SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE

The students are required to submit a business plan for a newly setup business. (Student must prepare a
plan for their OWN new business, NOT a business owned by someone else)

Length and Style: Maximum 6,000 words, excluding footnotes, figures and references. The format for
assignments is to be 1.5 spaced with 2.5 cm margins and font size of 12 cpi. Please show the word count,
along with all other details on the cover sheet.

I. Executive Summary (not to exceed one page)

A. Company name, address, and phone number
B. Name(s), addresses, and phone number(s) of all key people
C. Brief description of the business, its products and services, the customer problems
they solve, and the company’s competitive advantage
D. Brief overview of the market for your products and services
E. Brief overview of the strategies that will make your company successful
F. Brief description of the managerial and technical experience of key people
G. Brief statement of the financial request and how the money will be used
H. Charts or tables showing highlights of financial forecasts

II. Vision and Mission Statement

A. Entrepreneur’s vision for the company
B. “What business are we in?”
C. Values and principles on which the business stands
D. What makes the business unique? What is the source of its competitive advantage?

III. Company Products and Services

 A. Description
1. Product or service features
2. Customer benefits
3. Warranties and guarantees
4. Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
B. Patent or trademark protection
C. Description of production process/ or business process (for service)
1. Raw materials
2. Costs
3. Key suppliers
4. Lead times
5. Business/production and distribution process

(Example)

D. Future product or service offerings

V. VI. Business Strategy

A. Desired image and position in market
B. Company goals and objectives
1. Operational
 2. Financial
3. Other
C. SWOT analysis
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
3. Opportunities - So what? How does your business take advantage of the
opportunities?
4. Threats - So what? How does your business overcome the threats?

D. Competitor Analysis
D1. Existing competitors
1. Who are they? Create a competitive profile matrix.
2. Strengths - So What? How may it influence your business?
3. Weaknesses - So What? How may your business win over competitors?
D2. . Potential competitors: Companies that might enter the market
1. Who are they?
2. Impact on your business if they enter

VII. Marketing Strategy

A. Industry analysis
1. Industry background and overview
2. Significant trends
3. Growth rate
4. Barriers to entry and exit
5. Key success factors in the industry
B. Outlook for the future
C. Industry Stage of growth (start-up, growth, maturity)
D. Market size and trends
1. How large is the market?
2. Is it growing or shrinking? How fast?

F. Market Segmentation - How your business divides the market into different groups of
customers.
G. Target market: which group of customers your business is targeting to bring the most
benefit to your company?
1. Problem to be solved or benefit to be offered
2. Customer profile
- Demographic profile
- Other significant customer characteristics
H. Buying mapping: Customers’ motivation to buy, Customer journey, what is their
story? what are their pain points and in what situation do they need to find your product or
service?How they go through the process to reach your product/service?
I. Product Messaging Mapping
J. Publicity Plan (Plan to enter into new market and build Brand awareness)
K. Social Media Plan
 1. Media/Channel used (reader, viewer, listener profiles must be relevant to your
target market)
2. Media/channel costs
3. Frequency of usage
L. Other Marketing tools (PR and Advertising plan…)
1. Channel
2. Cost
3. Frequency/Occassion

M. Pricing strategy
1. Cost structure of a Unit of product/service (Equivalent to Cost of Good Sold
COGS) - Only consider the direct cost that directly make the service/product.
a. Fixed
b. Variable
2. Comparison against competitors’ prices.
3. Desired image in the market
4. Discounts (if any, need to have specific purpose, timing, period)
5. Unit profit margin and Gross profit margin
N. Distribution strategy: Channels of distribution used/For Service, how to reach your
customers?
O. Sales Strategy
Briefly describe your sales strategy, which techniques do you use to generate sales.
1. Sales & Promotion Program
2. 3-year Sale Forecast
3. Personal selling efforts
○ 1 Sales force size, recruitment, and training
○ 2. Sales force compensation
○ 3. Amount of average sale per sales person.

