What’s your Business Plan?

You must intend to raise money for your startup company. You can
start with money from friends and family but at some point you will need
funds from outside investors, either angels or venture capitalists,
depending on how much money you project you will need to raise. Another
possible angle is to develop money through crowdfunding, assuming your
product meets the demand of such audiences.

Before you can raise money, you must develop a business plan that convinces an investor that your company will succeed.

Section 1: Business Plan (MS Word or equivalent)

Read Chapters 18 and 19 of the course text: Successful Business Plan. Use the Plan Preparation Forms at the end of each chapter of Successful Business Plan as a rough guide.

Write an approximately fifteen to twenty (15-20) page draft of your business plan in which you:

1. Revise the components of the following previously submitted sections based on the feedback you have received.
   1. 1. Company Description (Assignment 1)
      2. Industry Analysis and Trends (Assignment 1)
      3. Strategic Position & Risk Assessment (Assignment 1)
      4. Target Market (Assignment 2)
      5. Competition (Assignment 2)
      6. Marketing Plan & Sales Strategy (Assignment 2)

1. Create an Ethics & Social Responsibility Plan.

Note: The Ethics &
Social Responsibility plan should account for approximately three to
five (3-5) pages of the Business Plan Draft.

1. 1. Describe the ways in which your company is committed to being a good corporate citizen.
   • • Hints: Consider the following areas:
       • Creating jobs
       • Following the laws of every jurisdiction in which your company operates
       • Fair and honest treatment of employees
       • Non-discrimination of employees and increasing diversity of your work force
     • Hints: If your company is designed as a social venture—in
       which you have a primary purpose of achieving a social or environmental
       goal—describe what that goal is and what aspects of your company are
       designed to reach that goal. Provide a rationale for why you have or why
       you have not chosen this to be a social venture.

1. 1. Discuss how your company’s activities will affect the environment
      and identify the steps you will take to mitigate any negative impacts.
   • • Hints: As a beverage company, consider such issues as
       your choice of packaging, disposal of bottles / packages by consumers,
       and your use of resources, such as water in areas where water may be
       scarce.

1. 1. Determine any health issues / claims related to the product you are
      making, whether negative or positive. Suggest the strategy your company
      will use to mitigate any negative issues, and to ensure any positive
      claims are true.

1. 1. Many beverage products have negative health impacts on certain
      segments of a population (e.g., children, pregnant mothers, etc.).
      Suggest your company’s plan, through advertising, distribution, and / or
      other methods, to target and reach only appropriate market segments.

1. Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:
   1. Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise. Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the exercise.
   2. Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with
      one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or
      school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
      instructions.
   3. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the
      student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.
      The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required
      page length.

Section 2: Business Plan Financials (MS Excel worksheets template)

1. For year one, revise and submit the Income Statement, Cash Flow
   Projections, and Balance Sheet sections from the “Business Plan
   Financials” MS Excel template (see: Course Required Files in Week 1).