Business Plan Guidelines

Business Plan Submissions Guidelines

All semi-finalists must submit a business plan of no more than 8 pages. We want you to tell the best possible story in the least amount of pages. Fluff will not help your chances of getting into the 3rd phase. Think of the executive summary as the foundation or core of a full blown business plan. We need you to think deeper and more strategically (research, provide data, studies you can cite, and back up for your claims) on how you plan to accomplish what you stated in the executive summary:

 

I. Overview of the Venture (up to 250 words)
A. Briefly describe your venture idea, its intended impact, and why it will make an impact for the greater good.
B. Describe what stage your company is at (e.g., initial concept, start-up, financing, ongoing business, etc.).

II. An Assessment of the Problem or Need (up to 250 words)
A. What problem are you addressing?

B. How is this problem currently being addressed or is it being unaddressed?

C. Why is the status quo not working? Assuming it is not? How so?

III. Describe Your Unique Solution (up to 2,400 words)
A. What is your proposed “solution” and how is it unique?

1. Market analysis (e.g., direct competitors, substitutes, status quo, hard to change behavior)

2. How do you intend to reach that market? How do your competitors do it?

3. Why do you think you can do this better?

4. Why would people or organizations pay for your product or use your service?

B. What is your business model?

1. What business models have you considered and why is this model the best one for your venture?

2. Which successful companies or business models are you emulating?

a. If such a company or business model does not exist, please explain why yours would work

b. Have other companies tried and are you aware of any that did and failed? Why?

C. How will you deliver your service/product to your intended customers?

1. How will you find your customers? How will you achieve this tangibly? What is the industry standard?

2. When has such strategies been successfully implemented? How will your venture be able to execute?

3. How are you positioning your service/products’ prices, value, and geography?

D. Finance

1. What is your estimated budget?

a. Estimated expenses (Use of proceeds)

b. Income (Revenue or donations) (Sources of funds)

2. Tell us how you plan to finance the venture? (e.g., self-funded, third party, debt, equity)

a. Why should any third party lend you money or invest in your idea?

b. What makes you a better investment than others?

 

IV. Qualifications of the Management Team (up to 300 words)

A. Who are they and their relevant experience(s)?

B. If you are the only manager, do you plan on working by yourself? Do you see your venture growing to include other collaborators?

C. If you have not identified the people to work with you, what are the job descriptions and how do you plan to find such talented partners?

V. Summary (up to 300 words)
A. How can Entrepreneurship Initiative help you?

1. What do you need? Specifics and why.

2. What can you do to help the EI work towards its vision?

Please submit your business plan to bpc@redeemer.com by midnight on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. A group of finalists will be selected from this pool. Those Finalists will present their plans before a panel of judges in February and March, respectively.