Create your business plan. Where to start your business - a step-by-step plan from scratch for beginners

Before you start implementing own business, it is necessary to carefully analyze the competitive environment, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the project, calculate the amount of investment and the payback period. Without preliminary preparation It is impossible to implement any business project. In this article we will tell you how to write a business plan, what are the nuances of document preparation, and share 10 tips for effective planning.

A business plan is a step-by-step guide that will allow you to clearly follow your goals without deviating from the main idea.

From idea to implementation

Before you start drawing up a document, it is important to understand why it is needed. This document briefly outlines on paper the essence of business activities and describes the implementation of the idea step by step.

A business plan reflects all aspects of activity and helps plan the sequence of actions necessary for the successful implementation of the company's goals.

The document is drawn up for:

internal use;
external use.

Moreover, these can be completely two different documents, with different calculations of the payback period, investment, etc.

For external use, a plan is drawn up to show the business idea at its best. This information, as a rule, is intended for investors and business partners, which demonstrates the strengths of the project, shows its quick payback with minimal investment.

For internal use, a more detailed and realistic calculation of risks and possible factors is compiled. All the weaknesses of the process are reflected here in detail, which can reduce profits, increase the payback period, etc.

It is this document that will serve as the main tool for business management and suggest in which direction to move further. The main rule that should be followed when writing an internal business plan is the real picture.

If a document for external use can be slightly embellished in order to advantageously demonstrate the strengths of a business idea, then a document for internal use will serve as a kind of step-by-step guide that will indicate the direction and help calculate all possible risks along the path to implementing the idea.

It’s better to start drawing up a business plan right away with a document for internal use, so that during the creation process you can consider the production taking into account its weaknesses and analysis competitive market, identifying risks. Most likely, a lot of information will not end up in a document intended for investors and business partners. But this will be a serious help for you in properly organizing your business.

What is the document?

A business plan describes all the features of the future organization of the business, it reflects an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the business idea, describes possible factors risks and problems, solutions are identified.

A good business plan is the key to success

Competently drawing up a business plan is the key to the successful future of your enterprise.

The development of an internal document will not only help calculate the overall estimate, but will also indicate whether it is necessary to attract investor money. It is important to understand that attracting investors is not always advisable and in the best possible way will affect the business. Perhaps at the first stage it will be possible to make do with existing capital, and as production develops, think about attracting external investments.

Attracting an investor only at first glance seems to many to be a lifeline that will help launch a project. But sometimes such an investment results in unfavorable terms of cooperation and financial bondage, from which the entrepreneur for a long time won't be able to get out.

On the other hand, significant financial investments from outside in some cases help to take the first step, purchase equipment, rent premises, hire staff, etc. And if, apart from the idea, the aspiring entrepreneur has no financial resources, then, of course, we cannot do without third-party investments.

How does a business plan help an entrepreneur?

find a sales market;
determine development prospects;
assess the potential market capacity;
act as a tool for attracting investors and business partners;
define short-term and long-term goals;
assess production potential;
calculate production and commercial costs;
reflect the performance of the company.

Rules for a successful business plan

Never deceive yourself! The biggest mistake in business is misrepresenting data at the initial planning stage. Draw a clear line between two documents: for internal and for external use. And, if a business plan for external use can demonstrate mainly the strengths of the idea, then the internal document must fully reflect reality. It is on the basis of this document that you make a decision about possible implementation this idea.
A resume is one of the key points of business planning. This point is one of the first in the document, but is compiled last. In this chapter, you clearly outline the essence of the business idea, the purpose and mission of the enterprise. Imagine that you were asked to voice the goal and idea of a business in a nutshell. The resume should answer these questions.
Do long-term planning. When drawing up a document, keep in mind that the payback may take several years; profit does not always come in the first six to twelve months. And this does not mean that the business idea is unsuccessful. This only indicates high resource costs. Ideally, the plan is drawn up for 2-3 years. Only by the end of this period can one determine how profitable it is to engage in production.
Place temporary landmarks in your plan that will serve as kind of beacons indicating whether you are moving in the right direction. This is especially important for long-term planning of a large project, the payback period of which is 3-4 years. This is very important point, which will allow you to feel the course of doing business, not to lose heart and to objectively evaluate the results that have already been achieved. When planning long-term, mark the entire implementation period into 6-12 points. Calculate how much income the company should generate in 3 months, in 6, in 12? If you deviate from these points, you will be able to assess the factors influencing the decrease in profits, find solutions and correct the situation.
Realistically assess the weaknesses of a business idea. You should not turn a blind eye to possible risks that could jeopardize your business. In order not to encounter a force majeure situation already in the process of implementing a business, you need to calculate in advance all the “pitfalls”, calculate possible consequences and find ways out of the situation in advance.
Stick to a clear plan structure. The document should be concise and understandable. This is important on two counts. Firstly, investors and partners will read it, so you shouldn’t write out a 50-page plan. The optimal length for a successful business plan is 15-20 pages. Present information and figures as clearly as possible. Secondly, do not forget that this is a reference book, a guide to action. Therefore, as you work, it should be easy for you to work with it, add and correct existing information.
If you feel that you cannot draw up a good and competent business plan, attract outside experts. No matter how relevant and attractive your business idea may be from an investment point of view, a poorly drafted document can ruin all your efforts. Starting from searching for investors and presenting the document to them, and ending with a step-by-step strategy towards the implementation of this idea. Therefore, if you feel that you do not have sufficient knowledge in the field of strategic planning, but at the same time clearly understand the purpose and objectives of the future business, turn to professionals.
When drafting a document, do not forget about your competitors. This is the first thing you should pay attention to when calculating profits, payback periods and assessing weaknesses. Carefully study the market in this area and identify about 5 main competitors. At the same time, carefully study their products, services, descriptions and prices. Get realistic about their strengths and your key differentiators. This will help to form the right price segment for your own goods/services, and secondly, it will allow you to assess your weaknesses and chart the right course for implementing your business.
Describe in detail the organization of the work process and who will manage the enterprise.
Do not use for your company ready business plan downloaded from the Internet, even with a suitable activity. Every business has its own geographical position, market features and position in a competitive environment. Therefore, you need to create your own own plan, which would take into account the specifics of the region, would include a thorough analysis and calculation of financial risks.

