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A Guide to Preparing an International Business Plan

By: FITT Team

An international business plan acts as a framework that identifies goals and objectives, specific target markets and clients, resources required and strategies to be developed in pursuit of international business opportunities. The plan allows for the monitoring of progress via metrics against which success and failure can be measured. A comprehensive international business plan will be comprised of a number of integrated strategies related to business functions, including communications, sales and marketing, finance and production.

What Is an International Business Plan?

An international business plan is a valuable management tool that describes who a business is, what it plans to achieve and how it plans to overcome risks and provide anticipated returns. It can be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as to:

• Set goals and objectives for the organization’s performance.
• Provide a basis for evaluating and controlling the organization’s performance.
• Communicate an organization’s message to managers and staff, outside directors, suppliers, lenders and potential investors.
• Help the planner identify the cash needs of the business.
• Provide benchmarks against which to compare the progress and performance of the business over time.

A comprehensive and detailed plan forces the planner to look at an organization’s operations and re-evaluate the assumptions on which the business was founded. In doing so, strengths and weaknesses can be identified.

Although highly dependent on the individual business case, on average it takes a three-year commitment to establish a successful presence in a foreign market. This process may require tremendous human, technical and financial resources during the developmental period.

The Planning Process

An international business plan is subject to repeated adjustment and revision to keep it current with the changing circumstances of the organization. The plan is a feedback mechanism through which new information is continually incorporated into the organization’s operations. Planning always precedes action. Therefore, planning must be thought of as a continuous cycle. The analytical tools presented here are not intended to be used just once. If they are to be useful, they should be used repeatedly as part of a process of improvement and incremental adjustment.

Plan Preparation Guidelines

These 7 guidelines will help in preparing a comprehensive international business plan:

• Clearly define the objectives for producing the plan : Who is going to read the plan, and what will they need to do? These objectives can help you decide how much emphasis to put on various sections.
• Allocate sufficient time and resources to thoroughly research the plan : A plan is only as good as the research that went into producing it.
• Show drafts of the plan to others : It can be very useful to obtain feedback from others, both inside and outside the business.
• Create an original plan that is done specifically for each business case : A common mistake entrepreneurs make is to borrow heavily from a sample plan and simply change the names and some of the numbers. There are two big problems with this approach. First , the emphasis placed on various sections of the plan must reflect what is important to the particular business in question. Second , a good plan should flow like a story, with the sections working together to demonstrate why the business will succeed. Plans that borrow too heavily from other plans tend to be disjointed, with some sections contradicting others and various key issues left unaddressed.
• Outline the key points in each section before the writing starts : These points must then be reviewed to ensure the sections are consistent with each other, there is little duplication and all key issues have been addressed.
• Ensure financial projections are believable : For many readers, the financial section is the most important part of the plan because it identifies the financing needs and shows the profit potential of the business. In addition, a good financial plan will give the reader confidence that the author really understands the business.
• Consider writing the executive summary as the last step in the process: It is usually easier to provide a concise overview after the detailed content has been created.

If you’re having trouble getting started with your business plan, try writing like it’s a series of tweets—one for every section of your business plan. To get your point across, 140 characters is all you need.

Forcing yourself to boil each section of your business plan down to one main point is an exercise in decision making and strategy all in itself. When you’re done, you’ll have everything you need to take your next step, whether that’s practicing your pitch to potential investors or a business partner, or sitting down to expand each tweet into a full section of a more traditional business plan.

Core Content

The international business plan is the culmination of all of the work done to determine the appropriate venture for the organization’s growth. As part of the feasibility process, the organization will have determined its own internal readiness, conducted comprehensive target market research and carefully analyzed any relevant risks.

At this point, the organization can take all of this information and analysis and formally document the plan for moving forward. There are many different models and examples of how to put together a formal business plan, rather than one correct way.

The right format will depend on the organization, the venture being pursued and who will be accessing the business plan and for what purpose. However, there are some basic guidelines to follow.

One of the reasons business plans are developed is to convince investors and/or bankers to invest in the venture.

Increasingly, they are looking for a business plan to include two sections: one relating to online strategy (in terms of e-marketing, social media and ROI) and the second relating to corporate social responsibility (including quality, health, safety and environment policies).

The inclusion of these topics gives more credibility to the company by demonstrating its commitment to the community and to employees’ well-being.

Telling a Story 

One trend in business planning is to use a narrative structure in the document, rather than traditional technical writing techniques. Storytelling techniques are increasingly being used throughout the business world to create personal and organizational brands, deliver marketing messages and develop persuasive plans.

Stories make presentations better. Stories make ideas stick. Stories help us persuade. Savvy leaders tell stories to inspire us, motivate us. That’s why so many politicians tell stories in their speeches. They realize that “what you say” is often moot compared to “how you say it.

Instead of using bulleted points and cold, technical language, organizations employ a “beginning, middle and end” narrative style. This engages the audience by establishing the context, describing the conflict or obstacles and arriving at a successful resolution.

The Executive Summary

Usually the last step of preparing the international business plan is to develop the executive summary, a short overview of what the plan proposes to accomplish. For some purposes, a one-page business plan can also be useful.

There is not a great deal of difference between an executive summary and a one-page business plan. The most significant distinction is the one-page plan must completely fit on one page in a readable font, while an executive summary may spread over two or three pages.

One-Page Business Plan

There is a trend towards the one-page business plan, especially if the plan is to be presented to potential partners for their consideration. Audiences for the one-page plan will be looking for a “quick hit”: a clear and concise description of what the opportunity is and how it is being pursued.

For example, a one-page business plan might include the following topics, as described in Noah Parson’s article “How to Write a One-Page Business Plan” on the website Bplans :

• Customer problem/opportunity
• Your solution/approach
• Business model (how you make money)
• Target market (who is the customer and how many are there)
• Competitive advantage
• Management team
• Financial summary
• Funding required

The one-page plan (or the executive summary, if used in place of the one-page plan) may provide the first impression the audience has of the business. This is the most important document generated out of the business planning process, and significant effort and care should be taken in its creation.

There are many websites the provide blank samples of one-page business plans, including Bplans , the GoForth Institute and Startup.com.

A Note on Strategic Plans

A strategic plan covers many of the same points as a business plan. However, a strategic plan sets out the detailed action plan to be followed to achieve the objectives of the international business plan.

It must outline specific activities, their due dates and who is responsible for each activity. It is a project plan with a critical path. A strategic plan ensures any venture is carried out in a coordinated, informed and systematic way.

