The class will not meet On Monday, May 4, so this class is a matter of doing the readings and watching some online videos (below).  I’m comfortable with this because I’ve made so much available for you as online video, web materials, and readings.

Due by 10 a.m. May 27

As with other assignments, I need to get it as either a BPDX file or a PDF file attachment to an email, and the email has to arrive before the deadline. This is almost all of your grade, so make sure you get it to me on time. There are potential problems with computers and email and all, so keep backup files, try to submit early, and so on.

Must Have:

Your business plan must include as a minimum the following components, which I’m identifying here as either text topic or table. Most of these were already separate assignment, and — in case it isn’t obvious — I expect you to bundle them together into a single business plan document that you submit for this assignment.

• Summary (could also be called “Executive Summary.”) Text topic. Should include all of the information detailed in Assignment 1: the Opportunity and you’re welcome to add to that as well. If you’re working with Business Plan Pro, I like it to include the Highlights Chart. Pictures are welcome. You could also use what you did for Assignment 4: Summary Memo and bundle that into the plan. Edit this portion, so it isn’t redundant; you probably used your assignment 1 as a beginning draft for assignment 4. I expect you to read and edit the final so you make it readable for me.
• Market Analysis. Text topics and at least one table. Should include all of the information detailed in Assignment 2: Market Analysis. Pictures and pie charts and bar charts are welcome.
• Strategy. One of more text topics. Ideally you’ve got something along the lines recommended in the reading, strategy as a combination of identity, market, and strategic focus. There’s an outline example here, and you can click on it to jump to the Heart of the Plan material available online, which you also have in that Heart of the Plan section of the PAYG book in the readings. In addition, the Heart of the Plan video included in class 11 videos also covers that same material. Pictures welcome.
• Competitive Edge. Also called Secret Sauce. Text topic. Pictures welcome. For more on this, it should come up in class 5 on marketing strategy — ask me about it if it doesn’t — and you should ask our guest speakers as well. Also, read Secret Sauce on the web.
• Startup Plan: Exactly as in Assignment 5: Startup Plan. That’s at least one text topic and two tables, one for startup costs and another for startup funding. The best way to handle the text topic is to make sure that it includes the most important assumptions and explains how you intend to raise the money required (loans, investors, personal savings, etc.)
• Sales Forecast. Exactly as in Assignment 3: Sales Forecast. That’s sales and cost of sales for the first 12 months and then added up into year 1, and then for years 2 and 3 of the plan as well. And it includes a text topic that explains your assumptions, and, ideally, a couple of business charts as well.
• Projected Profit & Loss. Exactly as in Assignment 6: Projected Profit & Loss. At least one text and a table; business charts would also be nice. If it’s obvious how you make money then you don’t need to elaborate, but for some of the more innovative new technology plans, if how you make money isn’t obvious, then please make sure you talk about the business model.

Nice to have:

If you want a better grade, do a better business plan. You’ve got a lot of resources here on this website, including two complete online books, so you can see that there’s potentially a lot to add. Use outlines recommended in the readings, or some other order. Here are some specific suggestions, in more-or-less order of desirability — but not the order they appear in the plan:

• Cash flow. That requires some interaction between the profits, which you already have, and the balance sheet, which you don’t necessarily have. If you’re using Business Plan Pro, it’s almost automatic. If not, there’s a lot of detail available in the appropriate sections of the Plan as you go book and the hurdle book.
• Business offering (describing your product or service). This goes well as after the summary and before the market analysis.
• Company description: ownership, facilities, and so on. Goes well right after the summary, before the business offering section.
• Business model (as noted in the Projected Profit & Loss point above, only if it isn’t obvious).
• Financial plan: description of funding sources, return on investment for investors, exit strategy.

However, I’m not necessarily going to give the thicker, longer plan the better grade. You can get an A in this course without doing more business plan than the “must-have” portions above. For that you’d probably also have to do a very good job on the plan, and participate in class.

I’m giving you a lot of leeway with the business plan on purpose. I don’t want to define it too much, because …

1. Business planning requires a lot of flexibility. Every business plan is unique to the business and its specific situation.
2. There are a lot of resources out there that can help you do this. This is a good time to use some initiative. Particularly since your readings include two books on how to do a business plan.

You’re going to do this class by yourself, going through the following web videos. Brace yourself, because there might be a pop quiz later, something like recognizing which slide in a set of slides wasn’t included in the videos.

The Back to Fundamentals Series: this is from a webinar given in November 2008. The total is 50 minutes. It divides into four parts.

• Part 1: Back to Fundamentals
• Part 2: The Heart of the Plan
• Part 3: Flesh and Bones of the Plan
• Part 4: Dressing and Growing

This interview is a couple of years old now, but I thought it was a pretty good summary of business planning as applied to real-world companies. It was done on the floor of a trade show of eBay vendors.