91香蕉黄色视频

Potential investors and lenders will look closely at your business plan to help them decide whether to risk their money.

There is no standard format but most plans include:

• An executive summary highlighting the main points - to catch people's attention. See business plan executive summary - the dos and don'ts.
• Details of key personnel with an organisational chart showing individual responsibilities.
• Market research - details of competitors and how your product or service fits into the market - eg who your potential customers are and why you think they will buy your product or service. See your business markets and competitors.
• Your marketing plan - how you are going to get your product or service in front of potential customers, together with any assumptions made when setting your targets. See how to write a marketing plan.
• Financial information - eg key ratios. These can be used to compare your business' performance against industry benchmarks. It's also a good idea to give details of any major expenditure you have made on long-term assets. Many lenders ask for three years' financial information. If this is not available, supply details about trading to date. See financial forecasts for your business plan.
• How you will manage credit, expenditure, stock planning and control, and debtors and creditors. 

For further information see write a business plan: step-by-step.

When seeking funding, it is essential to include:

1. A cashflow forecast indicating the amount of funding you need and why. For a start-up, include estimates of how much finance you will require for two to three years or until you start to make a profit. Indicate contingency funds that might be needed for rough patches. This is usually between 10 and 20 per cent of the total funding requirement - see business growth: cashflow management.

2. Financial forecasts for a three to five-year period. Try to present this information in the same way as historical financial information, so that straightforward comparisons can be made.

3. Clear information on how a loan will be repaid, how investors can get their money back, and when.

Download a spreadsheet containing cashflow forecast, profit and loss forecast and sales forecast templates (XLS, 44K).

For further guidance see financial forecasts for your business plan.

A business plan serves a number of purposes and you may have to modify information depending on your target audience.

Tailor your business plan to get bank funding

Your bank will be interested in:

• how the money will be used
• how and when the money will be repaid
• the capacity to grow the business
• what other loan or debt commitments you have
• your credit history
• how the money will be repaid if the business fails

Most lenders operate a credit-scoring system. Make sure you give up-to-date and relevant information.

Find out more about bank finance.

Tailor your business plan for potential investors

Tell potential investors about:

• what you are going to do with the money
• when and how you are going to pay it back
• the expected return on their investment
• their influence on making decisions
• their percentage of the shareholding
• your other sources of funding
• your ability to grow the business

Include a detailed forecast of your profits and cashflow.

Find out more about equity finance.

Tailor your business plan for potential shareholders

Indicate to shareholders:

• the prospects for the share price
• how they may be able to sell their shares
• what dividend they can expect on their shares
• your management's track record
• what say they might have in the business

Demonstrate how they can exit with positive returns within three to five years.

Find out more about company company shares and shareholders.

Many businesses with growth potential fail to raise funds because they lack investment readiness - they do not understand the expectations of investors, cannot turn proposals into attractive opportunities or are unaware of financing sources.

Avoid common business plan mistakes

Common reasons why business plans and loan applications fail include:

• a weak management team
• a flawed marketing plan
• unrealistic forecasts
• incomplete financial history
• poor presentation

See business financing options - an overview.

If you want to attract outside funding, you need to show that you are committed to the business. You will also need to either show that you have a good credit history or, if not, explain why not.

Demonstrating your personal financial commitment

To attract funding, you need to invest your own money in your business. If you are not prepared to risk your own capital, a lender or investor is unlikely to want to risk theirs.

Therefore, your business plan needs to show the extent to which you are committing your own resources.

For example, you should mention that you are:

• investing your own cash in the business
• reinvesting profits from the business rather than taking dividends yourself
• using your own assets and guarantees to raise funds
• finding funds from family, friends and existing investors 

It is always helpful to detail the backing you already have from banks and other investors - especially independent investors.

Demonstrating your personal credit history

Because your commitment and track record in meeting your obligations are so important, lenders and investors will want to know your personal credit history. Credit references will be taken up for sole traders and each partner in a partnership.

Experian provides a summary of the  on businesses and individuals.

A credit reference agency will discover if you, or any partner or co-director of the business, have a poor credit history or county court judgments.

If you have a poor credit rating, use the notes 91香蕉黄色视频ing the business plan to state the facts and give your own version of how the poor credit history arose. This is much better than having the new investor find out without any explanation.

You should also state what you are doing to repair your credit history, such as paying your bills on time and managing debt responsibly.

Your business plan is a tool you can use to attract new funds or as a strategy document. Following the suggestions below will help you to succeed.

Doing your research

Before writing your business plan ensure that you:

• check that the help you are applying for is still available - you may no longer qualify
• back up any assumptions you have made with thorough research
• find out your own credit rating by applying to a credit reference agency such as Experian or Equifax for your credit file - a small charge is payable

Writing your business plan

Write your plan in a way that demonstrates your commitment to the business. Give it a professional feel by using graphs, pie charts, photos etc, but use only one font type and colour.

Your plan should:

• Be realistic - make sure you can justify any assumptions or projections and avoid being overly ambitious.
• Highlight any potential financial difficulties - warn your bank or lender if you anticipate that you may not be able to meet a repayment. There is every chance you may be able to come to some arrangement.
• Show how you intend to devise and implement effective cashflow arrangements, eg have clear procedures for chasing up any accounts receivable.

Once finished, ask someone to proofread your completed business plan for spelling and grammatical errors.

For further guidance see write a business plan: step-by-step.

Getting professional help

Seek the help of your business adviser or accountant in compiling your business plan or loan application form. They will ensure that the financial information is compiled and presented correctly and that key areas stand out.

You may also wish to contact a specialist broker who can help to find potential investors, usually for a fee and a percentage of funds raised.

Revising your business plan

Once you have presented the plan, ensure you review and revise it as your business grows.

If you are refused investment or a loan, take the criticism on board and consider how you might improve the plan for presenting in the future.

Whether you're an established business or starting up, you may need to consider seeking finance.

This video will help you understand the finance options available and identify which will be best for your business.

Accessing finance for your business is likely to involve meeting potential investors or lenders to convince them to invest in your business.

Pitching for investment can be difficult. This video will tackle some of the most important issues and questions to help you effectively present your business.

Video guidance on getting the right finance for your business growth.