Today, experts work with several classifications of business plans and mainly distinguish them according to the following criteria:

The type of plan is determined depending on the field of activity for which the project is being developed. It could be:

organizational;
technical;
investment;
social;
economic;
mixed business plan.

A business plan is determined by class depending on the size of the object. It could be:

Depending on the scale of the plan, there are regional, sectoral, state, and national.
According to the project implementation period:

short-term (less than three years);
medium-term (3-5 years);
long-term (more than 5 years).

The nature of the sphere is divided into educational, organizational, research, etc.

As mentioned above, when starting to write a document, you should immediately determine what type of plan is being developed: internal or external.

There is a distinction between an internal production plan, which is written to modernize or expand production, and a marketing plan, the purpose of which is to improve the company’s position in the market, reach the next level, etc.

Interior manufacturing business The plan should take into account the following points:

analysis of the technical condition of the enterprise;
the need to modernize production;
development of measures to implement modernization;
information about the resources that should be involved in the modernization program;
risk analysis and solutions.

Outline of a standard business plan

A standard business plan consists of the following chapters:

Summary.
General provisions.
Product Description.
Marketing and strategic plan.
Production plan.
Organizational plan.

When studying the document, investors will pay attention to the following points:

market analysis;
planned volume of sales of goods, its assortment;
description of product packaging;
price policy;
procurement and sales system;
advertising strategy;
control over the implementation of marketing strategy.

Regardless of the scope of activity of the future enterprise and the direction of the business, the document has its own standards that must be relied upon when drawing up a plan.

Justification of economic feasibility.
Analysis of the economic environment in which the business will develop.
Financial results (sales volume, revenue and profit).
Sources of financing.
Task execution schedule.
Attracting personnel.
Economic indicators that allow monitoring intermediate results.

How to write a business plan yourself: detailed step-by-step instructions

Before writing a business plan, prepare a title page.

The following parameters are specified here:

Summary.

This section contains the most important part of the document about the company being created. The goal, short-term and long-term plans for the company’s development, and the specifics of the product or service being created are indicated here.

At this point in mandatory must contain information about the amount of required investment, an indicator of efficiency.

Despite the overview information, it is the resume that investors and business partners pay attention to first, so when writing this paragraph, be sure to adhere to the principle of conciseness.

General provisions (description of the company + information about the founders of the company)

It describes the main activities of the enterprise, mission, purpose, organizational and legal aspects.

In this chapter you need to provide information about the author of the business idea, the company responsible for its implementation (name, legal address, share in the authorized capital), partners.

This chapter reflects the principles of organizational strategic management company.

The organizational part must necessarily contain the following data:

name of the organizational and legal form (individual entrepreneur, JSC, partnership and others);
management system, leadership structure, interrelationship of departments;
founders, their description and data;
management team;
interaction with staff;
supplying the management system with the necessary material and technical resources;
location of the company.

This chapter not only monitors the competitive environment with a detailed analysis and description of the main players in this market. Here the possible risks are calculated.

This chapter evaluates:

target audience of the product;
geographic location of competitors;
market volume;
consumer interests.

