sample of business plan chapter five

550+ Business Plan Examples to Launch Your Business

Need help writing your business plan? Explore over 550 industry-specific business plan examples for inspiration.

Find your business plan example

Accounting, Insurance & Compliance Business Plans

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Business plan template: There's an easier way to get your business plan done.

Entertainment & Recreation Business Plans

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Fine Art & Crafts Business Plans

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Finish your plan faster with step-by-step guidance, financial wizards, and a proven format.

IT, Staffing & Customer Service Business Plans

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Manufacturing & Wholesale Business Plans

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Real Estate & Rentals Business Plans

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Retail & Ecommerce Business Plans

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Transportation, Travel & Logistics Business Plans

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View all sample business plans

Example business plan format

Before you start exploring our library of business plan examples, it's worth taking the time to understand the traditional business plan format . You'll find that the plans in this library and most investor-approved business plans will include the following sections:

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally only one to two pages. You should also plan to write this section last after you've written your full business plan.

Your executive summary should include a summary of the problem you are solving, a description of your product or service, an overview of your target market, a brief description of your team, a summary of your financials, and your funding requirements (if you are raising money).

Products & services

The products & services chapter of your business plan is where the real meat of your plan lives. It includes information about the problem that you're solving, your solution, and any traction that proves that it truly meets the need you identified.

This is your chance to explain why you're in business and that people care about what you offer. It needs to go beyond a simple product or service description and get to the heart of why your business works and benefits your customers.

Market analysis

Conducting a market analysis ensures that you fully understand the market that you're entering and who you'll be selling to. This section is where you will showcase all of the information about your potential customers. You'll cover your target market as well as information about the growth of your market and your industry. Focus on outlining why the market you're entering is viable and creating a realistic persona for your ideal customer base.

Competition

Part of defining your opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage may be. To do this effectively you need to get to know your competitors just as well as your target customers. Every business will have competition, if you don't then you're either in a very young industry or there's a good reason no one is pursuing this specific venture.

To succeed, you want to be sure you know who your competitors are, how they operate, necessary financial benchmarks, and how you're business will be positioned. Start by identifying who your competitors are or will be during your market research. Then leverage competitive analysis tools like the competitive matrix and positioning map to solidify where your business stands in relation to the competition.

Marketing & sales

The marketing and sales plan section of your business plan details how you plan to reach your target market segments. You'll address how you plan on selling to those target markets, what your pricing plan is, and what types of activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success.

The operations section covers the day-to-day workflows for your business to deliver your product or service. What's included here fully depends on the type of business. Typically you can expect to add details on your business location, sourcing and fulfillment, use of technology, and any partnerships or agreements that are in place.

Milestones & metrics

The milestones section is where you lay out strategic milestones to reach your business goals.

A good milestone clearly lays out the parameters of the task at hand and sets expectations for its execution. You'll want to include a description of the task, a proposed due date, who is responsible, and eventually a budget that's attached. You don't need extensive project planning in this section, just key milestones that you want to hit and when you plan to hit them.

You should also discuss key metrics, which are the numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common data points worth tracking include conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, profit, etc.

Company & team

Use this section to describe your current team and who you need to hire. If you intend to pursue funding, you'll need to highlight the relevant experience of your team members. Basically, this is where you prove that this is the right team to successfully start and grow the business. You will also need to provide a quick overview of your legal structure and history if you're already up and running.

Financial projections

Your financial plan should include a sales and revenue forecast, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement, and a balance sheet. You may not have established financials of any kind at this stage. Not to worry, rather than getting all of the details ironed out, focus on making projections and strategic forecasts for your business. You can always update your financial statements as you begin operations and start bringing in actual accounting data.

Now, if you intend to pitch to investors or submit a loan application, you'll also need a "use of funds" report in this section. This outlines how you intend to leverage any funding for your business and how much you're looking to acquire. Like the rest of your financials, this can always be updated later on.

The appendix isn't a required element of your business plan. However, it is a useful place to add any charts, tables, definitions, legal notes, or other critical information that supports your plan. These are often lengthier or out-of-place information that simply didn't work naturally into the structure of your plan. You'll notice that in these business plan examples, the appendix mainly includes extended financial statements.

Types of business plans explained

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. To get the most out of your plan, it's best to find a format that suits your needs. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan

The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used for external purposes. Typically this is the type of plan you'll need when applying for funding or pitching to investors. It can also be used when training or hiring employees, working with vendors, or in any other situation where the full details of your business must be understood by another individual.

Business model canvas

The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

The structure ditches a linear format in favor of a cell-based template. It encourages you to build connections between every element of your business. It's faster to write out and update, and much easier for you, your team, and anyone else to visualize your business operations.

One-page business plan

The true middle ground between the business model canvas and a traditional business plan is the one-page business plan . This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business.

By starting with a one-page plan , you give yourself a minimal document to build from. You'll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences making it much easier to elaborate or expand sections into a longer-form business plan.

Growth planning

Growth planning is more than a specific type of business plan. It's a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, forecast, review, and refine based on your performance.

It holds all of the benefits of the single-page plan, including the potential to complete it in as little as 27 minutes . However, it's even easier to convert into a more detailed plan thanks to how heavily it's tied to your financials. The overall goal of growth planning isn't to just produce documents that you use once and shelve. Instead, the growth planning process helps you build a healthier company that thrives in times of growth and remain stable through times of crisis.

It's faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

Download a free sample business plan template

Ready to start writing your own plan but aren't sure where to start? Download our free business plan template that's been updated for 2024.

This simple, modern, investor-approved business plan template is designed to make planning easy. It's a proven format that has helped over 1 million businesses write business plans for bank loans, funding pitches, business expansion, and even business sales. It includes additional instructions for how to write each section and is formatted to be SBA-lender approved. All you need to do is fill in the blanks.

How to use an example business plan to help you write your own

How do you know what elements need to be included in your business plan, especially if you've never written one before? Looking at examples can help you visualize what a full, traditional plan looks like, so you know what you're aiming for before you get started. Here's how to get the most out of a sample business plan.

Choose a business plan example from a similar type of company

You don't need to find an example business plan that's an exact fit for your business. Your business location, target market, and even your particular product or service may not match up exactly with the plans in our gallery. But, you don't need an exact match for it to be helpful. Instead, look for a plan that's related to the type of business you're starting.

For example, if you want to start a vegetarian restaurant, a plan for a steakhouse can be a great match. While the specifics of your actual startup will differ, the elements you'd want to include in your restaurant's business plan are likely to be very similar.

Use a business plan example as a guide

Every startup and small business is unique, so you'll want to avoid copying an example business plan word for word. It just won't be as helpful, since each business is unique. You want your plan to be a useful tool for starting a business —and getting funding if you need it.

One of the key benefits of writing a business plan is simply going through the process. When you sit down to write, you'll naturally think through important pieces, like your startup costs, your target market , and any market analysis or research you'll need to do to be successful.

You'll also look at where you stand among your competition (and everyone has competition), and lay out your goals and the milestones you'll need to meet. Looking at an example business plan's financials section can be helpful because you can see what should be included, but take them with a grain of salt. Don't assume that financial projections for a sample company will fit your own small business.

If you're looking for more resources to help you get started, our business planning guide is a good place to start. You can also download our free business plan template .

Think of business planning as a process, instead of a document

Think about business planning as something you do often , rather than a document you create once and never look at again. If you take the time to write a plan that really fits your own company, it will be a better, more useful tool to grow your business. It should also make it easier to share your vision and strategy so everyone on your team is on the same page.

Adjust your plan regularly to use it as a business management tool

Keep in mind that businesses that use their plan as a management tool to help run their business grow 30 percent faster than those businesses that don't. For that to be true for your company, you'll think of a part of your business planning process as tracking your actual results against your financial forecast on a regular basis.

If things are going well, your plan will help you think about how you can re-invest in your business. If you find that you're not meeting goals, you might need to adjust your budgets or your sales forecast. Either way, tracking your progress compared to your plan can help you adjust quickly when you identify challenges and opportunities—it's one of the most powerful things you can do to grow your business.

Prepare to pitch your business

If you're planning to pitch your business to investors or seek out any funding, you'll need a pitch deck to accompany your business plan. A pitch deck is designed to inform people about your business. You want your pitch deck to be short and easy to follow, so it's best to keep your presentation under 20 slides.

Your pitch deck and pitch presentation are likely some of the first things that an investor will see to learn more about your company. So, you need to be informative and pique their interest. Luckily, just like you can leverage an example business plan template to write your plan, we also have a gallery of over 50 pitch decks for you to reference.

With this gallery, you have the option to view specific industry pitches or get inspired by real-world pitch deck examples.

Ready to get started?

Now that you know how to use an example business plan to help you write a plan for your business, it's time to find the right one.

Use the search bar below to get started and find the right match for your business idea.

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Business Plan Development Guide

(6 reviews)

Lee Swanson, University of Saskatchewan

Copyright Year: 2017

Publisher: OPENPRESS.USASK.CA

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Kevin Heupel, Affiliate Faculty, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 3/4/20

The text does a good job of providing a general outline about writing and developing a written business plan. All of the important steps and components are included. However, the text is light on details, examples, and rationale for each element... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

The text does a good job of providing a general outline about writing and developing a written business plan. All of the important steps and components are included. However, the text is light on details, examples, and rationale for each element of the business plan. Some examples from actual business plans would be helpful.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

For the most part, the content is accurate. The content covers all important aspects of drafting a business plan. I thought the industry analysis could use more information about collecting primary and secondary sources; instead, this information was referenced in the marketing plan section.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Most of the content relies on cites as far back as 2006; however, when it comes to developing and writing a business plan nothing has changed. Thus, the content is current and there is no concern about it becoming obsolete in the near future.

Clarity rating: 4

The text is clear. There are no difficult terms used and the writing is simple. The text uses a lot of bullet points though, which gets tedious to read for a few pages.

Consistency rating: 5

The text does a good job of maintaining consistency in terms of framework and terminology. The text is organized where it's easy to find the information you want in a quick manner.

