Describe your enterprise in 2 sentences.

Business Plan Paper Guidelines
I. Title Page
II. Table of Contents
III. Executive Summary (a maximum 1-page)
IV. Introduction
1. Write a brief introduction of your enterprise.
a. Describe your enterprise in 2 sentences. Who, what, why
V. Strategy Outline
2. Mission Statement:
a. Write your Mission Statement.
b. It must be short, concise, and easy for your customers and employees to
understand.
c. Remember, this is the foundation of your business.
3. Business form:
a. What business form will you use, and why?
b. Compare and explain in detail the numerous advantages and disadvantages of
Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Sub S Corporations and LLCs.
c. Explain why you selected your form over others.
4. Management Team:
a. This is one of the most critical components of your enterprise so be detailed.
b. Create a management team using real positions your enterprise needs.
c. Use actual or fictitious people to fulfill these positions.
d. What education, experience and inter-personal and technical skills do they have?
e. Where did they attend college? Major, Minor? Graduate or Undergraduate
degree?
f. Describe their previous employment history and the duties and responsibilities
each individual held.
5. SWOT analysis:
a. Do a detailed SWOT analysis of your company.
b. Discuss at least 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses. Why are they strengths; why are
they weaknesses?
c. Discuss at least 3 opportunities and 3 threats. Why are they opportunities; why are
they threats? Be detailed!
6. Porters 5 Forces:
a. Explain and discuss each separately:
b. Discuss 3 reasons that give a Buyer power. Do your buyers have power: if so
why, if not why not; is it high, moderate or low?
c. The Power of Suppliers: Discuss 3 reasons that give a Supplier power. Do your
Suppliers have power; if so why; if not why not; is it high, moderate or low?
d. Discuss 3 reasons why Substitutes could affect your enterprise.
e. Discuss 3 Barriers to Entry that could affect your enterprise.
f. Discuss 3 Competitive Rivalry issues that could affect your enterprise.
g. Explain how each does or does not affect your enterprise.
7. Competitive Advantage:
a. Discuss at least 3 things that are a competitive advantage for your enterprise.
b. Discuss each separately in detail and explain why they are a competitive
advantage.
VI. Marketing Outline
8. Market/Industry Analysis:
a. You must use databases and references to support this information.
b. Describe the market you have chosen: total industry sales volume, trends, profit
potential, etc.
c. What is the projected sales volume and profit potential of your enterprise?
d. Be specific using actual dollar amounts.
9. Core Customer:
a. Describe your core customer: Discuss at least 3 demographic criteria and why
they are or are not important for your enterprise.
10. Product and Services:
a. What products or services do you intend to offer?
b. Explain if they (a) exploit a new environmental trend (hybrid vehicles) (b) resolve
a problem (twist off bottle caps) (c) fill a void, and/or (d) offer something new
and different (Ultra HD 3D TV).
11. Pricing Strategy:
a. Explain and discuss 4 pricing strategies, discussing 3 advantages and 3
disadvantages of each.
b. What pricing strategy will you follow and why did you select it?
12. Promotional Mix:
a. Discuss Advertising, Personal Selling, Public Relations and Sales Promotions.
b. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.
c. In detail, explain advantages and disadvantages of the internet, social media,
newspaper, radio, television, and yellow page advertising.
d. Which promotion(s) target your core customers most effectively and why? Be
detailed.
13. Consumer Decision Making Process:
a. Identify and explain the 5 steps of the process.
b. Explain Cognitive Dissonance. How will you prevent it?
VII. Financial Plan
14. Break Even and Breakdown Analysis:
a. Explain the Breakeven and Breakdown methods of forecasting sales.
b. Specifically explain which one you have selected for developing your Pro Forma.

15. Funding:
a. How much capital do you need? When? What type and on what terms?
b. How will you use the money you raise? Be specific.
c. List the items you will need to buy to start your business and add up the items to
get your total start-up capital.
d. What is your payback period? In other words, how long will it take you to earn
enough profit to cover start-up capital?
e. How will you compensate the investors you are soliciting? Interest rate, period of
time?
f. Use current economic conditions to arrive at your conclusions.
16. Financials:
a. Explain which sales method you used for your projection and give and
specifically show how you arrived at the 1st months projection.
b. Develop a projected income statement. Show a 6-month projection on a month by
month basis of revenues and expenses. Be realistic!
c. Do a Breakeven analysis of your enterprise based on the projections on your
spreadsheet.
d. List all the Assets you will need on this spreadsheet and their

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