[your logo here]

Business Plan Reference

Sheet
[not to be used for actual business plan]

1. PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT

This document is designed to give you a better understanding of how a business plan is structured and
what to include within each section. If youve never written a business plan before this is a great way of
cross referencing what to include where and how to address each section correctly. Dont use this
document as your actual template for writing a business plan. This is a guide only.

2. BUSINESS PLAN BASIC STRUCTURE

Cover Page

The cover page is the first impression of your business plan. It should include the name of the
company, company address, company phone number, owners and their addresses/phone
numbers, and the date of the plan. Also incorporate the company logo if there is one.

Table of Contents
Self explanatory standard TOC.

Executive Summary

The executive summary briefly states the businesss present situation as well as its goals and
objectives for the business ventures of the company. This section should be written last after the
other sections have been completed.

Company Description

The business portion of the business plan provides an overview of your planned business
operation. You should briefly describe your product/service and how you will maintain a
sustainable competitive advantage.

Product or Service

This section briefly explains your products and tells what the benefits of owning them are. You
can add information about your products and/or service. Describe their unique features, what
make them newer, better or different from anyone elses products and/or service.

Market Analysis

The marketing plan includes information about the total market with an emphasis on your target
market and how you plan to make your product/service available to them.

Page 1 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

Strategy and Implementation

This section of the business plan explains in detail how you propose to put into practice what you
have planned. In this part of the business plan you will state and define your strategy (marketing,
sales) and specify assignments and milestones.

Management Team

The management plan of your business outlines the organizational structure that defines the lines
of authority and the responsibilities of the key players.

Financial Analysis

The money section of your business plan shows past, current and projected financial activity.
Documents that should be included are the summary of financial needs, sources and uses of
funds statement, three-year income projection and cash flow projection, notes and critical
assumptions for the projections, and a break-even analysis.

3. COVER SHEET, EXECUTIVE SUMMMARY & COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Start the first section with a cover sheet. It should include the name, address, telephone number, fax
number and email of the business and the names of all principals. We also recommend an executive
summary that immediately follows the cover sheet. Follow that with the description itself.

When describing your business, you should explain (in whatever order you feel is logical):

The form of the business: proprietorship, partnership, corporation

Your primary services and products and their main applications

Your inception (a new business, a takeover or an expansion)

Your expectations regarding profit and growth

What distinguishes your business from other, similar ones

If there is recognized support for your idea (e.g., published articles)

A key point: The description of your business should clearly identify your goals and objectives and it
should clarify why you are, or why you want to be in business.

4. PRODUCT OR SERVICE

Try to describe the benefits of the service and products you will offer from your customers' perspective.
Describe:

What you are selling

How your services and products will benefit the customer

Which services and products will have the greatest demand

What is special or unusual about your services and products

5. MARKET ANALYSIS

A successful marketing plan demonstrates that you know your customers: their needs, their likes, their
dislikes and their expectations:
Page 2 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

Who are your customers?

Are your markets growing? steady? declining?

How will you attract, hold, increase your market share?

What pricing strategy, if any, give you an advantage?

Target Market

Describe your market niche. Identify who your customers will be and describe their characteristics.
Business markets might be classified by industry, company size, location, or product use/application.
Consumer (household) markets might be segmented by demographics, (age, gender), geographic
location, economic status, lifestyle, product use/application or benefits sought. Estimate the approximate
size and growth potential of the target market(s) using population figures, sales tax info, industry
information etc. Estimate how much of the market you will capture.

Competition
Competition is a way of life. It is important to know your competitors and their capabilities.

Who are your five most direct competitors?

Who are your indirect competitors?

How are their businesses: steady? increasing? decreasing?

What have you learned about their operations?

What do you know about their marketing and advertising?

What do you know about their participation in trade shows and similar events?

What are their strengths and weaknesses?

How does their services and products differ from yours?

A bit of advice: Start a file on each of your competitors. Save their advertising and promotional
materials and any pricing information you can gather. Review these files periodically, determining when
and how often they advertise, how they participate at industry gatherings and anything else you can
about the way they bring in business.

Pricing
Your pricing strategy is another marketing technique you can use to improve your overall
competitiveness. Although your pricing will be based on whatever is customary in the SEO industry (or
your desired marketplace), it may be a good idea to get a feel for the pricing strategies your competitors
are using. That way you can determine if your prices are in line and see if you can either do better or
provide more value at the same price.
The key to success is to have a well-planned strategy, to establish your policies and to constantly
monitor prices and operating costs to ensure profits. It is a good practice to keep abreast of the changes
in the marketplace or in the underlying technologies you use, because these changes can affect your
competitiveness and profit margins.