A key consideration in action planning is how quickly to enter the market, which is driven by the chosen market entry strategy. If market entry is done too quickly, the potential for costly mistakes increases. However, if it is completed too slowly, opportunities may be missed and competitors will have more time to react.

The Planning Cycle

Attaching the word “cycle” to planning implies that it happens more than once. International business plans need to be reviewed periodically because new information that has an impact on both planning and operations is continually coming in.

All plans, including international business plans and strategic plans, need to be reviewed every time there is a major event impacting the business, such as civil unrest, a currency fluctuation or the presence of a new competitor.

About the author

Author: FITT Team

The Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) is the standards, certification and training body dedicated to providing international business training, resources and professional certification to individuals and businesses. Created by business for business, FITT’s international business training solutions are the standard of excellence for global trade professionals around the world. View all posts by FITT Team

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International Business Plan (A Practical Guide for Companies and Professionals) - Ebook Format

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MBA 541 - Global Business Plan Project Resource Guide

• Phase One: Choosing a Company and Global Business Opportunity
• Phase Two: Planning the Global Enterprise
• Phase Three: Organizing Global Business Activities
• Phase Four: Implementing the Global Marketing Plan

Resource Guide Overview

Every organization conducts research to plan and implement a business idea. This resource guide is designed to help you find the resources necessary to build the foundation for an international business plan. These steps offer flexibility for many settings related to global business enterprises. The guide may be used for planning global expansion of an existing product or service or may be used to research a new foreign business opportunity. Each phase and section in this guide contains a research component or goal that will help you build your Global Business Plan for MBA 541.

The final result of your global plan may be in one of the following formats:

• a written report with supplementary tables and visuals
• an oral presentation with visuals
• a summary in a poster format or other visual display (website, video, newsletter)

For more information about this project, please refer to your online course shell. Please direct any questions about assignment expectations or requirements to your instructor. Any questions about resources or research tips presented in this guide can be directed towards Ask a Librarian.

Note about research

Keep in mind that you may not explicitly find the information for every component listed in this guide. Rather, be prepared to create data by extrapolating, inferring, estimating, and making judgments based on related and relevant information. Lastly, while research starters and recommend resources have been included under each section, many of the resources and reports can be applied across multiple steps. Be flexible with how you use and apply the information you find throughout the research process.

• Next: Phase One: Choosing a Company and Global Business Opportunity >>
• Last Updated: Apr 25, 2024 11:26 AM

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International Business Plan Structure

Is your business missing the opportunities in the international markets? Are you struggling with where to start your international expansion and how to go about it?

International Business Plan outlines corporate goals and steps towards foreign markets entry. It is also called the  Export Business Plan . At Win Global, we apply a 3-step approach to your international expansion.

Step 1: Building a Solid Foundation for International Business Plan

During this phase we determine the readiness of your business to the international expansion and help you to build four pillars of the successful international expansion:

• Selection of the product, service or solution to expand internationally
• Defining global value proposition for the selected product, service or solution
• Profiling ideal buyers or distributors of the product, service or solution
• Target market selection

Step 2: Analytical Phase of International Business Plan

This is a very important stage of the preparatory period for entering the international markets. It summarizes all the information collected from foreign market research and risk assessment. Based on obtained information a company checks the feasibility of continuing international business planning and makes a first go-or-not-to-go decision.

Step 3: Planning Phase of International Business Plan

This is the final stage when we put together a foreign market entry plan for our clients and consider all steps that must be taken in order to succeed in international business. The typical content of International Business Plan is:

• Executive Summary of International Business Plan
• Corporate Global Vision and Goals
• Four Pillars of the International Business Expansion
• Foreign Market Research Summary
• Risk Assessment
• International Business Strategy At this stage, we identify the best strategy that will help our client to enter each particular foreign market of interest. The examples of international business strategies are exporting, licensing (franchising), joint venture, foreign direct investments, etc.
• International Business Action Plan Based on an International Marketing Plan and the project approach International Business Action Plan contains activities, milestones, estimations, resources, performance measurement and evaluation criteria.
• Cost and Benefit Estimate .

Contact us now to schedule a free and no-obligation discussion about your issues in international expansion and determine if we can help you. Fill out the contact form now .

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• How to create a competitive analysis (w ...

How to create a competitive analysis (with examples)

Competitive analysis involves identifying your direct and indirect competitors using research to reveal their strengths and weaknesses in relation to your own. In this guide, we’ll outline how to do a competitive analysis and explain how you can use this marketing strategy to improve your business.

Whether you’re running a business or playing in a football game, understanding your competition is crucial for success. While you may not be scoring touchdowns in the office, your goal is to score business deals with clients or win customers with your products. The method of preparation for athletes and business owners is similar—once you understand your strengths and weaknesses versus your competitors’, you can level up. 

What is a competitive analysis?

Competitive analysis involves identifying your direct and indirect competitors using research to reveal their strengths and weaknesses in relation to your own. 

Direct competitors market the same product to the same audience as you, while indirect competitors market the same product to a different audience. After identifying your competitors, you can use the information you gather to see where you stand in the market landscape. 

What to include in a competitive analysis

The purpose of this type of analysis is to get a competitive advantage in the market and improve your business strategy. Without a competitive analysis, it’s difficult to know what others are doing to win clients or customers in your target market. A competitive analysis report may include:

A description of your company’s target market

Details about your product or service versus the competitors’

Current and projected market share, sales, and revenues

Pricing comparison

Marketing and social media strategy analysis

Differences in customer ratings

You’ll compare each detail of your product or service versus the competition to assess strategy efficacy. By comparing success metrics across companies, you can make data-driven decisions.

How to do a competitive analysis

Follow these five steps to create your competitive analysis report and get a broad view of where you fit in the market. This process can help you analyze a handful of competitors at one time and better approach your target customers.

1. Create a competitor overview

In step one, select between five and 10 competitors to compare against your company. The competitors you choose should have similar product or service offerings and a similar business model to you. You should also choose a mix of both direct and indirect competitors so you can see how new markets might affect your company. Choosing both startup and seasoned competitors will further diversify your analysis.

Tip: To find competitors in your industry, use Google or Amazon to search for your product or service. The top results that emerge are likely your competitors. If you’re a startup or you serve a niche market, you may need to dive deeper into the rankings to find your direct competitors.

2. Conduct market research

Once you know the competitors you want to analyze, you’ll begin in-depth market research. This will be a mixture of primary and secondary research. Primary research comes directly from customers or the product itself, while secondary research is information that’s already compiled. Then, keep track of the data you collect in a user research template .