Modularity rating: 3

The text has a lot of bullet points and the paragraphs are dense. However, the use of subheading is excellent.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book is organized as if you're writing a business plan from start to finish, which is helpful as a practical guide.

Interface rating: 5

There are no navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, or any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is free of grammatical errors. The sentence structure is simple with many bullet points, which helps to avoid any grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book was written by a Canadian professor and provides references to Canadian sources. However, the information in this text can be used for U.S. schools.

This book is very short and provides a good, general overview about the process of creating and writing a business plan. It won't help a reader if he/she is confused about a certain part of the business plan. The reader will have to find another source, such as "Preparing Effective Business Plans" by Bruce Barringer, Ph.D. The book provides links to good resources and a finished business plan that the reader can reference. I would recommend the book for undergraduate courses.

Reviewed by Kenneth Lacho, Professor of Management, The University of New Orleans on 6/19/18

1. Text is relevant to Canada. Not the United States 2. Needs to cover resources available to entrepreneur, e.g., federal government agencies, trade associations, chambers of commerce, economic development agencies. 3. Discuss local economy or... read more

1. Text is relevant to Canada. Not the United States 2. Needs to cover resources available to entrepreneur, e.g., federal government agencies, trade associations, chambers of commerce, economic development agencies. 3. Discuss local economy or economic area relevant to this proposed business. 4. Business model ok as a guide. 5. Suggested mission statement to cover: product/business, target customer, geographical area covered. 6. Need detailed promotion plan, e.g., personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, networking publicity, and social media. 7. How do you find the target market? 8. Chapter 6 too much detail on debt and equity financing. 9. Discuss how to find sources of financing, e.g., angels. 10. Expand coverage of bootstring, crowdfunding. 11. Chapter 4 – good checklist. 12. Chapter 3 - overlaps. 13. Chapter 7 – 3 pages of executive summary – double or single spaced typing. Number all tables, graphs. 14. Some references out-of-date, mostly academic. Bring in trade magazines such as Entrepreneur.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

In my opinion, the content is accurate and error free.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The material is relevant to writing a business plan. I wonder if the Porter, SWOT VRIO, etc. material is too high level for students who may not be seniors or have non-business degrees (e.g., liberal arts). Porter has been around for a while and does have longevity. The author has to be more alert to changes in promotion, e.g., social media and sources of financing, e.g., crowdfunding.

Clarity rating: 3

As noted in No. 9, the tone of the writing is too academic, thus making the material difficult to understand. Paragraphs are too long. Need to define: Porter, TOWS Matrix, VRIO, PESTEL. A student less from a senior or a non-business major would not be familiar with these terms.

Consistency rating: 4

The text is internally consistent. The model approach helps keep the process consistent.

Modularity rating: 4

The process of developing a business plan is divided into blocks which are parts of the business plan. Paragraphs tend to be too long in some spots.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The topics are presented in a logical step-wise flow. The language style is too academic in parts, paragraphs too long. Leaves out the citations. Provides excellent check lists.

There are no display features which confuse the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

The text has no grammatical errors. On the other hand, I found the writing to be too academic in nature. Some paragraphs are too long. The material is more like an academic conference paper or journal submission. Academic citations references are not needed. The material is not exciting to read.

The text is culturally neutral. There are no examples which are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

This book best for a graduate class.

Reviewed by Louis Bruneau, Part Time Faculty, Portland Community College on 6/19/18

The text provides appropriate discussion and illustration of all major concepts and useful references to source and resource materials. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text provides appropriate discussion and illustration of all major concepts and useful references to source and resource materials.

Contents of the book were accurate, although it could have benefited from editing/proofreading; there was no evidence of bias. As to editing/proofreading, a couple of examples: A. “Figure 1 – Business Plan… “ is shown at the top of the page following the diagram vs. the bottom of the page the diagram is on. (There are other problems with what is placed on each page.) B. First paragraph under heading “Essential Initial Research” there is reference to pages 21 to 30 though page numbering is missing from the book. (Page numbers are used in the Table of Contents.)

The book is current in that business planning has been stable for sometime. The references and resources will age in time, but are limited and look easy to update.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is written in a straightforward way, technical terms that needed explanations got them, jargon was avoided and generally it was an easy read.

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

The book lends itself to a multi-week course. A chapter could be presented and students could work on that stage of Plan development. It could also be pre-meeting reading for a workshop presentation. Reorganizing the book would be inappropriate.

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion.

Generally, the book is free of interface problems. The financial tables in the Sample Plan were turned 90° to maintain legibility. One potential problem was with Figure 6 – Business Model Canvas. The print within the cells was too small to read; the author mitigated the problem by presenting the information, following Figure 6, in the type font of the text.

I found no grammatical errors.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.

I require a business plan in a course I teach; for most of the students the assignment is a course project that they do not intend to pursue in real life. I shared the book with five students that intended to develop an actual start-up business; three of them found it helpful while the other two decided not to do that much work on their plans. If I were planning a start-up, I would use/follow the book.

Reviewed by Todd Johnson, Faculty of Business, North Hennepin Community College on 5/21/18

The text is a thorough overview of all elements of a business plan. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text is a thorough overview of all elements of a business plan.

The content is accurate and seems to lack bias.

Content seems relevant and useful . It does not help an entrepreneur generate ideas, and is very light on crowdfunding and other novel funding source content. It is more traditional. This can be easily updated in future versions, however. "Social Media" appears once in the book, as does "Crowd Funding".

The book is comprehensive, but perhaps not written in the most lucid, accessible prose. I am not sure any college student could pick this up and just read and learn. It would be best used as a "teach along guide" for students to process with an instructor.

The text seems consistent. The author does a nice job of consistently staying on task and using bullets and brevity.

Here I am not so certain. The table of contents is not a good guide for this book. It does make the book look nicely laid out, but there is a lot of complexity within these sections. I read it uncertain that it was well organized. Yes there are many good bits of information, however it is not as if I could spend time on one swathe of text at a time. I would need to go back and forth throughout the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

Similar to the above. I did not like the flow and organization of this. An editor would help things be in a more logical order.

Interface rating: 2

The interface is just OK. It is not an attractice interface, as it presents text in a very dense manner. The images and charts are hard to follow.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I a not certain of the origins of Saskatchewan, but I do feel this is a different read. It is more formal and dense than it has to be. This would be a difficult read for my students. I do not feel it is insensitive in any way, or offensive in any way.

I would not adopt this book if given the chance. It is too dense, and not organized very well, even though the information is very good. The density and lack of modularity are barriers to understanding what is obviously very good information.

Reviewed by Mariana Mitova, Lecturer, Bowling Green State University on 2/1/18

Though this textbook has a prescriptive nature, it is quite comprehensive. The author strikes a good balance between presenting concepts in a concise way and providing enough information to explain them. Many every-day examples and live links to... read more

Though this textbook has a prescriptive nature, it is quite comprehensive. The author strikes a good balance between presenting concepts in a concise way and providing enough information to explain them. Many every-day examples and live links to other resources add to the completeness of the textbook.

Content seems accurate.

Since the content is somewhat conceptual, the text will not become obsolete quickly. In addition, the author seems to be updating and editing content often hence the relevance to current developments is on target.

The text is very clear, written in clear and straight-to-the point language.

The organization of content is consistent throughout the entire text.

The textbook is organized by chapters, beginning with overview of the model used and followed by chapters for each concept within the model. Nicely done.

The flow is clear, logical and easy to follow.

Overall, images, links, and text are well organized. Some headlines were misaligned but still easy to follow.

No concerns for grammar.

No concerns for cultural irrelevance.

Reviewed by Darlene Weibye, Cosmetology Instructor, Minnesota State Community and Technical College on 2/1/18

The text is comprehensive and covers the information needed to develop a business plan. The book provides all the means necessary in business planning. read more

The text is comprehensive and covers the information needed to develop a business plan. The book provides all the means necessary in business planning.

The text was accurate, and error-free. I did not find the book to be biased.

The content is up-to-date. I am reviewing the book in 2017, the same year the book was published.

The content was very clear. A business plan sample included operation timelines, start up costs, and all relevant material in starting a business.

The book is very consistent and is well organized.

The book has a table of contents and is broken down into specific chapters. The chapters are not divided into sub topics. I do not feel it is necessary for sub topics because the chapters are brief and to the point.

There is a great flow from chapter to chapter. One topic clearly leads into the next without repeating.

The table of contents has direct links to each chapter. The appearance of the chapters are easy to read and the charts are very beneficial.

Does not appear to have any grammatical errors.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.

I am incorporating some of the text into the salon business course. Very well written book.

Table of Contents

Introduction

• Chapter 1 – Developing a Business Plan
• Chapter 2 – Essential Initial Research
• Chapter 3 – Business Models
• Chapter 4 – Initial Business Plan Draft
• Chapter 5 – Making the Business Plan Realistic
• Chapter 6 – Making the Plan Appeal to Stakeholders and Desirable to the Entrepreneur
• Chapter 7 – Finishing the Business Plan
• Chapter 8 – Business Plan Pitches

References Appendix A – Business Plan Development Checklist and Project Planner Appendix B – Fashion Importers Inc. Business Plan Business Plan Excel Template

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This textbook and its accompanying spreadsheet templates were designed with and for students wanting a practical and easy-to-follow guide for developing a business plan. It follows a unique format that both explains what to do and demonstrates how to do it.

About the Contributors

Dr. Lee Swanson is an Associate Professor of Management and Marketing at the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan. His research focuses on entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, Aboriginal entrepreneurship, community capacity-building through entrepreneurship, and institutional-stakeholder engagement. Dr. Swanson’s current research is funded through a Social Sciences Humanities Research Council grant and focuses on social and economic capacity building in Northern Saskatchewan and Northern Scandinavia. He is also actively studying Aboriginal community partnerships with resource based companies, entrepreneurship centres at universities, community-based entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions. He teaches upper-year and MBA entrepreneurship classes and conducts seminars on business planning and business development.

