What is the basic outline of a business plan?

The following is a basic outline of the kind of information needed in the business plan.

• Business Description, The Business and Mission, History
• Form of Ownership, Industry Trends, Management Personnel
• The Marketing Plan, Products and Services, The Market
• Competition, Marketing Strategies, The Operations Plan
• Materials and Personnel , Methods of Production, Distribution Channels
• Financial Plan, Profit and Loss Statement, Cash Flow Analysis
• Program a Balance Sheet, Break Even Analysis, Start Up Financing
• Attachments, Resume, Job Descriptions
• Personal & Business References, Leases, Contracts
• Letter of Indent to Purchase, Production, Endorsements

A business plan can be broadly divided into the following categories-

 Cover page
 Executive summary
 Table of contents
 Mission statement / Statement of purpose
 Description of business
 Industry analysis
 Marketing plan
 Competition
 Operations plan
 Financial plan
 Management plans
 Critical risks
 Exit strategy
 Appendix