| Business
Plan Writing & Presentation
General
Advice
The
plan is both about your "idea" and your "written document".
Think of it like a Yin Yang cycle. You write down your idea,
and the act of writing it down and seeing it on paper makes
you improve the idea, which you then write down, and so
on.
This
is both with you as audience, and with outside advisors,
potential customers, suppliers, investors all able to comment.
Most
people do not have a lot of time to read business plans.
So keep it short and succinct. Use graphics, and or photos
where possible. Tell a story in your own words. Have your
language give a sense of the flavor of your business.
You may have more detailed operations manuals that you develop
for yourself, and your team. Investors may want to scan
these, but most will not read these with any detail.
It is good to work with other people as you develop your
plan, and have a professional advisor assist you in writing
your business plan especially if you are a terrible writer,
or have writers' block, or are too busy making millions
of dollars to have the time to develop it yourself. As
a rule, when using outside expertise, it is preferable to
write a first draft of your plan in your own words or grunts,
and then work out the final edition with the help of outside
expertise. Check out our Business
Plan Services offer.
The
Basics of a Great Business Plan
The
Deal
A
one or two paragraph statement saying specifically what
you want, and what you are offering in return. Include
a short description of what you are going to do, and if
it flows easily why you know you can pull this off.
Summary
In no more than three page, hit the most important marketing,
finance, and operations issues making the case why you
will be able fulfill your part of the deal.
Marketing, Operations & Finance Sections
Describe
your objectives in each area, and how you developed them.
Supporting
Documents
-market
research instruments,
-resumes, architectural plans,
-historical/personal financials,
-leases,
-articles of incorporation,
-stockholder agreements, etc.
Presenting
the Plan
Always
Keep In Mind the
audience for your presentation
-how
will their involvement benefit them?
-what are their concerns?
Keep
your focus - keep cycling through
-marketing,
-finance
-operations
Address
early, and reemphasize the greatness of your team
Keep
it simple, short, easy to understand
-Be
understated and factual.
-Do not hype.
-Use testimonials, if they are good and from reputable
sources.
-Be creative using graphics, layout, and writing in all
but the financial sections.
Rehearse
your plan to be able to present it both on paper and orally
-in
person, over phone,
-and if you have the resources, on video, cd rom, and
Web versions of their business presentations.
|