Contribute to this Page

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Textbook Resources

• Business Plan Project Template
• Sample Business Plans
• Links to Business Plan Resources
• Study-To-Go

Unit Resources

Chapter Activities

• Practice Test
• Interactive Tutor
• Software Application Activity

Section Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Curricula Correlations
• PowerPoint sample chapter
• Reading Organizers Answer Key
• Brainstorming Games
• Build Self Knowledge Games
• Stimulate Creativity Games
• Software Applications Activities Answer Key

24 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

Published: February 06, 2024

I believe that reading sample business plans is essential when writing your own.

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As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it’s easier for you to learn how to write a good one.

But what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that’s both viable and convincing. I’ll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started.

Table of Contents

Business Plan Format

Business plan types, sample business plan templates, top business plan examples.

Ask any successful sports coach how they win so many games, and they’ll tell you they have a unique plan for every single game. To me, the same logic applies to business.

If you want to build a thriving company that can pull ahead of the competition, you need to prepare for battle before breaking into a market.

Business plans guide you along the rocky journey of growing a company. And if your business plan is compelling enough, it can also convince investors to give you funding.

With so much at stake, I’m sure you’re wondering where to begin.

Free Business Plan Template

The essential document for starting a business -- custom built for your needs.

• Outline your idea.
• Pitch to investors.
• Secure funding.
• Get to work!

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Fill out the form to get your free template.

First, you’ll want to nail down your formatting. Most business plans include the following sections.

1. Executive Summary

I’d say the executive summary is the most important section of the entire business plan. 

Why? Essentially, it's the overview or introduction, written in a way to grab readers' attention and guide them through the rest of the business plan. This is important, because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

There are two main elements I’d recommend including in your executive summary:

Company Description

This is the perfect space to highlight your company’s mission statement and goals, a brief overview of your history and leadership, and your top accomplishments as a business.

Tell potential investors who you are and why what you do matters. Naturally, they’re going to want to know who they’re getting into business with up front, and this is a great opportunity to showcase your impact.

Need some extra help firming up those business goals? Check out HubSpot Academy’s free course to help you set goals that matter — I’d highly recommend it

Products and Services

To piggyback off of the company description, be sure to incorporate an overview of your offerings. This doesn’t have to be extensive — just another chance to introduce your industry and overall purpose as a business.

In addition to the items above, I recommend including some information about your financial projections and competitive advantage here too.:

Keep in mind you'll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. So, keep the executive summary clear and brief, and only include the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template:

This executive summary is so good to me because it tells potential investors a short story while still covering all of the most important details.

Image Source

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

• Start with a strong introduction of your company, showcase your mission and impact, and outline the products and services you provide.
• Clearly define a problem, and explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
• Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
• Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
• Customize your summary to your audience. For example, emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists.

Check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary for more guidance.

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market.

The main question I’d ask myself here is this: Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will my product fill that gap?

More specifically, here’s what I’d include in this section:

• The size of the market
• Current or potential market share
• Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
• Where the gap is
• What caused the gap
• How you intend to fill it

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, and SOM analysis and perform market research on your industry.

You may also benefit from creating a SWOT analysis to get some of the insights for this section.

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

I like this example because it uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

• Focus on demand and potential for growth.
• Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
• Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
• Refer to reliable sources.
• Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape

Since we’re already speaking of market share, you'll also need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are.

After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you'll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another.

My favorite part of performing a competitive analysis is that it can help you uncover:

• Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing
• Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle
• Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points
• The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

I like how the competitive landscape section of this business plan below shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are.

It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location, which shows useful experience in this specific industry. 

This can help build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

• Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
• Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
• Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
• Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
• Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
• Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

Use this section to describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience?

If your immediate answer is "everyone," you'll need to dig deeper. Here are some questions I’d ask myself here:

• What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
• What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
• Why are your offerings valuable to them?

I’d also recommend building a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear on why you're targeting them.

Target Audience Business Plan Example

I like the example below because it uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

• Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
• Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience , then show why your product is a useful solution.
• Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
• Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
• Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
• Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you'll discuss how you'll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. I’d suggest including information:

• Your brand positioning vision and how you'll cultivate it
• The goal targets you aim to achieve
• The metrics you'll use to measure success
• The channels and distribution tactics you'll use

I think it’s helpful to have a marketing plan built out in advance to make this part of your business plan easier.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler.

In my opinion, it really works because it offers a comprehensive picture of how they plan to use digital marketing to promote the community.

Tips for Writing Your Marketing Strategy

• Include a section about how you believe your brand vision will appeal to customers.
• Add the budget and resources you'll need to put your plan in place.
• Outline strategies for specific marketing segments.
• Connect strategies to earlier sections like target audience and competitive analysis.
• Review how your marketing strategy will scale with the growth of your business.
• Cover a range of channels and tactics to highlight your ability to adapt your plan in the face of change.

6. Key Features and Benefits

At some point in your business plan, you'll need to review the key features and benefits of your products and/or services.

Laying these out can give readers an idea of how you're positioning yourself in the market and the messaging you're likely to use. It can even help them gain better insight into your business model.

Key Features and Benefits Business Plan Example

In my opinion, the example below does a great job outlining products and services for this business, along with why these qualities will attract the audience.

Tips for Writing Your Key Features and Benefits

• Emphasize why and how your product or service offers value to customers.
• Use metrics and testimonials to support the ideas in this section.
• Talk about how your products and services have the potential to scale.
• Think about including a product roadmap.
• Focus on customer needs, and how the features and benefits you are sharing meet those needs.
• Offer proof of concept for your ideas, like case studies or pilot program feedback.
• Proofread this section carefully, and remove any jargon or complex language.

7. Pricing and Revenue

This is where you'll discuss your cost structure and various revenue streams. Your pricing strategy must be solid enough to turn a profit while staying competitive in the industry. 

For this reason, here’s what I’d might outline in this section:

• The specific pricing breakdowns per product or service
• Why your pricing is higher or lower than your competition's
• (If higher) Why customers would be willing to pay more
• (If lower) How you're able to offer your products or services at a lower cost
• When you expect to break even, what margins do you expect, etc?

Pricing and Revenue Business Plan Example

I like how this business plan example begins with an overview of the business revenue model, then shows proposed pricing for key products.

Tips for Writing Your Pricing and Revenue Section

• Get specific about your pricing strategy. Specifically, how you connect that strategy to customer needs and product value.
• If you are asking a premium price, share unique features or innovations that justify that price point.
• Show how you plan to communicate pricing to customers.
• Create an overview of every revenue stream for your business and how each stream adds to your business model as a whole.
• Share plans to develop new revenue streams in the future.
• Show how and whether pricing will vary by customer segment and how pricing aligns with marketing strategies.
• Restate your value proposition and explain how it aligns with your revenue model.

8. Financials

To me, this section is particularly informative for investors and leadership teams to figure out funding strategies, investment opportunities, and more.

 According to Forbes , you'll want to include three main things:

• Profit/Loss Statement - This answers the question of whether your business is currently profitable.
• Cash Flow Statement - This details exactly how much cash is incoming and outgoing to give insight into how much cash a business has on hand.
• Balance Sheet - This outlines assets, liabilities, and equity, which gives insight into how much a business is worth.

While some business plans might include more or less information, these are the key details I’d include in this section.

Financials Business Plan Example

This balance sheet is a great example of level of detail you’ll need to include in the financials section of your business plan.

Tips for Writing Your Financials Section

• Growth potential is important in this section too. Using your data, create a forecast of financial performance in the next three to five years.
• Include any data that supports your projections to assure investors of the credibility of your proposal.
• Add a break-even analysis to show that your business plan is financially practical. This information can also help you pivot quickly as your business grows.
• Consider adding a section that reviews potential risks and how sensitive your plan is to changes in the market.
• Triple-check all financial information in your plan for accuracy.
• Show how any proposed funding needs align with your plans for growth.

As you create your business plan, keep in mind that each of these sections will be formatted differently. Some may be in paragraph format, while others could be charts or graphs.

The formats above apply to most types of business plans. That said, the format and structure of your plan will vary by your goals for that plan. 

So, I’ve added a quick review of different business plan types. For a more detailed overview, check out this post .

1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas.

If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business.

You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business's product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. In my opinion, internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

Another business plan that's often for sharing internally is a strategic business plan. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company's acquisition or repositioning strategy.

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

Now that you know what's included and how to format a business plan, let's review some of my favorite templates.

1. HubSpot's One-Page Business Plan

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template..

The business plan linked above was created here at HubSpot and is perfect for businesses of any size — no matter how many strategies we still have to develop.

Fields such as Company Description, Required Funding, and Implementation Timeline give this one-page business plan a framework for how to build your brand and what tasks to keep track of as you grow.

Then, as the business matures, you can expand on your original business plan with a new iteration of the above document.

Why I Like It

This one-page business plan is a fantastic choice for the new business owner who doesn’t have the time or resources to draft a full-blown business plan. It includes all the essential sections in an accessible, bullet-point-friendly format. That way, you can get the broad strokes down before honing in on the details.

2. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

We also created a business plan template for entrepreneurs.

The template is designed as a guide and checklist for starting your own business. You’ll learn what to include in each section of your business plan and how to do it.

There’s also a list for you to check off when you finish each section of your business plan.

Strong game plans help coaches win games and help businesses rocket to the top of their industries. So if you dedicate the time and effort required to write a workable and convincing business plan, you’ll boost your chances of success and even dominance in your market.

This business plan kit is essential for the budding entrepreneur who needs a more extensive document to share with investors and other stakeholders.

It not only includes sections for your executive summary, product line, market analysis, marketing plan, and sales plan, but it also offers hands-on guidance for filling out those sections.

3. LiveFlow’s Financial Planning Template with built-in automation

This free template from LiveFlow aims to make it easy for businesses to create a financial plan and track their progress on a monthly basis.

The P&L Budget versus Actual format allows users to track their revenue, cost of sales, operating expenses, operating profit margin, net profit, and more.

The summary dashboard aggregates all of the data put into the financial plan sheet and will automatically update when changes are made.

Instead of wasting hours manually importing your data to your spreadsheet, LiveFlow can also help you to automatically connect your accounting and banking data directly to your spreadsheet, so your numbers are always up-to-date.

With the dashboard, you can view your runway, cash balance, burn rate, gross margins, and other metrics. Having a simple way to track everything in one place will make it easier to complete the financials section of your business plan.

