よく練られた事業計画(新しいタブで開きます) には多くの価値があります。ここでアイデアが形になり始め、新しい事業の方向性が明確になりますが、それは恐ろしいことのように思えるかもしれません。
ビジネスプランには焦点が必要です。なぜ自分がやっているのか、そしてどのようにやろうとしているのかを述べるのです。メモすべきことがたくさんあるかもしれません。
しかし、最終的には、ビジネス プランは、あなた、あなたのチーム、そしてあなたの会社に関わるすべての人にとって、不可欠なガイドとなるでしょう。
それでは、ビジネスプランを書くのに何が必要かを明らかにし、それがどのようなメリットをもたらすかを見てみましょう。
- 最高の小規模ビジネス ソフトウェアのまとめもご覧ください(新しいタブで開きます)
事業計画とは何ですか?
一言で言えば、事業計画はあなたのビジネスとそれに関わるすべてのことを説明したものです。
あなたが持っているビジネスアイデア(新しいタブで開きます)を明確にするのに役立つだけでなく、資金調達、人員配置、収益目標、マーケティング戦略などの要素に焦点を当てます。
ビジネスプランはスタートアップに限ったものではありません。既存の会社を再生する場合、詳細かつ構造化された計画は非常に役立ちます。
事業計画を書くための重要な概念
すべての成功事例にビジネス プランが必要なわけではありませんが、包括的なプランは、失敗への当面のルートを特定するのに役立ちます 。
ビジネスコンセプトを紙に書き、ミッションステートメントを発表するとしても、計画は空想的なものではなく、構造化されている必要があります。
最初に説得しようとしているのはあなたです。これに時間とお金を費やす準備はできていますか?
その後、潜在的な投資家やチームメンバーを考慮する必要があります。彼らはやる気と興奮を覚えるでしょうか？ビジネス プランでは次のことを達成する必要があります。
- ビジネスの明確なビジョンと目的 – それがなぜ重要なのでしょうか?
- 企業の成長に向けて参考となるガイドです。
- あなたのビジネスが行っていることの市場の可能性に関する客観的な見通し。
事業計画の主な構成要素
There is no one-size-fits-all business plan template, but the most successful plans have the same key components.
For small business owners writing a business plan, whether it's during the startup process or further down the road during a period of change, these are the essentials to include:
1. Executive summary
Think of your executive summary as an elevator pitch: it should be a concise, engaging, and persuasive overview of your business.
Keep this section to less than one page in length – after all, it is a summary.
While it’s the opening to your business plan, we recommend writing it last. That way, you can collate all of the key points raised in the rest of the document.
Here’s what you should summarize in this part of your business plan:
- A quick description - Outline what your business is about – if it’s a new business, what’s the mission? If you’re changing direction, what’s the concept?
- The products or services you’ll provide - Offer a brief value proposition – what makes your business idea unique?
- A picture of your target market - Give evidence that you’ve carried out market research and know who the end user should be.
- Your marketing strategy - Write a few lines about your intended marketing efforts to provide an idea of business reach.
- A snapshot of the company’s financial health - What’s the current business revenue and what are you forecasting to earn?
- A clear view of your financial needs - If you’re raising money, how much does the business require?
- The company’s key personnel - Whether you’re a startup business or an existing operation, who are the employees to mention?
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2. Company description and overview
Next up, give a more detailed description of your business. Even if you’ve decided to write a business plan only for your own benefit, imagine what other people would want to know.
Make clear what you think is going to bring your business success in the long run.
This should help to demonstrate that the ideas you have are worth pursuing. For example, what problem can you solve? What experience can you bring to the table?
Here’s how to structure the company description part of your business plan:
Pinpoint the industry that your business is in, plus any insights or industry trends that you intend to adopt or disrupt.
Describe your business model and its structure – is it incorporated, a limited partnership, or perhaps a sole proprietorship?
Mention your target audience and highlight which problems or opportunities you have identified for the business.
Clarify your mission statement and value proposition to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to business focus.
Provide some background on the company, like when it was founded, who by, and where it’s based.
