How is a business plan compiled and is it usually compiled by the project executor, or is it worth hiring experienced specialists for this?

Question

Fintech

Actually, subject.
Well, I have (let's say) an idea and a working prototype of a certain program / service. And I need an investor. The investor needs a detailed business plan, because no one will work with me for lala-poplar) Since I
myself am a programmer and imprisoned for the implementation of an idea / project, I don’t think well, due to lack of experience, in promoting a project , in advertising costs. Also, I am not very familiar with the statistics of real clients of such services / programs, that is, if I draw up such a plan, it will be based on coffee grounds or public articles on the Internet on the topic "How much can you earn on ...", which, in principle, same.
Should I hire a specialist, and where can I find one? What will cooperation with him look like?
Or maybe you can advise literature / courses to learn how to analyze the target market yourself, make the correct forecast of the project’s income and expenses and approach the search for investors with knowledge of the matter and not fall face down when he asks elementary questions like “where does such information come from”, " where did you get the statistics" etc. ?

Answer 1

Nobody will do it for you.
No one will do better than you. You are vitally interested.
About investors:
A real investor is not interested in a prototype, but in a project that is already working (at least at minimal speed).
For a prototype, you will be looking for an investor for a hundred years.
There are such "type investors" - people without experience in entrepreneurship and investing, but with extra money (a typical example is an unexpected inheritance). Might be able to get something out of them. But they are also the worst - it seems to them that after giving 100,000 rubles, after 3 months you can get back 500,000 rubles.
On a pure prototype.... For a real investor, you need to demonstrate a serious convincing prototype with clearly understandable monetization in his area of ​​investment(people cannot understand prototypes in all areas of human activity, as a rule, a serious investor does not even start a conversation with you if your idea is not in his area of ​​​​interest).
Investments ....
You see - they invest not a hobby project of one person (he is able to finance himself, and if he is not able, then it is categorically impossible to give money to such a person), but a company and a team that can. There is a completely different level and offers of money.
As far as I understand you, you do not need the amount that is being invested. You need significantly less. At the level of 3-5 own monthly salaries. If you do not want to risk this amount, then the investor will certainly not give you money. If you are confident in your project, take out a loan or quit and devote all your time to your project.

Answer 2

You don't need a hundred-page business plan, you don't need a "specialist." Write down the key points on several sheets, preferably in the form of a presentation.
How big is your niche? Is the market growing? Is it filled with repeat customers? Does it have new opportunities and growing trends? Is there a threat to this segment? By answering these questions in your business plan, you will not only be able to convey to the investor the idea of ​​​​what you are striving for, but also tell about the growth and development opportunities that are key to the success of your startup.
Instead of ignoring competitors in your business plan, reach out to them. Outline their advantages and how you differ from them and how you intend to compete with companies already entrenched in your market. This will let investors know that you have a head on your shoulders, you look at things realistically and see the whole picture. Very good qualities for a businessman.
Don't forget that people invest in your business to make money. A three-year forecast will show investors how much your business can earn or how much it can lose. This way, they will be able to assess the risks they are taking by investing in you. The forecast will look even better if you include competent market analytics in it, which is based on data from trustworthy sources.
Even if you have just started a business, but you already have cash flow, you should describe it in your business plan and tie it to projected flows. Any profit described in a business plan can be a green light for an investor, since this is the most attractive item of all, especially if it is not abstract statistics, but real numbers for the past years or realistic forecasts for the future.
Although it should run like a red line through your entire business plan, this point is included last to make sure that all the other ingredients for success are taken into account. It is synonymous with a variable in the exact sciences and should give the investor an idea of ​​who you are and what you are up to, including your performance. The summary should be concise, tasty, and to the point, but polished to a shine and with details that will make investors want to read it to the end.

Answer 3

due to lack of experience, in promoting the project, in advertising costs. Also I'm not very familiar with statistics

If in such a situation the investor is not a specialized one, then nothing will help your union. Where is the confirmation of monetization? What will be paid for this is just a guess.
Literature will not teach you to analyze, at least read it, it is a practical skill. But a person from the subject area should analyze, since you are not imprisoned.
Judging by the description, you first need a subject teacher ("someone who is as close as possible to such services / programs"), who will help test the product, bring test clients.

