Business Plan Template
Section
Summary
Who you are / what you do, (highlight a couple of significant achievements).
What you want to do, (your idea in one sentence).
How you intend to go about it / do it.
How much money you are looking for.
Do this last
Your organisation
This intention here is to establish the credibility of the organisation early on.
Include information on the Track record, partnerships, and quality standards.
Other items that you might include as attached appendices include:
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A summary of past financial information from your organisation.
Annual report, testimonials, references, letters of support from community / stakeholders.
CV’s of key people in the organisation
Project objectives
Set out the project objectives and summarise why the project is needed, the services it will provide
and the benefits it will bring. Check your objectives are SMART.
Be clear about the scope of your proposed services, and what you are trying to achieve through
them.
Try writing an engaging, (but realistic), ‘vision statement’. Avoid jargon.
Set out the plans to manage and maintain the project after it is complete.
Think about what the project intends to achieve in terms of
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Outputs - the direct and tangible products from the activity, i.e., number of people using
the services
Outcomes - changes to people resulting from the activities and services you will provide i.e.,
a improved knowledge, enhanced job prospects for children attending homework clubs
Impact – The broader and more holistic differences that you will make to the community e.g.
improve community cohesions, improve prospects for local people.
Market Information
If you are using enterprise to help sustain your library service you will need to understand the
differences between your Commercial Market – those that you are trying to make money from – and
In association with
your Social Market – those you are trying to help.
Confirm the need and demand for the project and the services and benefits it will provide. Set out
how the project will meet this demand and how the activities involved will be managed.
For any additional services you intend to offer (both commercial and social) you need to consider
who else is providing these services in the target market and how your project will differentiate
itself and add value
Support this section with evidence and professional advice. Consider the demographic make-up both
your local community and any wider community or market that you might want/need to sell services
to – be they individuals or contracting organisations. Who can afford to pay for what? Who needs to
pay for what?
If you are taking on an existing service, access to user statistics and usage patterns will be helpful in
assessing demand from current users. Also consider how you can engage with potential users around
what their needs are.
Include how costs have been estimated and prices set. Understand your cost of sales and overheads,
but pricing is almost always dictated by the market.
Try to “benchmark” your proposed project against other existing projects, make use of the
community knowledge hub and network to compare. Reference other successful projects that you
have learnt from that you are aiming to emulate or improve on.
Promotion
Set out plans for promoting and marketing the services to the target markets. The methods that
will be used and why they are suited to the target market.
It may be helpful to refer to the “marketing mix” framework, or the four p’s.
They are:
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Product: Providing the right product or services (i.e. ones that people want)
Price: Ensuring that the right price is charged for the product
Place: Where you will sell and distribute your services and products to make them
accessible
Promotion: How you will communicate to your marketplace. Consider.
o Advertising
o Public Relations
o Personal Selling
o Sales Promotion
Resources
People. (Who will work on the project – and what skills and experience do they have?).
Who are the staff or contractors involved, who will manage them and what they will do.
Capital costs and income, (for each year of the project plan). Supported by professional estimates,
trade / supplier quotations and detailed plans where possible.
www.communityknowledgehub.org.uk
In association with
www.atu.org.uk
Revenue costs and income, (for each year of the project plan). Supported by market research.
Explain any assumptions and how prices have been set.
Conduct breakeven analysis, (an examination of costs and income from the point of view of what
needs to be achieved to ensure revenue costs are equal to revenue income) and sensitivity analysis,
(allows different elements of the costs and income to be manipulated to see what the impact might
be).
Cash Flow (for the first year).
Risk Assessment
Outline the result of a project risk assessment, eg: competition creates a down turn in commercial
facility use.
Once risks identified, assess against:
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How likely is the risk?
What will happen if it does occur?
Ideally, it should be possible to manage all of the identified risks.
Analysis of Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Legal, Environmental (PESTLE), or Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT).
The Quirk Review provided a list of possible risks factors in asset transfer and how to manage them,
see: Making Assets Work, The Quirk Review of community management and ownership of public
assets http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/makingassetswork
Communities and Local Government also produced a specific guide on managing risks in asset
transfer, based on practical advice from the experiences of both local government and community
groups, see: Managing Risks in Asset Transfer: A Guide
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/managingrisks
Make sure you address relevant ‘what if’ scenarios:
 What happens if costs increase and service fees drop?
 What if you cannot let the parts of the building you need to let?
 What if the local investment you hope for cannot be commanded?
www.communityknowledgehub.org.uk
In association with
www.atu.org.uk