This is a fantastic template to track performance and alignment internally and to create a dependable process for documenting financial information across the business. It’s highly versatile and beginner-friendly.

It’s especially useful if you don’t have an accountant on the team. (I always recommend you do, but for new businesses, having one might not be possible.)

4. ThoughtCo’s Sample Business Plan

One of the more financially oriented sample business plans in this list, BPlan’s free business plan template dedicates many of its pages to your business’s financial plan and financial statements.

After filling this business plan out, your company will truly understand its financial health and the steps you need to take to maintain or improve it.

I absolutely love this business plan template because of its ease-of-use and hands-on instructions (in addition to its finance-centric components). If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of writing an entire business plan, consider using this template to help you with the process.

6. Harvard Business Review’s "How to Write a Winning Business Plan"

Most sample business plans teach you what to include in your business plan, but this Harvard Business Review article will take your business plan to the next level — it teaches you the why and how behind writing a business plan.

With the guidance of Stanley Rich and Richard Gumpert, co-authors of " Business Plans That Win: Lessons From the MIT Enterprise Forum ", you'll learn how to write a convincing business plan that emphasizes the market demand for your product or service.

You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of my favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

7. HubSpot’s Complete Guide to Starting a Business

If you’re an entrepreneur, you know writing a business plan is one of the most challenging first steps to starting a business.

Fortunately, with HubSpot's comprehensive guide to starting a business, you'll learn how to map out all the details by understanding what to include in your business plan and why it’s important to include them. The guide also fleshes out an entire sample business plan for you.

If you need further guidance on starting a business, HubSpot's guide can teach you how to make your business legal, choose and register your business name, and fund your business. It will also give small business tax information and includes marketing, sales, and service tips.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of starting a business, in addition to writing your business plan, with a high level of exactitude and detail. So if you’re in the midst of starting your business, this is an excellent guide for you.

It also offers other resources you might need, such as market analysis templates.

8. Panda Doc’s Free Business Plan Template

PandaDoc’s free business plan template is one of the more detailed and fleshed-out sample business plans on this list. It describes what you should include in each section, so you don't have to come up with everything from scratch.

Once you fill it out, you’ll fully understand your business’ nitty-gritty details and how all of its moving parts should work together to contribute to its success.

This template has two things I love: comprehensiveness and in-depth instructions. Plus, it’s synced with PandaDoc’s e-signature software so that you and other stakeholders can sign it with ease. For that reason, I especially love it for those starting a business with a partner or with a board of directors.

9. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers several free business plan templates that can be used to inspire your own plan.

Before you get started, you can decide what type of business plan you need — a traditional or lean start-up plan.

Then, you can review the format for both of those plans and view examples of what they might look like.

We love both of the SBA’s templates because of their versatility. You can choose between two options and use the existing content in the templates to flesh out your own plan. Plus, if needed, you can get a free business counselor to help you along the way.

I’ve compiled some completed business plan samples to help you get an idea of how to customize a plan for your business.

I chose different types of business plan ideas to expand your imagination. Some are extensive, while others are fairly simple.

Let’s take a look.

1. LiveFlow

One of the major business expenses is marketing. How you handle your marketing reflects your company’s revenue.

I included this business plan to show you how you can ensure your marketing team is aligned with your overall business plan to get results. The plan also shows you how to track even the smallest metrics of your campaigns, like ROI and payback periods instead of just focusing on big metrics like gross and revenue.

Fintech startup, LiveFlow, allows users to sync real-time data from its accounting services, payment platforms, and banks into custom reports. This eliminates the task of pulling reports together manually, saving teams time and helping automate workflows.

"Using this framework over a traditional marketing plan will help you set a profitable marketing strategy taking things like CAC, LTV, Payback period, and P&L into consideration," explains LiveFlow co-founder, Lasse Kalkar .

When it came to including marketing strategy in its business plan, LiveFlow created a separate marketing profit and loss statement (P&L) to track how well the company was doing with its marketing initiatives.

This is a great approach, allowing businesses to focus on where their marketing dollars are making the most impact. Having this information handy will enable you to build out your business plan’s marketing section with confidence. LiveFlow has shared the template here . You can test it for yourself.

2. Lula Body

Sometimes all you need is a solid mission statement and core values to guide you on how to go about everything. You do this by creating a business plan revolving around how to fulfill your statement best.

For example, Patagonia is an eco-friendly company, so their plan discusses how to make the best environmentally friendly products without causing harm.

A good mission statement  should not only resonate with consumers but should also serve as a core value compass for employees as well.

Patagonia has one of the most compelling mission statements I’ve seen:

"Together, let’s prioritise purpose over profit and protect this wondrous planet, our only home."

It reels you in from the start, and the environmentally friendly theme continues throughout the rest of the statement.

This mission goes on to explain that they are out to "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to protect nature."

Their mission statement is compelling and detailed, with each section outlining how they will accomplish their goal.

4. Vesta Home Automation

This executive summary for a smart home device startup is part of a business plan created by students at Mount Royal University .

While it lacks some of the sleek visuals of the templates above, its executive summary does a great job of demonstrating how invested they are in the business.

Right away, they mention they’ve invested $200,000 into the company already, which shows investors they have skin in the game and aren’t just looking for someone else to foot the bill.

This is the kind of business plan you need when applying for business funds. It clearly illustrates the expected future of the company and how the business has been coming along over the years.

5. NALB Creative Center

This fictional business plan for an art supply store includes everything one might need in a business plan: an executive summary, a company summary, a list of services, a market analysis summary, and more.

One of its most notable sections is its market analysis summary, which includes an overview of the population growth in the business’ target geographical area, as well as a breakdown of the types of potential customers they expect to welcome at the store. 

This sort of granular insight is essential for understanding and communicating your business’s growth potential. Plus, it lays a strong foundation for creating relevant and useful buyer personas .

It’s essential to keep this information up-to-date as your market and target buyer changes. For that reason, you should carry out market research as often as possible to ensure that you’re targeting the correct audience and sharing accurate information with your investors.

Due to its comprehensiveness, it’s an excellent example to follow if you’re opening a brick-and-mortar store and need to get external funding to start your business .

6. Curriculum Companion Suites (CSS)

If you’re looking for a SaaS business plan example, look no further than this business plan for a fictional educational software company called Curriculum Companion Suites. 

Like the business plan for the NALB Creative Center, it includes plenty of information for prospective investors and other key stakeholders in the business.

One of the most notable features of this business plan is the executive summary, which includes an overview of the product, market, and mission.

The first two are essential for software companies because the product offering is so often at the forefront of the company’s strategy. Without that information being immediately available to investors and executives, then you risk writing an unfocused business plan.

It’s essential to front-load your company’s mission if it explains your "Why?" and this example does just that. In other words, why do you do what you do, and why should stakeholders care? This is an important section to include if you feel that your mission will drive interest in the business and its offerings.

7. Culina Sample Business Plan

Culina's sample business plan is an excellent example of how to lay out your business plan so that it flows naturally, engages readers, and provides the critical information investors and stakeholders need. 

You can use this template as a guide while you're gathering important information for your own business plan. You'll have a better understanding of the data and research you need to do since Culina’s plan outlines these details so flawlessly for inspiration.

8. Plum Sample Business Plan

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Appendix: A Sample Business Plan

The following business plan for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue was built using Business Plan Pro software. It is for the purpose of illustration and does not represent the full capabilities of the software.

Executive Summary

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has operated for decades in the southern Connecticut shore region. With a tradition of superlative food at fair prices served in a family-friendly atmosphere, the owners now believe it is time to open a second restaurant and expand the production and the distribution of Frank’s signature barbecue sauces. This second restaurant will be in Darien, Connecticut, and will be nearly twice as large, in terms of seating capacity, as the current Fairfield restaurant. The company also plans to ramp up production of its sauces and increase their sales fourfold in the next three years.

The owners of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue and other investors plan to put $160,000 of their own money into the second restaurant and expand the production of the signature sauces. They seek to raise an addition $175,000 from a bank loan that will be repaid in two years.

Vision Statement

To produce the best barbecue food in New England.

Mission Statement

The mission of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is to provide the southern Connecticut shore region with the finest barbecue food in four major regional styles at affordable prices in a family-friendly setting. As we grow, we will never forget and remain faithful to those factors that have made us a success.

Keys to Success

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has been in business for nearly forty years. It has weathered good times and bad times through all types of economic conditions. We have survived because Frank’s has remained committed to several principles.

• The only objective of a restaurant is to serve the finest food it can prepare. Good food—not more gimmicks or advertising—brings in customers and, more importantly, keeps customers.
• Preparing the finest foods means a commitment to excellence, which means obtaining the best ingredients and a dedication to cooking barbecue properly, which means cooking carefully and slowly .
• In addition to providing the finest food, we remain committed to providing excellent service. To us, this means friendly and knowledgeable staff members who make the customers feel like they are dining with family.
• We provide the right atmosphere. Our goal is to have a setting that says “barbecue.” We do not provide a fancy setting; our basic setting complements the food we serve.

Company Summary

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has been a highly successful restaurant in Fairfield, Connecticut, for nearly forty years. It was started and is still managed by Frank Rainsford. Its food and sauces have won awards at both regional and national barbecue cook-offs. In addition, Frank’s has been voted the best barbecue establishment in Connecticut numerous times by many local newspapers and magazines.

The management team of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has decided that now is the time to expand to an additional location. After careful analysis, a second Frank’s All-American BarBeQue can and should be opened in Darien, Connecticut. This restaurant will be larger and geared to better tap into the growing premade, take-home dinner market.

In the last few years, Frank’s has been selling its four signature barbecue sauces—Texan, Memphis, Kansas City, and Carolina—in local supermarkets. Although this represents a small portion of overall revenues, sales have been growing at a remarkable pace. This market must be exploited. Preliminary market research indicates that this segment of the business will grow at 20 percent per year for the next five years.

Company Ownership

Presently, Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is a limited liability partnership with Frank Rainsford and his wife Betty as owners. Each has a 50 percent share in the business.

