Elements of a Business Plan

These are the basic elements that are important to include in your business plan:

- Cover Page

- Statement of Purpose

- Table of Contents

- Executive Summary
- The Business
- Description of the business
- Marketing
- Competition
- Operating Procedures
- Personnel
- Business insurance

- Financial Data
- Capital Equipment (list)
- Balance Sheet
- Break-even Analysis
- Income Projections, 3 years
- Detail by month, first year
- Quarterly detail, 2nd/3rd years
- Assumptions upon which projection are based
- Pro-forma cash flow

- Supporting Documents
- Licenses and other legal documents
- Resumes of all principals
- Letter of intent from suppliers/clients
- Proposed lease agreements for space

Getting Started
Quite often, people that are skilled at their craft decide to go into business for themselves.

Although they may be experts in their field, they sometimes lack the "business" experience to successfully run a small business.

That is why it is vitally important to develop your blueprint - a business plan, to build your business.

Additional Assistance
There is help for developing your business plan. In addition to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), your public library and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can also help.

SBDC - 714-564-5200
SBA - 800-U-ASK-SBA