For those requiring large amounts of funding capital a Business Plan is most essential. Most loans are killed off before they have any chance of success either because the application was not presented with a Business Plan or the plan was horribly put together.

For those who are not sure of how a Business Plan is put togather the following should serve as a guide.

          Executive Summary

Without a doubt your Executive Summary is the single most important portion of your entire Business Plan. It must be clear precise, concise and compelling. It must be a condensation of your entire Business Plan. If a Lender is not impressed to read your Executive Summary he will not spend time to find out about your products, your business or you. The Summary comes first but is written last. Many lenders will ask for just your Summary alone.

Since your Executive Summary is your Business Plan in miniature we can just focus on the summary's format and cover the entire Business Plan. Just as there are different ways to write an essay there are different ways to do an Executive Summary. Here is one way – The Narrative:

The Company:

Here is where you place information on the legal form of the company, its ownership, location, Industry opportunity and any other pertinent information.

The Company’s Mission

The Company’s Mission Statement, this gives a view of its place in the world and its long term goals.

Products & Services

What the company does to earn a dollar.

Marketing and Sales

How you go about informing us as to who you are and what you are doing. Also what are your plans for making and keeping us your customers.

The Competition

Shows your knowledge of the market, how you plan to capture your share of it and the opportunity there for your company.

Target Market

Details your knowledge of who are your customers, where they are located and what sets them apart.

Management

Details on your management past experiences, previous positions held  and any directly related experience that benefits this new company placing.

Development

Where your company has been, what it has done and where you plan to take it.

Financials

This is where a good accountant comes in handy; especially one who is knowledgeable of company finances.

Funds Sought and Uses

Again this is the place to use a good accountant who will use his skill with numbers to show just how the funds requested will further advance your Company’s fortunes.