financial times essential guide to writing a business plan how to win backing to start up or grow your business

Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Publisher's acknowledgements
About the author
Preface
Introduction
PART 1 PREPARING YOUR PLAN
	1 Essential preparation
		Result
		Need
		Preparation
		A business plan for SMEs
PART 2 WRITING YOUR PLAN
	2 The business
		Background
		Business mix by segment
		Segmentation in a start-up
	3 Market demand
		Market size
		Market growth
		Market demand for a start-up
		Market demand risks and opportunities
	4 Competition
		Your competitors
		Competitive intensity
		Competition in a start-up
		Industry competition risks and opportunities
	5 Strategy
		Competitive position
		Strategy
		Strategy in a start-up
		Strategic risks and opportunities
	6 Resources
		Management
		Marketing
		Operations and capital expenditure
		Resource risks and opportunities
	7 Financials and forecasts
		Historic financials
		Market-driven sales forecasts
		Competition-driven margin forecasts
		Funding the plan
		Full financial forecasts
		Forecasts in a start-up
		Financial risks and opportunities
	8 Risk, opportunity and sensitivity
		Meet the Suns and Clouds chart
		What the suns and clouds tell you
		Sensitivity testing
	9 Conclusion
		Conclusion
		Executive summary
		Investment highlights
	Postscript: Tips by business type
PART 3 USING YOUR PLAN
	10 Pitching your plan
		Focusing the content
		Using PowerPoint
		Delivering the message
	11 Setting targets
		Choosing key performance indicators
		Setting milestones
	12 Performing to plan
		Monitoring your plan
		Appraising managerial performance
		Evaluating your plan
Epilogue: Beware these characters!
Appendices
	Appendix A: Deriving competitive position
	Appendix B: Structured interviewing of customers
	Appendix C: Alternative sources of funding
	Appendix D: An example business plan
	Appendix E: Further reading
Index
Back Cover