The last thing an entrepreneur needs is unwanted expenses, which is why it’s so important to cover all your bases right at the beginning.
Now that you have the basics of your business plan down, it’s time to take it up a notch. Every industry is different, which means your plan needs to be too.
When you write your business plan and develop your model, you need to start thinking about the extras you’ll need to get your dream business up and running. This can be anything from the premises and equipment to the specific staff that you’ll need to hire.
Industry Specific Business Plan Examples
Investors want details so including the right information in your business plan could mean the difference between a yes and a no. Below are some basics that you might want to include when writing your business plan.
1. Coffee Shop Business Plan
One of the most important success factors in launching a profitable coffee shop will be your chosen location. It’s vital that you attract high traffic and that your customers will find your shop to be convenient and appealing.
Next, decide who your target market is and if the area that you will be running your store in has the right people present.
Finally, how will your store operate? Refer to number of employees, the hours they will work and where you’ll be sourcing your beans and equipment.
2. Event Planning Business Plan
Events can be quite a broad category so dedicate a place in your plan to provide insights into your specific products and services as well as how you will run through an event from start to finish.
You must decide whether you will be targeting individuals (planning weddings, baby showers and private parties) or corporate clients (for instance focusing on product launches, team building, etc).
Depending on the type of events you’ll be organising you’ll need to take equipment and supplies into consideration and incorporate it into your start-up expenses. If you’re able to obtain deposits from clients upfront, an events business can be relatively inexpensive to get up off the ground.
3. General Freight Trucking Business Plan
Help your trucking business plan stand out by including information on the market you are entering into and how you aim to be different to your competitors.
Next you can go a little deeper into detail about your services and how you will operate, you might want to mention if this will be an owner-operated business or if you will be employing drivers.
Since you need trucks to generate profits, this should naturally be included in your plan. Do you already have trucks? And if not, how much funding will you require to build your fleet?
4. Catering Business Plan
Food and cooking might be your passion but you’ll have to specialise in a specific type of catering to avoid spreading yourself too thin. Talk about the type of food you will be supplying as well as the market you’ll be targeting (Private consumers, corporate sector or weddings).
Explain where you’ll be working from, how much space you will need and if you already have a licence to supply meals, if you don’t you can apply at your local city council.
Your equipment will be one of the most important aspects of your business so if you still need to purchase it include it in your start-up expenses list.
5. Internet Café Business Plan
In order for an internet café to be profitable and to instil confidence in investors, you’ll need to be in the right spot, which means loads of foot traffic. Explain why the location you have chosen would be a good fit and what your rental costs will be.
Next, decide who your internet service provider will be and what it’s going to cost you to provide internet access to your customers, this will also be helpful when you create your price lists.
Where will you be buying your computers, accessories and furniture from and how much will this set you back? This is one business where insurance is very important so don’t leave it too late.
6. Real Estate Business Plan
Starting a real estate business doesn’t require as much equipment; inventory and assets as other start-ups but you will need a few basics to get you going such as a cellphone, computer and a car. If these are items that you still need to purchase then include them in your expenses list.
Make sure that your marketing plan is well thought out and detailed as this is going to be essential for bringing in new business. What makes you different from your competition, how will you bring this across in your marketing messages and what mediums will you use.
Your market is another aspect that you’ll want to think about as there are many different types of home buyers. (First time buyers, rentals, high-end homes and businesses looking for office space)
7. Car Wash Business Plan
Running a car wash requires attention to detail and tends to be quite fast paced so pay attention to your operations plan by explaining how you will run things on a daily basis and who will be helping you.
There are a number of car wash options available for you to choose from and each of them requires slightly different machinery and supplies.
If you would prefer not to have a standard car wash then you can choose to go the mobile route, remember to include the cost of your equipment in your expenses list.
Investors will want to know where you plan to setup shop as this type of business needs a prime location, so include these details in your business plan. When you put your financials together remember to include staff wages in order to provide investors with accurate projections.
8. Travel Agency Business Plan
A travel agency is a business you can start at home or in a shopping centre depending on how big your team is and the funds that you have available to you.
Since travelling involves many different elements it would be best to decide what you would like to specialise in. Will you be planning local or international holidays and how much of the holiday would you be willing to arrange?
You could offer holiday packages, flights, car rentals, cruises and/or accommodation bookings so include your service offering in your business plan.
Being able to source travel discounts and specials will require you to partner with bigger brand and including these in your business plan might give your start-up more weight in the eyes of investors.
Look at who your competitors are as well as the customers you want to target to decide what your differentiating factor will be and how you can better serve the needs of your market. Marketing and branding in the form of a website and brochures is essential for this type of business so include these expenses in your plan.
9. Hair and Beauty Salon Business Plan
In the hair and beauty sector, location and service will determine your success so ensure that you have the ideal spot picked out. The store that you decide on should have a high amount of foot traffic as this is a marketing tactic all on its own, especially if you have great branding.
Decide what you will be specialising in, you can decide to just concentrate on hair, offer beauty treatments and massages or you could decide on a hair, nails and makeup offering. Deciding on your specialisation will in turn allow you to add the required equipment and supplies to your expenses list.
Once you research the competitors in your area you can set your pricing and find a way to differentiate yourself from them. This doesn’t necessarily need to be in the form of pricing, it could be your exceptional service or the extras that you offer your customers during their visit.
10. Agriculture Business Plan
A farming business requires a strategy. When you write your business plan gather as much information as possible so that you can explain where you would fit into the market in terms of supply and demand. Your next biggest consideration is going to be the land you will use for farming.
Provide a map and details on the land you have secured so that there is an idea of the layout. No matter what type of farming you decide to pursue it will require you to buy equipment, livestock, watering systems and/or fixed improvements so include these in your start-up expense list.
Familiarise yourself with government legislation surrounding your particular channel of agriculture as this will have an impact on the how you fund and structure your business to comply with regulations. Risk management and insurance must also be factored into your planning.
11. Bakery Business Plan
A bakery is a business that can be started at home depending on what your offering will be. If baking cakes and smaller goods is not what you want to do then you will need to start by finding the right size store.
If you won’t be a wholesale bakery and will be targeting everyday consumers then finding a store in a busy location is very important. Wherever you decide to setup, add these details to your business plan and include the costs thereof.
Larger bakeries need industrial equipment, which can be quite costly so include these expenses so that investors know how your funds will be spent. Next, concentrate on your operations plan as well as your staff requirements.
How will the bakery run on a daily basis, what hours will your employees work and how much will you be paying them. If you are going the smaller, home-based route you might want to give some extra thought to your marketing strategy and how you will stand out from larger competitors in your field.
12. Construction Business Plan
Starting a construction company usually requires quite a large amount of capital so the finances in your business plan need to be clear and detailed. Whether your start-up is going to be small or if you are aiming for the big leagues you are going to require a lot of man power as well as large machinery and equipment.
Get your costing together for the above so that you can provide investors with accurate projections. Indicate how involved you are going to be in the various stages of the construction process. Are you going to be assisting from the design stage upwards or will you just be involved in the actual construction process.
Thoroughly research your market as well as your competitors in order to give investors a clear idea of where you stand and the growth that can be expected.
