CHAPTER 15
Business Plan Drafting Worksheet A WISE MAN TURNS – THOMAS FULLER
CHANCE INTO FORTUNE.
can be a daunting task and it helps to have some solid guidelines to be sure that all the important areas are covered. This business plan drafting worksheet includes an extensive list of questions and information that should be answered and provided in a good business plan. In some cases, the items will overlap and the organizational emphasis will vary depending on the type of business and the purpose of the plan. However, working through these items should provide a good starting point. The drafter should allow sufficient time to thoughtfully answer each of the questions. In the plan itself, refer to independent research reports, as well as any other credible evidence to support the claims and strategies of the company. Further information on each of the areas is included in the substantive chapters in this book. The business plan exemplars in the ensuing chapters should be consulted for ideas regarding presentation of the responses in the plan. Also, reference should be made to the chapter on financial information for specific issues relating to the presentation of financial statements in the plan.
BUSINESS PLAN PREPARATION
The International Business Plan I. INTRODUCTION / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Briefly describe the company’s business. 2. Describe the significant features of the company’s products. 3. Describe the market potential for the company’s products. 4. Describe the financial goals of the company (e.g., reaching $2 million in sales in the new market in two years, profitability in three years and specified levels of sales and after-tax profits within four years). 5. Describe the purpose of the plan and its relation to the attainment of the company’s financial goals. P L A N N O T E : This section should showcase the highlights of the company’s business
plan and provide the reader with a snapshot of the information included elsewhere in the plan. After reviewing the executive summary, the reader should have a clear understanding of the company’s products, market opportunities and financial objectives. The executive summary should be written after the rest of the plan has been drafted. In most cases, the executive summary should be no more than two pages (one page is best). The global aspects of the plan should be highlighted in the executive summary by focusing on foreign market opportunities and the financial goals of the company in those markets.
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