Every business needs a business plan to start developing. A business plan includes a plan that outlines in detail the goals of your business and the steps to achieve them. A business plan is also like a road map that contains finances, targets, operations and business marketing.
The existence of a business plan is actually not only a guide for your internal business, but is also designed to attract investors or sponsors, especially if your business is really new and needs funding. Through a business plan, you can also get loans from financial institutions to strengthen business capital.
Even so, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos underlined that understanding of business plans so far needs to be straightened out. A business plan is not a tool to correctly predict the future of your business, but rather a plan that will guide your business so that it is well managed. The reason is, it could be that your business plan will change midway when you encounter reality. Several unexpected things could happen, for example pandemics, crises, technological developments, inflation, and many more. Therefore, in making a business plan, the principle is to continue developing the plan by looking at the surrounding situation. Remain flexible and review and revise regularly.
To start making a business plan, you can look at various template references. That will give you an idea of what business plan models have developed. However, avoid making the exact same business plan because each business has its own conditions and uniqueness. Create a plan that truly represents your business and differentiates it from competitors.
A business plan generally consists of 15 to 25 pages. Too short and your plan won't seem very clear, whereas if it's too long, it will make it difficult for external parties to understand your business. Then, looking at the structure of the business plan, it will more or less contain the following elements:
The Business Summary contains a brief description of the important points regarding the business you will create, the vision and mission, the values you hold, and the business goals. It is made short so that readers can save their time and be motivated to see the next content. The key is that this section must be clear and concise, but also interesting.
In this section you will describe the product or creation that will be made. The strength of your idea really determines whether the product will be successful or not. Mention some information from materials, uniqueness, advantages, to the price of the product compared to others.
You also need to make a plan map for how the audience can get your product in the future.
Here you must detail the business competition you will face. This starts with a description of how popular the product is in the market and its position compared to other competitors.
You need to answer whether there are potential consumer groups who will use your product. To ensure this, you must know your target market well so you can launch effective promotions. Understand consumer behavior and find out how they choose a product.
Here you will explain how to attract and retain a customer base. This will outline the promotional plan and media that will be used.
Currently, there are various marketing strategies that are developing for every moment and placement, including:
- At Launch : This is a marketing plan that outlines how the product will first be marketed and what promotional strategies will be used to attract people to come.
- Social Media: A social media marketing plan focuses on advertising strategies on various social media platforms and how you can utilize these platforms.
- Time Based : This is a time-based marketing plan, such as what you will do in the first quarter or year. This time-based planning will also help you know the big moments that you can use to promote, for example when there are international events, fairs, exhibitions, and so on.
This is the most important part of the business plan. Because no matter how great your idea is, how mature your promotional plan is, if it is not supported by sound finances, it will be in vain.
Financial planning consists of funding options, capital required, estimated operational costs, and profit projections. That way, you can predict when it's time to develop your business even bigger.
You also need to map the parties who will be involved in your business, such as the production team, vendors, and so on. Ideally, business partners can provide value that makes your business grow. Make sure to choose the right business partner by diligently digging for information from various parties.
After all your business plans are ready, it's time for you to realize the steps that have been written. Focus on how to achieve your goals, instead of being haunted by the fear of failure. Believe that if you encounter failure, it is a process that will actually make you stronger and more mature in doing business in the future.