The plans for expansion will bring in capital from three other investors: Robert Rainsford, Susan Rainsford Rogers, and Alice Jacobs. Robert Rainsford and Susan Rainsford Rogers are the son and daughter of Frank and Betty. Both have extensive work experience at Frank’s. Alice Jacobs has been the restaurant’s accountant for over twenty years.

To assist the financing of the expansion, Robert Rainsford and Susan Rainsford Rogers will each invest $50,000, while Alice Jacobs will invest $60,000.

The new limited liability partnership will result in the investors holding the following equity percentages:

Company History

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue was founded in 1972 by Frank Rainsford. Although a native New Englander, Frank learned about cooking barbecue while serving in the US Air Force. During his twelve years of service, he traveled across the country and learned about the four major styles of American barbecue—Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, and Carolina. His plan was to introduce people in southern Connecticut to real barbecue that entailed high-quality meats properly cooked and smoked over an appropriate length of time.

In the beginning, Frank’s All-American BarBeQue was a small facility; it could seat about thirty people. It was located near the Fairfield railroad station and was the first full-service barbecue restaurant in Fairfield. Frank’s placed an emphasis on featuring the food; it had a highly simplified decor where the tables were covered with butcher paper, not linen tablecloths. The restaurant was an immediate hit, received considerable local press, and won several food awards. This success enabled Frank’s to move to a larger facility in Fairfield on the town’s main thoroughfare—Boston Post Road. The new location was a midsize restaurant of about eighty seats. Frank has built this location into a relatively successful and locally well-known enterprise. It has been at the present location since the early 1980s. It shares a parking lot with several other stores in the small mall in which it is located.

Frank’s has won many awards at regional and national barbecue cook-offs (for both the food and the sauces), which is unusual for a barbecue business in New England. The restaurant has been written up, repeatedly, in the local and New York papers for the quality of its food and its four signature barbecue sauces. In the last few years, Frank’s has sold small lots of these sauces in local supermarkets. They have been distributed because of Frank’s personal connections with the store managers. Frank Rainsford has been approached by a major regional supermarket to sell his sauces. The supermarket is willing to find a facility that could produce Frank’s sauces in significantly larger volumes, which would represent a substantial increase in the sales of sauces. “Past Performance of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue” provides a summary of key financial figures for the last three years—2008 to 2010. “Past Performance Chart” illustrates these key numbers for that period of time.

Past Performance of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue

Past Performance Chart

Company Locations and Facilities

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has been in Fairfield, Connecticut, for decades. It has a reputation throughout the southern Connecticut shore region for excellent food and has received numerous awards. The management team determined that a second location could tap into this local name recognition. Several towns in the region were evaluated for total population, population density, family income, and home value. These factors were considered because of their impact on generating traffic and consumers being able to pay for meals that are priced slightly higher than typical fast-food outlets. In addition, the average family size and the percentage of family households were considered because Frank’s is a family restaurant. Lastly, data were gathered on the average travel time to and from work for residents and the real estate tax rate. Because the new location of Frank’s will emphasize prepared meals, we felt that individuals with longer commutes would be more likely to order meals and pick them up at Frank’s. A summary of these data is provided in “Demographic Data for Selected Connecticut Towns—Part 1” and “Demographic Data for Selected Connecticut Towns—Part 2”.

After thorough analysis, it was concluded that Darien, Connecticut, would be the best location for the new branch of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. It has a high-income population and a high population density, and a large percentage of its inhabitants are members of family households. They have longer commuting times, which increase the potential need for prepared meals.

Demographic Data for Selected Connecticut Towns—Part 1

Demographic Data for Selected Connecticut Towns—Part 2

A specific location has been identified in Darien for the second Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. It is in a small mall and is large enough to have a seating capacity of 150–160 plus takeout facilities. The mall has more than adequate parking for future customers. The mall is located three blocks from the Metro-North Darien railroad station and is four blocks from the I-95 exit. It is therefore well-positioned to attract traffic from both car and rail commuters. The lease fee for a three-year contract is very reasonable for a property of this size.

Products and Services

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue specializes in the finest barbecue served in a family-friendly format. It uses the finest cuts of meats that are free of any growth hormones. It is known for a variety of slow-smoked and slow-cooked meats, such as ribs, beef, pulled pork, and chicken. These are served with Frank’s famous and award-winning sauce varieties, which represent the four major styles of barbecue cooking. Frank’s is also noted for its side dishes and desserts.

Our goal is to expand operations to a second location in Darien, Connecticut. This outlet will be significantly larger and will have a section devoted to takeout meals.

Competitive Comparison

There are approximately forty specialty barbecue restaurants in Connecticut. They are spread throughout the state, but only four (including Frank’s All-American BarBeQue) are in the southern shore region. The three competitors are smaller operations. None of the barbecue restaurants in Connecticut have the history, reputation, acclaim, or awards that match Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. It is not an exaggeration to say that Frank’s is the preeminent barbecue restaurant in Connecticut. It has a loyal following that reaches as far as New York City.

Frank’s is the only barbecue restaurant in Connecticut where supermarkets are vying for the right to market Frank’s signature barbecue sauces. This sideline business promises to be extremely profitable and support the overall marketing efforts for both locations of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue.

Fulfillment

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has always been committed to providing the absolute best in barbecue food. This has meant assuring the highest quality ingredients in food preparation. Frank has established a decades-long relationship with suppliers in the New York and Connecticut areas. He selects nothing but the choicest selections of beef, pork, and chicken. He has always made sure that his meats come from suppliers who are committed to quality ingredients and who never use growth hormones. This long-term relationship with a variety of key suppliers enables Frank to secure the best cuts at reasonable prices. Frank is equally careful in using the finest spices for his barbecue sauces. The same is true for all the side dishes that Frank’s All-American BarBeQue offers its customers.

This commitment to quality is not limited to the selection of meats and ingredients. Frank and his staff recognize that top-quality barbecue food requires a knowledgeable and deep commitment to cooking the food properly. All meats must be cooked and smoked slowly. This requires time, effort, expense, and commitment, but the results are spectacular. Some cuts of meat at Frank’s may require as many as eleven hours of preparation and cooking. Excellence is not achieved without a commitment to effort. This effort has been recognized with numerous awards at national barbecue cook-offs. Frank has clearly recognized that the meal is clearly a function of the quality of the meat, quality ingredients, and careful preparation.

Future Products and Services

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is ready to accept new challenges. Opening a second restaurant will significantly increase sales, but the second location is only the beginning of new directions for Frank’s. Although Frank has been selling his regional barbecue sauces in local outlets for years, he is now ready to sign a contract with a major regional supermarket chain to market and sell these sauces throughout New England. Preliminary studies indicate that Frank can anticipate a 20 percent annual growth rate in the sales of sauces for the next five years.

With the growth of two-income families, less and less time is available to prepare meals at home. Recognizing this simple fact, Frank’s All-American BarBeQue plans to offer a variety of prepackaged barbecue meals that can be picked up at the restaurant and reheated at home. As part of its new commitment to a web-based presence, customers will be able to order these meals by regular phone, with smartphones, or through the Internet. Customers will be able to select from a list of prepackaged dinner meals or any combination of items. Customers can designate the time to pick up the meals, and the meals will be ready for them. This service promises significant revenue growth.

Market Analysis Summary

Since the 1930s, the American public has spent at least 5 percent of its disposable income on eating out. Even with annual fluctuations, this is a strong indicator of the viability of this industry. This can be best illustrated by reviewing industry results for the last few years.

Both 2009 and 2010 were difficult years for the restaurant industry. In 2008, sales increased by 3.8 percent. However, sales fell by nearly 0.75 percent in 2009. This was the first year in the history of the industry that sales actually declined. The restaurant industry’s sales in 2009 were $566 billion, down from over $570 billion. Prices rose by 2.2 percent in 2009. The increase in sales for 2010 was 0.5 percent, and price increases stabilized at 0.75 percent.

It is anticipated that there will be significant price competition in every segment of the restaurant industry. Some analysts argued that the poor performances for the restaurant industry in both 2009 and 2010 could be attributed to declines in both business and personal travel. Hotel occupancy rates in 2009 were down by nearly 10 percent. A study conducted by the National Restaurant Association argued that 20 percent of the sales in casual dining restaurants might be due to travelers and visitors. Frank’s All-American BarBeQue relies to a far lesser extent on travelers as customers. A rough estimate based on credit card receipts, for the period 2006–2010, indicated that travelers represented less than 2 percent of Frank’s sales. The pressure on the restaurant industry has been felt by many chain restaurants, which significantly curtailed their expansion plans.

Even though the recession was in full bloom in 2009, many food prices rose and rose significantly. Beef prices rose between 4 percent and 12 percent, while pork prices rose between 5 percent and 13 percent. Numerous studies have indicated that the increase in commodity prices will not be a transitory phenomenon.

With 925,000 food service locations in operation in the United States, this translates into 1 restaurant for every 330 Americans.

The health-care reform bill passed in 2010 should, in the near future, provide some relief for restaurants by creating a system that will assume greater responsibility by individuals to pay for their own health-care coverage.

Restaurants must also be much more cautious in the future about the possibility of hiring illegal aliens. As a whole, the National Restaurant Association supports immigration reform. However, it is concerned that any legislation should not limit a restaurant’s ability to hire workers. It is also concerned about the cost to assure worker eligibility.

The Mintel Group, a market research firm, found that consumers who are interested in quality opt for independent restaurants over chain outlets. An increasing consumer focus on health translates into an emphasis on natural ingredients. In the barbecue industry, this translates into naturally raised meats (i.e., the avoidance of artificial growth hormones in cattle), which are a hallmark of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue.

The National Restaurant Association estimated that sales in full-service restaurants in 2010 would exceed $184 billion—an increase of 1.2 percent from 2009 sales.

Several macroeconomic factors make opening a restaurant in Darien attractive, including the following:

• Increases in the growth domestic product (GDP). The GDP is estimated to grow 1.7 percent in 2011 and 1.5 percent in 2012. The estimates for Fairfield County are significantly higher.
• Disposable personal income. The national level of personal income should rise nearly 4 percent in 2011, and there is an expectation of 3 percent growth in 2012. These numbers appear to be much stronger in the Fairfield County area.

