A business plan communicates the essential strategy of a business—including the business idea and business model—to an external audience and serves as a guide to business strategy. The financial and legal aspects of business plans depend on the marketing plan since marketing plans must necessarily precede sales forecasts and hence profit forecasts.

 

This lecture outlines a business plan based suitable for this course. A more comprehensive outline that includes financial and legal considerations is available at the Small Business Administration.

 

Web Business Strategy Business Plan

Overview

• Nature of the business
• Competitive advantage
• Business model
• Fit with owners/developers

Marketing Plan

• Target market
• Positioning (including core benefit proposition)
• Product design
• Tactical marketing mix variables
• MAGIC

Development plan

• Electronic needs
• Physical needs (including order fulfillment, if appropriate)
• Capital needs and breakeven