Who hasn’t dreamed of starting their own company? After all, this is one of the best ways to achieve financial stability and thus provide more comfort and tranquility for the family. But to get there, you have to be careful. In addition to being a good boss, you need to learn how to make a business plan.
Who hasn’t dreamed of starting their own company? After all, this is one of the best ways to achieve financial stability and thus provide more comfort and tranquility for the family. But to get there, you have to be careful. In addition to being a good boss, you need to learn how to make a business plan.
This is a document that brings together your business goals and, above all, how you intend to achieve them. Thus, it is easier to know how the market works, in addition to identifying who your real competitors are. In practice, you get a map that brings together several important characteristics before taking the company off the drawing board.
New entrepreneurs who start economic activity in any way, without detailed planning, end up failing in a short time. Want to know how to start the right way?
Come with us and discover 4 tips on how to make a successful business plan!
1. Define the executive summary
Okay, we’re talking about a complete document that is as organized as possible, right? This means that, first of all, it must contain a good summary, called, in this case, an executive.
The inclusion of this part is essential, as the idea is to have reference material always at hand. With the table of contents, finding what you are looking for by title or subtitle and page number is very simple and fast.
Also, know that the business plan is read by people interested in investing in your organization. Similar to what usually happens with books, the continuity of reading depends on numerous factors.
It’s not enough to have great content, for example. In the specific case of a business plan, the summary must be objective, succinct, and very well ordered.
Bear in mind that many experienced investors already imagine what they will find ahead just by skimming the table of contents. so be brief and at the same time as complete as possible about the business idea.
To make the process easier, a great tip is to leave the writing of this index for last. After reviewing your business plan material calmly, you will have an overview of it. From there, you can create the summary more easily.
Another important guideline: have more than one summary. This is because the document will be read by the partners of the enterprise, by future investors, or supplier partners.
By crafting different versions, you highlight the points that are most interesting to the different parties involved.
2. Establish how to do the market analysis
Market analysis is done before starting the company but needs to be revised along the way. In the initial phase, the aim is to try to predict what the challenges to be faced will be.
Of course, no one has a crystal ball. But the thorough study of the market helps a lot to understand what are the factors that positively and negatively impact the niche in which we are entering.
Depending on the sector, it tends to be harmed or promoted through certain macroeconomic decisions. If the Government increases the Selic (basic interest rate) to control inflation, this has some effect (more or less) on organizations.
The same applies to the role of the Central Bank in monitoring the dollar exchange rate. This interferes with the financial management of those who import or export raw materials or goods. Crises and decreases in the purchasing power of consumers are also reflected differently in each branch of the market.
Through this general market assessment, you can also find out, for example, which agents are closest to your business and how they interrelate. We are talking about suppliers, competitors,s and customers.
We spoke earlier about the purchasing power of consumers. In an unfavorable context, what would be the probability of an increase or decrease in consumption of the products or services you offer? It depends on the profile of these people, their income, and how they set priorities.
Here, customer segmentation comes into play, one of the most decisive steps for the success of a business. When you know who you’re selling to, it’s easier to deliver a value proposition that satisfies your target audience’s needs and wants.
As you can see, market analysis is not necessarily simple. For this reason, the ideal is that it is done with attention – take as much time as necessary. The important thing is to be proactive, just like in any other professional activity.
3. Know the competition
The same level of detail as above should be employed in investigating the competition. In this case, it is worth checking which strategies are used and how you can differentiate yourself, providing something not yet explored.
Note that there are several aspects to be observed, starting with the pricing of the product or service in question. To deepen the study, see how the infrastructure and the quality of service provided by the main competitors are.
Visiting websites, blogs, social networks, and apps is part of the process. The same goes for purchase simulations, to verify eventual flaws or gaps in certain stages. Keep in mind that all positives should be noted equally.
The objective is to know who you are going to compete against, that is, what are your strengths and weaknesses. From there, start thinking about how to improve what is already good, while considering actions that would avoid detected errors.
4. Evaluate how supplier management will be
An equally delicate point that tends to go unnoticed, the harmonious relationship with suppliers has its share of participation in the success of any enterprise.
That said, list the best possible business partners and select those that offer:
- commitment to delivery deadlines;
- agile support and good communication;
- affordable prices.
These are the basic aspects of a business plan. The finance management wing is still missing, which deals with financial reserves and investments, in addition to marketing planning.
Yes, we know that at first glance the document appears to be reasonably complex. With that in mind, we want to highlight that you can start organizing ideas through the so-called Business Model Canvas. This amazing tool saves work and helps preserve our mental health.
In it, you have a single panel, which divides the areas of your company into nine blocks. Then just fill in each of the spaces, such as those aimed at customer segmentation, partnerships, necessary resources, etc.
With Canvas, you get a panoramic view of the points you will have to manage throughout your work journey as an entrepreneur. And believe me: this mechanism will make your life a lot easier — especially if you are taking the first steps in learning how to make a business plan.