Business Plan Template

1.0  Executive Summary

1.1  Objectives

1.2  Mission

1.3  Keys to Success

2.0  Company Summary

2.1  Company Ownership

2.2  Start-up Summary

2.2.1      Start-up (table: outline)

3.0  Products and Services

3.1  Products

3.2  Services

4.0  Market Analysis Summary

4.1  Market Segmentation

4.1.1      Market Analysis (table)

4.1.2      Market Analysis (pie)

4.2  Target Market Segment Strategy

4.3  Service Business Analysis

4.3.1      Competition and Buying Patterns

5.0  Strategy and Implementation

5.1  SWOT Analysis

5.1.1      Strengths

5.1.2      Weaknesses

5.1.3      Opportunities

5.1.4      Threats

5.2  Competitive Edge

5.3  Marketing Strategy

5.4  Sales Strategy

5.5  Milestones

5.5.1      Milestones (table)

5.5.2      Milestones (pie)

6.0  Management Summary

6.1  Personnel Plan

6.1.1      Personnel (table)

7.0  Financial Plan

7.1  Start-up Funding

7.1.1      Start-up Funding (table)

7.2  Important Assumptions

7.3  Break-even Analysis

7.3.1      Break-even Analysis (table)

7.3.2      Break-even Analysis (pie)

7.4  Projected Profit and Loss

7.4.1      Profit and Loss (table)

7.4.2      Profit Monthly (pie)

7.4.3      Profit Yearly (pie)

7.4.4      Gross Margin Monthly (pie)

7.4.5      Gross Margin Yearly (pie)

7.5  Projected Cash Flow

7.5.1      Cash Flow (table)

7.5.2      Cash Flow (pie)

7.6  Projected Balance Sheet

7.6.1      Balance Sheet (table)

7.7  Business Ratios

7.7.1      Ratios (table)

7.8  Long-term Plan

Appendix

                  Sales Forecast

                  Personnel

                  Profit and Loss

                  Cash Flow

                  Balance Sheet

Resume Writing

Personal Information: Name, address, phone number, and E-mail address. Please note that the E-mail account title should be professional and not be inappropriate, political or offensive.

Summary: Consists of one powerful sentence that describes many of the qualities that the employer is looking for in its applicants. This one section can be what distinguishes each applicant.

Education: College attending, expected graduation date (month and year), and degree currently studying. If you find that you will lack professional experience you may want to list major projects and papers in this section as well.

Professional Experience: Typically will include start and end dates, the company/firm/business name, location, and three to four bullet points that describe roles and responsibilities completed. Bullet points should be short and concise and still be effective in communicating the applicant's skills. It is important to have thoroughly read over the qualifications and responsibilities posted by the company for which you will be applying since it will help provide key phrases and jargon that you can integrate into this section of your resume. Action words (past tense) should be used at the beginning of each description. Finally, it is important to use numbers whenever applicable especially if they convey a significant result.

Example of Actions Words: organized, developed, managed, implemented, presented, directed, and created.

Awards and Citations: Includes scholarships, special recognitions, merits and citations (certificates of competency).

Computer Skills: Any notable software proficiency, which can include Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.

Other Notable Tips

• If you have less then 10 years of experience, then keep your resume to one page
• Don't be afraid to change the page margins, but remember to avoid clutter
• Printing your resume on regular paper is acceptable but whenever possible use professional resume paper. Stay away from colored paper.
• When attending a job fair be sure to put your resume in a professional folder or portfolio to make a good first impression
• Always tell the truth on your resume. The lies can be researched and could cost you the interview.