1. Introduction to business plans for SMEs
Maggie Weaver
Shaftesbury Associates

2. The SME Business Plan What’s it for What’s in it How do we contribute
How do we benefit

3. What’s a Business Plan for?
“Selling” tool for getting financing
First payoff: encourages realism
Determine product or market niche
Long-term payoff: management tool

4. Business plan websites
Descriptive
Table of contents
Template
Interactive (online)
Software
Sample plans

5. What’s in an SME business plan?
Business overview
Products/services
Industry overview
Marketing strategy
Management & staffing
Regulatory issues
Risks
Implementation plan
Financial plan
Executive summary

6. Interactive Business Planner http://www.cbsc.org/ibp

7. Interactive Business Planner

8. Section 1 – Business Overview
Business history
Vision & mission statement
Objectives
Ownership
Location & facilities
Section 2 – Products/services
Products/services description
Key features
Production process
Future products/services
Comparative advantages in production

9. Business Overview – ownership http://bsa.cbsc.org

10. Section 3 – Industry overview
Research sources
Size of industry
Key product segments
Key market segments
Purchase process & buying criteria
Description of industry participants
Key industry trends
Industry outlook

11. Industry overview – getting lucky ISA Reports http://www.stat-usa.gov

12. Industry overview – getting lucky InfoExport http://infoexport.gc.ca

13. Section 4 – Marketing strategy
Target markets
Key competitors
Analysis of competitive position
Pricing strategy
Promotion strategy
Distribution strategy

14. Section 5 – Management & staffing
Organizational structure
Management team
Staffing
Labour market issues
Section 6 – Regulatory issues
Intellectual property issues
Other regulatory issues

15. Staffing – labour market issues

16. Regulatory issues – example

17. Section 7 – Risks Section 8 – Implementation plan Market risks
Other risks
Section 8 –
Implementation plan

18. Section 9 – Financial plan
Balance sheet
Pro-forma income statement
Monthly cash flow statement
3-year cash flow forecast
Section 10 –
Executive summary

19. How do we contribute? Information resources Examples Educate/promote
Imagination

20. How do we benefit? Understand a client group
Knowledge of the local business environment
Contribute to economic growth
Template to build our own
business cases