Page 55 - Business Plans that Work A Guide for Small Business

46 • Business Plans that Work

Figure 3.2 Business Plan Outline

I. Cover
II. Executive summary
III. Table of contents
IV. Industry, customer, and competitor analysis
V. Company and product description
VI. Marketing plan
VII. Operations plan
VIII. Development plan
IX. Team
X. Critical risks
XI. Offering
XII. Financial plan
XIII. Appendices

such as friends, family, and angels might be more patient than a venture
capitalist, keeping the venture capitalist in mind will help you write a con-
cise, effective plan that is more likely to impress all stakeholders.

Cover Page

The cover of the plan should include the following information: company
name, tagline, contact person and address, phone, fax, e-mail, date, dis-
claimer, and copy number. Most of the information is self-explanatory,
but a few things should be pointed out. First, the contact person for a new
venture should be the president or some other founding team member.
We have seen some business plans that failed to have the contact person’s
name, phone, and e-mail address on the cover. Imagine the frustration
of an excited potential investor who can’t find out how to contact the
entrepreneur to gain more information. More often than not, that plan
will end up in the rejected pile. Second, business plans should have a dis-
claimer along these lines:

This business plan has been submitted on a confidential basis solely to
selected, highly qualified investors. The recipient should not reproduce
this plan, nor distribute it to others without permission. Please return
this copy if you do not wish to invest in the company.