When assessing the degree of financial risks, it is advisable to use an analysis scheme where the following data is filled in: name of the threat, essence, options for minimization and financial costs.

If problems arise with conducting market analysis, there are special companies where you can turn to for this service, but experts recommend that the entrepreneur still figure out this issue on his own, since any third-party companies will provide only an objective average result, not fully taking into account the business plans of small businesses and all the nuances of the project author’s business idea.

When drawing up a business plan, you must clearly remember that it must correspond to the tasks and goals of the enterprise and directly provide answers to specific questions.

Carrying out strategic planning, a SWOT analysis should be carried out, which evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the project, development opportunities and threats (risks) that may arise in the implementation of the idea.

TO strengths usually include:

novelty of the product (service);
inexpensive resources (as a result, low cost);
professional team;
creative and high-quality packaging, etc.

The weaknesses of the project include:

low advertising effectiveness;
lack of novelty of the service (product);
lack of warehouse;
low efficient transport logistics;
high cost of goods, etc.

When conducting a comprehensive market analysis, it is necessary to take into account all aspects and factors: political, economic, social, etc.

What threats can influence the low efficiency of business development? These may be strong competitors, customs and government clearance, market instability in this industry.

But potential opportunities include the likelihood of obtaining a new product, changes in legislation, and increased professionalism.

Description of the product or service.

Describes in detail the product, its technical features, the possibilities of using the product (service), the degree of relevance and novelty of this proposal.

The level of readiness for a given product (service) to enter the market is determined.

Marketing and strategic plan.

When compiling this section, it becomes clear how to attract customers and expand sales channels. Here you can calculate in great detail the ways to sell products, ways to attract customers, and in the future this part of the business plan will become a step-by-step guide to action.

In this part it is important to reflect the following aspects:

sales channels;
pricing;
ways and methods of sales promotion;
advertising;
image creation;
technical and post-sales service.

Should be given Special attention pricing, which is one of the key factors for the success of a business idea.

Consider the following points:

the price of the product must be higher than its cost;
the market must determine the price itself;
it is the price that will determine the maximum profit margin.

It is a mistake to believe that cheap price will become an incentive for successful business development. It must clearly meet the quality of the product, demand and take into account the market analysis that you will conduct in the previous section.

This section must contain information about production costs.

It is necessary to take into account everything that should be included in the cost of the product:

transport services;
taxes;
public utilities;
wage;
raw materials;
rent, etc.

When calculating potential profit, we take the formula:

Profit = income from sales – costs.

If at this stage of planning you do not take into account any part of the costs, it is difficult to talk about the correct calculation of profit and payback period.

When determining product pricing, marketers use several classic schemes:

Scheme No. 1 “Following competitors.” This option is relevant if an entrepreneur enters a market where the capacity of a given product or service is dense. The disadvantage of this behavior is that by focusing on the leader’s company, you lose the ability to control situations. Today the leading company can offer such a price, but tomorrow, having modernized its production, the competitor will reduce prices, and you will not keep up with it and, as a result, will suffer a loss.
Scheme No. 2. "Profit + costs." This method will be effective if there are no competitors in the market as such.
Scheme No. 3. "Cost-marketing". This method combines price formation and analysis of the cost of goods. The price is largely influenced by the cost factor from marketing.

Advice! When writing this section, you must understand that, in principle, you cannot release a product or service to the market that your competitors do not already have. But you can offer the product to the desired category of customers. It is on this concept that the most of successful business plans.

When designing sales channels for a product, you must be guided by the principle of the “Four Hows.”

How to find clients?
How to interest them?
How to sell a product?
How to satisfy the client's needs?

Defining target audience, you need to consider the following:

gender, age and marital status;
geography of residence;
social status;
income level;
occupation and hobbies.

Advice! Don't overload this part of the plan. As a rule, SWOT analysis and market analysis takes up a very large part of the entire business plan and it becomes difficult for investors and partners to study it. Use graphs and tables for this part of the document.

Production plan.

Don't confuse a production plan with production process. This section of the document provides answers to specific questions:

production technology;
what capacities will be used;
where the production will be located;
on what conditions and how the raw materials will be purchased;
how control over product quality will be carried out;
who will be involved in performing production tasks.

The main task of this section is to confirm with calculations that the company being created is able to actually produce the required amount of goods (services) in required deadlines and with the required quality.

This part describes the cost pattern in detail. It is better to use graphs and diagrams to clearly see the entire cost part.

Prepare your estimate as follows:

purchase of fixed assets;
purchasing materials;
rental costs;
utility costs;
expenses for the purchase of auxiliary consumables;
wage fund;
current expenses.

Financial plan and investments.

This part of the plan is one of the most important, and investors will look at it first when getting acquainted with the project (after the summary).

