For any project (creation, takeover, development, innovation, etc.), the establishment of a business plan is advisable to present its implementation in detail but above all to detail, in figures, the profitability of the project. A financier will ask for a business plan to assess the project and decide whether or not to finance it.
What, why, for whom, how?
The business plan is the document for piloting and demonstrating the future success of your project. It is a written document which demonstrates that your entrepreneurial project creates value in a lasting way. It is also a communication and strategy document at the same time. The business plan explains what you want to achieve, how, when, with whom and emphasizes that this project is financially viable. In a word, the business plan is your project declined in terms of vision, objectives, means and results. The use of road map is essential here.
The objectives of the business plan
The goals of the business plan are threefold:
Reassure: your banker for example. When taking out a loan, your banker will want you to demonstrate your ability to repay, whether the project works or not.
Highlight: to convince investors and embark on your adventure
Convince: of the success of your adventure in order to recruit new employees or even persuade future recruits to follow you while you are going to pay them 30% below market wages.
- The business plan is an internal and external communication tool. It is the result of a theoretical and practical approach:
- Theoretical, because it transcribes the vision of the entrepreneur (“where I want to go”).
- Practical, because the business plan describes the steps and means that the entrepreneur wishes to implement.
- The business plan is not frozen and will have to be modified and improved over time.
Who is the business plan for?
The business plan can be drawn up for different interlocutors. It will therefore have to be adapted according to these interlocutors. Indeed, an entrepreneur will write a business plan for:
Himself: To ensure his approach and put on paper the different stages of his project. This involves forcing yourself to do an in-depth analysis of your project and writing down the hypotheses that you want to check later in the field by launching your business.
His bank: the business plan is then written to convince him of the seriousness of his project. So you can open a business account. In the case of finding a loan, the business plan must demonstrate your ability to repay the loan.
Potential investors: No fundraising without a business plan, which is the tool that allows investors to select projects, check that the projects meet their criteria. It is also an excuse to be able to question the entrepreneur afterwards and to be able to develop the business.
Your future recruits or associates: Why follow you on an adventure? Only for your beautiful eyes? Most of the first employees will ask for a demonstration of the potential of the project because they are taking a risk themselves by following you.