Primary market research may include: 

Purchasing competitors’ products or services

Interviewing customers

Conducting online surveys of customers 

Holding in-person focus groups

Secondary market research may include:

Examining competitors’ websites

Assessing the current economic situation

Identifying technological developments 

Reading company records

Tip: Search engine analysis tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush can help you examine competitors’ websites and obtain crucial SEO information such as the keywords they’re targeting, the number of backlinks they have, and the overall health of their website. 

3. Compare product features

The next step in your analysis involves a comparison of your product to your competitors’ products. This comparison should break down the products feature by feature. While every product has its own unique features, most products will likely include:

Service offered

Age of audience served

Number of features

Style and design

Ease of use

Type and number of warranties

Customer support offered

Product quality

Tip: If your features table gets too long, abbreviate this step by listing the features you believe are of most importance to your analysis. Important features may include cost, product benefits, and ease of use.

4. Compare product marketing

The next step in your analysis will look similar to the one before, except you’ll compare the marketing efforts of your competitors instead of the product features. Unlike the product features matrix you created, you’ll need to go deeper to unveil each company’s marketing plan . 

Areas you’ll want to analyze include:

Social media

Website copy

Press releases

Product copy

As you analyze the above, ask questions to dig deeper into each company’s marketing strategies. The questions you should ask will vary by industry, but may include:

What story are they trying to tell?

What value do they bring to their customers?

What’s their company mission?

What’s their brand voice?

Tip: You can identify your competitors’ target demographic in this step by referencing their customer base, either from their website or from testimonials. This information can help you build customer personas. When you can picture who your competitor actively targets, you can better understand their marketing tactics. 

5. Use a SWOT analysis

Competitive intelligence will make up a significant part of your competitor analysis framework, but once you’ve gathered your information, you can turn the focus back to your company. A SWOT analysis helps you identify your company’s strengths and weaknesses. It also helps turn weaknesses into opportunities and assess threats you face based on your competition.

During a SWOT analysis, ask yourself:

What do we do well?

What could we improve?

Are there market gaps in our services?

What new market trends are on the horizon?

Tip: Your research from the previous steps in the competitive analysis will help you answer these questions and fill in your SWOT analysis. You can visually present your findings in a SWOT matrix, which is a four-box chart divided by category.

6. Identify your place in the market landscape

The last step in your competitive analysis is to understand where you stand in the market landscape. To do this, you’ll create a graph with an X and Y axis. The two axes should represent the most important factors for being competitive in your market. 

For example, the X-axis may represent customer satisfaction, while the Y-axis may represent presence in the market. You’ll then plot each competitor on the graph according to their (x,y) coordinates. You’ll also plot your company on this chart, which will give you an idea of where you stand in relation to your competitors. 

This graph is included for informational purposes and does not represent Asana’s market landscape or any specific industry’s market landscape. 

Tip: In this example, you’ll see three companies that have a greater market presence and greater customer satisfaction than yours, while two companies have a similar market presence but higher customer satisfaction. This data should jumpstart the problem-solving process because you now know which competitors are the biggest threats and you can see where you fall short. 

Competitive analysis example

Imagine you work at a marketing startup that provides SEO for dentists, which is a niche industry and only has a few competitors. You decide to conduct a market analysis for your business. To do so, you would:

Step 1: Use Google to compile a list of your competitors. 

Steps 2, 3, and 4: Use your competitors’ websites, as well as SEO analysis tools like Ahrefs, to deep-dive into the service offerings and marketing strategies of each company. 

Step 5: Focusing back on your own company, you conduct a SWOT analysis to assess your own strategic goals and get a visual of your strengths and weaknesses. 

Step 6: Finally, you create a graph of the market landscape and conclude that there are two companies beating your company in customer satisfaction and market presence. 

After compiling this information into a table like the one below, you consider a unique strategy. To beat out your competitors, you can use localization. Instead of marketing to dentists nationwide like your competitors are doing, you decide to focus your marketing strategy on one region, state, or city. Once you’ve become the known SEO company for dentists in that city, you’ll branch out. 

You won’t know what conclusions you can draw from your competitive analysis until you do the work and see the results. Whether you decide on a new pricing strategy, a way to level up your marketing, or a revamp of your product, understanding your competition can provide significant insight.

Drawbacks of competitive analysis

There are some drawbacks to competitive analysis you should consider before moving forward with your report. While these drawbacks are minor, understanding them can make you an even better manager or business owner. 

Don’t forget to take action

You don’t just want to gather the information from your competitive analysis—you also want to take action on that information. The data itself will only show you where you fit into the market landscape. The key to competitive analysis is using it to problem solve and improve your company’s strategic plan .

Be wary of confirmation bias

Confirmation bias means interpreting information based on the beliefs you already hold. This is bad because it can cause you to hold on to false beliefs. To avoid bias, you should rely on all the data available to back up your decisions. In the example above, the business owner may believe they’re the best in the SEO dental market at social media. Because of this belief, when they do market research for social media, they may only collect enough information to confirm their own bias—even if their competitors are statistically better at social media. However, if they were to rely on all the data available, they could eliminate this bias.

Update your analysis regularly

A competitive analysis report represents a snapshot of the market landscape as it currently stands. This report can help you gain enough information to make changes to your company, but you shouldn’t refer to the document again unless you update the information regularly. Market trends are always changing, and although it’s tedious to update your report, doing so will ensure you get accurate insight into your competitors at all times. 

Boost your marketing strategy with competitive analysis

Learning your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses will make you a better marketer. If you don’t know the competition you’re up against, you can’t beat them. Using competitive analysis can boost your marketing strategy and allow you to capture your target audience faster.

Competitive analysis must lead to action, which means following up on your findings with clear business goals and a strong business plan. Once you do your competitive analysis, you can use the templates below to put your plan into action.

Related resources

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What is stakeholder analysis and why is it important?

How Asana uses work management to optimize resource planning

Understanding dependencies in project management

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This publication summarizes the foundational concepts of business analysis found in A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) , the globally recognized standard for the practice of business analysis. The Core Standard covers:

• Business Analysis Key Concepts - a foundation for understanding and applying business analysis to deliver ongoing value to an organization
• Business Analysis Knowledge Areas - focus on specific business analysis tasks performed to achieve better business outcomes at the strategic, tactical, and operational level

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A lot of preparation goes into starting a business before you can open your doors to the public or launch your online store. One of your first steps should be to write a business plan . A business plan will serve as your roadmap when building your business.

Within your business plan, there’s an important section you should pay careful attention to: your market analysis. Your market analysis helps you understand your target market and how you can thrive within it.

