Here is a basic template that any team can use when developing its business plan:
Section 1: Executive Summary
• Basic introduction of the company.
• Present the company’s mission and vision.
• Describe the company’s product and/or service offerings.
• Give a summary of the target market and its demographics.
• Summarise the industry competition and how the company will capture a share of the available market.
• Give a summary of the operational plan, including inventory, oce labour, and equipment requirements.
• Describe the technological adoption and IPR issues.

Section 2: Industry Overview
• Facts explaining present industry scenarios.
• Describe the company’s position in the industry.
• Describe the existing competition and the major players in the industry.
• Provide information about the industry that the business will operate in, estimated revenues, industry trends & government influences.

Section 3: Market Analysis and Competition
• Define your target market, their needs, and their geographical location.
• Describe the size of the market, the units of the company’s products that potential customers may buy, and the market changes that may occur due to overall economic changes.
• Give an overview of the estimated sales volume vis-à-vis what competitors sell.
• Give a plan on how the company plans to combat the existing competition to gain and retain market share.
• Conduct a SWOT analysis.

Section 4: Sales and Marketing Plan
• Describe the products that the company will offer for sale and its unique selling proposition.
• List the different advertising platforms that the business will use to get its message to customers.
• Describe how the business plans to price its products in a way that allows it to make a profit.
• Give details on how the company’s products will be distributed to the target market and the shipping method.
• Explain the major bottlenecks the company will face and how the company plans to overcome them.

Section 5: Management Plan
• Describe the organisational structure of the company.
• List the owners of the company and their ownership percentages.
• List the key executives, their roles, and remuneration.
• List any internal and external professionals that the company plans to hire and how they will be compensated.
• Include a list of the members of the advisory board, if available.
• Mention the major highlights of the company’s HR policy.

Section 6: Operating Plan
• Describe the location of the business, including oce and warehouse requirements.
• Describe the company’s labour requirement. Outline the number of staff that the company needs, their roles, skills training needed, and employee tenures (full-time or part-time).
• Describe the manufacturing process and the time it will take to produce one unit of a product.
• Describe the equipment and machinery requirements, and if the company will lease or purchase equipment and machinery, and the related costs that the company estimates it will incur.
• Provide a list of raw material requirements, how they will be sourced, and the main suppliers that will supply the required inputs.

Section 7: Financial Plan
• Describe the financial projections of the company by including the projected income statement, projected cash flow statement, and the balance sheet projection.
• Fundraising from Venture Capitalists, etc.
• Details of loans/debt and sources.

Section 8: Appendices and Exhibits (optional)
• Quotes of building and machinery leases.
• Proposed oce and warehouse plan.
• Market research and a summary of the target market.
• Credit information of the owners.
• List of products and/or services.
• Sources and Uses of Funds.