Hello, cioforhire-ga
Thank you for your very concise, and detailed question. I actually
consulted with a business financial advisor who has written many
business plans before completing your answer, to be sure that I had
not missed any important details.
There are many well-written, comprehensive templates of business
plans that are widely accepted as the "norm" when presenting a
proposal to a venture capital firm, "business incubator," or a
consulting business. All of these plans contain the same basic
information, although they may need to be tweaked a bit according to
the nature of the business and any peculiar standards of the
organization considering the business plan.
The main purpose behind any business plan is to require the business
organizers to specify and document the nature of the business and how
it is to be accomplished. For instance, how will the business be
organzized and managed, what products will it generate, what amounts
of financing will be needed before the business is able to generate
the cash necessary to become financially viable, and what is the
anticipated timeframe for recovering start-up costs and generation of
profits for the owners? In essence, the plan is a "picture" for
potential investors and becomes a yardstick to be used in measuring
the progress of the business over time.
===
***********************
Business Plan Templates
***********************
The Knapp New Venture Competition at UCLA outlines a basic template
for an acceptable business plan, from the proposed business to a
possible exit strategy. The template which follows may be viewed at:
http://www.uclamba.com/knapp/requirements.htm
Executive Summary
Summary Overview
Proposed Financing
Business Description
Overview of the industry
Discussion of the company
Descriptions of your products/services
The Opportunity
The Company and Product
The Company
The Opportunity
The Product/Service: explanation of value added
The Market
Customers
Market size and Trends
Competition - detailed analyses of competitor services/businesses
Estimated Sales and Market Share
Sales and Marketing
Strategy
Method of Sales
Pricing
Distribution
Advertising and Promotion
R & D
Management and Ownership
Management Personnel
Organizational Chart
The Board of Directors
Share Structure
The Offering
Term Sheet
Use of Proceeds
Capitalization
Valuation Justification - describe method/comparables
Financial Projections
General Assumptions
Income Statement, Balance Sheet And Cash Flow For Years 1-5
Investor Returns & Risks
Exit Strategies (identified and described)
Risk Factors (identified and described)
======
A "fleshed out" business plan template is provided by Venture
Associates on their website at
http://www.venturea.com/business.htm#OUTLINE
Click on the tab at the top for "A Business Plan Outline."
======
The "Moot Corp Competition" from the Center for Business Planning
invites "MBAs from the best business schools in the world to present
their business plans to panels of investors. The investors then choose
the best new venture."
The winners, along with their business plans and concepts, can be
reviewed at
http://www.businessplans.org/mootcorp.html
The 2002 world Champion:
http://www.businessplans.org/2mba/2mba00.html
The 2000 best written plan:
http://www.businessplans.org/sana/sana00.html
======
A Business Plan template from the Illinois Small Business Office is
quite comprehensive and can be viewed on their website at:
http://www.illinoisbiz.biz/bus/pdf/bizplan.pdf
======
A sample business plan for a restaurant start-up may be viewed at:
http://www.virtualrestaurant.com/sample.htm
==
Another plan, titled "Business Plan: Rainbow Kites, Inc." can be
viewed on the BusinessTown.com website at:
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-rainbow.asp
==
********************************
Business Plan Software and Books
*********************************
"The Ernst and Young Business Plan Guide." Eric S. Seigel, Brian R.
Ford, Jay M. Bornstein
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (Second edition 1993)
=======================================================
This is one of the most highly-respected books for writing a
comprehensive business plan from beginning to end, including
illustrated examples. "Issues such as financing, staffing, and even
liquidation are briefly discussed."
A complete review of the book, and chapter description, may be found
at eopinions.com:
http://www.epinions.com/content_43523018372
Excerpts from another description of the book may be found at Hall
Investing:
http://hallinvesting.com/management_leadership/1342.shtml
"This Second Edition offers a revealing discussion of how both lenders
and investors really evaluate a business plan. It deals with the
various legal forms that a business plan can take, a decision that
affects how much money can be eventually raised, the impact the
federal tax code will have on the business, and the potential
financial rewards for investors."
"The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide, Second Edition provides a
piece-by-piece dissection of a model business plan - with examples of
a real plan interspersed throughout...A business plan for a
hypothetical company, Good Food, Inc., an all-natural baby and
children's food company, is presented to more clearly highlight the
business plan preparation process.
