Business Plans for Small Business - Simple is Better

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If you don’t have a business plan, you’re probably not going to have much success, or you might not have any business plan—and you’re certainly not going to get funding. To make your business idea a reality, you need a business plan.

However, what deters most entrepreneurs from creating a business plan is writing it all out. Many are afraid to do so; they fear that their idea isn’t as brilliant as they initially thought. Many, however, who take the time to research and write a plan, find that it helps them identify risks and possible roadblocks. Business plans are essential to identifying and overcoming obstacles on your path to have a business plan.

Traditional Plan Template

Executive Summary

The executive summary is the most important part of your business plan because it needs to draw your readers in and entice them to continue reading. If your executive summary doesn’t capture the reader’s attention, they won’t continue. Furthermore, their interest in your business won’t be piqued.

Company Description

This section is an overview of your entire business. Make sure you include basic information, such as when your company was founded, the type of business entity it is (a limited liability company, an S corporation, etc.), what state it is registered in, etc.

Provide a summary of your company’s history to give the readers a solid understanding of who you are and what your business is.

Products and Services

Next, describe the products and services your business offers. Focus on your customers’ perspective (and needs) by demonstrating the problem you are trying to solve so you can get the business plan working. This section aims to prove that your business fills a bona fide market need and will remain viable for the foreseeable future.

Market Analysis

This section defines who your target audience is, where you will find customers, how you will reach them, and, most importantly, how you will deliver your product or service to them. Provide a deep analysis of your ideal customer and how your business provides a solution for them.

A SWOT analysis is common tool entrepreneurs use to bring all collected data together in a market analysis. It also helps in getting the business plan. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses analyze the advantages and disadvantages of your company, while opportunities and threats analyze the current market risks and rewards.

Management Team

Before anyone invests in your business, they want a complete understanding of their investing and the company principles. This section should illustrate how your business is organized and who gets the business plan. It should list key management team members, the founders/owners, board members, advisors, etc.

Financial Plan

Last but not least is the financial plan. It should include a detailed overview of your finances. At the very least, you should include cash flow statements and your profit and loss projections over the next three to five years. You can also include historical financial data from the past few years, your sales forecast, balance sheet, etc. Make sure this section is precise and accurate. It’s often best to practice creating this section with a professional accountant.

Finally, if you’re seeking outside funding for your business or looking for someone to get the business plan, highlight why you’re seeking financing, how you will use that money, and when can the investors expect a return on their investment.

Small Business Ideas

From being a freelance service provider to being a digital marketer for growing businesses, various resourceful options are available for you to earn online. Here are some of the most effective ways to start a small business:

Social Media Marketing

If you’ve got a knack for getting likes, favorites, retweets, followers, shares, comments, and clicks, you might want to consider a career in social media marketing. By consulting with companies to manage their social media profiles, spread their content across the Web, keep their brands on track, and respond to customer questions. This way, you can turn your favorite hobby into a day job.

SEO Services

Starting your own business is never an easy task and will never be. Starting a business is exhausting, and effective marketing can be another hurdle that startup companies might face.

Targeting the right audience, boosting the traffic on your site, upgrading your brand identity, boosting your revenues, and increasing your inbound customer inflow can be difficult and exhausting while managing your business activities.

SEO is the best approach for your startup company among many effective digital marketing strategies. SEO tools make your content easily findable and boost your brand’s ranking on popular search engines like google. These tools boost the traffic on your site, which attracts potential customers.

They get your small business started and cause a rapid increase in your inbound sales. Every digital marketing program needs to use these SEO techniques to increase revenues and create a unique brand identity. You might find yourself being a pro at SEO or search engine optimization.

E-Book Writing

eBook writing is a great way to pen down your expertise on a certain topic and get you to start a small business. It depicts your advanced knowledge on a certain topic and boosts the credibility of your resume. It helps you gain a reputable position among other writers.

eBooks can also be used for the promotion and growth of your business. It’s a great tool for marketing. It might not be as effective as SEO or PPC, but it helps your customers to have a detailed insight into your business which helps you get more customers and retain the existing ones.

Freelance Writing

If you’re skilled in words instead, you might want to become a freelance writer and get your small business started. So, as long as you’ve got an internet connection and a keyboard, you can write blog posts or anything and everything.

It helps if you have a special area of interest or expertise, so your employers will know you’re qualified to comment on certain topics.

However, the most important factor will always be your writing. Can you write clearly? Do you take the time and effort to understand what you’re talking about? Are you appealing to the right readers? If you’re confident in your writing skills, this online business idea is ideal for you to get your small business started.

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