This chapter reflects the real picture of the viability of a business idea.

The section provides for planning expenses and investments for business expansion. The owner needs to develop a sales volume plan and different variants developments of events, each of which must be calculated:

favorable – with good consumer demand;
unfavorable – when low;
pessimistic.

Here it is necessary to reflect information about the possible costs and income of the project, attach a schedule with the required investments, a schedule with the repayment of these investments, etc.

The final stage of the financial plan is the calculation of business profitability.

Additional chapters of the business plan

In some cases, it is advisable to draw up a Memorandum of Confidentiality. This document is necessary to protect the copyright of the idea and business plan. As a rule, such a document is resorted to when the author submits an innovative business idea.

This document reflects the prohibition on the dissemination of information and copyright protection.

There may also be an instruction prohibiting copying, duplicating the document, or transferring it to another person, or a requirement to return the read business plan to the author if the investor does not accept the agreement.

Remember that a business plan is a kind of advertising business card your business, so pay great attention to its writing and design.

Divide the chapters according to functionality, do not overdo it with tables and graphs, but at the same time give them a lot of attention.

A plan written in continuous text will also not attract attention and will not allow you to quickly find the sections of interest.

Video. How to write a business plan from scratch

What is better: order a business plan from professionals or write it yourself

Many aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting out on their own business path begin to panic before developing a business plan.

Considering the key role of this document and the importance of its information, many entrepreneurs order such a document from third-party organizations that provide this service at a professional level.

Is this correct from a business point of view?

On the one hand, a well-drafted business plan is the key to successful business and an effective tool for attracting investors. But on the other hand, having ordered a document from a third-party organization, the entrepreneur does not understand the essence.

As a rule, companies that provide services for writing a business plan work according to a template, and no one will analyze the market and competitive environment as scrupulously and thoroughly, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company, assess possible risks and ways to solve problems, as the owner himself companies.

Often, when turning to an agency for writing such documents, the owner of a business idea receives a Talmud of 100 pages, which reflects the essence of the business in very vague and general phrases, without going into its specifics.

What to do in this situation? You can order purely mathematical and investment calculations from a specialized company that reflect the projected profit, payback, etc.

Here is a comprehensive analysis of the business idea, description possible risks and prospects it is better for the business owner to do it himself. Only he will be able to do this specifically with reference to the specifics of the company and assess its real potential.

To make it easier for you to develop and write a competent, clear and understandable plan, let's look at the main mistakes that novice entrepreneurs make when drawing up such documents:

Mistake #1. Illiterate syllable. Sometimes even the most promising business idea can die at the inception stage just because of mistakes in the business plan. No investor or partner will accept a document written with grammatical or punctuation errors.

Mistake #2. Careless design. The document should be clear, contain structure, and numbered chapters and pages.

Mistake #3. Incomplete information. We've sorted it out detailed list all chapters that must necessarily be contained in the document. Incomplete information can distort the meaning of a business idea.

Mistake #4. Too much unnecessary information. Try to concisely and clearly answer the questions posed in the document and do not go into the smallest details, stretching the plan over 100 pages.

Mistake #5. Distorted data. Wanting to attract investors and demonstrate a business idea in a favorable light, many authors provide unrealistic data that is immediately visible. Stick to clear data and calculations.

Mistake #6. No risks. Silence about weaknesses and risks only indicates weak analysis. In fact, there is not a single industry in business where no risk exists.

To make it easier to draw up a plan and clearly reflect all the necessary data in it, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the video instructions.

Video. How to write a business plan

Every successful entrepreneur can confidently say that a well-written business plan is one of the most important elements in forming your own business. Understanding how to correctly design a future enterprise, you can predict positive result when contacting credit institution or to an investor. Let us next consider the basic rules for writing a business plan.

Purpose of the document

Writing a business plan (an example project will be discussed below) can be done different ways. There are various benefits for this. However, in most of them the information is very specific and understandable only to economists or accountants. At the same time, the need to draw up a business plan arises for all beginning entrepreneurs. The document is necessary for submission to a credit institution, obtaining a loan from an investor for the development of a business at the initial stages. In addition, a business plan allows you to see immediate and upcoming goals, predict capital investments at one time or another, anticipate the moment when the first profit will arrive, and calculate the total income from activities.

Specifics of enterprises

To obtain a loan for the construction of a plant or factory, it is more advisable to contact the appropriate organizations that can provide qualified assistance in writing a business plan. In this case, the document will contain economic calculations and be supported by financial documents drawn up in accordance with all the rules for their execution. A business plan drawn up in this way can, without hesitation, be sent to both foreign investors and domestic credit companies. However, in in this case It should be understood that services for designing a project for a future enterprise will not be cheap. To open a mobile point of sale or a clothing or shoe repair shop, for example, there is no need to study or calculate industry risks in detail. In this case, it will be sufficient to competently organize production, determine the sales market, and predict enterprises. A program for writing a business plan for such an activity will be understandable to a novice entrepreneur.