==
"PlanWrite Expert Business Planner"
===================================
This is a very comprehensive software package which offers expert
advice along with the detailing of the business plan, and promises to
be an "expert plan" upon completion.
See description at
http://www.planware.org/salepwe.htm
"When finished you have a business plan that has been audited and
effectively critiqued by industry experts. It is a professional, high
quality plan which should meet all the criteria of bank, sophisticated
investors, business-support agencies, business managers, and most
importantly - yourself! Plan Write Expert Edition has placed you on
the road to business success."
Other types of business-planning software available from company may
be viewed at:
http://www.planware.org/software.htm
==
"Streetwise Complete Business Plan."
====================================
"The tough writing work! Choose from a broad selection of pre-written
text options, and customize them to any situation. Financial formulas
are ready for your numbers - projecting finances has never been
easier! Your plan will include competitive analyses, strategies,
marketing plans, and sales and profitability projections that you can
justify and achieve! Streetwise Complete Business Plan even includes
two complete sample business plans, with both text and financial
worksheets." 464 pages.
Available from Adams Media Corporation:
http://store.yahoo.com/adamsmedia/combusplan.html
==
Business Plan Pro
=================
This is also a very comprehensive software package that provides
business plan templates, including the "Most Preferred Format to give
banks, lenders, and Venture Capitalists."
Read about the software in detail, available from Palo Alto Software,
at:
http://www.bplans.com/common/products/?affiliate=abusinessr&manager=bs
===
Additional information
**********************
"White Paper - Insights into Business Planning."
http://www.planware.org/insights.htm
Page Contents:
Introduction
Overview of Findings
Main Lessons to be Learnt
Findings: Types of Plans & Primary Purposes
Findings: Length of Plans & Number of Drafts
Findings: Time Inputs & Elapsed Times
Findings: Use of External Advisers
Findings: Difficulties Encountered
Findings: Importance of Plans
Findings: Changes over Time
Introducing Invest-Tech & PlanWare
Copyright & Legal Stuff
A free business plan is available for review at:
http://www.planware.org/busplan.htm#1
==
"Outline of a complete business plan." BusinessTown.com :
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-outline.asp
==
"Developing a Business Plan." BusinessTown.com.
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-developing.asp
==
"Frequently Asked Business Plan Questions." BusinessTown.com.
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-qaplan.asp
==
To sum it all up, most basic business plans are the same. However, a
particular financing company may ask for specific information
according to the nature of the business. For instance, a small
secretarial business venture is very different from a large automobile
manufacturing business. Therefore, more detailed information may be
required in particular sub-headings of the business plan.
I hope the information I have provided has served to answer your
question. If anything I have provided is unclear, please ask for
additional clarification **before** rating this answer and I will be
more than happy to help if I can.
umiat-ga
Google Search Strategy
comprehensive business plan template
+written business plan beginning to end
The Ernst and Young Business Plan Guide
venture firm requirements for business plans
business plan start to finish |
Clarification of Answer by
umiat-ga
on
04 Jun 2003 09:13 PDT
cioforhire-ga
I know you left out the word "plan" in your original question, but
everything you have asked points to a "generic", well-accepted
document that is accepted by venture capitalists and financial
institutions for evalutation of a business.
Your original statement:
"Is there anyone out there who has created and documented a complete
process for starting a business and taking it to an exit?"
Your new clarification:
"I am looking at the creation of a business plan as one of the steps
to complete to reach an exit for starting a business."
The term "exit" coupled with "starting" a business seems to make no
sense. I have just called a very good business consultant who is also
totally stymied by your clarification.
An exit strategy, in the business sense, has to do with formulating
some ideas about how you will either liquidate, work out a deal with
your finance company, or file bankruptcy (last resort) should the
business not work out as planned.
What, exactly, do you mean by "reach an exit for starting a
business?" Exiting normally comes after the start. Am I totally
missing something here?
Further, you have stated:
"I was hoping to find some information about a complete process and/or
executable plan of action that includes a business plan as one of the
deliverables."
It may help if you can put this into different words. What, exactly,
is the situation you are trying to deal with, or remedy?
umiat
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