P. Test market results

1. Surveys
2. Customer feedback on prototypes
3. Focus groups
VIII. Location and Layout
A. Location
1. Demographic analysis of location vs. target customer profile
2. Traffic count (If applicable)
3. Lease/rental rates
4. Labor needs and supply
5. Wage rates
B. Layout
1. Size requirements
2. Layout plan (suitable for an appendix)

IX. Description of management team

A. Key managers and employees
1. Their backgrounds
2. Experience, skills, and know-how they bring to the company

B. Résumés of key managers and employees (If Applicable and suitable for an appendix)
C. Future additions to management team
D. Board of directors or advisers

X. Plan of Operation
A. Form of ownership chosen and reasoning
B. Company structure (organization chart)
C. Decision-making authority
D. Compensation and benefits packages
E. Staffing plans for 3 years.

XI. Financial Forecasts

A. Key assumptions
B. Financial statements (year 1 by month, years 2 and 3 by quarter)
1. Income statement
2. Balance sheet
3. Cash flow statement
C. Break-even analysis

XII. Loan or Investment Proposal

A. Amount requested
B. Purpose and uses of funds
C. Repayment or “cash out” schedule (exit strategy)
D. Timetable for implementing plan and launching the business

XIII. Appendices (Supporting documentation, including market research, financial statements,

organization charts, and other items)
 Executive Business Strategy and Competitor
Product/service Feasibility 15% Marketing Strategy 15% Financial Plan 15% Implementation Plan 10% Presentation 10%
Summary 5% Analysis 30%
Excellent describe customer
Excellent writing style
problem and demonstrate a Excellent indicate how Effectively highlight the expertise of
Effectively describe the market in Excellent explain key and using appropriate
Excellent high degree to which a product the product/service will the individual(s) within the
which the business intends assumptions and features of referencing. Well-
synopsis of the or service idea appeals to be distributed and the business and identify any human
to compete, identify the current the financial model with structured and
overall business potential customers and product/services’ resource ‘gaps’ and appropriate
market size and potential growth. detailed income and presented text and
plan; industry. Identifies the revenue and pricing measures to resolve these issues.
The plan shows deep understanding expenditure and sale tables/figures.
A pique the resources necessary to produce strategy; excellent Clearly demonstrate a plan for the
of competitive positioning and how forecasts; provide detail the Excellent spelling and
interest of the the product/service. demonstrate an production/delivery of the product
this opportunity will be exploited; level of working capital grammar. The
reader and The plan effectively appropriate promotional or
effectively analyze the nature of required to run the business presentation shows
provide an communicate the features and strategy which is realistic service. The plan excellently
competition within the market; and identify the nature of high level of
engaging vision benefits of the when compared to the address the issues of operational
excellent demonstrate the target potential returns and high professional, including
of the company product or service brought to assigned marketing complexity, resource requirements
customer group. level of realistic. dress code and
the market and well define the budget. and operational risks appropriately.
attitude.
85% + product/service USP.
Good describe customer
Good indicate how the Good explain key
problem and demonstrate an Good description of the market in Good academic
product/service will be assumptions and features of Good highlight the expertise of the
Good synopsis of acceptable degree to which a which the business intends writing style and
distributed and the the financial model with individual(s) within the
the overall product or service idea appeals to compete with current market size referencing. Well-
product/services’ detailed income and business and identify any human
business plan; to potential customers and and potential growth. The plan structured and
revenue and pricing expenditure and sale resource ‘gaps’.
adequately draw industry. Identifies the shows good understanding of presented text,
B strategy; Good forecasts; provide enough Good demonstrate of
the interest of resources necessary to produce competitive positioning and how tables/figures.
70%-84% demonstrate an information of working production/delivery plan of the
the reader and the product/service. this opportunity will be exploited; Evidence of good
appropriate promotion capital required to run the product or service. The plan well
provide an Well communicate the features analyze the nature of competition planning of
strategy which is realistic business and identify the address the issues of operational
engaging vision and benefits of the product or within the market; supervisory meetings.
when compared to the nature of potential returns complexity, resource requirements
of the company service brought to the market good demonstrate the target Good attitude and
assigned marketing and acceptable level of and operational risks appropriately.
and define the product/service customer group. presentation style.
budget. realistic.
UPS.
Some attempt to describe
customer problems and
Fair-adequate Some attempt at
demonstrate how a product or
Some attempt description of the demonstrate how the appropriate academic
service idea appeals to
market in which the business product/service will be Fair- Adequate Assembly. writing style and
Some attempt at potential customers and Provide information of Key
intends to compete with current distributed and the Fair-Adequate analysis. referencing but some
C synopsis of the industry. Mention about management team and operation
market size and potential growth product/services’ Provide Financial data with weaknesses.
60-69% overall business necessary resources to produce plan with some attempt to link with
and market competition. Some revenue and pricing little attempt to explain key Adequate
plan. the product/service. the business.
understanding about the target strategy; provide an assumption. presentation of text
Some attempt to describe the
customer group. appropriate promotional and tables/figures and
features and benefits of the
strategy. presentation attitude.
product or service brought to
the market.
Little attempt to describe the
Little attempt at market in which the business Little discussion and
Little attempt at describing the Limited analysis. Some Som information about key Inappropriate writing
summazing and intends to compete with current understanding of
D product/service features and attempt to explain key management team with little or no style and/or poor
highlighting the market size and potential growth distribution and pricing
50-59% benefits. Little effort to describe assumption and relevant attempt to link with the business. referencing. Poor or
overall business and market competition. Little strategy relevant to the
the product/service UPS. data to the business. Unclear implementation plan. careless presentation.
plan. understanding about the target business.
customer group.
Consistently fail to
Unclear product/service, Unclear market analysis, fake or Fail to provide information of Key give sources, poor
Unfinished plan Fail to mention about
E without mentioning about unrealistic competitor analysis, Poor forecast with management team or giving spelling, grammar,
with careless distribution and pricing
0-49% product/service features and without understanding about the unrealistic data. unrealistic information. No or poor presentation, or
summary strategy.
benefits. target customer group. unrealistic implementation plan. fails to present a
complete plan.
 Understanding steps, Applying realistic research to Entrepreneurial Mindset
framework to make a business develop a complete business
(50%)
plan. (20%) plan (30%)

