Centurion Consulting Group

Business Plan

Centurion Consulting Group develops many types of plans for ongoing businesses as well as startups, including pre-startups where only the concept for a business may exist. Sometimes, we conduct a Feasibility Study first, which answers two basic questions about the potential business: Is there a market and is that market growing? Is it a profitable market? If the business doesn’t look promising, we recommend that the entrepreneur not start the business. However, if the answer is “Yes” to both questions, then we take the research and analysis and use it as the basis for the business plan.

There are several types of business plans:

Summary Plan

This plan, about 10 to 15 pages, contains the most important information about the company. Oftentimes, this document is the first one given to a venture capitalist or bank. If the venture capitalists or financial institution likes this plan, they may ask for a more fully developed plan.

Standard Plan

A standard plan is usually 30 to 50 pages, plus attachments. This plan is an expansion of the summary plan.

Operational Plan

The operational plan can be as long as 100 pages. This is an internal document for the purpose of running the business. In some cases, we write both a summary plan and an operational plan: the former for funding and the latter for operating the business.

Funding Plan

A funding plan is used for obtaining equity or debt capital. Return on investment calculations are important in addition to a well-researched market analysis and strategy.

Business Review

A business review is for companies who want to sell their businesses. This type of plan discusses past milestones and future projections for the business.

Business Plan Table of Contents Summary or standard business plan may have some or all of the following areas included in the plan:
I.	Executive Summary
II.	Strategic Intent
		A.	Vision
		B.	Mission
III.	Market Analysis
		A.	Market
				1.	Size
				2.	Growth
				3.	Demographics
				4.	Trends
		B.	E-Commerce
IV.	Marketing Strategy
		A.	Overview
		B.	Marketing Plan
		C.	Competitors
V.	Business Operations
		A.	Company
		B.	Advisory Board of Directors
		C.	Strategic Alliances
VI.	Financials
		A.	Assumptions
				1.	Market Size
				2.	Revenues
				3.	Staffing
				4.	Expenses
				5.	Cash Flow
		B.	Operational Site Schedule
		C.	Revenue
		D.	Staffing
		E.	Direct Expenses
		F.	General and Administrative
		G.	Cash Flow
		H.	Funding
				1.	Sources
				2.	Uses
		I.	Return on Investment
VII.	Conclusion
VIII.	Appendix
		A.	End Notes

Biggest Holes in a Business Plan

In a recent survey conducted by Centurion Consulting Group, venture capitalists were polled about the biggest holes that they see in business plans. First on the list: Management. Many people have good ideas; however, they don’t surround themselves with experienced people who can execute a well-crafted plan.

The second hole that venture capitalists see is market analysis. The size of the market, the growth and/or trends may be ill-defined or not defined at all. Market analysis requires comprehensive research that proves the assumptions in the plan.

Let us know if you need help in writing your business plan.