Q-02Funding
I need a business plan
Start with who will read it. That decides what kind of plan you need.
First ask who will read it and what they want to know. A bank wants to see that the loan can be repaid. A funder wants its own template filled in. If nobody else will read it, you probably need a one-page plan, and that takes two afternoons.
4 things to look at
- The reader. A lender, a funder, a landlord, a tender committee, or only you.
- The question. Usually: can this business repay, and does the owner know the numbers?
- The evidence. Quotations, sales records and customer facts, not adjectives.
- The format. Many lenders and funders have their own template. Ask for it first.
Checks you can do yourself
These cost nothing but time. Do them in order. If they answer the question, you do not need us.
Ask the reader what they require
Phone or visit the bank, funder or office and ask for their requirements or template in writing. Write the plan to that, not to a general outline.
Collect real numbers
Three quotations for equipment or stock, the rent, supplier prices, and any sales records you have. A plan built on guesses falls apart at the first question.
Write the one-page version first
Fill in the one-page plan. If the page does not make sense, forty pages will not fix it.
Lay out twelve months of money in and money out
Month by month, even roughly. This is the part lenders read most closely.
Have an outsider read it
Give it to someone who does not know the business. Ask them to tell you what the business does and how it makes money. If they cannot, rewrite.
- There is a loan, grant or tender deadline.
- The reader asks for cash flow, break-even or a three-year forecast.
- The funder's template is long and you are not sure what each part wants.
- The plan has to stand up to questions in an interview.
Be careful with anyone who sells a finished business plan in a day without asking for your numbers. The reader will ask you about the figures, and you will be the one answering.
Business Plan
A business plan you can explain page by page, because the facts in it came from you.
From N$2,499
Related questions people ask
How long should a business plan be?
As long as the reader's requirements, and no longer. For a small business, 10 to 20 pages plus the figures is common. The guide What goes in a business plan lists the sections.
Does a business plan guarantee a loan?
No. The lender decides. A clear plan with real numbers improves your chances and, just as useful, shows you whether you should want the loan.
Related questions
Will my business idea work?
How to find out cheaply, before you buy stock or sign a lease.
OpenI want to grow but do not know what to do first
Many ideas, limited time and money, and no clear order.
OpenI am busy but not making money
Sales are coming in, and there is still nothing left at the end of the month.
OpenTell us what you are trying to decide.
You do not need a business plan to talk to us. Say what the business is, what you want from it and what is in the way. A Business Check-up costs N$199 and comes off any other service you book within 30 days.