The One-Page Business Plan For Busy Entrepreneurs | MP ...

MP Consulting provides a simple business plan outline to help busy small business owners and entrepreneurs maximize their potential.

A good business plan should clearly define a company?s products or services, lay out how the business intends to operate, in which markets it will operate, and how it intends to generate sales and profits from its well-defined client or customer base.? The level of detail in a business plan very much depends on how you intend to use it; whether as a guide to running your business or to convince others to make an investment or partner with you in some way, or a dozen other possible uses. If you are an entrepreneur not looking to raise money or are too busy to prepare a full-fledged business plan, then you may not need to be too detailed, but it is still important to challenge yourself with how you will differentiate your product, how you will generate sales and from whom, and how much you will spend so as to still create a positive cash flow and profits.

Below I provide a guideline for the busy entrepreneur; a guideline you can use to construct a one-page business plan for your business.

Your Business Mission

What is the mission or vision you have for your business? What do you want your company to do for your customers?

The Problem or Need

Define the business problem or unmet need you have identified.

The Business Solution / Competitive Advantage.

Provide a brief statement of your solution to the business problem or unmet need. What is your competitive advantage?

The Business Opportunity / Market Size / Competition

Define the business opportunity scope and market size. How large is this opportunity (use numbers where possible, such as customers, or potential sales)? Is the market growing? Who and where are these customers? Who are your key competitors, what are their strengths and weaknesses and how can you beat them?

Marketing Goals

Define your top 4 or 5 marketing goals for the next year (or two). What do you want to achieve in terms of sales, new customers, profitability, cash flow, penetration of the market, market share, etc.?

Marketing Strategies

Define the marketing strategies you intend to employ to achieve each of your business goals and estimate the cost of the activities involved. Include your advertising and promotional activities as well as any specific sales and distributor activities. For example, you may intend to advertise in the local paper or on LinkedIn, email past customers, or run a special promotion.

Other Expenses

Include an estimate of all your other expenses: people costs, facilities, equipment needed, utilities, Internet access, phone, travel, product costs, distribution costs, legal costs, research and development costs and general and administrative costs.

Financial Projections

Think through the sales you anticipate from your marketing strategies and estimate the revenue for each month. Then calculate all your expenses. This should allow you to calculate how much cash is left over each month or your monthly profits. If you are feeling ambitious, add year two and three!

If you are interested in preparing a more robust business plan, or you need to raise money from investors who will expect a detailed plan, then you will need a copy of The Business Plan Guide.

Hopefully this has given you something to think about.? My goal is to make your life easier and to ensure you are as productive as possible. I hope you enjoyed this and that you will send me your comments, subscribe and link to my blog (top right; just add your email address, then confirm when you receive your invitation) , and if you need help, or need to ask me a question, go to my blog and address it to Mark Philip.

To obtain a copy of Mark Philip?s book, The Strategic Plan Guide, go to any of these sites below: Amazon paperback and kindle: or go to CreateSpace Paperback: and use the CreateSpace Discount Code: QYFGMH77 (15% discount code).

To obtain a copy of Mark Philip?s book, The Business Plan Guide, to to any of the these sites below: Amazon paperback and kindle: or go to CreateSpace Paperback:? and use the CreateSpace Discount Code: EJD5HD2M (15% discount code).

Free Guides are also available from my blog site on a number of business subjects including: Strategic Planning, Business Plans, Marketing Plans, Social Media Planning, Public Relations Planning, Time Management, Negotiating Strategies, Effective Business Meetings, Due Diligence, and many others. Go to my blog Books, Guides and Questions section.

MP Consulting Services specializes in the areas of strategic planning, leadership, marketing and social media. Mark Philip, principal at MPCS, has over 20 years experience in managing businesses, both small and large, has orchestrated multiple turnarounds, built product pipelines, launched new products, sold companies and created significant shareholder value. Let me know how I can help you with your business challenge.

For More Information: visit my LinkedIn account.

Copyright ? 2012 Mark Philip

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