Sales
SEO services can have a long selling cycle and fast turnaround requirements. By this, I mean that it can
take quite a while to get new customers, or to win a participation in a series of projects that are
undertaken by one of your established customers. By contrast, once you win business, it is very likely
that your customer will want rapid response and instant reaction to any changes they may request. This
"hurry up and wait" characteristic of the business can be tough on nerves and tougher on budgets. You
must show that you are prepared to cope with this aspect of the business.
Page 3 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

Specifically, you must show that you are prepared to locate more prospects than you will actually need to
succeed, because not all the prospects will become customers and not all the customers will bring you
work as quickly as you would like. You must also show that you can provide customers with excellent
support no matter how demanding they are . . . and do so without losing sales momentum at any
accounts. Finally, it will sometimes be necessary to redo work at your expense, or to do more than you
included in your estimate (at no additional charge) to satisfy your customers. Your sales plan and your
overall financial plan must include allowances for the costs in sales time and production resources that
might be consumed by an intensive and supportive marketing effort. It is up to you whether you include
any work done to prove your competency during the sales cycle in the sales budget or elsewhere, but
you should make your reckoning explicit and explain how you arrived at your estimate.

Advertising & Public Relations

How you advertise and promote your business is very important. You may do all your selling by direct
contact. But there are many additional opportunities to make yourself known, including Yellow Pages
listings, industrial reference listings, Internet sites, trade shows and trade press articles and ads. Some
of these options (e.g., the Internet) can be very inexpensive.

6. STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION

Limit this entire section to two or absolute maximum of three pages by focusing on major and long-term
issues. Use succinct, affirmative statements and make every noun, adjective and verb important.

After the summary section, this is probably the most important element in the entire plan as it sets the
direction, tone and framework for the detail that follows. If the proposed strategies and their rationale are
flawed then the whole direction of the business may be wrong.

Vision
Describe what your business will look like in, say, five years time. Indicate its likely size and the nature,
breadth and depth of its operations etc. For example, start your vision with the following:

By 2012, XYZ will be engaged in xx (activities). It will be selling xx (offerings) to a customer base
comprising xx. It expects to have staff of xx mainly engaged in xx (activities) and located at xx. Annual
sales could be xx and net income could reach xx. A key feature of Xyz will be its emphasis on xx to
maintain its competitive advantage. And so on .....

Mission

In one succinct paragraph, describe the central purposes and activities ("mission") of your business.
Explain concisely what the business is about - along the lines of a so-called "elevator pitch". For
example:

Xyz designs, develops, manufactures and markets xx products/services for sale on the basis of xx features
to meet the xx needs of xx customer groups via xx distribution channels in xx geographic areas. It intends
to expand/develop new/additional products/markets/channels by means of xx .......

Values

Describe the business's values and the ethical standards it will apply in dealings with stakeholders,
customers, suppliers etc. A sentence or two should suffice for most businesses. If your organization is
NFP (not-for-profit), you may wish to expand on its values using bullet points.

Objectives

Briefly, explain the promoters' (or shareholders', management's) underlying long-term objectives in
setting up (or expanding) the business. For example:

Get rich?

Build a big business?

Page 4 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

Support local community?

Develop a natural resource?

Mobilize help for a deprived group?

Create a pension fund for managers?

Create employment for self or others?

Exploit an invention?

Diversify or integrate?

Get a stock market quote?

Defend or enhance the business?

SWOTS

SWOTs ( Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) are mentioned here to highlight the
importance of addressing them in the Strategies subsection that follows.

What are the businesss real SWOTs? Be very honest about identifying any major strengths,
weaknesses and threats and justify opportunities based on market analysis and research rather than on
wishful thinking or supposition.

Internal External

Strengths : Opportunities :

Weaknesses : Threats :

It may not be appropriate to tabulate SWOTs within the final version of your plan in view of the fact that
your proposed strategies presented in Strategies below are designed to resolve shortcomings identified
in this table. One solution would be to add a closing subsection to this main section to serve as a wrap-
up statement (or an overall assessment) that describes how the proposed strategies/plans will:
- built on the business's key strengths (name them)
- resolve its internal weaknesses (name the areas)
- fully exploit its external opportunities (identify them) and
- avoid major external threats (explain how).

Strategies

Use bullets to highlight up to eight (or so) key strategies (actions, programs, projects, operating methods
etc.) in relation to major functional areas - markets, sales, products/services, technology, finance,
management, operations etc.

Be sure you are presenting realistic, medium-term strategies and not merely short-term tactics. The
following table highlights differences between strategic and tactical issues when planning a holiday:

Strategic Tactical

Page 5 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

When to go ? What to pack ?

Where to go ? How to get to airport ?

Who to go with ? Where to go on third day ?

