1. Proposal Template 2015 Content Sample Template1

2. About This Template  Please use this template to create your submission/presentation for the 2015 GREATER READING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Business Idea Challenge.  DO NOT simply fill in this template. Rather, please use the headings and subsequent points to guide your thought process and create your own original presentation.  Remember that the PowerPoint should be an AIDE to your presentation. Too much information will overwhelm your audience, too little will leave them confused. Each slide should enhance the information you verbally relay. This presentation format template was created partly using the “Pitch-Then-Plan” template - originally presented in the book The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki—founder of Garage Ventures and part of the original Apple Macintosh development team. 2Content Sample Template

3. Organization Name Team Captain: Year of School: School: Contact Information: List other team members and percentage level of participation. If selected for a cash award, select how cash award will be distributed to team: equally, percentage of participation, or team captain only. Content Sample Template3

4. Brief Idea Description  Describe your business idea including the technology, secret sauce, or magic behind your product.  Specifically, how it creates VALUE for the customer. Example: “The delivery of a wine’s ‘message,’ its bouquet and taste, depends on the shape of the glass. The secret to Reidel glasses is that there is a perfect shape for every beverage. Through ten generations of glassblowers, we have discovered the timeless forms of glass to convey the wine’s message in the best manner to the human senses.” 4Content Sample Template

5. Brief Idea Description  Describe the buyer’s pain /problem / need that you are taking away. The goal is to get everyone nodding and “buying in.” Try to personalize the problem. Example: “If you go to five travel sites, you will be presented with five completely different offers. Visiting each site and comparing trip packages is time-consuming and confusing.”  Explain how you take away this pain. Ensure that the audience clearly understands what you sell and your value proposition. Example: “We are a discount travel website. We have written software that searches all the other travel sites and collates their price quotes into one report.” 5Content Sample Template

6. Market Analysis First think broadly and then more narrowly:  Present research on the industry trends, industry performance size in terms of dollars and number of establishments  Present research on the target market Who are your customers? What are their key characteristics, attitudes, needs and wants? What are their buying intentions? 6Content Sample Template

7. Market Analysis Present research on your competition  Who are your competitors?  Where are they located in relation to your business?  What types of products or services does each competitor offer?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors?  What threats do they pose?  What is the profile of your competitors? Content Sample Template7  Overall sales and profits  Distribution system  Advertising strategy  Customer satisfaction and service levels  Price in relation to yours

8. Market Strategy  Define your target market strategy Do you wish to: - sell low margin product/s in a high volume capacity - sell high margin product/s in a low volume capacity - sell a wide range of products or services - sell your products/services to a particular group of consumers  Consider how you plan to advertise your products? - Internet, catalogues, infomercials, direct mail, and/or smoke signals.  Consider how you plan to distribute your products? - Distributors, value-added resellers, wholesalers, agents, direct field sales, telemarketing, and/or retail outlets 8Content Sample Template

9. Financial Feasibility Business Model  Explain how you make money: who pays you, what are your gross margins? For example, Think of eBay: “We charge a listing fee plus a commission.”  Explain how you’ll use any money that you are trying to raise. What does the near term future look like? 9Content Sample Template

10. Financial Feasibility  Prepare a cash flow statement with 3 year projections (see next slide) Should include : Startup costs Business expenses Sales  List your assumptions Examples: Expense assumptions Cost of goods Cost per hour of labor Leased space average costs Average cost of utilities Content Sample Template 10 Sales assumptions Average purchase amount Average contract value Billable hours Sales per square foot Number of customers Inventory turns

11. Cash Flow Projection Template Download the Cash Flow Projection Template Start-UpYear 1Year 2Year 3Total Cash on Hand Cash Sales Bank Loan or Other Cash Injection Owner's Cash Injection Total Cash Available Expenses Purchases (Merchandise) Gross Wages Payroll Expenses (Taxes, Workers Comp., etc.) 25% of Gross Wages Outside Services Supplies (Office and Operating) Repairs and Maintenance Advertising/Marketing Car, Delivery, and Travel Accounting and Legal Rent Telephone Utilities (electric, gas, water) Insurance Taxes (Real Estate, etc.) Capital Purchases Other Start-up Costs Bank Loan Payment ($250,000 @ 10% for 7 years) Reserve Total Cash Paid Out Cash Position 11 Content Sample Template

12. Management Team Content Sample Template12 CEO / President CIO Chief Informational Officer Finance/ Accounting Operations/ Service Sales/ Marketing  Describe the key players of your management and their talents.  Which functions are being outsourced? Use the sample flow chart provided to create a flow chart of the management team of your organization.

13. Information Sources  Identify your sources of information Business history or experience Trade associations, industry standards/ratios Suppliers Competitors Internet research Content Sample Template13

14. Closing Comment Thank You