Highlight the key employees in your team. If it’s a small business, that could be everyone, or maybe just a select few people.
It can be tricky to take a step back and consider your overall business goals and objectives, but remember that this is the whole point of writing a business plan.
Business plans can be great tools to use if you’re not even sure whether the venture is worth doing – writing an ambitious company description will help you to find that out.
3. Market analysis and opportunities
Whether you run a small business or a big business, you’ll have competitors. Knowing about the other companies in your industry will be invaluable.
That knowledge can inform your marketing plans, pricing decisions, and product selections.
You’ll also need to know about your target market. An understanding of your customer profile will help your business reach the right people and maintain a competitive advantage.
So, how does all of your market research come together in a business plan? Here’s how:
Illustrate your market analysis - Use charts and graphs to show where the business is going to sit within its industry. In terms of your price points, product offer, and service proposition, how will it compare to other businesses?
Explain who your potential customers are - Use survey tools (opens in new tab) to help you specify key demographics like age, profession, and location – if you’re only just starting out, it’s fine to make informed guesses about your ideal customer profile.
Include a SWOT analysis - Identifying the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a business is at the heart of every competitive analysis. Present this part in a grid layout to draw attention to it within your business plan.
Be clear about the competition - It’s tough to find a market that isn’t already saturated, so show how your product or service will be different. Although it’s useful to have friendly rivals, you’ll need some competitive advantages.
4. Products and services
Earlier in your business plan, you hinted at what you’ll be selling, and now’s the time to describe it. It’s worth remembering at this point that industry jargon should be avoided.
Explaining the products or services your business offers should be clear, but exciting.
This section should describe why and how your product exists, how much money it will cost to develop, and how much business planning has gone into your decisions.
Whether you keep it brief, or go into detail about manufacturing, here’s how to shape this part:
- Outline the development process - If you’re selling products, will you be manufacturing them too, or sourcing from elsewhere? What’s the timeline?
- Overview the business model - This is particularly important for retailers, as you’ll need to clarify how your products will reach your customers.
- Cover off the costs - Financial projections and cost management will come up a lot in your business plan. In this part, discuss your profit margin expectations.
- Explain what sets your business apart - Chances are there will be versions of your product or service on the market – what’s your unique selling point (USP)?
- Talk about intellectual property - Mention any patents or copyrights you have applied for and emphasise how your work will be protected.
5. Business management and organization
By this part of your business plan, you will have described in detail the ideas behind your company or its expansion. The next step is to explain how you plan to execute them.
Start by talking about the people in your business and how they’ll contribute to its success.
You will have highlighted key employees at the start of the business plan document, so use this opportunity to go into more detail about the team.
After all, they’ll be driving the business with you – here’s what you can show:
An organizational chart - This will be a great way to sense check the structure you have created – are there too many people in senior roles? How does the team work together? Is there enough room for growth?
The backgrounds of your key players - A strong management team requires people with a range of skills and expertise. Although your employees don’t need to have years of experience, they should be bringing something interesting to the table.
Your hiring strategies - A big part of business planning is finding the right people – after all, salaries form part of the fixed costs you have to pay for. How do you expect to reach the right talent pool as you grow the company?
The company’s legal structure - If you are creating a startup, go into more detail about how your business will be run. For example, will it be a limited liability company (LLC), sole proprietorship, or partnership?
6. Marketing strategy
You have a customer profile, so now you need to think about how you’re going to manage customer relationships. Nailing this in your business plan is a really smart move.
First of all, understanding your marketing objectives will help you find the right channels.
It will also uncover the financial data around your company’s promotional efforts. What will your campaigns cost? What can you afford to spend on marketing?
Here are the key marketing components that you will need to consider:
Your website - While social media is effective, websites are essential. They’re easy to get – a website builder (opens in new tab) like Zyro (opens in new tab) or Squarespace (opens in new tab) will help you to create a bespoke platform and get online quickly and at a low cost.
Its marketing tools - The other major advantage to website builders is that they provide users with integrations, software, and insights to help drive marketing strategies. You’ll be getting an online presence and the tools to promote your business.