Simply put, your market analysis shows that you’ve done your research. It also contributes to your marketing strategy by defining your target customer and researching their buying habits. Overall, a market analysis will yield invaluable data if you have limited knowledge about your market, the market has fierce competition, and if you require a business loan. In this guide, we'll explore how to conduct your own market analysis.

How to conduct a market analysis: A step-by-step guide

In your market analysis, you can expect to cover the following:

Industry outlook

Target market

Market value

Competition

Barriers to entry

Let’s dive into an in-depth look into each section:

Step 1: Define your objective

Before you begin your market analysis, it’s important to define your objective for writing a market analysis. Are you writing it for internal purposes or for external purposes?

If you were doing a market analysis for internal purposes, you might be brainstorming new products to launch or adjusting your marketing tactics. An example of an external purpose might be that you need a market analysis to get approved for a business loan .

The comprehensiveness of your market analysis will depend on your objective. If you’re preparing for a new product launch, you might focus more heavily on researching the competition. A market analysis for a loan approval would require heavy data and research into market size and growth, share potential, and pricing.

Step 2: Provide an industry outlook

An industry outlook is a general direction of where your industry is heading. Lenders want to know whether you’re targeting a growing industry or declining industry. For example, if you’re looking to sell VCRs in 2020, it’s unlikely that your business will succeed.

Starting your market analysis with an industry outlook offers a preliminary view of the market and what to expect in your market analysis. When writing this section, you'll want to include:

Market size

Are you chasing big markets or are you targeting very niche markets? If you’re targeting a niche market, are there enough customers to support your business and buy your product?

Product life cycle

If you develop a product, what will its life cycle look like? Lenders want an overview of how your product will come into fruition after it’s developed and launched. In this section, you can discuss your product’s:

Research and development

Projected growth

How do you see your company performing over time? Calculating your year-over-year growth will help you and lenders see how your business has grown thus far. Calculating your projected growth shows how your business will fare in future projected market conditions.

Step 3: Determine your target market

This section of your market analysis is dedicated to your potential customer. Who is your ideal target customer? How can you cater your product to serve them specifically?

Don’t make the mistake of wanting to sell your product to everybody. Your target customer should be specific. For example, if you’re selling mittens, you wouldn’t want to market to warmer climates like Hawaii. You should target customers who live in colder regions. The more nuanced your target market is, the more information you’ll have to inform your business and marketing strategy.

With that in mind, your target market section should include the following points:

Demographics

This is where you leave nothing to mystery about your ideal customer. You want to know every aspect of your customer so you can best serve them. Dedicate time to researching the following demographics:

Income level

Create a customer persona

Creating a customer persona can help you better understand your customer. It can be easier to market to a person than data on paper. You can give this persona a name, background, and job. Mold this persona into your target customer.

What are your customer’s pain points? How do these pain points influence how they buy products? What matters most to them? Why do they choose one brand over another?

Research and supporting material

Information without data are just claims. To add credibility to your market analysis, you need to include data. Some methods for collecting data include:

Target group surveys

Focus groups

Reading reviews

Feedback surveys

You can also consult resources online. For example, the U.S. Census Bureau can help you find demographics in calculating your market share. The U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration also offer general data that can help you research your target industry.

Step 4: Calculate market value

You can use either top-down analysis or bottom-up analysis to calculate an estimate of your market value.

A top-down analysis tends to be the easier option of the two. It requires for you to calculate the entire market and then estimate how much of a share you expect your business to get. For example, let’s assume your target market consists of 100,000 people. If you’re optimistic and manage to get 1% of that market, you can expect to make 1,000 sales.

A bottom-up analysis is more data-driven and requires more research. You calculate the individual factors of your business and then estimate how high you can scale them to arrive at a projected market share. Some factors to consider when doing a bottom-up analysis include:

Where products are sold

Who your competition is

The price per unit

How many consumers you expect to reach

The average amount a customer would buy over time

While a bottom-up analysis requires more data than a top-down analysis, you can usually arrive at a more accurate calculation.

Step 5: Get to know your competition

Before you start a business, you need to research the level of competition within your market. Are there certain companies getting the lion’s share of the market? How can you position yourself to stand out from the competition?

There are two types of competitors that you should be aware of: direct competitors and indirect competitors.

Direct competitors are other businesses who sell the same product as you. If you and the company across town both sell apples, you are direct competitors.

An indirect competitor sells a different but similar product to yours. If that company across town sells oranges instead, they are an indirect competitor. Apples and oranges are different but they still target a similar market: people who eat fruits.

Also, here are some questions you want to answer when writing this section of your market analysis:

What are your competitor’s strengths?

What are your competitor’s weaknesses?

How can you cover your competitor’s weaknesses in your own business?

How can you solve the same problems better or differently than your competitors?

How can you leverage technology to better serve your customers?

How big of a threat are your competitors if you open your business?

Step 6: Identify your barriers

Writing a market analysis can help you identify some glaring barriers to starting your business. Researching these barriers will help you avoid any costly legal or business mistakes down the line. Some entry barriers to address in your marketing analysis include:

Technology: How rapid is technology advancing and can it render your product obsolete within the next five years?

Branding: You need to establish your brand identity to stand out in a saturated market.

Cost of entry: Startup costs, like renting a space and hiring employees, are expensive. Also, specialty equipment often comes with hefty price tags. (Consider researching equipment financing to help finance these purchases.)

Location: You need to secure a prime location if you’re opening a physical store.

Competition: A market with fierce competition can be a steep uphill battle (like attempting to go toe-to-toe with Apple or Amazon).

Step 7: Know the regulations

When starting a business, it’s your responsibility to research governmental and state business regulations within your market. Some regulations to keep in mind include (but aren’t limited to):

Employment and labor laws

Advertising

Environmental regulations

If you’re a newer entrepreneur and this is your first business, this part can be daunting so you might want to consult with a business attorney. A legal professional will help you identify the legal requirements specific to your business. You can also check online legal help sites like LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer.

Tips when writing your market analysis

We wouldn’t be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information needed in a market analysis. Keep in mind, though, this research is key to launching a successful business. You don’t want to cut corners, but here are a few tips to help you out when writing your market analysis:

Use visual aids

Nobody likes 30 pages of nothing but text. Using visual aids can break up those text blocks, making your market analysis more visually appealing. When discussing statistics and metrics, charts and graphs will help you better communicate your data.

Include a summary

If you’ve ever read an article from an academic journal, you’ll notice that writers include an abstract that offers the reader a preview.

Use this same tactic when writing your market analysis. It will prime the reader of your market highlights before they dive into the hard data.

Get to the point

It’s better to keep your market analysis concise than to stuff it with fluff and repetition. You’ll want to present your data, analyze it, and then tie it back into how your business can thrive within your target market.

