Business Plan HELP!!!

[Digger_uk]

Hi, firstly I took the plunge into the self-employed world a few months ago and I'm not doing too bad but not breaking the bank either.

Anyway for reasons I don't really want to go into I need a business plan. Various relatives of mine all have there own business and are doing well without a business plan and to be perfectly honest I wouldn't have bothered with one myself up until now.

I've browsed the internet for business plan help and I constantly seem to be coming up against buy an electrician business plan for $49.99 NOW!

If anyone could point me in the right direction or even better send me a copy of their business plan so I can read that for an idea and go from there that would be great!

By the way as already mentioned a little earlier I'm a self-employed electrician.

Thanks

 

[luvbusiness]

Hi Digger i,m a sparky too but dont have a business yet.Havent had to write a business plan yet but it seems like a good idea as it seems to give a structure or framework to the thinking of a business.

When I did a search months ago on the net the software that was mentioned a lot and seemed to have some good write ups was "Business plan pro".I visited a few of the high street banks and spoke to their business managers they all seemed very helpful.Barclays had an offer of giving me quite a lot of business software including business plan pro if i signed up with a business account with them.
Nat west have given me a usb stick called"business planning manager software" and RBS gave me a cd called "building a successful business".I even think some of the banks on their websites have free downloads of business plan templates.

 

[jim_gold]

This may be of help. If you have a Google account (takes 2 minutes to set one up if you haven't), you can access a whole range of free business plan templates here:

http://docs.google.com/templates?q=business+plan&sort=hottest&view=public

 

[Paul Norman]

The answer does depend slightly on why you need one. Personally, if it is for your own benefit, I would avoid using a template at all, and focus on it yourself. It is worth getting someone to help with this.

If it is for the bank, use a template, tick the boxes, and move on with your business!

 

[InternetMarketingPlatinum]

It's really to plan how you're going to put your idea into practice.

 

[Digger_uk]

Hi, thanks for the help so far!!!

Yeah its basically just to get a few boxes ticked to advance my business. I had a look into business plan pro but wasn't sure if it was one of those scam sites where they send you a pile of......

thanks for that google docs link too will look at that now!

 

[Billmccallum]

Most business plans follow a similar format, you just need to decide how you want yours to look... this is taken from

www.bankofscotlandbusiness.co.uk/

surprisingly, they miss out key areas such as marketing, competition, market research...drastic editing to fit here

Business name

Business idea

Key success factors
background to the business idea, and the reasons why you believe the business will be successful. For example, whether similar businesses already exist in your area, what your advantage over them will be, or if this is an original product / service which no other businesses in your local area already offer.]

Location of business

Target market
[Describe the type of customer which your business is aimed at, and the geographic area in which your business will operate. Also describe why you believe customers will be attracted to your particular business over any other businesses or products that may already exist.]

Skills and abilities

Business partners

Staff and employees

Financial resources available

Capital available from savings and investments

Income from sales


[Describe the basis for estimates.]

Grants and training support available

Security available

Start-up loan

Business expenditure and costs

Personal remuneration

Start-up costs

Equipment: £[x]
Machinery: £[x]
Vehicles: £[x]
Computer System: £[x]
Fittings for Premises: £[x]
Raw Materials: £[x]
Advertising and Promotion: £[x]
Insurance Premiums: £[x]
Professional Fees: £[x]
Other[list other items]: £[x]
Total: £[x]

Running costs

Rent on Premises: £[x]
Rates on Premises: £[x]
Gas/Electricity Usage: £[x]
Telephone Charges: £[x]
Wages (for others, not yourself): £[x]
Advertising and Promotion: £[x]
Fuel costs & Vehicle Road Tax: £[x]
Despatch Costs: £[x]
Professional Fees: £[x]
Other Items (including stationery)[list other items]: £[x]
Total: £[x]

I/We expect to incur the following running costs during the second 6 months of the business:

Rent on Premises: £[x]
Rates on Premises: £[x]
Gas/Electricity Usage: £[x]
Telephone Charges: £[x]
Wages (for others, not yourself): £[x]
Advertising and Promotion: £[x]
Fuel costs & Vehicle Road Tax: £[x]
Despatch Costs: £[x]
Professional Fees: £[x]
Other Items (including stationery)[list other items]: £[x]
Total: £[x]

Capital costs

Machinery: £[x]
Equipment: £[x]
Office Equipment (excluding Computer Systems): £[x]
Office Furnishings: £[x]
Computer Equipment: £[x]
Cars[list quantity]: £[x]
Commercial Vehicles[list quantity]: £[x]
Others[list others]: £[x]
Total: £[x]

Finance payments

Costs for materials
I/We will need to purchase the following types and quantities of materials:

[list types and quantities of materials needed for manufacturing or resale.]

I/We estimate that these materials will cost approximately [x]% of the price at which we expect to be able to sell the finished products.

Business protection costs
I/We will ensure that appropriate insurance protection is arranged for the business, and estimate that the total cost of insurance premiums for the first 6 months of the business will be £[x], and in the second 6 months, £[x].


Projected cash flows

I/We have prepared cash flow projections, which are attached to this document.

 

[JohnSmith1]

Hi, you search Google account and access a whole range of free business plan templates.

 

[JohnW1]

Hi Digger

Our free training website has a complete, easy to follow business plan package that takes you through the whole process step by step. It also has the same resource for producing a marketing plan as well.

These are located here in our Be a Better Manager and Marketing Your Business sections.

Feel free just to dive in and use these resources.

All the best

John

 

[faz]

Why not see if there's any workshops you can attend by your local business enterprise organisations/group e.g. your local business chamber? business link? regional development agencies? etc you need to see who runs your local ones and take it from there.

 

[oldeagleeye]

A few points Digger. Do you really know what a business plan is.Most people think it is something you put together to impress the bank manager so as to try an get funding. They fool themselves by being too over optimistic.

A good business plan is in effect a forward looking diary by which you can judge you actual progress as against your predictions and those in turn are based simply on your notes.

What is your market. What need have you identified. Who are your competitors. Where do you position yourself in the market. More expensive than your competitors but with a better customer service or cheaper and job done.How can you make your marketing better than your competitors whoever they are. Only then can you work out the financial's.

In short there are formats for business plans but only you know your business best. You therefore are the best person to put one together. About 20 pages should do it and then cut out all the presentation and garbage and refine it down to 2-3 pages. These are called the Executive Summary. They are all an investor or banker will read and like a movie they will act as your synopsis for the future and that is all you need because no business plan can be cast in stone you write the script as you go along.

Robert.

Bill if you don't mind me saying I think you made your post a bit over complicated. All the stuff about machinary and expenses would go in a simple cash-flow forecast. It is an attachment to the business plan not an integral part of it.

 

[Digger_uk]

thanks for that eagleeye, i should probably take it more seriously than I am doing tbh. I was hoping for some generic print out that i could just edit and stick my logo on.

However I think after all the advice i've received it would be beneficial to create a decent business plan and put some effort into it!

Thanks all for your help and advice!