CHAPTER 2: BUSINESS PLANNING

2.1 INTRODUCTION
In the previous chapter, we dealt with the concept of Entrepreneurship. This unit will help you to
understand the concept of opportunity identification and evaluation, business idea development
and how to prepare a business plan. Virtually to start any type of business or expand the existing
one needs to work on opportunity identification and evaluation, business idea development and
then prepare business plan. Lack of proper opportunity identification and evaluation, idea
development process and business planning are the most often cited reasons for business failure.
The various sections and sub-sections of this chapter will also summarize opportunity identifying
and evaluating processes, business idea development process, and the feasibility study, importance
and preparation of a business plan.

2.2. The concept of Business Idea generation and Idea Screening

A business idea is a short and precise description of the basic operation of an intended business.
To start a business 1st, we should have to develop a business idea and conduct idea screening. It is
after these steps that we prepare a business plan. Some sources/methods of business idea include:
- Learn from successful business owners, your own experience, Problem Inventory Analysis,
Focus Group Discussion, Trade Fairs and Exhibitions, Brainstorming, etc.

Idea screening is the process to spot good ideas and eliminate poor one. We can use various criteria
to judge the generated business idea.

2.3. Concept of Business Plan

Planning is the first and the most crucial step for starting a business. A carefully charted and
meticulously designed business plan can convert a simple idea/innovation into a successful
business venture.
A business plan is a road map for starting and running a business. A well-crafted business plan
identifies opportunities, scans the external and internal environment to assess the feasibility of
business and allocates resources in the best possible way, which finally leads to the success of the
plan. It provides information to all concerned people like the venture capitalist and other financial
institutions, the investors, the employees. It provides information about the various functional
requirements (marketing, finance, operations and human resources) for running a business.
A business plan is the blueprint of the step-by-step procedure that would be followed to convert a
business idea into a successful business venture. A business plan first of all identifies an innovative
idea, researches the external environment to list the opportunities and threats, identifies internal
strengths and weakness, assesses the feasibility of the idea and then allocates resources
(production/operation, finance, human resources) in the best possible manner to make the plan
successful.
The objectives of a business plan are to:
 Give directions to the vision formulated by entrepreneur.
 Objectively evaluate the prospects of business.
 Monitor the progress after implementing the plan.
 Persuade others to join the business.
 Seek loans from financial institutions.
 Visualize the concept in terms of market availability, organizational, operational and
financial feasibility.
 Guide the entrepreneur in the actual implementation of the plan.
 Identify the strengths and weakness of the plan.
 Identify challenges in terms of opportunities and threats
 Clarify ideas and identify gaps in management information about their business,
competitors and the market.
 Identify the resources that would be required to implement the plan.
 Document ownership arrangements, future prospects and projected growths of the business
venture.

