A business plan is like a to-do list, only it is much more elaborate and delves into the details. For some aspirants, a business plan is like a guide and for others it is a strict instruction manual. For some, a business plan is nothing more than a projection. At times, a business plan is essentially a sales pitch, one that would be used to woo investors. No matter what you consider a business plan to be, it is a quintessential document. You must work hard on your business plan, as that shall set the further course of action. A well-detailed plan also acts as the bedrock, a friend and a checker of progress.
Here is how you should Write a Business Plan
First, determine what all you would include in your business plan. This can become simpler if you have a lucid purpose. If your business plan is to layout the basics of the venture you are trying to plan and include short term or long term goals, then you can pull in the factors or particulars to be considered.
A pitch or a business plan that would be presented to potential investors should be of a different kind. For instance, if you have a business plan just to assess your financial status, needs and expectations from the venture then the plan can be a spreadsheet and a conglomerate of numbers. If your business plan is being presented to investors, then it has to be a book.
You need a whole prospectus that lays out the kind of business you want to run, why, where and how; the prospects of the business given your expertise and experience; the target audience you have in mind; the unique strengths of your business and why it should work along with the way you intend to make money or profit. Along with such details you must mention all the finer aspects of the company, including the place of business, manpower needs, infrastructural requirements, vendors and support services. If you plan to open an online store then your business plan should include everything from the name of the store and the domain of the site to the name of the domestic or international courier. You have to explain everything, including from whom you would be procuring your products and how you intend to send parcel to Germany if you are selling to German consumers.
You should lay out the goals or objectives, financing needs, marketing strategies, how you would make profit, prospects of growth and how you would expand following the success in the initial phases.