Important point

Entrepreneurs with enough great experience in doing business, it is not recommended to unconditionally rely on the experience of acquaintances or friends and only on your intuition. Forecasting activity does not appear as an obsolete component of socialist reality. Planning favors the most important element modern business. Analysis of payback periods, determination of periods of investment, development and subsequent return are the most important aspects even with a relatively small investment. Concepts such as “market” and “plan” are fundamental in both the East and the West. On modern stage economic development, it is enough to adopt the experience of successful companies and get positive results.

Sample of writing a business plan

A project for a future business is necessary for the investor, as well as the entrepreneur himself. The structure of writing a business plan includes a number of mandatory points. These include, in particular:

introduction;
a brief description of the future enterprise;
assessment of the sales market, competition, investment risks;
production formation plan;
forecasts for sales of services/products;
financial plan;
management organization;
application.

Adaptation to the Russian market

The above plan for writing a business plan is recommended by Western analysts. However, in the practice of domestic entrepreneurship, some of its points require clarification and additional decoding. Thus, taking into account the peculiarities of the Russian business sphere, the plan for writing a business plan should include a section that reveals an adequate understanding of the problems and issues related to the quality of services and goods. Here it is necessary to bring possible options their decisions. It is also advisable to include a clause in the plan for writing a business plan that describes the ability to competently manage and regulate the cost of services/products. In the same section it is worth revealing ways to ensure its competitiveness. Another additional point will be a clear vision of the prospects for the development of the enterprise, guarantees of the ability to bring the matter to completion.

Plan for writing a business plan: independent work

First of all, you should clearly assess the competitiveness of the proposed services or goods, analyze the sales market, the timing of the first profit, the time during which the investment will pay for itself. The next step will be to determine the amount of capital investment required. Experts recommend dividing the investment into several parts, supporting the justification with appropriate calculations. Taking into account the above points, it should be understood that a business plan drawn up independently may be fundamentally different from the structure given above. It should also be noted that there is no project form regulated by norms and standards. Each entrepreneur has the right to independently establish a list of items and the scope of documentation for enterprise planning. However, if external investment is needed to open a business, you should still adhere to the above scheme.

Introduction

This section of the business plan is a presentation of the future enterprise. It must describe the type of activity in an understandable form in the most optimistic light. It often happens that the introduction is the only section that the investor reads on his own and immediately makes a decision - to take the project into development or reject it. He will entrust the study of the remaining parts, which display calculations, marketing research, and financial justifications, to his specialists. However, as practice shows, it is the introduction that decides the fate of the project. This section should be short and concise at the same time.

Characteristics of the industry and enterprise

This is the next important part of the business plan. This section gives general description enterprises and industries:

Financial indicators.
Personnel composition.
Direction of activity.
Company structure.
List and description of services/products.
Development prospects and so on.

The section should contain characteristics of the proposed production and a number of technological aspects. These points should be described in simple and accessible language. There is no point in delving into terminology, using professional style. In this case, it is enough to indicate the uniqueness of the services or products and their demand in the near and foreseeable future. You can also draw the investor’s attention to the advantages of the products offered.

Marketing research

Here you should describe the conditions under which consumers become clients of the enterprise. The section outlines methods of sales promotion, creating a positive image, and distributing services/products. The marketing plan includes a list of advertising costs. Essentially, you need to justify how and why consumers will purchase a service or product.

Production

IN this section should be described. The characteristics of the premises are also given here, and the established requirements for equipment and personnel are indicated. IN production plan suppliers and contractors should also be described.

Organization of the enterprise and financial component

The business plan must contain characteristics of the form of management and the tasks of administrative specialists. For a domestic investor, it is important to have a resume for each member of the management team. In this regard, in this section it is worth listing the partners, noting as truthfully and objectively the contribution of each of them to the development of the enterprise as possible, functional responsibilities and role in the company. The financial part contains economic calculations. In particular, a table of income and expenses is compiled, the balance sheet is forecasted, variable and direct costs are indicated, carried out, and so on. Typically, three forecasts are developed in this section: realistic, optimistic and pessimistic. They are displayed in the form of graphs.

15Jul

Why I decided to write this article

Because many who ask me questions ask something that at first you shouldn’t even bother about. There are even questions that a person may never face at all. In general, “Woe from Wit” occurs in the minds of many novice entrepreneurs, and we will “eliminate” this grief in this article. By at least I will try very hard. Now let's talk about errors, and then I'll issue them step by step plan as I see him.