Although 2010 was not a banner year for the restaurant industry—it was one where more restaurants closed than opened each month—there was one bright spot: Chain barbecue restaurants grew between 2 percent and 3 percent—an auspicious sign even for independent operators.

The home meal replacement market and the existing investment in restaurant equipment provide a nice growth opportunity for restaurants. It is been estimated that takeout sales in limited-service chain restaurants might be as large as 60 percent of total sales. The same study found that takeout food has been growing twice as fast as the overall restaurant industry. Natural competitors in this market are supermarkets that offer prepackaged meals. However, we feel that few—if any—supermarkets provide the quality barbecue food that can be found at Frank’s.

Market Segmentation

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue views its major market segment as suburbanites in the south shore region of Connecticut. One way of further segmenting the market is by the type of meal being provided. “Market Analysis 1” provides estimated growth rates for each type of meal (plus sauce sales) and projected number of meals (and jars of sauce) for the period 2011 to 2015. “Market Analysis 2” illustrates the relative contributions.

Market Analysis 1

Market Analysis 2

Market Needs

We believe that the market centers on excellent barbecue food served at reasonable prices and served in a family-friendly manner. We further believe that a growing segment of the market will want prepared meals that can be conveniently picked up and served at home. “Market Analysis” provides a projected breakdown of the potential customers for the next five years. This breakdown is predicated on the type of meals served and includes the sale of sauces. We provide estimated growth rates and forecasted sale of meals (and bottles of sauces) for the period 2011 to 2015. “Market Analysis” shows the breakdown of the number of meals by type in 2015.

Web Plan Summary

Presently, Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has a very simple website. The website provides minimal information—listing some of the menu items and the restaurant’s telephone number. It was created eight years ago by a college student who was working at Frank’s.

Robert Rainsford’s professional expertise is in the area of website development. After graduating from college, Robert was hired by a firm that specialized in developing web and social media presences for other companies. He worked for that firm in New York City for seven years. Robert rose rapidly through the company’s ranks, eventually becoming one of its vice presidents. His expertise in this area will enable Frank’s All-American BarBeQue to significantly enhance its web presence. Rather than just having a website that identifies the restaurant’s location and telephone number, along with a brief summary of its menu, the new website will be far richer in content and capability. It will provide a complete menu listing, identifying all items with corresponding images. The new website will enable customers to place orders through the Internet for lunch, dinner, or takeout items. The section devoted to takeout items will enable a customer to purchase prepared meals or choose from all items on the menu to develop a prepackaged meal. Customers will be able to identify the time that they will arrive for the pickup.

The website will have links to the Facebook and Twitter accounts of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. These connections will enhance its social media presence. Customers will be asked to post comments about their dining experience and suggestions on how Frank’s can improve its operations and service. It will enable Frank’s to expand operations and still maintain the same close customer relationship that currently exists at the Fairfield restaurant.

Website Marketing Strategy

The new web presence for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue will be geared to developing a new level of customer relationships. Customers at both restaurants will be asked to fill out forms where they will supply an e-mail address and a birthdate. (This information can also be supplied through Frank’s new website.) This information will enable Frank’s to keep customers informed of specials and offer coupons and the new rewards card program for special occasions, such as holidays or birthdays.

We view the website of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue as a major component of enhancing our relationship with our customers. It should provide convenience to customers through their ability to see what is on the menu, identify new specials, and order meals and pick them up at their convenience. The use of social media will expand awareness of Frank’s and enable it to develop closer relationships with present and future customers.

Development Requirements

Robert Rainsford tapped into his expertise in social media and has already developed a far more sophisticated website for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. He has secured the necessary server capacity to handle additional traffic on the website. In addition, he has set up several social media accounts for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue, including Facebook and Twitter. Robert also created a program linked to a database that will monitor customer purchases through the rewards card program. This program will send out birthday notices and discounts to customers and will inform them of their current status in the rewards card program.

Robert contacted several former colleagues at his former place of employment and has identified several candidates for the role of website manager. This individual will be responsible for updating the website and the social media sites on a daily basis. He or she will also be responsible for analyzing the flow of information that comes through these sites and preparing management reports.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

The core strategy of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is to continue what has made it a success at a new location. Simply put, our strategy is to provide our customers with the finest barbecue food in Connecticut, at reasonable prices, in a family-friendly environment. In addition, we hope to improve our ability to meet customer needs by making life more convenient for our customers. We believe that these fundamentals are universally applicable.

SWOT Analysis

A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was undertaken for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue.

The key strength of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is the quality of its food and service. It has been the recipient of numerous local and national awards for its foods and sauces. Other strengths include a highly knowledgeable management team with expertise in operating a barbecue restaurant, a close working relationship with suppliers of premier cuts of meats, and a loyal clientele in the south shore region.

The weaknesses associated with this business plan center on operating an additional restaurant with a much larger capacity than the Fairfield, Connecticut, restaurant. The second location will require an experienced restaurant manager. This plan calls for a significant increase in prepared (takeout) meals. Orders will be placed either by phone or through the website. Current personnel have little experience in ratcheting up the takeout portion of the business.

Opportunities

This business plan offers significant opportunities for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. A second, larger location will translate into a significant increase in sales. Finalizing a business relationship with the regional supermarket chain will enable Frank’s to significantly increase the production and the sales of its signature sauces. The sales of sauces are expected to increase by 20 percent per year for the next five years.

Any expansion with the opening of a new location always entails some risk. The principals of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue will be investing a significant amount of capital and will be borrowing money from a bank to open a second location. It is strongly believed that the second location will capitalize on the success of the Fairfield restaurant and will become a success.

Competitive Edge

The competitive edge of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue resides mainly in the quality of its food and its commitment to serve the food in a family-friendly environment. The quality of its food is unmatched in the entire state. No other barbecue restaurant has received the awards and the accolades that Frank’s All-American BarBeQue has received for the past forty years. Its reputation for quality gives it an edge that no other barbecue restaurant or chain can match.

Marketing Strategy

The target market for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is essentially suburban families in the south shore region of Connecticut. These people appreciate the finest barbecue food at reasonable prices. It is expected that an important group within this target market will be families with two incomes whose busy schedules would make prepared meals a very attractive option. We further assume that this market is technically sophisticated and will appreciate the convenience of ordering these meals via the Internet.

A key component of the marketing strategy of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is to use the Internet and technology to enhance the relationship with its customer base. Frank’s will use the website, Facebook, Twitter, and e-mails to inform customers of special food items or discounts based on holidays and customers’ birthdays. We intend to use the website as a mechanism to gain an improved insight into customer needs and wants.

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue will also initiate a rewards card program. Customers will sign up for the rewards card program either at the two locations or online. They can use this program every time they make a purchase either at the restaurants or online. After a set number of visits (seven), customers will be entitled to either discounts or free items. The rewards card program will enable Frank’s All-American BarBeQue to track customers’ buying patterns and anticipate the ways in which they can better serve their customers.

Sales Forecasts

We provide a five-year forecast of the dollar value of sales broken down by the two restaurants and the sauces in the following tables. “Sales”Monthly Sales for Two Restaurants and Sauces” illustrates a forecast for the breakdown of sales on monthly basis in 2011, and “Five-Year Forecast of Sales for Two Restaurants and Sauces” illustrates the breakdown of sales for the next five years.

Sales Forecast

Monthly Sales for Two Restaurants and Sauces

Five-Year Forecast of Sales for Two Restaurants and Sauces

Management Summary

Currently, Frank Rainsford is the CEO and chief operating officer of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. He is also the restaurant manager at the Fairfield restaurant. During the week, his daughter (Susan Rainsford Rogers) often replaces Frank as the restaurant manager. The Fairfield restaurant has a full-time cook who operates under Frank’s supervision, and two other full-time employees function as waiters and waitresses. These full-time employees are supplemented by six part-time employees.

Under the new management structure, Frank Rainsford will hold the position of CEO. His wife, Betty Rainsford, will be designated the president and chief operating officer. Their daughter, Susan Rainsford Rogers, will be given the title vice president for operations. She will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Darien, Connecticut, restaurant. Robert Rainsford will have the title of vice president of marketing. He will be responsible for all marketing activities and the operation of the website. Alice Jacobs will be the vice president of finance and the comptroller of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue.

Organizational Structure

The new management structure of Frank’s All-American BarBeQue is a basic functional layout appropriate for this type of business.

Organizational Chart

Personnel Plan

“Forecasts of Personnel” is a five-year breakdown of the types and costs of personnel.

Forecasts of Personnel

Financial Plan

Frank’s All-American BarBeQue will be financing the creation of a second restaurant through a combination of private investment and a bank loan. The private investment will raise $160,000, and Frank’s will seek another $175,000 as a two-year loan. These funds will be used to pay for equipment and leasing expenses associated with opening a second restaurant.

Important Assumptions

The assumptions associated with the grow rates of sales each year for the next five years are the keys to the financial planning process. We began with very modest assumptions of 8 percent growth in lunch sales and 5 percent growth in dinner sales. We anticipate fairly vigorous growth in takeout meals (20 percent) and sauces (15 percent). Although these are large growth rates, we do not feel that they are unrealistic.

Key Financial Indicators

“Key Financial Indicators” provides historical (2008–2010) and forecasted (2011–2015) values for the key financial indicators.

Breakeven Analysis

In “Breakeven Analysis 1” and “Breakeven Analysis 2”, we show the results of our breakeven analysis for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. The results indicate that with sales of approximately $110,000 each month, Frank’s All-American BarBeQue will break even.

Breakeven Analysis 1

Breakeven Analysis 2

Projected Profit and Loss

Our analysis anticipates significant growth in profits in the next five years with the opening of a second Frank’s All-American BarBeQue in Darien. The profit margins should increase from in excess of $850,000 in 2011 to nearly $1,600,000 by 2015 and should be in excess of 20 percent for all five years. A complete analysis of the profit and loss statements is in “Profit and Loss”. The annual profits are illustrated in “Yearly Profits”.