Revisit your market analysis regularly

Markets are always changing and it's important that your business changes with your target market. Revisiting your market analysis ensures that your business operations align with changing market conditions. The best businesses are the ones that can adapt.

Why should you write a market analysis?

Your market analysis helps you look at factors within your market to determine if it’s a good fit for your business model. A market analysis will help you:

1. Learn how to analyze the market need

Markets are always shifting and it’s a good idea to identify current and projected market conditions. These trends will help you understand the size of your market and whether there are paying customers waiting for you. Doing a market analysis helps you confirm that your target market is a lucrative market.

2. Learn about your customers

The best way to serve your customer is to understand them. A market analysis will examine your customer’s buying habits, pain points, and desires. This information will aid you in developing a business that addresses those points.

3. Get approved for a business loan

Starting a business, especially if it’s your first one, requires startup funding. A good first step is to apply for a business loan with your bank or other financial institution.

A thorough market analysis shows that you’re professional, prepared, and worth the investment from lenders. This preparation inspires confidence within the lender that you can build a business and repay the loan.

4. Beat the competition

Your research will offer valuable insight and certain advantages that the competition might not have. For example, thoroughly understanding your customer’s pain points and desires will help you develop a superior product or service than your competitors. If your business is already up and running, an updated market analysis can upgrade your marketing strategy or help you launch a new product.

Final thoughts

There is a saying that the first step to cutting down a tree is to sharpen an axe. In other words, preparation is the key to success. In business, preparation increases the chances that your business will succeed, even in a competitive market.

The market analysis section of your business plan separates the entrepreneurs who have done their homework from those who haven’t. Now that you’ve learned how to write a market analysis, it’s time for you to sharpen your axe and grow a successful business. And keep in mind, if you need help crafting your business plan, you can always turn to business plan software or a free template to help you stay organized.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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Global Event Planning Business Plan

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GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc.

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. (GlobeSpan) will be formed as a company specializing in the representation of meeting planners from all industries. The founders have over 17 years experience in the hospitality industry working with both domestic and international meeting planners. GlobeSpan will allow the founders to utilize their expertise with meeting planners while working with hotels and resorts across the globe.

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners will partner with HelmsBriscoe, the industry’s largest and finest meeting and conference resource firm thus placing a full service meeting operational division at GlobeSpan’s disposal.

1.1 Mission

It is the mission of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners to be the top producing member of the HelmsBriscoe meeting planning alliance by providing the highest quality service to our clients. By providing a total meeting resource including hotel/resort site searches, rate and contract negotiation, as well as recommendations for complete event planning, on-site management, airline assistance, and cruise assistance at no cost to the client, GlobeSpan becomes a time-saving “one-stop shop.” GlobeSpan is a perfect, no-cost alternative to the hassle of in-house meeting planning. GlobeSpan will be compensated by the hotels/resorts, and by the complete event planning/airline/cruise assistance offered by HelmsBriscoe’s Resource One at the rate of six percent of gross revenues generated, paid in commission. GlobeSpan provides an easy, valuable alternative for its clients, and a flexible work environment with equitable compensation for its founders.

1.2 Keys to Success

There are four key elements we will accomplish to succeed:

• Utilize the unique expertise of both owners to offer increased value to the client.

1.3 Objectives

• To completely repay small business loan of $50,000 by July 1, Year 4.

Business Climate

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners is a knowledge-based small business start-up on the cutting edge of what has been deemed the “new economy” by The Wall Street Journal . Selling expertise, they go on to say, is the basis of the present and future economy. Start-ups are growing at three times the rate of the national economy. In addition, The Wall Street Journal states “creativity is overtaking capital as the principal elixir of growth.” Cognetics, a business information tracking firm, calls the surging significance of small to mid-sized businesses the economy, stressing the significance of this new segment of businesses.

Additionally, in a recent study by Credit Suiss First Boston, knowledge is now acting as a substitute for physical assets for the new businesses. They are also quoted as saying “in a knowledge-based economy, there are no constraints on growth.” These are all excellent indications that the economic foundation is strong for the launch of GlobeSpan.

Specifically, the $100 billion meeting industry is strong and GlobeSpan will be a profitable player within the industry.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

GlobeSpan, in strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe, will provide a time-saving and valuable event planning service to companies who have a lack of destination/meeting planning knowledge, are understaffed or unable to take on the time consuming task of site selection/meeting planning, or want to take advantage of our free expert site selection. With hotel/resort partners worldwide, as well as cruise/air/production/program planning partners at Resource One, the best fit for the clients’ needs will be found while generating maximum revenue for GlobeSpan.

3.1 Company Ownership

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. will be a privately held Arizona S corporation based in Goodyear. The company is currently in the process of filing for incorporation with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The owners, Tracey Latkovic, former Director of sales of a major Arizona resort, and Kerry Feltenberg, former director of catering/conference services of a major Arizona resort, will have equal shares in the company.

3.2 Start-up Summary

Start-up costs are $4,800 and will be financed by the owners. An additional $50,000 is needed to cover the first six months of client searches. The following chart and table outline the assumed distribution of expenses, assets, investment, and loan liability.

3.3 Company Locations and Facilities

The company will be located in Goodyear, Arizona, with a second office in Avondale, Arizona. The owner’s home offices will be linked electronically to ensure real-time communication.

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners does worldwide hotel/resort searches, and provides recommendations for those which best match the client specifications free to the client, as GlobeSpan is compensated by the hotel/resort. Additionally, GlobeSpan refers clients to Resource One to provide in-depth meeting planning, production, airline, and cruise assistance.

4.1 Service Description

GlobeSpan plans to provide two basic services to its clients:

• Other Services : GlobeSpan will take advantage of the strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe’s Resource One and have available all of the resources of a large meeting company. GlobeSpan will recommend airline and cruise bookings, management of hotel room blocks, and full-service meeting production. GlobeSpan will be compensated by HelmsBriscoe by commission on a per program basis.

4.2 Competitive Comparison

There are three categories of competitors, all of which have distinct weaknesses compared to GlobeSpan Meeting Planners:

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• Small “mom and pop” competitors, which are solely owned and operated by one individual, offer site searches to the client. GlobeSpan has the advantage over this type of company by offering a more professional service to the client and the buying/full-service power of the HelmsBriscoe alliance.

4.3 Sales Literature

As part of the benefits of the alliance with HelmsBriscoe, a full-color brochure describing the business with client testimonials, as well as a four-1/2 page color insert describing the features and benefits of the site selection service will be provided by HelmsBriscoe to GlobeSpan. Additionally, four inserts, each four-1/2 page color, describing Resource One, Housing Solutions, Cruises, and Air Partner, will be provided by HelmsBriscoe to GlobeSpan.

