- The executive summary provides a brief summary of what will be shown in the business plan itself. This summary should be no longer than two pages and should provide direction as to where to find certain aspects within the plan. The executive summary should include a brief introduction and must include your name, credentials, your product, your competition, the amount of money you are seeking, the length of a loan or investment and repayment terms.
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The business description and employee write-up will follow the executive summary. The business description should be detailed and all-inclusive, including the legal description, state, and type of business that you are beginning. This description will also include your business' purpose and industry. This section of the plan is usually around two pages.
Your employee descriptions should include full details on your employees, departments, costs, salaries and benefits you will provide for them. It is also a good idea to include an organizational chart for quick reference of your employee structure. This section of the plan should be at least one page, but can grow depending on how many employees and departments you have. Be detailed with your information, but not repetitive. - The operation and location section of your plan will address the your products and services. Here, show how and where you will provide your services, hours of operation, as well as, any structures or equipment that you require to provide the service. If you lease or own your property, it should be listed in this space. Additionally, highlight supplier information in this section and address the costs and services associated with supplies. The length of this section is also dependent upon your business and services provided.
- The marketing section of your plan is generally the most important. In this section, you will provide the promotional plans for your business as well as a rundown of target customers and competition. There is generally quite a bit of research in this section as this is where you list the potential spending habits of your customers, their needs and detail on what makes your product or service stand out. A public relations plan is also important for starting and maintaining your business and any plans you have in this area must listed in the marketing section of your business plan. This section's length is also dependent on the type of business and service you will offer. It is important that you spend an ample amount of time including information in this section. You should have at least two full pages of information for this section. However, the more carefully thought out your information and research, the more information you will be able to provide in the business plan.