Profit and Loss

Yearly Profits

Projected Cash Flow

“Cash Flow Forecast” is a five-year forecast of cash flows for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue. The forecast shows extremely strong and positive cash flows for each year.

Cash Flow Forecast

Projected Balance Sheet

“Balance Sheet Forecast” is a balance sheet forecast for Frank’s All-American BarBeQue.

Balance Sheet Forecast

These figures clearly demonstrate that the proposed opening of a second restaurant is more than economically viable; it is an extremely lucrative project that promises to increase the net worth of the firm by 500 percent in five years.

Small Business Management Copyright © by Jason Anderson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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11.4 The Business Plan

Learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Describe the different purposes of a business plan
• Describe and develop the components of a brief business plan
• Describe and develop the components of a full business plan

Unlike the brief or lean formats introduced so far, the business plan is a formal document used for the long-range planning of a company’s operation. It typically includes background information, financial information, and a summary of the business. Investors nearly always request a formal business plan because it is an integral part of their evaluation of whether to invest in a company. Although nothing in business is permanent, a business plan typically has components that are more “set in stone” than a business model canvas , which is more commonly used as a first step in the planning process and throughout the early stages of a nascent business. A business plan is likely to describe the business and industry, market strategies, sales potential, and competitive analysis, as well as the company’s long-term goals and objectives. An in-depth formal business plan would follow at later stages after various iterations to business model canvases. The business plan usually projects financial data over a three-year period and is typically required by banks or other investors to secure funding. The business plan is a roadmap for the company to follow over multiple years.

Some entrepreneurs prefer to use the canvas process instead of the business plan, whereas others use a shorter version of the business plan, submitting it to investors after several iterations. There are also entrepreneurs who use the business plan earlier in the entrepreneurial process, either preceding or concurrently with a canvas. For instance, Chris Guillebeau has a one-page business plan template in his book The $100 Startup . 48 His version is basically an extension of a napkin sketch without the detail of a full business plan. As you progress, you can also consider a brief business plan (about two pages)—if you want to support a rapid business launch—and/or a standard business plan.

As with many aspects of entrepreneurship, there are no clear hard and fast rules to achieving entrepreneurial success. You may encounter different people who want different things (canvas, summary, full business plan), and you also have flexibility in following whatever tool works best for you. Like the canvas, the various versions of the business plan are tools that will aid you in your entrepreneurial endeavor.

Business Plan Overview

Most business plans have several distinct sections ( Figure 11.16 ). The business plan can range from a few pages to twenty-five pages or more, depending on the purpose and the intended audience. For our discussion, we’ll describe a brief business plan and a standard business plan. If you are able to successfully design a business model canvas, then you will have the structure for developing a clear business plan that you can submit for financial consideration.

Both types of business plans aim at providing a picture and roadmap to follow from conception to creation. If you opt for the brief business plan, you will focus primarily on articulating a big-picture overview of your business concept.

The full business plan is aimed at executing the vision concept, dealing with the proverbial devil in the details. Developing a full business plan will assist those of you who need a more detailed and structured roadmap, or those of you with little to no background in business. The business planning process includes the business model, a feasibility analysis, and a full business plan, which we will discuss later in this section. Next, we explore how a business plan can meet several different needs.

Purposes of a Business Plan

A business plan can serve many different purposes—some internal, others external. As we discussed previously, you can use a business plan as an internal early planning device, an extension of a napkin sketch, and as a follow-up to one of the canvas tools. A business plan can be an organizational roadmap , that is, an internal planning tool and working plan that you can apply to your business in order to reach your desired goals over the course of several years. The business plan should be written by the owners of the venture, since it forces a firsthand examination of the business operations and allows them to focus on areas that need improvement.

Refer to the business venture throughout the document. Generally speaking, a business plan should not be written in the first person.

A major external purpose for the business plan is as an investment tool that outlines financial projections, becoming a document designed to attract investors. In many instances, a business plan can complement a formal investor’s pitch. In this context, the business plan is a presentation plan, intended for an outside audience that may or may not be familiar with your industry, your business, and your competitors.

You can also use your business plan as a contingency plan by outlining some “what-if” scenarios and exploring how you might respond if these scenarios unfold. Pretty Young Professional launched in November 2010 as an online resource to guide an emerging generation of female leaders. The site focused on recent female college graduates and current students searching for professional roles and those in their first professional roles. It was founded by four friends who were coworkers at the global consultancy firm McKinsey. But after positions and equity were decided among them, fundamental differences of opinion about the direction of the business emerged between two factions, according to the cofounder and former CEO Kathryn Minshew . “I think, naively, we assumed that if we kicked the can down the road on some of those things, we’d be able to sort them out,” Minshew said. Minshew went on to found a different professional site, The Muse , and took much of the editorial team of Pretty Young Professional with her. 49 Whereas greater planning potentially could have prevented the early demise of Pretty Young Professional, a change in planning led to overnight success for Joshua Esnard and The Cut Buddy team. Esnard invented and patented the plastic hair template that he was selling online out of his Fort Lauderdale garage while working a full-time job at Broward College and running a side business. Esnard had hundreds of boxes of Cut Buddies sitting in his home when he changed his marketing plan to enlist companies specializing in making videos go viral. It worked so well that a promotional video for the product garnered 8 million views in hours. The Cut Buddy sold over 4,000 products in a few hours when Esnard only had hundreds remaining. Demand greatly exceeded his supply, so Esnard had to scramble to increase manufacturing and offered customers two-for-one deals to make up for delays. This led to selling 55,000 units, generating $700,000 in sales in 2017. 50 After appearing on Shark Tank and landing a deal with Daymond John that gave the “shark” a 20-percent equity stake in return for $300,000, The Cut Buddy has added new distribution channels to include retail sales along with online commerce. Changing one aspect of a business plan—the marketing plan—yielded success for The Cut Buddy.

Link to Learning

Watch this video of Cut Buddy’s founder, Joshua Esnard, telling his company’s story to learn more.

If you opt for the brief business plan, you will focus primarily on articulating a big-picture overview of your business concept. This version is used to interest potential investors, employees, and other stakeholders, and will include a financial summary “box,” but it must have a disclaimer, and the founder/entrepreneur may need to have the people who receive it sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) . The full business plan is aimed at executing the vision concept, providing supporting details, and would be required by financial institutions and others as they formally become stakeholders in the venture. Both are aimed at providing a picture and roadmap to go from conception to creation.

Types of Business Plans

The brief business plan is similar to an extended executive summary from the full business plan. This concise document provides a broad overview of your entrepreneurial concept, your team members, how and why you will execute on your plans, and why you are the ones to do so. You can think of a brief business plan as a scene setter or—since we began this chapter with a film reference—as a trailer to the full movie. The brief business plan is the commercial equivalent to a trailer for Field of Dreams , whereas the full plan is the full-length movie equivalent.

Brief Business Plan or Executive Summary

As the name implies, the brief business plan or executive summary summarizes key elements of the entire business plan, such as the business concept, financial features, and current business position. The executive summary version of the business plan is your opportunity to broadly articulate the overall concept and vision of the company for yourself, for prospective investors, and for current and future employees.

A typical executive summary is generally no longer than a page, but because the brief business plan is essentially an extended executive summary, the executive summary section is vital. This is the “ask” to an investor. You should begin by clearly stating what you are asking for in the summary.

In the business concept phase, you’ll describe the business, its product, and its markets. Describe the customer segment it serves and why your company will hold a competitive advantage. This section may align roughly with the customer segments and value-proposition segments of a canvas.

Next, highlight the important financial features, including sales, profits, cash flows, and return on investment. Like the financial portion of a feasibility analysis, the financial analysis component of a business plan may typically include items like a twelve-month profit and loss projection, a three- or four-year profit and loss projection, a cash-flow projection, a projected balance sheet, and a breakeven calculation. You can explore a feasibility study and financial projections in more depth in the formal business plan. Here, you want to focus on the big picture of your numbers and what they mean.

The current business position section can furnish relevant information about you and your team members and the company at large. This is your opportunity to tell the story of how you formed the company, to describe its legal status (form of operation), and to list the principal players. In one part of the extended executive summary, you can cover your reasons for starting the business: Here is an opportunity to clearly define the needs you think you can meet and perhaps get into the pains and gains of customers. You also can provide a summary of the overall strategic direction in which you intend to take the company. Describe the company’s mission, vision, goals and objectives, overall business model, and value proposition.

Rice University’s Student Business Plan Competition, one of the largest and overall best-regarded graduate school business-plan competitions (see Telling Your Entrepreneurial Story and Pitching the Idea ), requires an executive summary of up to five pages to apply. 51 , 52 Its suggested sections are shown in Table 11.2 .

Are You Ready?

Create a brief business plan.

Fill out a canvas of your choosing for a well-known startup: Uber, Netflix, Dropbox, Etsy, Airbnb, Bird/Lime, Warby Parker, or any of the companies featured throughout this chapter or one of your choice. Then create a brief business plan for that business. See if you can find a version of the company’s actual executive summary, business plan, or canvas. Compare and contrast your vision with what the company has articulated.

• These companies are well established but is there a component of what you charted that you would advise the company to change to ensure future viability?
• Map out a contingency plan for a “what-if” scenario if one key aspect of the company or the environment it operates in were drastically is altered?

Full Business Plan

Even full business plans can vary in length, scale, and scope. Rice University sets a ten-page cap on business plans submitted for the full competition. The IndUS Entrepreneurs , one of the largest global networks of entrepreneurs, also holds business plan competitions for students through its Tie Young Entrepreneurs program. In contrast, business plans submitted for that competition can usually be up to twenty-five pages. These are just two examples. Some components may differ slightly; common elements are typically found in a formal business plan outline. The next section will provide sample components of a full business plan for a fictional business.

Executive Summary

The executive summary should provide an overview of your business with key points and issues. Because the summary is intended to summarize the entire document, it is most helpful to write this section last, even though it comes first in sequence. The writing in this section should be especially concise. Readers should be able to understand your needs and capabilities at first glance. The section should tell the reader what you want and your “ask” should be explicitly stated in the summary.

