Business Planning
It Takes As Much Energy To Wish As It Does To Plan?*
*Eleanor Roosevelt
Our Business Planning Process.
It all starts with a business discovery session to allow us to understand your business. Having a good understanding is key to generating a business plan that meets your requirements. This session takes about 60 minutes and will be conducted via Zoom (an online platform). This allows us to keep the costs to a minimum.
The next stage is a business planning meeting, aimed at capturing the vital information that will be incorporated into your business plan, such as the financial forecasts the marketing strategy, the company organisational structure, etc (we’ll help you produce these if you don’t have them). The next stage is to produce the first draft of the business plan followed by a review to ensure that we’re on the right track.
If You Need A Business Plan To Raise Finance Or To Build A Better Business, Then Read On:-
If you’re looking for a business plan then our business planning service is for you. You’ll benefit from a bespoke business plan developed for you capable of being used for either:-
- a) Raising Finance or
- b) developing a strategic direction for your business for both the short and long term.
Business plans break down into two distinct types:-
Type 1. Business plans used to pitch for investment/finance. These are aimed at convincing would-be financiers that the business is:-
a) investable, demonstrating that the numbers work and that the business strategy matches the financier’s vision of the market that the business operates in. And..
b) that the business is / will be managed in a credible way by people that the financiers feel are credible. This type of business plan is targeted at external audiences.
Type 2. Business plans that are used to manage the business and achieve specific objectives in both the near term and long term.
This type of plan has to be implementable, it’s purpose is to provide a road map of how you’re going to achieve your objectives. A Type 2 business plan contains the who, what, where, and when of the business objectives. It’s focused on an internal audience who are going to be carrying out the necessary tasks to implement the business plan.
How Much Does A Business Plan Cost…
This really is a “how long is a piece of string” question, as the cost will depend upon a few different things such as:-
- How much research and preparation you’ve done in advance of our initial discussion.
- The type of business plan required (See type 1 and type 2 above).
- The complexity of the business model and proposed financing arrangements you require.
- The level of detail you require in your plan.
A fairly simple business plan would come in at around £795 and a more complex business plan with multiple year projections supporting research etc would be somewhere in the region of £2495.
Timescales will vary depending upon the above factors but will typically be between 1 to 4 weeks. If you’re desperate and need a faster turn around these may be achieved depending on our workload at that time.
What you’ll get.
You’ll get a comprehensive business plan (normally 35 pages long) covering the 5 areas of the business plan which are key to providing financiers the confidence that you and your business are worthy of investment or loans.
The Next Step.
If you’re still interested then hit the button below to send us an email requesting an ‘Online No Obligation’ chat and we’ll take it from there.
Business Planning Resources
Business planning is an essential part of building a successful business. Whether you need one to raise business finance or to get you moving in the right direction the business planning resources here will prove useful. I have used these exact resources to help me write many business plans over the years and they have proved invaluable in directing my thinking and producing a successful plan.
Business Plan Template:-
If you’re looking for a business plan template then look no further. Simply click on the button below to access a template. This template is designed for businesses looking to raise finance or funding and is very comprehensive. It’s 31 pages long and covers every aspect that investors or funding agencies will expect you to provide, for them to be able to make a comprehensive assessment of your business or business idea. It’s a google document but you can easily convert this to word by simply going to ‘file’ and downloading it as ‘word document’.
SWOT Analysis Tool:-
A SWOT Analysis has been one of the fundamental tools of business planning for the last 50 years now. SWOT analysis was invented in the 1960s by a management consultant named Albert Humphrey at the Stanford Research Institute. It enables the business to take a hard look at what makes them successful (or not) and what opportunities there are for them, along with external threats. This tool asks you a series of questions designed to produce the analysis. It also allows you to measure your business against 2 competitors (providing you have a good knowledge of them and their business).
Profit and Loss / Cashflow template:-
One of the fundamentals of business planning is knowing how much profit your business will make and what the cash flow will look like. This is a straightforward template where you can input your sales revenue and costs and the spreadsheet will do the rest for you. This is a google sheet but you can easily convert this to excel by simply going to ‘file’ and downloading it as an ‘Excel’ document. The formulas will still work. A word of warning, this spreadsheet is for indicative purposes only and you should consult a professional if you intend to use this for any other purpose.
Business Model Canvas template:-
Business Model Canvas is a one-page business planning tool. It’s ideal for developing new or documenting existing business models. It is a visual chart with elements for describing a business or product’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. If this is your first time producing a business model canvas then here’s a great youtube video that explains the process. This is a google document but you can easily convert this to word by simply going to ‘file’ and downloading it as ‘word’ document.
Pricing Tool template:-
Setting your price is one of the most fundamental functions of business management. However, setting the right price is often one of sheer guesswork. This pricing tool template is designed to allow product sellers (not services) to model their pricing based on various scenarios. If you want more information on how to set the right price have a read of my blog on this here. This is a google sheet but you can easily convert this to excel by simply going to ‘file’ and downloading it as an excel document. The formulas will still work. A word of warning, this spreadsheet is for indicative purposes only and you should consult a professional if you intend to use this for any other purpose.
90 Day Business Plan
Business planning is not all about raising funding, the most successful businesses use the planning process to ensure their success. 90 days is the ideal time frame to focus on a goal. You all know the feeling of being excited about something new. You’re focused and dedicated and those feelings translate into working hard. Hard work inevitably builds momentum and brings desired growth. After 90 days have passed, you’ve probably run into some roadblocks, your goals might need tweaking. You generally start to lose focus and enthusiasm and get frustrated when growth slows down.
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