The Financial times essential guide to writing a business plan : how to win backing to start up or grow your business

Front Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents Publisher's acknowledgements About the author Preface Introduction PART 1 PREPARING YOUR PLAN 1 Essential preparation Result Need Preparation A business plan for SMEs PART 2 WRITING YOUR PLAN 2 The business Background Business mix by segment Segmentation in a start-up 3 Market demand Market size Market growth Market demand for a start-up Market demand risks and opportunities 4 Competition Your competitors Competitive intensity Competition in a start-up Industry competition risks and opportunities 5 Strategy Competitive position Strategy Strategy in a start-up Strategic risks and opportunities 6 Resources Management Marketing Operations and capital expenditure Resource risks and opportunities 7 Financials and forecasts Historic financials Market-driven sales forecasts Competition-driven margin forecasts Funding the plan Full financial forecasts Forecasts in a start-up Financial risks and opportunities 8 Risk, opportunity and sensitivity Meet the Suns and Clouds chart What the suns and clouds tell you Sensitivity testing 9 Conclusion Conclusion Executive summary Investment highlights Postscript: Tips by business type PART 3 USING YOUR PLAN 10 Pitching your plan Focusing the content Using PowerPoint Delivering the message 11 Setting targets Choosing key performance indicators Setting milestones 12 Performing to plan Monitoring your plan Appraising managerial performance Evaluating your plan Epilogue: Beware these characters! Appendices Appendix A: Deriving competitive position Appendix B: Structured interviewing of customers Appendix C: Alternative sources of funding Appendix D: An example business plan Appendix E: Further reading Index Back Cover Whether you seek financial backing or board consent, The Financial Times Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan will give you the critical knowledge you need to get the go-ahead. By focusing clearly on your objective, it will help you to gather the necessary evidence and address all your backers concerns. This brand-new edition draws out the specific challenges faced by start-ups, particularly on pinning down your perceived market niche and determining your competitive advantage. There are new chapters on pitching the plan and performing against the plan, using key performance indicators and milestones. Finally, new appendices outline alternative sources of funding and display an example business plan from start to finish.Written by a seasoned practitioner with years of experience in both writing and evaluating business plans for funding, it will help you formulate a coherent, consistent and convincing plan with your backers needs in mind. Follow its guidance and your plan will have every chance of winning the backing you need for your business to succeed "This book will show you how to design, craft and shape a plan to the needs of your backer. It places great emphasis on the specific challenges faced by start-ups, has new chapters on pitching the plan and performing against plan and new appendices on alternative sources of finance, an example business plan in its entirety and what to read next. This edition also adds sections on certain issues which backers today are keen to see addressed, for example social media marketing and the influence of influencers and energy conservation"-- Provided by publisher