Letterhead, with our logo is also provided by HelmsBriscoe, will be used to send customer-specific sales letters and tailored proposals. Shell sales letters and client proposals will be established. Request for proposal letters with an area for hotels/resorts to acknowledge payment of commission will also be established.

Online “brochures” will be created to email to clients. A regular monthly newsletter will be created to email to clients as a reminder of services offered.

All collateral pieces will convey the features, benefits, value, service, and professionalism of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners.

4.4 Fulfillment

We will fulfill the clients’ needs by dividing tasks based on the area of expertise of each owner.

First, by providing professional salesmanship, customer service and follow-up based on the specific needs of the client.

Second, by providing detailed, knowledgeable interaction with the hotels/resort to match them with client needs, as well as understanding and recommending additional services such as air, cruise, production, room block management, etc.

4.5 Technology

Technology is essential to today’s meeting planner. GlobeSpan Meeting Planners will stay on the cutting edge of technology.

• Other Technology . Utilizing communication advantages such as Caller ID, call forwarding from office telephones to cellular telephones to ensure every call is answered, and a message system which allows callers who receive a message to page an owner for an immediate response. Additionally, the two home offices will be linked to ensure both calls and the database can be accessed in both places.

4.6 Future Services

Future plans for expansion have been discussed, and include the marketing of materials/books to meeting planners on the “how to’s” of event planning and selling those materials, both online and by offering “seminars” to promote the information.

Also, in the future, GlobeSpan may offer on-site lead conference management either alone or in conjunction with Resource One.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

From the past experience of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners’ founders, small- to mid-sized companies that are not located in major metropolitan areas (i.e suburbs, smaller cities, rural areas) are not primary targets for other event planning companies and hotel/resort chains, and in general, are more receptive to solicitation. Therefore, these areas will be targeted.

Additionally, strategically focusing on companies who have not been represented by meeting planning firms or utilized meeting planning search firms in the past should bring us new clients.

Those who have a need for event planning services are companies with a lack of hotel/resort/destination knowledge, no on-site meeting planner, and/or no time to concentrate on site search details.

5.1 Market Segmentation

Some potential client profiles are as follows:

Corporate In the corporate segment, internal corporate meeting decision makers range from designated meeting planners, to administrative assistants, to company presidents. These potential customers are planning corporate group (10 or more rooms) meetings which range from small board to national sales meetings and can range from one to several hundred meetings per year. The corporate window for event planning can be as little as one month to as long as several years.

Incentive Incentive planners are a subgroup of the the corporate segment specializing in reward-based high-end group travel. Again, the decision makers can vary from office to office. They plan group incentive trips to, generally, resort destinations which can range from the top ten company executives to several hundred sales personnel. Typically, the window for incentive travel is between three months and one year due to the “qualification” imposed by the company on the personnel to attend the meetings (i.e. meeting sales quotas, hitting budget, etc.).

Association Associations, according to their by-laws, must typically have a specific number of meetings per year. Thus, the association planner’s calander is set years in advance. Usually, an association will have a few board meetings and one or more large conventions/trade shows per year. The potential customer is typically an on-site meeting planner, the executive director or the entire board.

Social/Military/Educational/Religious/Fraternal (SMERF) This market segment, sometimes referred to by its acronym SMERF, represents events which are planned by designated individuals who may be somewhat unfamiliar with meeting planning, such as social committee members, military personnel, teachers, pastors, or fraternal organization officers. This market segment’s meetings are typically mid-range to low budgeted events (usually due to the diverse economic status of the members and the need to avoid excluding any attendees due to costs).

5.2 Service Business Analysis

GlobeSpan is a meeting planning resource firm. Third party companies, as they are commonly referred to by hotels and resorts, consist of firms who represent a small group of specific hotels/resorts, and mega meeting/incentive “houses,” which provide full services including airfare, housing, and on-site program administration, as well as large and small site search firms.

Due to the strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe, GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. will be instantly recognizable to meeting professionals as part of the hospitality industry’s largest and finest meeting and conference resource firm. We will have the challenge of establishing ourselves with customers as a “client advocate,” not a hotel/resort representative, and separate ourselves from the mega-firms by the quality of personal service we offer.

5.2.1 Business Participants

The business presence in the third party portion of the meeting industry breaks down largely as follows:

Mega Meeting/Incentive Houses Advantage: These companies offer full service, from airfare to post-program follow-up, and offer the leverage and buying power of a large company because they have “preferred” vendors with whom they do large volume. Disadvantage: These companies are so large, they offer very little “custom” service for the client. Timely follow-up is always a concern when utilizing a very large company. The client will have many contacts for different services within the company. These companies often advocate the “preferred” vendors with whom they do more business than the actual client.

National Site Search Firms Advantage: These companies offer a time saving service to the client and are able to research any hotel/resort worldwide. Disadvantage: Many of these firms have become so large that the individual sales contact does not even remember which program from which client he/she may be working on at a given time. A resort may follow-up to propose a better offer for the customer, and the sales contact does not have the time or care to do any more than provide the initial information to the client. These companies are limited to site searches and can offer no other event planning assistance/value to the client.

Small Site Search Firms Advantage: These companies can offer good customer service and timely follow-up to the client. Disadvantage: These companies are so small and independent, most do not have the knowledge to offer the correct assistance to the client. Additionally, they do not have any leverage/buying power with hotels/resorts and lack a network of associates to offer any other information than what is presented by the hotel/resort salesperson to the clients.

5.2.2 Competition and Buying Patterns

As previously mentioned, the Professional Convention Management Association reports a rising trend to use third-party services. Planners are choosing that route for various reasons. They are finding that mergers within the hotel/resort industry are creating a more profit and less service-oriented business climate. Third-party planning companies are chosen to provide expert advice/recommendations. Overall, in the competitive atmosphere of third-party companies, there are several reasons why certain companies are chosen over others:

• Personal Service. Potential customers do not want to feel like they are one of many other clients. They want personalized service.

5.2.3 Main Competitors

GlobeSpan’s competitors include:

Note: All competitors names have been removed for confidentiality.

5.3 Target Market Segment Strategy

Prospecting is the key to success. We must consistently bring in new customers to use our site selection service and who we can potentially upsell our other alliance services. To increase the success of prospecting, we must create targeted lists which fit the criteria of a future client. These lists will be compiled utilizing resources available to GlobeSpan Meeting Planners including, but not limited to, the Official Meeting Planners Guide, Meeting Planners International Directory, Executive Women International Resources, etc.

