The document outlines the typical sections included in a business plan, including an executive summary, business concept, market analysis, operations plan, management team, and financial plan. It provides guidance on what to include in each section, such as describing the industry, market opportunity, business model, marketing strategy, and three-year financial projections in the respective sections. An appendix may include supporting documents and materials. The executive summary should highlight the business overview, financials, capital needs, and achievements to entice readers to review the full plan.

2.  executive summary
 general company description
 the opportunity
 industry and market
 your strategy
 the team
 a marketing plan
 operational plan
 financial plan
 an appendix.

3.  The Business concept
 The Marketplace section
 The Financial section.

4.  The executive summary is probably the most
critical part of the business plan
format. Many business plan readers will read
the executive summary and then decide
whether to proceed further or discard the
plan.
 The executive summary should be written
last, once all the other sections are complete

5.  Business concept: A description of the business, its products
and the market it will serve. You need to describe what will
be sold, to whom and how it has a competitive advantage.
 Financial features: The summary should highlight the
important financial points like sales, profits, cash flows and
return on investment.
 Financial requirements: You need to be clear about the
capital needed to start/expand the business, as well as how
the capital will be used.
 Current business position: Provide an overview of the
company, its legal form of operation, when it was formed,
the principal owners and key personnel.
 Major achievements: Highlight any developments within the
company that are essential to its success. This includes things
like patents, prototypes, locations, contract that need to be
in place and results from test marketing already conducted.

6.  Name of the company, type of legal entity,
ownership, significant assets
 Vision, Mission statement of the business
 Company goals and objectives
 The main features of the industry in which
you will operate
 The most important company strengths and
core competencies

7.  focus on the description of the industry. Is
the business retail, wholesale, food service,
manufacturing or service-oriented? Provide
an indication of how big the industry is and
why it has become so popular. You can also
highlight some of the trends currently
influencing the growth of the industry. Try as
much as possible to prove how much
opportunity there is in the industry – do so
with statistics and anecdotal information.

8.  The Opportunity: Where is the gap in the market?
SWOT analysis
 The Industry:
 What are the barriers to entry in this industry
 How much power do the customers have
 Are there substitute offerings for the product or
service
 Who are the competitors and how strong is the
competitive rivalry
 What are the major changes affecting the industry
 The Market: Size of the market. Market share you
will acquire

9.  The focus of the business: broad mass market
or a specific niche
 How the business will succeed in the market?
How will you create a unique and valuable
position, involving a different set of
activities?
 What is unique about the business? How is
the offering different from that of
competitors?
 What is the value for the customers?
Describe the value proposition for the
customer?

10.  A business model is the profit-making engine
of the business.
 The important aspects of a business model
include
 The sources of revenue
 The major costs involved in generating the
revenue
 The profitability of the business (revenue less
costs)
 The investment required to get the business up
and running (to get to scale)
 The critical success factors and assumptions for
making the profit model work

11.  A list the founders including their
qualifications and experience
 A description of who will manage the
business on a day-to-day basis. What
experience do these individuals bring to the
business? What special or distinctive
competencies do they offer?
 An organisational chart if you have more
than 10 employees, showing the management
hierarchy and responsibility for key functions
(including position descriptions for key
employees)

12.  The marketing plan should draw on market research.
 The product (or service) and why it is valuable to
customers
 The focused and detailed description of the target
market
 The positioning of the product or service – how it should
be perceived by customers
 The pricing strategy with specific price points at which
the product or service will be sold
 The sales and distribution channels that will be used to
get the product or service to the customer
 The promotion strategy including public relations
activities, specific promotions, advertising and intended
viral marketing activities

13.  Explain the daily operation of the business, its location,
equipment, people, processes, and surrounding
environment.
 A description of the operating cycle that describes what
the organisation will do to deliver its service or create
and sell its product
 A description of where all the necessary skills and
materials will be sourced
 What will be outsourced, what relationships are in place
and how those relationships will be managed
 The cash receipts and cash payment cycle of the
business

14.  Start-up expenses and capitalisation: a
description and explanation of what it will cost
to launch the business and where you expect to
get this money
 12-month profit and loss projection (month-by-
month) and a three-year profit and loss
projection (quarter-by-quarter)
 A 12-month cash-flow projection and a three-
year cash-flow projection (quarter-by-quarter)
 A projected balance sheet at start-up and at the
end of years one to three
 A break-even calculation

15.  Damage Control Plan
 Plan for 35% loss of sales: During economic
downturns, your survival will depend on your
ability to maintain liquidity for a period of at
least 12 months
 Plan for a catastrophic incident: You will need
the assistance of a qualified business insurance
agent
 Plan for product obsolescence : If your business
is in a rapidly changing technology area such as
Netflix's home delivered DVDs, you will need to
plan now to keep a step ahead of technical
changes or advancements.

16.  Brochures and advertising materials
 Industry studies
 Blueprints and plans
 Maps and photos of location
 Magazine or other articles
 Detailed lists of equipment owned or to be purchased
 Copies of leases and contracts
 Letters of support from future customers
 Any other materials needed to support the assumptions
in this plan
 Market research studies
 List of assets available as collateral for a loan
 Detailed financial calculations and projections.