Some errors and their solutions

1. Break-even point not calculated

Many people start a business without even calculating how much they need to sell in what period in order to break even. This is important because many business models are cut off at this stage.

Calculating the break-even point is simple. You calculate how many expenses you incur per month and then calculate how much you need to sell goods or provide services per month to recoup these expenses. If the figure is too large and seems unrealistic to you, then it is better not to take on such a business. If you think that you can sell the right amount of goods to cover expenses or start covering expenses in a few months, then you can think about this business further.

Conclusion 1: Until you have a complete financial picture of the business in your head, you cannot borrow money or even use your savings.

2. Everything must be perfect

When starting your business, you want everything to be correct and beautiful: the most modern equipment is purchased, the most functional website is created, the office is renovated, etc.

Striving for better is useful, but there is one “BUT” - before spending money, check the functionality of your business model. When planning to make an expensive website design, first make sure that your services or products are in demand at all.

Or, if you are opening a cafe, before making expensive renovations, try to start selling in the premises that you already have. minimal investment. If sales continue and the location in a given area of the city generates at least some profit, then you can expand or do some major renovations.

Conclusion 2: Don't invest significant amounts of money until you are sure that people need the product itself. And there is no need to bring everything to perfection, thereby delaying the start. Start with what you have and gradually develop and improve.

3. Lack of understanding of your future business or simply no love

I personally think that a business should at least be liked. For example, I love every business project I have, and if I didn’t love them, they wouldn’t be profitable.

Some aspiring entrepreneurs write to me with questions like “What to sell”, “What services are profitable to provide”, “What business is profitable to start”, etc. I answer everyone: “Open your own bank.” And no one likes my answer, although it answers all these questions. Every entrepreneur has a different life situation, different interests and different knowledge. If one likes to sell toys, and the other likes to sell men's suits, then they will not be able to switch businesses and be as successful. This is because they don’t understand the model itself and simply don’t feel interested.

Conclusion 3: You can't build a business on an idea just because you just know it's profitable and have no interest in it. Business needs to be understood, loved and “in the know.” For example, I would not be able to open a massage parlor and lead the business to success. Not because I don't have enough money, but because I don't understand this business Nothing.

Where to start your business - 10 steps from scratch

To begin with, I want to say that below I will give 2 plans on how to start your business: complete and simplified. Let's start with the complete one.

Step 1. Business idea

Of course, to start a business, you need to know what exactly to start. I have always said, I say and will continue to say that an entrepreneur must have an idea. If you can’t even come up with an idea, then what kind of business are we talking about? You don't have to be an innovator and come up with something unimaginable. You can take an already working idea, look around, find shortcomings in it, or simply improve it the way YOU see it, and it will be a different business. It is easier to enter an established market than to form it yourself. And the idea doesn’t have to be global; you can start a micro-business or.

In order to come up with or find a business idea, read the following articles and after reading you will 100% decide on the idea:

After reading the articles and coming up with ideas, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2. Market analysis

After choosing a business idea, you need to analyze the market, find out whether people need your product at all. Assess the competition, identify positive and negative sides competitors, find in yourself what will make you different from your competitors. Compare prices, quality of service, assortment (if this is a commodity business) and look as much as possible for what you can be better at. It is necessary. Why? Read!

Once you have assessed supply and demand and realized that you can compete with existing companies, you can move on.

Step 3. Business planning

Step 5. Register your business

This step cannot be skipped because the business must be registered. You can use LLC or individual entrepreneur. It all depends on your activity. The following articles will help you with this:

Once your business is registered, you can move on to the next step.

Step 6. Taxes and reporting

I indicated this step right away, because you must initially decide which tax system you will work under. This must be done immediately, because the amount of taxes and methods of payment depend on this. To do this, read the following articles:

And also read other articles in the section, because there you will always find up-to-date and full information on the conduct of tax and accounting. You can also ask your question and get an answer from a specialist.

Step 7: Quickly test your idea

Some will say that you can test without registering a business. And you're right! This is possible, but it was not for nothing that I wrote at the very beginning that there will be 2 options for the development of events and in the second I will talk about it. Now let's move on to the testing itself.

What you initially need is quick testing - “testing in combat”. Use your own money to test the idea, give minimal advertising, do minimal possible product and try to sell it. Study the demand in practice, so to speak. You have to look at your plan, evaluate what you minimally need to get started, and start right away. Why is this being done? At the very beginning, I wrote about one of the mistakes of beginning entrepreneurs, which is delaying the start, constant improvements, etc. There is no need to bring it to perfection, you need to start as quickly as possible in order to test the idea in action, get the first sales and be inspired to continue development.

