The Ideal Length of Your Business Plan
How long should a business plan be? A business plan needs to be whatever length is required to excite the investor, prove that management truly understands the market, and detail the execution strategy. From surveys of investor needs, Growthink has found that 15 to 25 pages of text is the optimum length in which to accomplish this. Any more and the time-constrained investor will be forced to skim certain sections of the plan, even if they are generally interested, which could lead them to miss essential elements. Any less and the investor will think that the business has not been fully thought through, or will simply not have enough information to make an investment decision.
Many management teams feel that their company is too complex to describe in 15 to 25 pages. While this is sometimes true, the business plan is not meant to tell the whole story. Rather, the company must be "boiled down" into its essential elements. If the investor is interested, there will be plenty of additional time to tell the whole story.
Business plans, like other marketing communications documents, should be visually appealing and easy-to-read. This can be accomplished by using charts and graphics and by formatting the plan for readability. Effectively using these techniques will enable the investor to more quickly and easily understand the company's value proposition within fewer pages.
While the body of the business plan should be 15 to 25 pages, the Appendix can be used for supplemental information. The Appendix should include a full set of financial projections, and as appropriate, technical and/or operational drawings, partnership and/or customer agreements, expanded competitor reviews, and lists of key customers among others.
If the Appendix is long, a divider should be used to separate it from the body of the plan, or a separate Appendix document should be prepared. These techniques ensure that the investor is not handed a thick business plan, which will make them queasy before even opening it up.
To summarize, the goal of the business plan is to create interest ? not to have an investor write you a check. In creating interest, the full story of your company need not be told. Rather, the plan should include the essential elements regarding why an investor should invest and spend more time examining the business opportunity. The shorter length does not mean that your business plan should take less time to prepare. Rather, it will take more time. As Mark Twain once said, "If I had more time, I would write a shorter story." Likewise, condensing your business plan to a concise, compelling document is challenging and time consuming. Fortunately the rewards are significant.
Since its inception, Growthink Business Plans has developed over 200 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. Growthink has become the firm of choice for venture capital firms, angel investors, corporations and entrepreneurs in the know. For more information please visit http://www.growthink.com
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?
Q: I am interested in starting my own business. I have a business degree and lots of experience in my chosen field, but I don't know if I have the necessary skills to really make it on my own. Any advice?
Marie C.
Seven Key Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs
A recent poll conducted by Forbes magazine shows that majority
of its readers would prefer to become a billionaire rather than
a Nobel peace prize winner, a great scientist or a famous athlete.
There is no secret that most of the average people dream about
getting rich albeit very few makes any real effort to become one.
Lets Not Forget About The Little Guy
Every business has to start somewhere. What truly makes this country great is the freedom of enterprenuership that every one of its citizens have. Capitalism at its best signifies the power of a single person to reach monumental goals and turning a simple idea into a huge corporation. But in our pursuit of this glorified state, have we snubbed the little guy?
Key to Starting Your Own Clothing Company
Starting your own private label clothing company is not as difficult as you may think. I assure you that the founding members of Volcom, Paul Frank, Hurley and Von Dutch, are not mad geniuses of fashion. You can duplicate their rise to brand stardom provided that you have the following:
Should You Write Your Own Business Plan?
If you are just starting a company and looking for funding, or looking for additional funding for growth, you will need to develop a traditional business plan. Creating a business plan is a business hurdle that entrepreneurs seem to dread. Do you do it yourself? Do you hire someone to do it? How do you get it done quickly, but without spending too much money on it? Will what you do yourself be adequate to get funding?
Two Types of Business Plan Executive Summaries
Companies seeking capital often ask how long the Executive Summary of their business plan should be. The answer depends upon the use of the summary, mainly determining if 1) it precedes the full business plan, or 2) it will be used as a stand-alone document.
How To Start a New Business
While it is tempting to just leap into a new business because of it's exciting possibilities, a few key planning points will vastly increase your chances of success. These steps aren't difficult, but they're easy to skip. Many businesses ultimately depend on a slim profit margin, so planning can really help the process. Too many restaurant patrons, for instance, assume that running a restaurant seems fun because of the many restaurants they have visited, but restaurants have an especially high failure rate.
The Business and Life You Want to Build
In the early days of my first consulting business, I knew I needed some sort of plan to give me the greatest chance at success. I took many a wrong step, yet in the end I managed to put a solid business together.