After ascertaining a potential customer by prospecting, we must follow though with efficient site recommendations based on the exact client needs, and always remember to upsell the additional client services to add value to our services for the client and increase possible revenues.

5.3.1 Market Growth

The growth potential in the meetings industry is strong. Currently, over $100 billion is spent annually on meetings, according to MeetingNews. In a study by Deloitte & Touche, conventions, expositions, meetings and incentive travel is listed as the twenty-second largest contributor to the gross national product. This spending is expected to grow between 2.9-4.2% per year, according to the Convention Liaison Council.

All indicators seem to predict growth within the meeting planning industry. In the Convene Magazine 8th Annual Market Survey, 89% of meeting professionals reported flat or increased meeting attendance expected for 1999 versus 1998. Likewise, PriceWaterhouseCoopers reported that upscale and full-convention hotels recorded over 70% occupancy in 1999, versus the average of 64.5% occupancy reported in 1997.

Growth within the corporate, association, incentive and SMERF market segments are conservatively estimated to grow at a rate of three percent, two percent, and three percent, and remain flat, respectively over the next few years.

5.3.2 Market Needs

Our target potential clients have a need for assistance in meeting planning/hotel/resort/destination expertise. They are looking for no-cost time saving options to allow them to prioritize other company tasks for which they are responsible. They have a need for a “silent” partner (GlobeSpan Meeting Planners) which will make them “look” better to their company. They range from secretarial level to company president and have the same information gathering and time-saving needs for different reasons. Those employees responsible for meeting planning want you to communicate with them on their terms. They require whichever mode of communication is most comfortable for their busy schedule, including email, fax, telephone, cellular telephone, messaging, and paging options. They want buying power with hotels/resorts, preferential treatment with their dates/patterns, knowledge of all destinations worldwide, and efficiency in the presentation of site search findings.

Within the target marketing segments, corporate, association, incentive, and social/military/educational/religious/fraternal (SMERF), the following situations may exist, creating a need for the services offered by GlobeSpan:

• Meeting Planners who need to concentrate on internal meeting content and have little or no time to complete the time consuming task of site selection and/or airline coordination, on-site production, hotel room block management, etc.

5.3.3 Market Trends

More meetings are being planned by key corporate industries, such as the pharmaceutical, medical, automotive, financial, high technology and e-commerce industries, largely due to the success of these industries in the current bullish economy. Thus, a need to outsource some of the work associated with that increase. Additionally, associations are seeing an increase across the board in membership participation making industry meetings larger and more complex.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

GlobeSpan, with our strategic alliance with HelmsBriscoe, will offer the great customer service of a small company; yet, offer the services of a big company to our clients. With aggressive prospecting, follow-up, and attention to detail, GlobeSpan will exceed the needs of the four target market segments. We will develop our niche market–those clients needing a “silent partner” to save them time and offer intelligent solutions–by targeted sales and service. We will commit to a consistent “review and change” process by which we can anticipate the needs of the marketplace and implement change to stay competitive.

6.1 Competitive Edge

There are several competitive edges that GlobeSpan Meeting Planners has over its competitors. First, over national representation firms, GlobeSpan has the freedom and ability to present any hotel/resort as a solution to the customer, we are not restricted to a few retainer hotels/resorts. Second, we can offer the services of a big company but are still small enough to offer great customer service to the fastest growing segment of businesses–small-to mid-sized. Third, while national site search firms are limited to just finding a destination for the customer, through our alliance with HelmsBriscoe’s Resource One, we have the ability to help with all aspects of the meeting, as well as offer assistance with airfare and cruises. Fourth, although small search firms can only offer limited knowledge and service, our alliance with HelmsBriscoe allows us access to over 180 associates and databases detailing the experiences at each destination.

Overall, GlobeSpan will offer the best of both worlds–small-company service with big company expertise.

6.2 Marketing Strategy

The owners’ 17 years experience in the industry will bring a wealth of contacts with whom to build a network of referrals. We will utilize the marketing materials offered by HelmsBriscoe as a foundation, and build upon the quality letters, proposals, newsletters and reminder cards. We will be able to market like a small company with big company clout. We will benefit from the national marketing efforts of HelmsBriscoe, such as national advertising, national partnership marketing with hotels/resorts, Web marketing such as HotDateHotRates.com, HelmsBriscoe.com, HBMeet-Market.com, FirstOptionHB.com, the HelmsBricoe quarterly newsletter, and several international industry events per year, such as the Industry Summit.

6.2.1 Promotion Strategy

GlobeSpan will consistently ask clients for referrals and will keep in contact with customers by direct mail to update clients with new information and reasons to utilize our services. We will concentrate on complete client trust and strive to exceed client expectations, which will ultimately cultivate repeat business and increase referrals.

6.2.2 Pricing Summary

GlobeSpan Meeting Planners will offer its services free of charge to the client. From the property in which the client books the meeting, GlobeSpan will receive a 10% of total rooms revenue commission. Between three and four percent of this commission will go to HelmsBriscoe in return for the services described herein. The total commission for the company will break down as follows:

Although it does not seem like a large jump, for example, one percent commission on $10 million would translate to $100,000 for GlobeSpan. So it does add up significantly as our revenue numbers grow.

6.2.3 Marketing Programs

Our marketing programs for the first five months of operation are listed in our milestones chart. Specifically, we intend to get the word out with direct mail. All other national marketing efforts will be handled by HelmsBriscoe. At the end of the five months, we will re-evaluate our position based on meeting/exceeding our sales forecast and will make adjustments for the next six months accordingly.

6.2.4 Positioning Statement

For those companies, associations, and organizations who need time-saving, reliable, honest, and intelligent assistance with site searches and meeting planning, GlobeSpan can provide the timely follow-up, integrity, advocacy, and custom solutions of a small company while offering the leverage, technical and meeting destination knowledge of a big company. Unlike the national representation firms, GlobeSpan is not on retainer with specific hotels/resorts and, therefore, can offer objective solutions to the client’s custom meeting needs.

6.3 Sales Strategy

The features of GlobeSpan, combined with it’s no-cost service to the client, will assist in closing sales. We must stress to the client that our commission will not increase the price paid by the client to the hotel/resort and ensure the hotels/resorts utilized are consistent with this promise. To ensure future sales, we must have incredible follow-up and personalized customer service. We must create so much value in our service that planning a meeting without us would be viewed by the client as a mistake.