How to travel ? Hire car for a day ?

What budget ? What presents to buy ?

How long to go for ? When to use taxis ?

Clearly, it would not make much sense when planning a holiday to address the tactical issues without
first having resolved the strategic matters. This also applies to strategic planning for a business plan.

Your strategies are critically important, as they become the road map for all the (tactical) detail presented
in the balance of the plan. In essence, set out the basic strategies in this subsection and then use the
remainder of your plan to flesh out the detail.

Use SWOTs above to prompt thinking on internal and external issues as indicated in the table below and
explain how your plan will deal with them in strategic terms.

Internal External

.. build on strengths .. exploit opportunities

.. resolve weaknesses .. avoid threats

Here are some possible strategies for a newly formed web development company:

Markets:

Target small business owners in the local area

After two years expand into larger companies and government organisations

Sales

Initially, sell directly via word of mouth recommendations and general business
raising awareness methods such as business network groups and flyer
distribution.

Progressively acquire affiliates who will actively seek potential clientel bringing
more leads and probable sales.

Establish a strong presence in the area and expand into other states which will
result in generating further revenue.

Offerings

Limit initial offerings to four web packages

Extend offerings to include hosting and internet marketing SEO strategies

within xx Country by 20XX

Extend services to include full large scale multi threaded web development
solutions including SEO, marketing, consulting, graphic design ad business
identity management.

Page 6 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

Trends

Update deliverables in alignment with demand and evolving technologies on

an annual basis with particular reference to xx trends

Operations

Develop a networks of sub-contract developers

Use offsite services to manage various facets of the business.

Operate from rented space at xx City

Management

Start small working from home as a sole trader

Build up a strong experienced team (4) within second year

Finance

Raise external equity of $xx in two rounds in years 1 and 2.

Goals/Targets

Summarize the prime goals/targets - for sales, profits, employment, market shares etc. to be achieved
within the life of your plan i.e. three to five years.

For example, your web design business might have the following third-year targets:

Achieve annual profits of at least $50,000

Net profit margin of 5%+

Offer at least ten significant or unique services

Recognition as a high end designer with an accredited history and established

portfolio.

7. MANAGEMENT TEAM

Your management plan must demonstrate that you have the requisite skills in your firm to compete and
succeed. It also should show that you understand how to retain personnel as your business grows and
changes. Your management plan should answer questions such as:

How does your background and business experience help you in this business?

What are your weaknesses and how can you compensate for them?

Who will be on the management team?

What are their strengths and weaknesses?

What are their duties?

Are these duties clearly defined?

What are your current personnel needs?

What are your plans for hiring and training personnel?

If additional training is needed, how will you accomplish this?

What salaries, benefits, vacations, holidays will you offer?

Page 7 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

8. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

To effectively manage your finances, plan a sound, realistic budget by determining the actual amount of
money needed to open your business (start-up costs) and the amount needed to keep it open (operating
costs). The first step to building a sound financial plan is to devise a start-up budget. Your start-up
budget will usually include such one-time-only costs as major equipment, utility deposits, down
payments, etc. The start-up budget should allow for these expenses, among others:

personnel (costs prior to opening)

legal and professional fees

occupancy costs

business licenses and permits

equipment

insurance

supplies

startup promotion and advertising

accounting fees

utilities

payroll expenses

Once you are open, you will control your costs with an operating budget. The operating budget will
reflect your priorities in terms of the expenses you will incur and how you will meet those expenses
(income). Your operating budget should include sources of funds sufficient to cover the first three to six
months of operation. It should allow for the following expenses:

personnel

insurance

rent

depreciation

loan payments

sales, advertising and promotion

legal and accounting fees

supplies

payroll expenses

utilities

taxes

repairs and maintenance

The financial section of your business plan should include any loan applications you've filed, a capital
equipment and supply list, balance sheet, breakeven analysis, pro-forma income projections (profit and
loss statement) and pro-forma cash flow. The income statement and cash flow projections should
include a three-year summary, detail by month for the first year, and detail by quarter for the second and
third years.

Page 8 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED
[your business name] SEO Business Plan Reference Sheet

If operational factors loom large in your plan, for example if you expect to handle many small accounts,
describe the accounting system and controls you will put in place to keep overhead to an acceptable
level. Other questions that you will need to consider are:

What are your sales goals and profit goals for the coming year?

What financial projections will you need to include in your business plan?

What kind of inventory control system will you use?

Your plan should include an explanation of all projections. Unless you are thoroughly familiar with
financial statements, get help preparing your cash flow, income statements and balance sheet. Your aim
is not to become a financial wizard, but to understand financial tools well enough to gain their benefits.
Your accountant or financial advisor can help you accomplish this.

Page 9 of 9
PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED