November 10th, 2011  Posted at   Strategic Planning

To determine the strengths and weaknesses of your business plan, you need to know how to look at the specifics. Here are the things that you need to check with your business plan:

The basic thing that you need to do is identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business and cross-reference them in the business plan that you are trying to create.

First of all, list the possible strengths and weaknesses of your business. For these, you can think about your business budget. Do you have enough to be able to finance all that you might possibly need? Or maybe, do you still need to borrow from a bank? This will greatly sidetrack your plans if your application is not approved or if you do not get the amount that you need.

Another aspect which should be considered is your knowledge of the business. Do you have enough experience in this field to be comfortable enough to withstand the pressure? Or maybe, are you still a beginner with little experience, and with only a few ideas in management?

You also need to become aware of your competitors. You should know how they operate, what their future plans might be, and in what way you might be able to compete. Not knowing the projections of the actions of other businesses that you consider your competition will serve as a weakness, as you might get left behind or go towards an entirely different direction, one that does not provide you many customers.

The planned location of your business will also matter. If you are able to choose one that is considered at the heart of the traffic of people and commerce in your area, you can be sure that your location will be considered a big strength. But, if you are going to put up a business that is located at the outskirts of the city when it is supposed to be near to most people, that will only be a disadvantage. Therefore, you will need to revise your plan to better suit your business expectations. Read more… »

November 9th, 2011  Posted at   Strategic Planning

Starting a car wash can be an excellent way to bring in some extra money, or even to replace your nine to five income.

A car wash business can be a good choice for those people who are looking for a business model with a high profit margin, and one that can be run on a part time basis.

Many entrepreneurs start out with just one car wash, then move on to buy more after they discover how profitable such a business can be.

==Your Car Wash Business Plan Can Help You Raise Start Up Capital==

Before you wash your first car, or buy your first car wash, however, it is important to establish and create a solid car wash business plan. Such a business plan will be vital if you are to raise the startup capital you need, whether you plan to buy an exiting car wash or build a new facility.

==The More Detailed Your Car Wash Business Plan The Better==

It is important that the car wash business plan detail the potential for profit that the business represents, including such things as projected volumes and profit margins.

The more detailed your business plan is, the better your chances of gaining the financing, or attracting the investors, you will need for a successful car wash operation.

==The Benefits And The Potential Problems==

It is important that a good car wash business plan not only outline the potential benefits of the business, but that it detail any potential issues or problems you are likely to encounter.

A business plan that does not include these potential pitfalls may not be taken seriously by lenders and potential investors. Read more… »

November 8th, 2011  Posted at   Business

Similar to any other business, a catering business also works on a business plan and having one ready before you begin a catering business will make sure that you start well and go in the right direction as planned. As with any business, a catering business will also have goals and tools to measure progress as a part of the catering plan. In short, having a solid plan will make sure that you remain focused on your objectives.

A business plan, not only to keep track of your business but also helps when you look for help from outside, especially financing. If you are looking for investors in your business, the first thing that an investor would like to see is a very solid plan – be it your future business partners or financial institutions (banks).

Writing a plan for your business is not as easy as it sounds, it does need a fair amount of research and a good bit of thinking. In fact, you can get a sample business plan from a well-run catering company and use it to write your own by inducting your own parameters. The business should consist of the following components:

a. Executive summary: This part of the business plan should explain your business and consist of a brief outline to the reader.

b. Objectives: this part of the business plan should describe the short to long term goals of your catering business (ideally for the next 4 to 5 years) in financial terms. These goals should outline the objectives to be achieved with a time-line.

c. Mission statement: This part of the business plan should define and explain the catering company’s values and ideals (in short, business ethics and ambitions).

d. Ownership: this section go the business catering plan deals with ownership structure of the catering company, whether it is a proprietorship, partnership or a limited company and the details thereof.

e. Start-up requirements: This section should contain information about the catering company’s start up needs. What is the cost of start-up? What is the working capital required? What is the equipment required? Etc.

f. Market Information: A catering business also has competition and it is necessary to include the information pertaining to the same in this section of the business plan. This would contain a brief summary of the competition along with analysis and the plans that would be followed to get ahead of the competition along with details of new markets to be explored and services to be offered.

g. Strategy: This part of the catering plan should contain the marketing strategy that is to be followed to achieve the objectives. This section would also include forecasted financials for sales. Read more… »