6.3.1 Sales Forecast

Our sales forecast in the appendix of this plan details our anticipated commissions. This is a very conservative estimate based on the actual history of sales of one of the owners. Please note the plan outlines the quarterly nature of corporate sales (our major segment) and tends to be lower during the beginning of a quarter (January through March would be one quarter) and heavier toward the close of the quarters. We anticipate no referral commission at first, however, we do anticipate that that commission will slowly and steadily increase over time.

Example: To achieve a $3,000 commission in month one, we are anticipating closing $50,000 in rooms revenue or approximately one contract at, for example, 75 rooms for four nights at a rate of $175 actualized in August. This would yield a $3,000 commission which is 6% of $50,000. The rest of the forecast is figured with the same reasoning.

6.3.2 Sales Programs

Our sales programs for the first five months of operation are listed in our Milestones chart. Specifically, we intend to qualify our customers utilizing industry directories such as the Meeting Planners Guide and other relevant resources, create planner specific letters and proposals based on each segment’s different needs, follow-up with telephone solicitation and personal letters and perform future follow-up in the form of friendly direct mail and telephone calls. At the end of the five months, we will re-evaluate our position based on meeting/exceeding our sales forecast and will make adjustments for the next six months accordingly.

6.4 Strategic Alliances

We will form a strategic alliance with HelmsBricoe Performance Group. This alliance will allow GlobeSpan access to many helpful items:

• By utilizing the “permission marketing” of HelmsBriscoe, GlobeSpan is immediately recognized as the country’s largest meeting and conference resource firm. No introduction or start-up advertising is necessary.

6.5 Milestones

The following table offers our benchmarks for success. GlobeSpan has assigned each task to an owner and have very specific completion dates for each task.

As demonstrated, we are focused on marketing and sales. By ending the milestones in January, we are demonstrating a business philosophy–constant evaluation and change for the better. It is our intention to spend a week every six months thinking and evaluating the current status of our business and designing a new milestone charge for the future, which integrates our successes and creates new ideas for the future.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The owners of GlobeSpan Meeting Planners have over 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry. With the knowledge of all aspects of event planning, from initial hotel contact to final hotel billing, we offer a solid base of information from which the customer can draw. The founders of GlobeSpan have worked with many potential planner customers already on the resort side and have demonstrated competence in meeting site selection and planning.

We will rely on Resource One to outsource any upsold services such as air/meeting development/program administration/destination management/production/on-site negotiations. Uniquely, GlobeSpan will earn commission on this outsourcing and it will provided at no charge to GlobeSpan.

7.1 Organizational Structure

The two owners will divide the responsibilities of the business. While both will decide on major company matters, the day to day operation will be divided into two major sections:

• Hotel/resort contact, site selection and upsell of additional services.

Administrative work will be divided equally as necessary among the owners with a part-time administrative staff position becoming available as soon as deemed appropriate by both owners to free the owners for direct client/hotel/resort contact.

7.2 Management Team

GlobeSpan is committed to sales and service. Tracey Latkovic, former director of sales of a major resort, has taken on the sales role within the company. Kerry Feltenberg, former director of catering/conference services of a major resort, has taken on the service role within the company. This leaves no expertise out and provides a solid foundation for GlobeSpan.

Kerry Feltenberg reached executive level at [confidential], one of the most prestigious resorts in the nation, as director of catering/conference services. Her education includes the designation of CMP, certified meeting professional, which requires ongoing education, publication of articles in industry journals and public speaking engagements. A very successful professional, Kerry adds former President of Executive Women International to her list of achievements.

Tracey Latkovic is the former director of sales for [confidential], responsible for a five year personal achievement of over $21 million dollars in room sales. Her education includes a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering with a minor in mathematics. She has been honored by Today’s Arizona Woman Success Magazine as one of the Top Ten Women in Business and Industry.

7.3 Personnel Plan

The table below outlines our payroll for the owners over the next three years. In year one, we are planning on a modest salary of $4,000 per owner per month to cover existing living expenses. This salary will increase a modest 4.8% in fiscal year 2002 and again a modest 4.8% in fiscal year 2003. We feel our dividends from growth will supplement our income in year two and three. The detailed monthly personnel plan for the first year is included in the appendix.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

As a service or knowledge-based corporation, GlobeSpan Meeting Planners, Inc. will begin with very little start-up costs, and one long-term loan to allow the owners the ability to establish the company. As indicated on the following charts and tables, GlobeSpan will grow to need fewer funds over time to maintain growth. By year five, GlobeSpan will be completely debt-free and working with nearly the same overhead as it did on day one.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The following table of General Assumptions outline our conservative general assumptions on an annual basis. A monthly outline of the important assumptions is included in the appendix. Overall, we are assuming the forecasted business climate as outlined in the Business Climate Section will remain steady. Additionally, we assume our strategic partner, HelmsBriscoe’s positioning within the industry will continue to grow.

8.2 Key Financial Indicators

GlobeSpan shows, in the Key Financial Indicators chart which follows, three Benchmarks: Sales, Gross Margin, and Operating Expenses. We expect sales to grow steadily over the next three years while our gross margin remains unchanged and our operating expenses only rise slightly over the next three years.

8.3 Break-even Analysis

The following chart and table summarizes our monthly break-even analysis, with fixed costs at approximately $10,200 and commission needed at the same to break even.

8.4 Projected Profit and Loss

GlobeSpan’s projected income statement is shown in the following table. We show a conservative first year with approximately $120,000 in commissions; however, this grows to over $170,000 in 2002, and over $280,000 in 2003. With relatively low operating expenses, our net profits nearly quadruple in the second year, and almost double in the third. We have offered a detailed monthly outline of income in the appendix.

8.5 Projected Cash Flow

As demonstrated by the Projected Cash Flow Chart below, GlobeSpan’s cash balance is healthy, with our projected cash flow being negative for our first few months and then a slow recovery during the remainder of the year. Our net cash flow for fiscal year 2001 is -($21,600) with our cash balance at $28,000. Significant to note, in year one our long-term borrowing repayment will amount to over $12,800. A detailed monthly cash flow analysis is provided in the appendix.

8.6 Projected Balance Sheet

GlobeSpan has planned for success as outlined, this is evident in the projected balance sheet below. Our net worth will be a -($11,800) in year one to almost $127,000 in year three. We have outlined monthly estimates in the appendix.

8.7 Business Ratios

GlobeSpan’s projected business ratios are illustrated in the following chart. It is noteworthy that our net working capital will quadruple by year three and our debt to net worth ratio shrinks to an impressive 0.57 by year three. We look forward to healthy ratios for profitability, risk and return. The final column, Industry Profile, contains ratios based on the personal services industry, as defined by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) Index code 7299.

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