This document contains notes from a presentation on writing a successful business plan. It includes sections on defining what a business plan is, coming up with a "back of the napkin" idea, focusing on profits, outlining the basics and four Ts (team, timing, traction, and targets), addressing six crucial questions, traits of an entrepreneur, providing a simple outline for a business plan, and emphasizing the importance of financial projections. The presentation recommends keeping the business plan to 10 pages or less and provides templates for key sections including an executive summary, company overview, market analysis, competitive analysis, and financial projections.

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Welcome to
“In The Land of The Blind”
How to Write a Successful Business Plan
Hosted by
Jeffrey Fry
Profit Prophet
profitprophet@austin.rr.com
macromental.fireflyfunds.com
February 11, 2017
productcampaustin

2. Sponsors
Advocates
In Kind
Supporter
s

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“It must be remembered that there is nothing more
difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor
more dangerous to manage than the creation of a
new system. For the Initiator has the enmity of all
who would profit by the preservation of the old
institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those
who would gain by the new.”
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, 1513

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• What is a Business Plan?
• Back of a Napkin
• It is ALL about PROFITS
• The BASICS & The FOUR T’s
• The 6 Crucial Questions
• Traits of an Entrepreneur
• A Simple Outline
• In the End…what can I see?

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B
Nerdvannah
A
You Are Here
The Impenetrable
Forest of Financial
Woes
Mourni
ng
Mounta
ins
Deficit Dessert

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$S-$C=$P

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%P=($S-$C)/$S
%P=$P/$S

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• If you cannot demonstrate that your return
for a single transaction can be at least 70%
then rethink your plan…..NOW.
• So if something costs $1 to make or deliver,
then I need to sell it for $3.33
SP=Cost /(1-Margin)SP=$1.00/(1-.7)=$3.33
Margin= [(Sale Price) – Cost]/(Sale Price)

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• A Business Plan Should NOT be More than 10
Pages
• 3 of those Pages should be your financial
forecasts
• Only forecast out for 3 years
• Use this plan as YOUR guidemap…

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– Is your product late, early, ahead of a curve, etc? An assessment of everything
that can go wrong and right, and a discussion of how the entrepreneurial team
can respond.
– What are you trying to do that is Unique? What is your Secret Sauce? Give a
BRIEF profile of the business itself: what it will sell and to whom, what is
margin dollars, whether the business can grow and how fast, what its
economics are, and the barriers that stand in the way of success. Also, your
point of INFLECTION (going profitable)
– Who are the key MUST have players on the Team. The men and women
starting and running the venture and giving their sweat and blood. Include key
outside parties who can provide key services or important resources for your
success, such as lawyers, accountants, strategic partnerships and suppliers.
– Competition, How Crowded? How Big A Market: Growing, Stagnant,
Shrinking? This is the big picture, include any government regulations,
sensitivities (i.e.: interest rates, demographic trends, inflation, and the like) or
any factors that inevitably change but cannot be controlled by the company.

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– Am I Making or Doing, Does the Company
Stand For?
– Do I need on my Team, Do I need to help me,
Am I (my strengths / weaknesses)?
– Is this Idea in comparison with other ideas,
how far along are we on our journey, Do We make
Money, Find Customers?
– Do I start, expand, know I reached a
milestone?
– Am I Going to get from point A to B?
– Money, Time, Help…etc.

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• What Does My Company Stand For?
• What Does My Company Do (Product /
Service)
• What is MY MAJOR DIFFERENTIATOR?
• What is MY SECRET SAUCE?
• What should I FOCUS ON?
• What are MY Strengths / Weakness

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Creative
Striving
Persevering
Self-Confident
Intuitive
Independent
Self-Motivated
Optimistic
Focused
Forward-Looking
Decisive
Enterprising
Disciplined
Cooperative
Results Oriented
Energetic
Persuasive
Organized

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• Who Do I need on My Team to fill out what
skills I do NOT have?
• Who do I need to help:
– Raise Money
– Manage the Team
– Grow Sales
– Spread the Word
– Mentor Me
– Run Operations

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• Where does my company stand in comparison
to other companies?
• Where do we make MONEY?
• Where do my customers come from?
• Where can I partner?
• Where is my company going (stay private, IPO,
acquisition, etc.)?

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• When do we start sales?
• When do we make operational profits?
• When do we expand?
• When do we add staff?
• When do we sell the company?
• When do we run out of money?
• When is it time to STOP and try something
else?
• Tied closely to the financial plan…

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• How do we operate?
• How do we implement our short / long term
strategies?
• How do we reach our customers
• How do we generate sales?
• How do we compete effectively?
• How do we grow (adjacent ponds)
exponentially?

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• How Much Money do I need to start?
• How Much Time until we begin sales?
• How Much Time until we turn a profit?
• How Much Money do we need to stay afloat?
• How Much Outside Help do I need?
• How Much Time Do I Give Myself?

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• WHAT WE DO / WHAT WE STAND FOR
• COMPETITION / DIFFERENTIATION / STRATEGY
• MARKET SIZE (TAM / SAM)
• FORECAST/ GROWTH POTENTIAL
• CUSTOMER ACQUISITION (MARKETING)
• TEAM (EXISTING / NEEDS)
• FISCAL NEEDS (BURN & TURN)
• FINANCIALS

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• The Experience Economy
• How to Make Friends and Influence People
• The Luck Factor
• Give and Take
• It is Not What You Sell, It is What You Stand For
• 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• The Art of War for Executives

27. Sponsors
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In Kind
Supporter
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