How to develop a business plan if you do not know where you will come?

Question

Startups

Hello.
I have an IT business idea. Very simple. Without employees and management, once you create a project, and then it works for you.
If as abstractly as possible, the project has customers and performers. Customers order work, performers carry it out. I get a percentage of the order amount.
This is not freelancing, but for an abstract explanation it will do.
I need to write a business plan. There are those who can invest, but most importantly, in my country, in Ukraine, since 2022, loans have been issued to the officially unemployed for business. But for this, you need to submit a business plan.
A business plan is a step-by-step description of what we have at point a, what we will have at point b, and how we will go to this point b.
I clearly understand how I will start, and what is needed for this. But I face three difficulties.
1. Calculation of the budget.
To develop a project, you need a web application and mobile applications in conjunction with a web application through the API. I don’t want to develop all this myself, I want to entrust it to specialists.
Only here the assessment of the project is individual. Someone will do it for $1000, someone for $2000, etc. And at the same time, we cannot use abstract figures, and just allocate $1000 or $2000 for development. It turns out that it is better to find an artist and get a specific figure from him?
2. Marketing.
There are no clear expectations from marketing. Roughly imagine where and how I will advertise. But there is no clear idea where and how much.
3. Bottom line.
Due to marketing, I don't present real numbers, how many clients, profits, benefits, etc. will there be.
Moreover, initially I planned to make clear prices for specific services, and then I decided to additionally make it possible for the customer to independently set the price. It turns out that the amounts are quite vague. And considering that I cannot know in advance the results of the project's advertising...
As a result, in terms of implementing the path from point a, everything is fine. But I don’t know where I will come, and therefore, the implementation of a business plan is difficult.
Who is knowledgeable in this matter, tell me, please!
1. What should be done to independently develop a business plan? How to see the final, realistic path?
2. Does it make sense to order a business plan from economists and experts?
I once voiced this question on the stream of one entrepreneur, and he answered: "If you yourself cannot develop a business plan, you are not an entrepreneur."
3. How much does it cost to develop a business plan?
The organization offered to do it for about $900. On freelancing, I saw prices of about $200.
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

A business plan is:
1. A description of your future business, how it should earn money
2. Market analysis - how many people can potentially use your services, and how much money they can bring
3. Competitor analysis - how many similar enterprises already exist, and how much they have already mastered the market.
What are their main advantages and disadvantages that you would like to correct in your version. What can you give in principle that others do not have.
Another important thing is where and how they are advertised. This will allow you to better calculate marketing costs.
4. Most importantly, the capital investment to get the business going and the operating expenses to keep it going. And when you can return the capital investment and break even.

2. Does it make sense to order a business plan from economists and experts?

Yes, I have.
Firstly, they know better what a business plan should look like in order for you to be approved for a loan / state support.
Secondly, they are likely to know better what indicators in the market to look at.

3. How much does it cost to develop a business plan?

In proportion to the difficulty. Both sums look plausible.

once you create a project, and then it works for you.

If this is a joke, then it's not funny.

Only here the assessment of the project is individual. Someone will do it for $1000, someone for $2000, etc. And at the same time, we cannot use abstract figures, and just allocate $1000 or $2000 for development. It turns out that it is better to find an artist and get a specific figure from him?

Yes, if you want to outsource, you either need to draw up a clear TOR and get a clear answer, or pay more for the development of TOR, or come and say "I want to do something, I don't know what. Therefore, let's now make a contract for three years without clear objectives and we will cooperate flexibly"

Answer 2

Download a ready-made business plan for some more understandable business like a hairdressing salon. Get your loan and merge it for whatever you want - the main thing is not to forget to transfer the property to ex-wives or husbands ahead of time so that you can not repay the loan, if anything.

Answer 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4zyFUrC544
about

"If you can't develop a business plan yourself, you're not an entrepreneur."

you were told correctly
, in general, you think correctly - the expenses will be in the range, here the commission checks the realism of the range, and you yourself must understand these numbers and their realism

Answer 4

Academpark Business Incubator
How to make an effective business plan
Every entrepreneur and investor should be able to quickly calculate a simplified #business plan. Literally on the knee - such a calculation should fit on one or two A4 pages. Or on one napkin - such cases also happened.
So, your business plan should answer the following questions:
1) What is the size of the initial #investment?
2) What will be required, besides #money, and how to provide it?
3) How long will it take to set up and run a #business?
4) What will be the running costs of the business? How much will be required each month to cover the minimum required operating #expenses? How and depending on what will current costs increase with an increase in turnover or business scale?
5) How and from where is it planned to extract #income? What #goods and #services do you plan to sell? Who can be a business client? Where will these clients come from? How will we attract them?
6) All business costs should be divided into VARIABLES (the size of which depends on the turnover of the business) and FIXED (which have to be paid regardless of the turnover). What percentage of your list price of goods and services is variable cost, including the purchase price of goods? What volume of monthly sales do you need to ensure in order to bring the business to the current self-sufficiency (break-even point)?
TIP: It is very useful to make a price list for the goods and services of the business whose business plan you are calculating. The price list - full, or "squeeze" on key positions - it would be good to fit on 1 A4 sheet. In addition, this price list is indispensable when discussing a business plan.
7) From what month will sales start?
How many months will it take for business turnover to reach the waterline level (break-even point)?
By what amount will the costs of the initial stage increase during this time?
8) If the launch of the business and the start of sales do not go as planned, at what point and under what conditions will the project need to be curtailed?
What will be the total costs by this time?
How will it be possible to return at least part of the investment when the project is liquidated?
What will be the size of the planned and maximum possible losses?
Can you afford such losses?
9) How long will it take for the business to reach its Sales Plan for the first time?
What will be the turnover of the business?
How much income will the business owner receive?
It makes sense to take into account 3 Plans:
- Plan-MIN - the business brings the minimum acceptable current income.
- Plan-NORMA - business brings good cruising income.
- Plan-MAX - business brings excellent (for the period of initial development) income.
10) How soon will the business exit at the time of return on investment?
This happens when the total income received by the owner from the business equals the amount of the initial investment in the business. In fact, it can be considered that at this point the business owner fully recovers the capital originally invested in the business. And thus receives protection from the risk of losing this capital in whole or in part.
11) What profitability can be expected from the business after that?
What could be the planned annual income of the business owner - in absolute terms?
And in % per annum to the equity of the business?
If you can roughly imagine the answers to all eleven points, you can safely open your own business - it will definitely bring you profit!