A B U S I N E S S P L A N N I N G G U I D E TO D E V E LO P I N G A S O C I A L E N T E R P R I S E : B U S I N E S S P L A N N I N G
Equipment
Description and proposed costs of equipment/vehicles to be purchased Finance arrangements Depreciation policy
Action Plan
Key milestones/timelines and associated activities Costs and personnel requirements
Finance
Budget assumptions (projected income and expenditure) Realistic cash flow forecast Balance sheet/profit and loss Finance required and methods of raising finance Funding secured, previous funding or large scale funding Assets you have as security Alternative methods of finance Financial management systems and resources Previous experience of loan finance
Appendices
CVs of all those involved Professional advisers’ reports if used Quotations for equipment Details of premises References/letters of support (details of trade association, network memberships) Any other supporting material (including details of bank, lawyer, accountant, monitoring agencies) Copies of previous years’ accounts if you have them
Check! Congratulations! By now, you will have assimilated much of the information and learning you will need to make your venture into social enterprise a success. Before you proceed to the start up stage, it is advisable to take a quick stock check to ensure you are confident in answering the following questions: Is all the necessary information in place? Do the numbers add up and are they realistic? What are the critical success factors? Do you have a Plan B? Are there any barriers to proceeding? Don’t forget that you should regularly revisit your business plan to ensure that any future developments are implemented strategically and effectively.
Check that you have written your business plan with your target audience in mind. Ensure that you cover a range of options to minimise risk and have considered alternative plans in a worse case scenario. Remember that your business will change and your business plan should adapt to accommodate those changes over time. The template within the guide will help to order the information you will require for your business plan. However, the template is merely a guide and you should emphasise or supplement the information wherever appropriate in order to present the best business case for your proposed social enterprise.
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