If the start does not give the first sales, then you need to reconsider the plan, idea and look for mistakes. Fast start This is also done so that in case of failure you will spend less time, effort and money. Would you agree that it would be more annoying to prepare for a year and then fail? It’s less offensive to realize your mistakes right away, while you still have little time to do. This way you can make adjustments along the way and everything will start to work out!

To test your idea and your business, it can help you. It is more for testing an idea on the Internet, but it is also suitable for the real sector (offline).

Step 8. Business Development

After the tests have been carried out, the plan has been adjusted and sales have slowly begun, you can develop your business and refine everything that you wrote in the plan to perfection. Now you can improve the site, increase warehouses or offices, expand staff, etc. When your idea and business model have shown their effectiveness, it is easier for you to set more global goals. Moreover, you have already received the first money from your first orders or sales and can reinvest it in development.

If there is not enough money, then here you can already resort to loans and borrowings, because the business brings in money and you can use it for its development. clear conscience occupy. If you don’t need a lot of money, then even a credit card may be suitable. In I told you how you can use credit card money for your business without interest.

Step 9. Active promotion

This step could be classified as development, but I took it separately. Once you have wider warehouses, more powerful equipment and website, more employees, etc., you need to provide all this with work. This requires aggressive advertising to the maximum. You should take advantage of many advertising opportunities. Look for clients on the Internet, do offline advertising, engage in direct sales, etc. The more advertising tools you use, the better the result. But be sure to record the results and filter out effective tools advertising, so as not to waste budgets.

Step 10. Scaling

Your business is working well, bringing in money, you are constantly developing, everything is great! But there are also related directions or neighboring cities. If your business model is successful in your city, then you can open representative offices in other cities. If there is no desire or opportunity to go to neighboring cities, then you can simply capture an adjacent direction, if there is one at all.

For example, if you are selling household appliances, you can simultaneously open a repair service and provide paid services for repairs. If your client’s equipment cannot be repaired, you can always offer him to buy something from your store in exchange. In general, look at your business and I am sure that you will find something to latch on to.

What else can you pay attention to?

When starting a business, there are several parameters that allow you to evaluate how effective your business is at the start; take them seriously:

If your business's net income is above zero, excluding equipment costs and taxes, then your business will survive because it generates some money. If it is below zero, it means your business is burning money and will not have enough loans and investments;

If you have planned sales for 200,000, but sell for 50,000, then this is a reason to seriously adjust your work and, possibly, the plan itself;

You should be comfortable. Business is hard. If you are also constantly having a hard time, then coping with business tasks will be difficult. Give yourself enough comfort that you don't feel left out by running your own business.

How to start and open your own business using a simplified scheme

As promised, I’ll give you a simplified diagram of how to start your own business. Because I have already described all the points above, so I will refer to them here so as not to repeat myself.

I myself have used this scheme more than once, because before I launched very small projects in which a lot could be missed. So the diagram looks like this:

Idea (it should always be there);
Easy planning, you don’t have to write it down, but put the main points on a piece of notebook. This is done in order to draw a model;
A quick test of an idea. Perhaps even without investing and finding money. Or you will need very little money and it will simply be in your savings;
Development and active promotion. After the first orders are received, you can begin active promotion and bring everything to fruition;
Business registration and scaling.

As you can see, I left out registration at the very end, because some business projects can be implemented without registration, because during the test you don’t get so much money that you have to immediately run to report to the tax office for it. But if the business model has shown its efficiency and after active promotion the profits are growing, then the registration should be instant.

But even in the first stages you cannot do without registration if you need retail space, an office or work with companies under contracts, because for this you need at least an individual entrepreneur.

Conclusion

In this article, I told you where to start your business, talked about the mistakes that beginners often make and that I made, and now you know what you need to do before starting your business. Read my website, subscribe to it, and try to start doing your own thing. We will not leave anyone on the site without help. Thank you for your attention!

Best regards, Schmidt Nikolay

A business plan is what helps an entrepreneur navigate the market environment and see goals. Many successful people note that the idea must be written down on paper, otherwise it will never be realized. Therefore, a business plan is necessary for running a successful business. How to write a business plan yourself: sample and step-by-step instruction contained in our new publication!

A business plan is a program according to which a company operates. It is necessary in order to competently coordinate the actions of the organization and see the directions of its development.

A business plan can be called a kind of rehearsal. The entrepreneur plays out various scenarios during which he can see problems and find ways to solve them. In this case, the person does not lose money, as would happen in a real situation.

Business plan objectives

Formulate the goals of the organization (both short-term and long-term)
Set project deadlines
Determine the target audience and markets for products
Analyze the competitiveness of the organization
Determine the company's advantages
Assess the level of costs
Develop an action plan aimed at increasing economic efficiency organizations
Predict the amount of profit and the level of profitability of the business.

General scheme development of a business plan and feasibility study.

