The FT Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan How to win backing to start up or grow your business

by Evans, Vaughan

• ISBN13: 9781292085142
• ISBN10: 1292085142
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-10-01
• Publisher: FT Press

Summary

In one engaging, outcome-oriented book, The FT Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan gives you:

• The essential knowledge you need to write a winning business plan – quickly and without fuss
• Guidance on how to focus throughout on the plan’s purpose – to win backing
• Samples of what a good plan looks like, so you can benchmark your own as you write it
• Checklists, tips, examples and milestones to ensure you’re on target
• Prompts to reflect on, evaluate and learn from your experience

With advice that’s instantly applicable, whether your business is a start-up or a more established company looking to grow, this is the one guide you need to create a credible and persuasive plan.

Author Biography

Vaughan Evans is an independent strategy consultant, prolific writer and dynamic speaker(www.vaughanevansandpartners.com). He has specialised in strategy and business planning for business clients, small and large, and strategic due diligence for private equity clients over four decades. He is also the author of FT Publishing titles: FT Essential Guide to Writing a Business Strategy, Key Strategy Tools, 25 Need to Know Strategy Tools and Strategy Plain and Simple.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

 

Part 1: Preparing your plan

 

Chapter 1 - Essential preparation

Result

Need

Preparation

Plans for SMEs

 

Part 2: Writing your plan

 

Chapter 2 - The business

Background

Business mix by segment

Segmentation in a start-up

 

Chapter 3 - Market demand

Market size

Market growth

Market demand for a start-up

Market demand risks and opportunities

 

Chapter 4 - Competition

Your competitors

Competitive intensity

Competition in a start-up

Industry competition risks and opportunities

 

Chapter 5 - Strategy

Competitive position

Strategy

Strategy in a start-up

Strategic risks and opportunities

 

Chapter 6 - Resources

Management

Marketing

Operations and capital expenditure

Resource risks and opportunities

 

Chapter 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

 

Chapter 8  - Risk, opportunity and sensitivity

Meet the Suns and Clouds chart

What the suns and clouds tell you

Sensitivity testing

 

Chapter 9 - Conclusion

Conclusion

Executive summary

Investment highlights

 

Part 3: Using your plan

 

 

Chapter 10 - Pitching your plan

Focusing the content

Using PowerPoint

Delivering the message

 

Chapter 11 - Setting targets

Choosing key performance indicators

Setting milestones

 

Chapter 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: An example business plan

Appendix D: Further reading

 

Index