top of page

Essentials of a business plan in raising bank funding for your business

Hello

Before you start on the plan

Summary

Business purpose, where you are now and what you're aiming to do

+ an interesting fact

Market

Is the market big enough?

  • Size, growth & trends

        Quantify, quote sources of data

Your routes to market

  • How do you reach your customers​

Problem you're solving

Real & sizeable market demand

The specific problem

Real & paying demand?

  • Proving your target audience see the need for a solution

  • How many are prepared to pay to solve the problem?

Your solution

How you're better than the competition

Competition 

  • Who? Offering & marketshare

  • Competitor market & trends

Your USPs

Competing & defending 

  • Barriers to entry

  • First to market, or second-mover advantage

 

Competitors may be 'workarounds' to solve the problem.

Business model

How do you commercialise your solution​

Products & services

  • Brand names, easier to follow names through the plan

Pricing model

  • For different products and clients

  • Discounts & offers?

Sales

Proven and growing sales, low risk

Clients

  • Number of clients, growth in number?

  • Well-known brand names?

  • Length of client relationships; referrals, sales spread (not all sales from one client)

Sales financial headlines

  • £ value 

  • Growth £ and %

  • Trends, seasonality​?

Focus on the positives. 

 

Eg A strong and growing client base. With a geographical or sector or 'other' spread, that reduces risk of a downturn in one area. 

Roadmap

Overall purpose

Where you are now

​​Where you want to be

What you have achieved so far

How you'll grow over the next 1-3 yrs

Team

Ability to deliver now & recruit to grow

Your leadership team​

Your team

  • Coverage on all business areas

  • Great at their jobs, expertise, experience

  • Committed and loyal to you 

  • Gaps identified and being filled

Financials

A bridge you believe in, from where you now, to where you want to be.

Profit & Loss and Cashflow forecast

  • 12 months actual, plus 12 months forecast

(or for the length of the funding term!)

  • Loan repayment

  • Avoid distractions: Group P&L lines; 'reframe' names

Balance Sheet

  • What is this hiding?

Sales forecast and pipeline

  • Commentary, draw out the positives

Other positives ...

Are there 'negatives' that aren't negatives ...

Funding

What's the funding for?​

How much?

  • Have options in mind

What for?

  • Be specific but not too specific,

  • eg £10k for delivery of strategic marketing plan; £15 for x; ... 

  • Not personal spend or salary

Over how long?

Meetings

Prep for the Q&A​

Q Gaps?

A  Show resourcefulness

Q Prevention, maintain status quo questions?

A  Answer and flip to growth and positives

Tips

Know your numbers (I would say that)

Passion for your business, watch for too much detail

Frame the messages

Connections

Wrap up

Here to help,

Answer questions

Workshop

FD support

Good luck

bottom of page