What's included in a business plan?

1. Title page and contents

Here the company's imprint and contact details of the founders, as well as the contents of the document, should be indicated.

2. Summary (introduction)

This part represents brief retelling the entire business plan. The most important thing should be here, i.e. justification of the relevance of the business and the financial part.

The resume should not be approximately two pages long. Although it is located at the very beginning, its compilation should begin at the end. You need to approach this responsibly, because this is the part that the investor studies.

3. Company history

If you already have an existing organization, then you need to talk about the history of its origins and its successes.

4. Market opportunities

In this section, it is necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis of the enterprise, i.e. identify its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

7. Business model

This is a financial plan. Here you need to describe all sources of income and costs. You also need to indicate your suppliers and main buyers.

A cafe business plan: an example with calculations and step-by-step instructions for creating your own cafe from scratch can be found

8. Forecast

In this section you need to create a financial forecast. It is necessary to write about the amount of profit and payback period of the project.

The entire business plan should be 30-40 pages.

How to write a business plan yourself: a sample for a small business

Let's look at some sections of a business plan using an example

SWOT Analysis Matrix

How to write a business plan yourself: a sample for small businesses.

First, I’ll tell you briefly about my results in business. On this moment I am the owner of several large Internet projects, the total cost of which is more than several million rubles, including a portal site. It is for this reason that I can openly express my opinions regarding business planning and various business processes. The knowledge and skills that I possess were acquired not in a university or a textbook, but in conditions of market competition through dozens of experiments.

To write or not to write a business plan?

Let's open any of the university textbooks about business, and in each of them it will be written that a business begins with a business plan. And even if the bearded professors with glasses don’t like what I say next, let’s build on the results these professors have achieved in business. As a rule, these are theorists who have never led large companies. But they all echo that a well-drafted business plan is 50% of the success of your future company.

To be honest, I even feel funny at such moments. You can plan for at least a whole year, make a plan for 100 A4 sheets, and then your business will fail.
Do you know why? Yes, because it's a market! The market is constantly changing, transforming, and it is cruel, especially for newcomers. You will never be able to predict everything that can happen to you or your business idea. That is why my personal opinion is that drawing up a business plan for a long time is a waste of your time.

Although there are several situations where a business plan can come in handy.

When is a business plan really needed?

In our age of bureaucracy, you simply cannot do without a business plan in two main cases:

— You want to receive a grant or subsidy for business development from the state.
Unfortunately, the entrepreneurship support system in the Russian Federation is such that you won’t even be accepted without a business plan. The main reason is that most of the officials in business support centers have no idea what business is, because... They have never studied it and are used to acting according to textbooks and regulations. The principle works here: the more paper in the business plan, the better. In the eyes of officials, such a business plan will look as if serious work has been done on it.

— You are preparing a business plan for an investor.

It is important to clearly understand that an investor is far from an official! As a rule, this is already an experienced businessman who will not tinker with the stack of papers that you brought him. For him highest value have two things:
1) The idea you came up with. She must “infect” him, he must want to do this business.
2) How well you understand the topic. Be prepared for dozens of questions. And you will have to answer all these questions.

These are probably the two main situations in which you really need a business plan.

When you don't need to make a business plan!

I remember when I was 22 years old, I even bought myself a smart book called “Business Planning.” At that time, I generally had vague ideas about business. I can already say that this was one of my most stupid purchases. I wanted to write a business plan FOR MYSELF! Never write business plans for yourself! It’s better to devote this time to studying the market, study it inside and out, and finally launch your business. The maximum time you can spend on creating a business plan is 1–2 hours of working time! Just take a piece of paper, a pen and calculate all the indicators. A business plan should fit on a maximum of 1 piece of paper, no need to write 30-page Talmuds!

Sample business plan “Business on social networks”

One of the main directions of my businesses is business in in social networks, namely business on public pages.

I would like to immediately note that the data presented is already confirmed, and I drew up this business plan after launching the project and receiving profit from it. That is, after the fact. I will add my comments to each paragraph.

Idea: creation public page VKontakte for the purpose of selling advertising, your products, and participating in affiliate programs.

Ways to make money on the project:
— advertising sales,
- partnership programs,
- selling your goods.

Main affiliate programs:
— ,
— .

What products can be sold:
— women's beauty and health products,
- Products for children,
- household goods.

Analysis of a competitor's project

Sample business plan “Car Parking”

Of course, I couldn’t help but use an ordinary university business plan as an example! And such an example was the sample BP for organizing a parking lot. As for my opinion about this business plan, I can say that the abundance of numbers in it can only please an official or a university teacher, but not a real entrepreneur. You can download this business plan from the link below:

Startup basics: a good financial plan, not drive and cats