages as necessary.

1. TITLE PAGE
1. Name of Company
2. Name of Company Contact Person(s)
3. Address
4. Telephone Number
5. Copy Number (For example, Copy 1 of 10)
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The executive summary is a condensed version of the entire business
   plan. It should be no more than two pages. It may be easier to compose
   this section after the plan has been written in its entirety. You can
   then summarize the plan's most important points in these first two
   pages.
3. PURPOSE OF THE BUSINESS AND PERSONAL GOALS
1. A mission statement.
2. Outline your specific purpose and goals.
4. THE INDUSTRY, THE COMPANY, AND ITS PRODUCTS
1. The Industry (background, trends, future)
2. The Company
3. The Products or Services
5. OPERATIONS
1. Geographic Location
2. Occupancy Expense
3. Facilities and Improvements
4. Strategy and Plans
6. MANAGEMENT TEAM
1. Organization
2. Key Management Personnel
3. Management Compensation and Ownership
4. Board of Directors
5. Management Assistance and Training Needs
6. Supporting Professional Services
7. PERSONNEL
1. Position Descriptions
2. Number of Full and Part-time Employees
3. Salaries and Wages
4. Payroll Taxes and Benefits
8. MARKET RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
1. Identify Customers
2. Market Size and Trends
3. Identify Competitors
4. Estimated Market Share and Sales
5. Ongoing Marketing Evaluation
9. MARKETING PLAN
1. Overall Marketing Strategy
2. Pricing
3. Sales Tactics
4. Distribution
5. Advertising and Promotion
10. PRODUCT/SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
1. Identify All Products/Services Offered
2. Costs
11. FINANCIAL PLAN
1. Capital Equipment Needed
2. Start-up Expenses
3. Projected Income Statement
1. Discuss Assumptions
2. Risks and Sensitivity
4. Projected Cash Flow
1. Discuss Assumptions
2. Risks and Sensitivity
3. Sources and Uses of Financing
4. Balance Sheet
5. Break-even Analysis
12. CRITICAL RISKS AND PROBLEMS
1. Identify Risks
2. Indicate Critical Assumptions or Problems
13. COMMUNITY BENEFITS (Include only if trying to obtain
    government or community monies)
1. Potential Benefits
1. Economic Benefits
2. Human Development
3. Community Development
2. Compromises or Lags in Profitability
14. OVERALL SCHEDULE/TIMETABLE OF EVENTS
15. APPENDICES
1. Management Team Resumes
2. Personal Financial Statement
3. Identify Professional References
1. Banker
2. Attorney
3. Accountant
4. Other Relevant Information