Answer 4

Let's start with the basics.
A business plan is a document in which you describe how you make a profit.
Simplified profit formula = revenue [minus] costs.
But no one will believe you that you took all the components of the formula "out of your head".
So, you have to prove every part of it.
This section describes your sales plan. A very important section that answers the question:
a) What do we sell? Man-hours, tariff plans, services, goods, pieces, kg. etc.
b) At what cost do we sell? In what currency?
c) What other options should be taken into account when generating revenue? Discounts, for example.
Recommendation. Revenue should be formed in physical terms (pieces, units, hours, orders) with subsequent recalculation in $$. So it will be clearer to you and clearer to all readers of the document. It is better to break down revenue (and all other indicators) monthly.
Costs
This is a very important section, as you can imagine. Depending on the specifics of your project, you may have different costs.
In IT projects (not the production of something!) It is convenient to combine costs into the following groups:
a) Personnel. All the human resources to help you make your first million dollars clean. Developers, freelancers, couriers, intermediaries, etc. Do not forget the director, accountant. Also add yourself if you think your work is not free (I always do).
b) Administrative costs. Office, internet, communal, phones, lunch delivery. That is, all expenses that are regular.
c) Marketing. What activities, when, and at what cost do you need to complete to keep your sales going? You should calculate the cost of attracting 1 client well.
d) taxes. First of all, from the salaries of the staff. Revenue taxes, VAT, income tax, etc. are also taken into account. You can ignore them, but you won’t have a serious business.
e) Other expenses. Payment for intermediary sites, equipment upgrades, tables, chairs, etc. You should know better.
We single it out in a separate category, because these costs, while affecting the business model, are merely postponing your breakeven point (see below). Usually this includes:
- the cost of opening a company (mandatory payments, duties, printing, etc.)
- branding (website, business cards, corporate identity, etc.)
- buying a franchise (the right to use someone else's brand)
- equipment to start work
- renovation in the office
Profit.
Calculated using the formula above. Let me remind you Profit = Revenue [minus] Costs.
It is convenient to calculate 2 types of profit:
a) for the current month. For example, Revenue for February [minus] Costs for February.
This allows you to control the so-called. "break-even" point. That is, the period in which your revenue begins to cover your costs. This is the moment when the investor stops throwing money into the project.
b) cumulative total from the beginning of the project. This is the period when the project pays off the costs invested in it.
A little clarification for projects that are aimed at producing something. Literally "hot dogs".
It is customary to bring the costs in such projects to 1 unit. products to calculate the real cost. For example, to produce 1 hot dog we need:
- 1 roll with a cost of 0.5 rubles
- 1 sausage with a cost of 1.2 rubles
- ketchup with a cost of 0.1 rubles
- vegetables with a cost of 0.2 rubles.
Total cost of a hot dog = 2 rubles.
You can attribute to the cost price and other costs (the work of the seller, taxes, shipping, electricity, etc.). But that's up to you.
In the business plan, the calculation of the cost per 1 unit of production is separated into a separate section for clarity.
If the investor is "stubborn" or you are preparing a document for public distribution, then you will have to finalize the document and also include additional sections that describe your business:
- a description of the target audience and its problems / needs. Why exactly these buyers will use your product?
- competitor analysis. Who and what is it?
- your product development strategy
- other sources of investment in the project (your funds, funds of other investors)
- financing schedule and other information that will help the investor make an informed decision.
I hope you find this information useful. In conclusion, I want to write the words of one manager who helped me a lot in my first startup: " Always calculate the business plan first . " It's very sobering, trust me.
Sincerely.
If anyone needs real documents as an example, write to me [email protected][pmoffice.by]
I will try to help you.

Answer 5

You need to find a sucker with money who is greedy and does not understand the details. There are fewer of them, but people find them.
The second option is to fill bumps, consult and read books on business processes.

Answer 6

A business plan won't help. Unless to throw dust in the eyes of friends and relatives, if they have money.
The investor needs a working team.
And he does not give money for a small project. After all, if you can’t master the small one yourself, then you’ll be wasting investors’ money.

Answer 7

Do not forget that the investor is primarily interested in income, you can convince him that your project will bring him income - get the money. It does not matter in what form the business plan will be, a hundred pages or a napkin.

Answer 8

There are people who help to properly draw up paperwork for investors or for a bank loan.
But, it makes sense to apply for this kind of help when reaching the average amount of investments - from 2 million to 2000.

Answer 9

I believe that it is possible to independently develop a business plan, the main thing is to thoroughly approach the task, read useful information on the net. there is a search, you can find useful tips , the main thing is to try

Answer 10

You can draw up a business plan yourself using the explorer https://planbusiness.pro/