Third-party assistance - You can also use online marketing services (opens in new tab) to help you structure each marketing plan and drive a difference between you and your competitors. Who would you work with, and what will that cost?
Other marketing channels - Where will your audience be? You’ll most likely benefit from using social media platforms, but which ones? Find out if it’s worth investing time into Instagram, or if LinkedIn will be more profitable.
How your business will stand out - When you write a business plan, you’re making predictions about the future – what will you do if your marketing strategy fails? Understand some key digital marketing trends (opens in new tab) to help inform your ideas.
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7. Business operations and logistics
Now we’re getting really granular. Breaking down the proposed logistics in your business plan will be incredibly useful for you as you work out financial projections.
Getting a clear picture of business operations will also help you formulate a contingency plan.
It may be that your business model is very niche and needs testing – how will you account for any failures? While it isn't fun to think about worst case scenarios, it’s better to do this now.
Plus, if you need to secure funding, this section is important. Here’s what to cover:
- Business facilities - If the company plans to open retail spaces or venues, where are they and how big are they? Will there be an office for employees?
- Supply chain - Will you be sourcing products or materials from manufacturers? Explain where they are based and what policies you will implement
- Inventory management - Retailers should describe how and where they plan to manage stock and customer orders
- Fulfillment model - Another vital component for retail businesses, this covers how you expect to receive products and ship them out to customers
- Business equipment - Even small business administration costs money. How will you source office supplies? Will you need a bank loan?
- Financial operations - Before you delve into this part of the business plan, mention how you plan to track and manage cash flow
8. Financial plan
Whether you need to secure funding, take out a business loan, or simply take note of your income statements, every business plan needs to cover financial planning.
It helps to take a look at your finance software (opens in new tab) options to construct this part of the document.
Being upfront about your company’s financial outlook is critical, both for you and anyone else who is planning to invest in the organization.
There are three key components that you’ll need to include in your business plan:
An income statement, which shows the most accurate picture (or estimation) of your company’s profit and loss over a period of time.
A cash flow statement. To understand how much money you need to scale the business, and if it’s viable, you’ll need to provide cash flow statements.
Balance sheets. A balance sheet discloses your business assets and liabilities – in other words, what you owe to others.
On top of your financial statements, you should also include a breakeven analysis of your company in your business plan.
Critical for startups, this shows at what point you expect to start making a profit and for what duration you anticipate to be running at a loss.
Tips for writing a business plan
優れた事業計画に何が含まれているかを理解したら、それを人々が実際に読みたいと思う文書にする方法を知る必要があります。
主要なセグメントに加えて、人々があなたが行っていることの文脈をさらに理解するのに役立つサポートドキュメントを含めることができます。
これは、特に投資家ではなく自分自身とチームを助けるためだけに文書を書いている場合には、計画を追跡するのにも役立ちます。
いずれにせよ、完全な居眠り騒ぎのような文章は避けたいでしょう。ビジネスプランには多くの詳細が盛り込まれていますが、全体を通して魅力的で刺激的なものである必要もあります。
したがって、本当にしっかりした事業計画を作成するには、次のことを忘れないでください。
- 簡潔にまとめてください- 100 ページのマニフェストをめくって読みたくはありません。将来のあなたでさえもそうではありません。効果的な事業計画は簡潔で記憶に残るものである
- 共有可能にする- 紙に書かれたビジネスプランは実際にはどこにも行きません - 簡単に転送できる形式で出版されていることを確認してください
- 明確にしてください- 業界用語は、完全に避けられない場合にのみ使用してください。そうしないと、ビジネス プランの読者を疎遠にする (そして退屈させる) 危険があります。
- 研究内容を示す- グラフを作成し、裏付けとなる文書を提供し、ビジネスにどれだけの配慮を注いだかを十分に明確にします。
- 情熱を忘れないでください- 当たり障りのない表現を含む従来の事業計画にがっかりしないでください - 自分の事業計画の中で、このベンチャーがいかにエキサイティングなものであるかを明確にしてください
- 最高のビジネス プラン ソフトウェアも紹介しました(新しいタブで開きます)