2.4. Developing a Business Plan

Essential Components of Business Plan

I) Cover Sheet: Cover sheet is like the cover page of the book. It mentions the name of the
project, address of the headquarters (if any) and name and address of the promoters.
II) Executive Summary: Executive summary is the first impression about the business
proposal. As the saying goes, the first impression is the last impression. A careful
 presentation of information should be done to attract the attention of the evaluators. It should
be in brief (not more than two or three pages) yet it should have all the factual details about
the project that can improve its marketability. It should briefly describe the company;
mention some financial figures and some salient features of the project. Generating interest
in the minds of the readers is the prime motive of the executive summary.
III) The Business: This will give details about the business concept. It will discuss the
objective of the business, a brief history about the past performance of the company (if it
is an old company), what would be the form of ownership (whether it would be a single
proprietor, partnership, cooperative society or a company under company law). It would
also label the address of the proposed headquarters.
IV) Funding Requirement: Since the investors and financial institutions are one of the key
bodies examining the business plan report and it is one of the primary objectives of
preparing the business plan report, a careful, well-planned funding requirement should be
documented. It is also necessary to project how these requirements would be fulfilled. Debt
equity ratio should be prepared, which can give an indication about how much finance
would the company require and how it would like to fund the project.
V) The Product or Services: A brief description of product/services is given in this subsection.
It includes the key features of the product, the product range that would be provided to the
customers and the advantages that the product holds over and above the similar products/
substitute products available in the market. It also gives details about the patents,
trademarks, copyrights, franchises, and licensing agreements.
VI) The Plan: Now the functional plans for marketing, finance, human resources and
operations are to be drawn.
1) Marketing Plan: Marketing mix strategies are to be drawn, based on the market research.
2) Operational Plan: The operational plan would give information about (i) Plant location:
why was a particular location chosen? Is it in the vicinity of the market, suppliers, labor or
does it have an advantage of government subsidies for that particular location or are there
any other specific reasons for choosing the particular location? (ii) Plan for material
requirements, inventory management and quality control are also drawn for identifying
further costs and intricacies of the business. Finally, the budget for operational plan is also
drawn.
 3) Organizational Plan: The organizational plan indicates the pattern of flow of
responsibilities and duties amongst people in the organization, it provides details about the
manpower plan that would be required to put life into the business and it would also enlist
the details about the laws that would be governed in managing the employees of the
organization. In the end the organizational plan is also budgeted.
4) Financial Plan: The financial plan is usually drawn for two to five years for an existing
company. For a new organization the following projections are drawn:
a) Projected Sales
b) Projected Income and Expenditure Statement
c) Projected Break Even Point
d) Projected Profit and Loss Statement
e) Projected Balance Sheet
f) Projected Cash Flows
g) Projected Funds Flow
h) Projected Ratios
VII) Critical Risks: The investors are interested in knowing the tentative risks to evaluate the
viability of the business and to measure the risks involved in the business. This can further
give confidence to the investors as they can calculate the risks involved in the business
from their perspectives as well.
VIII) Exit Strategy: The exit strategies would provide details about how the organization would
be dissolved, what would be the share of each stakeholder in case of winding-up of the
organization. It further helps in measuring the risks involved in investing.
IX) Appendix: The appendix can provide information about the Curriculum Vitae of the
owners, Ownership Agreement and the like.

2.5. Sample Business plan Format

The business plan outlined below presents all necessary chapters in detail, including all necessary
explanations in the context of Ethiopia.
 Business plan outline 2 for micro and small enterprises and start ups
Business plan outline
For micro and small enterprises and start ups

Executive summary
1. Brief Description of the Project
2. Brief Profile of the Entrepreneur
3. Project's Contributions to the Economy
1. Sales and Marketing
1.1 Product description
1.2 Competitors'
1.3 Location
1.4 Market Area
1.5 Main Customers
1.6 Total Demand
1.7 Market Share
1.8 Selling Price
1.9 Sales Forecast
1.10 Promotional Measures
1.11 Marketing Strategy
1.12 Marketing Budget
2. Production
2.1 Production Process
2.2 Fixed Capital
2.3 Life of Fixed Capital
2.4 Maintenance and Repairs
2.5 Sources of Equipment
2.6 Planned Capacity
2.7 Future Capacity
2.8 Terms and Conditions of Purchase of Equipment
2.9 Factory Location and Layout
2.10 Raw Materials Needed
2.11 Cost of Raw Materials
2.12 Raw Materials Availability
2.13 Labor
2.14 Cost of Labor
2.15 Labor Availability
2.16 Labor Productivity
2.17 Factory Overhead Expenses
2.18 Production Cost
3. Organization and Management
3.1 Form of Business
3.2 Organizational Structure
3.3 Business Experience and Qualifications of the Entrepreneur
3.4 Pre-Operating Activities
3.5 Pre-Operating Expenses
3.6 Office Equipment
3.7 Administrative Expenses
4. Financial plan
4.1 Project Cost
4.2 Financing Plan and Loan Requirement
4.3 Security for Loan
4.4 Profit and Loss Statement
4.5 Cash Flow Statement
4.6 Balance Sheet
4.7 Loan Repayment Schedule
4.8 Break-even Point (BEP)
4.9 Return on Investment (ROI)
4.10 Financial Analysis