The Business Plan

The primary value of your business plan will be to create a written outline to evaluate all aspects of the economic viability of your business including a description and analysis of your business prospects. For most companies we deal with, they have bypassed this and in hindsight, did not understand their competition, market or how it applies to the internet.

The following outline is a sample Business Plan that we give to our clients to fill out at the beginning of our process. If this is easy for you to fill out, then you know where you want to go. If not, then the likelihood of a successful internet marketing effort is unlikely.

Title Page

Name of company, date, contact information, etc.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

• Business Concept
• Company
• Market Potential
• Management Team
• Distinct Competencies
• Required Funding and its Use
• Exit Strategy

Company Description

• Mission Statement
• Summary of Activity to Date
• Current Stage of Development
• Competencies
• Product or Service
• Description
• Benefits to customer
• Differences from current offerings
• Objectives
• Keys to Success
• Location and Facilities

Industry Analysis

• Entry Barriers
• Supply and Distribution
• Technological Factors
• Seasonality
• Economic Influences
• Regulatory Issues

Market Analysis

• Definition of Overall Market
• Market Size and Growth
• Market Trends
• Market Segments
• Targeted Segments
• Customer Characteristics
• Customer Needs
• Purchasing Decision Process
• Product Positioning

Competition

• Profiles of Top 10 Primary Competitors
• Competitors' Products/Services & Market Share
• Competitive Evaluation of Product
• Distinct Competitive Advantage
• Competitive Weaknesses
• Future Competitors

Marketing and Sales

• Products Offered
• Pricing
• Distribution
• Promotion
• Advertising and Publicity
• Trade Shows
• Partnerships
• Discounts and Incentives
• Current Internet Promotion
• Email Campaigns
• Sales Force
• Sales Forecasts

Operations

• Product Development
• Development Team
• Development Costs
• Development Risks
• Current SEO Program
• Manufacturing (if applicable)
• Production Processes
• Production Equipment
• Quality Assurance
• Administration
• Key Suppliers
• Product / Service Delivery
• Customer Service and Support
• Human Resource Plan
• Facilities

Management and Organization

• Management Team
• Open Positions
• Board of Directors
• Key Personnel
• Organizational Chart

Capitalization and Structure

• Legal Structure of Company
• Present Equity Positions
• Deal Structure
• Exit Strategy

Development and Milestones

• Financing Commitments
• Product Development Milestones
• Prototype
• QA Testing - Software & Web Page Design
• QA Testing - SEO On-Page Compliance
• QA Testing - On-Target Keyword Content
• Launch
• Signing of Significant Contracts
• Achievement of Break-even Performance
• Expansion
• Additional Funding
• Any other significant milestones

Risks and Contingencies

• Increased competition - Brick & Morter
• Increased competition - SEO Competitor War
• Loss of a key employee
• Loss of a website - Google new site "penalty box"
• Loss of a website - server down
• Loss of a website - website penalty
• Suppliers' failure to meet deadlines
• Regulatory changes
• Change in business conditions

Financial Projections

• Assumptions (Start date, commissions, tax rates, average inventory, sales forecasts, etc.)
• Financial Statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement)
• Break Even Analysis
• Key Ratio Projections (quick ratio, current ratio, D/E, D/A, ROE, ROA, working capital)
• Financial Resources
• Financial Strategy

Summary and Conclusions

Appendices

• Management Resumes
• Competitive Analysis Reports
• Sales Projections
• Any other supporting documents

As you can see, the list is getting larger as we implement the Business Plan Outline with our clients. At Catanich, all of our team has years of Project Management and Milestone tracking to aid you to meet your schedule and budget.