Document Actions
Business Plan Guide for Draft and Final Plans
Excluding the cover sheet and appendices, the maximum length of your plan is 20 pages plus 10 appendix pages. This means that the plan must be concisely written - avoid repetition and excessive verbiage - and focus on the key points of the areas below. Details, tables, etc., should be placed in clearly marked appendices.
Plans should have a professional look, reasonable font sizes and margins, and be well-organized. Draft plans differ from final plans only in the level of detail and completeness. Number all pages as noted below. Judges are impressed by content and quality, not by razzle dazzle.
As you go through plan development and analysis, think SWOT
Items below marked with an asterisk (*) are included in the page counts. Plans exceeding the page limits will be disqualified.
Your business plan must comprise all the areas listed below. Use the headings shown in blue.
Cover Sheet
Business name and logo, team member names, date, and the words "Baruch College Entrepreneurship Competition 2008-2009" followed by either "draft plan" or "final plan" (whichever of the two apples)
Table of Contents
All pages except the cover page should be numbered. All headings and subheads should be listed in the Table of Contents. Use i, ii, iii, etc for the Table of Contents page numbers. Use 1,2,3 etc for the body page numbers. Use A-1, A-2, A-3 ...B-1, B-2 etc for the Appendices page numbers.
Executive Summary*
(one or two concisely stated paragraphs - remember, this is a summary)
- Statement of business opportunity
- Major reasons for believing the opportunity exists
- Statement of financing (eg. loans, investments, etc.)
- Expected financial results
Description of the Business*
- Product/service description
- Organization of the business, including information on management and ownership
- Legal form
Market Overview*
- Describe your target market by geography, income, and demographics
- What are the competitive products/services and current buying patterns of the market? How are yours different? What is your niche?
Industry Overview*
- Summary analysis of competitors' history, products, and financial performance
- Trends such as product changes, technology adoption, or consolidation
- Projections for the future
- Regulatory issues
Business Opportunity*
- Business strategy
- Product/service strengths
- Marketing and sales strategies
- Research to support projections
- Time line for business plan
Financial Projections*
(These may be summarized, referring to details that are placed in appendices; if there is room within the page limit, details may be in the body.)
- Historical financial statements if business exists
- Projected Financial Statements:
- Income Statements
- Balance Sheets
- Cash Flow Statements
- Debt service projections
- Comparisons to industry standards
- Returns Analysis
Appendices*
Resumes required. Include other items as relevant and appropriate:
- Brief resumes of team members
- Details of historical and projected financial statements
- Newspaper, magazine, industry trade reports
- Product illustrations
- Leases and other key contracts if any
- Research done to support projections