A Excellent depth of Excellent applying key steps Excellent describe and communicate the unique features and benefits of the
understanding of key steps and theoretical framework product or service brought to the market and well define the
(85+)
and theoretical framework to demonstrated by in depth and product/service USP. Effectively describe the market in which the business
make a complete business realistic research to complete intends
plan. the business plan. Excellent use to compete, Identifies the resources necessary from producing to delivering
of citations to range of the product/service with realistic and competitive strategy, as well as
significant data sources. highlighting the expertise of the individual(s) within the business and
identifying any ‘gaps’ and appropriate measures to resolve these issues.

B Good understanding of key Good applying key steps and Good describe and communicate the unique features and benefits of the
steps and theoretical theoretical framework product or service brought to the market and well define the
(75-85)
framework to make a demonstrated by in depth and product/service USP. Good describe the market in which the business
complete business plan. realistic research to complete intends to compete, Identifies the resources necessary from producing to
the business plan. Good use of delivering the product/service with realistic and competitive strategy, good
citations to a wide range of attempt to highlight the expertise of the individual(s) within the business and
significant data sources. identifying any ‘gaps’ and appropriate measures to resolve these issues.

C Appropriate understanding of Appropriate applying key steps High-level of describe and communicate the features and benefits of the
key steps and theoretical and theoretical framework product or service brought to the market and define the product/service
(60-74)
framework to make a demonstrated by in depth and USP. Appropriate describe the market in which the business intends to
complete business plan. realistic research to complete compete, good measurements to identify the ‘gaps’ and appropriate
the business plan. High-level measures to implement the plan.
use of citations to significant
data sources.

D Some understanding of key Reasonable applying key steps Some effort to describe and communicate the features and benefits of the
steps and theoretical and theoretical framework with product or service brought to the market and define the product/service
(50-59)
framework to make a some Realistic research USP. Some understanding and measurement to identify the ‘gaps’ and
complete business plan. complete the business plan. appropriate measures to implement the plan.
Some use of citations to
significant data sources.