The Use of Common Stock in Venture Capital Transactions
When raising capital for a business venture, a company can either raise debt capital, equity capital or a combination of the two. Debt capital is money loaned to the company at an agreed interest rate for a fixed time period. Conversely, equity capital is money invested by owners (shareholders) for use in business operations that need not be repaid. Combinations include convertible securities which may be debt that can be converted into equity at some point in the future.
The Boss is DEAD!
Some of us are born into families with "it", some of us are just driven over the edge to "it", and some of us crave "it", but just haven't figured out how to attain "it." That "it" is an Entrepreneurial Spirit that is a powerful force that can be the key to your success, and yes?sometimes even failure.
Are You An Entrepreneur?
With all the buzz about everybody being an entrepreneur these days wouldn't it be nice if you could really find out if you have what it takes?
History of Enterprise Car Rentals
So few really understand the drives and motivations of entrepreneurs. Many write about them, some lecture and teach about what they are, how they operate and what they have achieved; yet so few really understand them. So many fail to realize the dedication and sacrifice it takes to win at that level and the super stars are so rare that one just has to look in awe. One of the greatest stories of Entrepreneurial success is that of Jack Taylor who founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car. I therefore recommend this book about the History of Enterprise Rent-A-Car Book is;
Starting a Company on a Shoe-String Budget
A lot of people never start businesses because they believe they don't have enough money to do so. Unfortunately, these same people don't realize that many of the world's most successful companies were started on a shoe-string budget by an entrepreneur with limited resources. Below is a list of tips to help you save money when you're first starting a company: Manage your finances in MS Excel, not Quickbooks.
Manage your contacts in MS Outlook, not ACT.
Get free legal and accounting advice from law/business students or lawyers/accountants who are willing to do pro-bono (free) work.
Look for and join organizations that support youth entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Hire unpaid interns and make their job exciting.
Partner with somebody instead of paying them.
Use credit cards.
Get free, professional advice from SCORE, Teachers, and Professors.
Get investments from family and friends.
Find organizations who incubate startup companies or companies who might have office space that might be willing to let an aspiring entrepreneur use it. Perhaps, your school will let you use their copy machines and phone lines.
Swap services with a company instead of paying them.
Learn how to do graphic design and web design yourself. If you have these two skills, the startup costs of every business you have in the future will be dramatically reduced.
Territory Limitations Policies for Franchised Companies
All franchised companies must have Territory Limitations to maintain the peace within their systems. Often the unspoken ethics of territory limitations are blurred with mobile, home based or online franchise companies. Territory limitations in fixed site franchises are fairly cut and dry. There is your store, no other stores will be placed in the surrounding area delineated on this map within your franchise agreement. Generally things run pretty smoothly in this case. However as co-branding methods, partnerships and online sales increase as consumer demand for the brand increases we often see the franchised companies embattled in encroachment lawsuits in an already litigious industry.
Have You Been Thinking About Owning Your Own Business? Or Becoming An Entrepreneur? Part 1
Almost every day, I talk with people who want to start their own home-based businesses. I receive an interesting reaction when I ask people, "What are you looking for in a home-based business?" The most common response I get is, "Umm, well . . . I don't know." Keep in mind that these people have requested information about starting a home-based business. They have taken time and effort to go online and fill out a form, or do some research. And yet, they don't know what they want.
The Power Of Personal Environments
I've got to admit, I'm a big fan of comfort. I like it when things in my world are stable and reliable. For example, my home is my sanctuary. I live here, and I work here. I like it to reflect peace, order and beauty, so when a messy remodeling project was underway - like the recent replacement of a water-damaged bathroom ceiling - it affected me. I was stressed and cranky. My husband might not have been quite so generous and called me downright crazed.
The 7 Traits of an Exceptional & Successful Entrepreneur
How often have you either referred to or considered the expression, "Success is a journey and not a Destination?" Probably many times, yet often being in a hurry to get there, we forget that success is not an end unto itself, but is instead an ongoing process.
Be An Entrepreneurial Artist: Paint A Picture, then Commit It to Canvas
James had an original concept and he needed an investor. He had a compelling business idea that was a sure winner with the right financial backing. James painted a great picture of the vision he had for his business, but there was just one problem: James wanted to be a businessman, when he needed to be an artist.
Salon Marketing Using Wireless Broadband Internet Access
Our client in Chicago did, located right outside downtown too...a right competitive area. Everbody's looking for some kind of edge and we found it for them. Want to hear...the rest of the story.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Public Domain Info, but Were Too Afraid to Ask!
What to Look Out For:
|