Describe your business, its product or service, and the intended customers. Explain what will be sold, who it will be sold to, and what competitive advantages the business has. Table 11.3 shows a sample executive summary for the fictional company La Vida Lola.

Business Description

This section describes the industry, your product, and the business and success factors. It should provide a current outlook as well as future trends and developments. You also should address your company’s mission, vision, goals, and objectives. Summarize your overall strategic direction, your reasons for starting the business, a description of your products and services, your business model, and your company’s value proposition. Consider including the Standard Industrial Classification/North American Industry Classification System (SIC/NAICS) code to specify the industry and insure correct identification. The industry extends beyond where the business is located and operates, and should include national and global dynamics. Table 11.4 shows a sample business description for La Vida Lola.

Industry Analysis and Market Strategies

Here you should define your market in terms of size, structure, growth prospects, trends, and sales potential. You’ll want to include your TAM and forecast the SAM . (Both these terms are discussed in Conducting a Feasibility Analysis .) This is a place to address market segmentation strategies by geography, customer attributes, or product orientation. Describe your positioning relative to your competitors’ in terms of pricing, distribution, promotion plan, and sales potential. Table 11.5 shows an example industry analysis and market strategy for La Vida Lola.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis is a statement of the business strategy as it relates to the competition. You want to be able to identify who are your major competitors and assess what are their market shares, markets served, strategies employed, and expected response to entry? You likely want to conduct a classic SWOT analysis (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) and complete a competitive-strength grid or competitive matrix. Outline your company’s competitive strengths relative to those of the competition in regard to product, distribution, pricing, promotion, and advertising. What are your company’s competitive advantages and their likely impacts on its success? The key is to construct it properly for the relevant features/benefits (by weight, according to customers) and how the startup compares to incumbents. The competitive matrix should show clearly how and why the startup has a clear (if not currently measurable) competitive advantage. Some common features in the example include price, benefits, quality, type of features, locations, and distribution/sales. Sample templates are shown in Figure 11.17 and Figure 11.18 . A competitive analysis helps you create a marketing strategy that will identify assets or skills that your competitors are lacking so you can plan to fill those gaps, giving you a distinct competitive advantage. When creating a competitor analysis, it is important to focus on the key features and elements that matter to customers, rather than focusing too heavily on the entrepreneur’s idea and desires.

Operations and Management Plan

In this section, outline how you will manage your company. Describe its organizational structure. Here you can address the form of ownership and, if warranted, include an organizational chart/structure. Highlight the backgrounds, experiences, qualifications, areas of expertise, and roles of members of the management team. This is also the place to mention any other stakeholders, such as a board of directors or advisory board(s), and their relevant relationship to the founder, experience and value to help make the venture successful, and professional service firms providing management support, such as accounting services and legal counsel.

Table 11.6 shows a sample operations and management plan for La Vida Lola.

Marketing Plan

Here you should outline and describe an effective overall marketing strategy for your venture, providing details regarding pricing, promotion, advertising, distribution, media usage, public relations, and a digital presence. Fully describe your sales management plan and the composition of your sales force, along with a comprehensive and detailed budget for the marketing plan. Table 11.7 shows a sample marketing plan for La Vida Lola.

Financial Plan

A financial plan seeks to forecast revenue and expenses; project a financial narrative; and estimate project costs, valuations, and cash flow projections. This section should present an accurate, realistic, and achievable financial plan for your venture (see Entrepreneurial Finance and Accounting for detailed discussions about conducting these projections). Include sales forecasts and income projections, pro forma financial statements ( Building the Entrepreneurial Dream Team , a breakeven analysis, and a capital budget. Identify your possible sources of financing (discussed in Conducting a Feasibility Analysis ). Figure 11.19 shows a template of cash-flow needs for La Vida Lola.

Entrepreneur In Action

Laughing man coffee.

Hugh Jackman ( Figure 11.20 ) may best be known for portraying a comic-book superhero who used his mutant abilities to protect the world from villains. But the Wolverine actor is also working to make the planet a better place for real, not through adamantium claws but through social entrepreneurship.

A love of java jolted Jackman into action in 2009, when he traveled to Ethiopia with a Christian humanitarian group to shoot a documentary about the impact of fair-trade certification on coffee growers there. He decided to launch a business and follow in the footsteps of the late Paul Newman, another famous actor turned philanthropist via food ventures.

Jackman launched Laughing Man Coffee two years later; he sold the line to Keurig in 2015. One Laughing Man Coffee café in New York continues to operate independently, investing its proceeds into charitable programs that support better housing, health, and educational initiatives within fair-trade farming communities. 55 Although the New York location is the only café, the coffee brand is still distributed, with Keurig donating an undisclosed portion of Laughing Man proceeds to those causes (whereas Jackman donates all his profits). The company initially donated its profits to World Vision, the Christian humanitarian group Jackman accompanied in 2009. In 2017, it created the Laughing Man Foundation to be more active with its money management and distribution.

• You be the entrepreneur. If you were Jackman, would you have sold the company to Keurig? Why or why not?
• Would you have started the Laughing Man Foundation?
• What else can Jackman do to aid fair-trade practices for coffee growers?

What Can You Do?

Textbooks for change.

Founded in 2014, Textbooks for Change uses a cross-compensation model, in which one customer segment pays for a product or service, and the profit from that revenue is used to provide the same product or service to another, underserved segment. Textbooks for Change partners with student organizations to collect used college textbooks, some of which are re-sold while others are donated to students in need at underserved universities across the globe. The organization has reused or recycled 250,000 textbooks, providing 220,000 students with access through seven campus partners in East Africa. This B-corp social enterprise tackles a problem and offers a solution that is directly relevant to college students like yourself. Have you observed a problem on your college campus or other campuses that is not being served properly? Could it result in a social enterprise?

Work It Out

Franchisee set out.

A franchisee of East Coast Wings, a chain with dozens of restaurants in the United States, has decided to part ways with the chain. The new store will feature the same basic sports-bar-and-restaurant concept and serve the same basic foods: chicken wings, burgers, sandwiches, and the like. The new restaurant can’t rely on the same distributors and suppliers. A new business plan is needed.

• What steps should the new restaurant take to create a new business plan?
• Should it attempt to serve the same customers? Why or why not?

This New York Times video, “An Unlikely Business Plan,” describes entrepreneurial resurgence in Detroit, Michigan.

• 48 Chris Guillebeau. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future . New York: Crown Business/Random House, 2012.
• 49 Jonathan Chan. “What These 4 Startup Case Studies Can Teach You about Failure.” Foundr.com . July 12, 2015. https://foundr.com/4-startup-case-studies-failure/
• 50 Amy Feldman. “Inventor of the Cut Buddy Paid YouTubers to Spark Sales. He Wasn’t Ready for a Video to Go Viral.” Forbes. February 15, 2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestreptalks/2017/02/15/inventor-of-the-cut-buddy-paid-youtubers-to-spark-sales-he-wasnt-ready-for-a-video-to-go-viral/#3eb540ce798a
• 51 Jennifer Post. “National Business Plan Competitions for Entrepreneurs.” Business News Daily . August 30, 2018. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6902-business-plan-competitions-entrepreneurs.html
• 52 “Rice Business Plan Competition, Eligibility Criteria and How to Apply.” Rice Business Plan Competition . March 2020. https://rbpc.rice.edu/sites/g/files/bxs806/f/2020%20RBPC%20Eligibility%20Criteria%20and%20How%20to%20Apply_23Oct19.pdf
• 53 “Rice Business Plan Competition, Eligibility Criteria and How to Apply.” Rice Business Plan Competition. March 2020. https://rbpc.rice.edu/sites/g/files/bxs806/f/2020%20RBPC%20Eligibility%20Criteria%20and%20How%20to%20Apply_23Oct19.pdf; Based on 2019 RBPC Competition Rules and Format April 4–6, 2019. https://rbpc.rice.edu/sites/g/files/bxs806/f/2019-RBPC-Competition-Rules%20-Format.pdf
• 54 Foodstart. http://foodstart.com
• 55 “Hugh Jackman Journey to Starting a Social Enterprise Coffee Company.” Giving Compass. April 8, 2018. https://givingcompass.org/article/hugh-jackman-journey-to-starting-a-social-enterprise-coffee-company/

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KNEC / TVET CDACC STUDY MATERIALS, REVISION KITS AND PAST PAPERS

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• CHAPTER FIVE. FINANCIAL PLAN.

CHAPTER FIVE.

                                      FINANCIAL PLAN.

The main reason for preparing a business plan is to receive funds. When preparing the plan, one analyzes the financial requirements of the business.

The financial plan is an important part of the business plan because it is here that the profitability of the intended business is demonstrated to the entrepreneur and to the potential financiers. It provides a tool for monitoring the financial performance of the business. In this chapter of the business plan, an analysis of financial requirements of a business is presented. The financial plans development is also illustrated.

OBJECTIVES OF THE FINANCIAL PLAN

• Maintain a healthy liquidity position throughout the trading period.
• Maintain return on owners’ equity(ROE) e.g. at 25%
• Realize a steady growth on income throughout the period.
• Maintain and control expenses.
• Maintain an effective accounting sytem-quickbooks,sage,any accounting related software

FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS.

• The expenses are expected to rise by 5% as business operations expand.
• Creditors are to be increased by a certain percentage per year.
• Debtors are to increase by a certain percentage per year
• Net profit is expected to increase by a certain percentage per annum
• Net profit realized would be ploughed back to the business so as to expand the business.

In the financial plan, you will deal with financial aspects of your proposed business. To gauge your future financial potential, you will prepare

• Proforma/projected balance sheets,
• Proforma profit and loss accounts and
• A projected cash flow statement.

You will also determine;

• The break-even level of sales
• Calculate the expected profitability ratios of your business
• Financial requirement
• Proposed capitalization.
• Pre-operational costs

Entails costs incurred before the start of the business.

5.2 Proforma balance sheet

A balance sheet is a financial statement that shows the financial position of the business for a certain period of time (usually one year).

This financial statement depicts the financial structure of a business at the end of an accounting period. It has three major components: assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity. They show what the business owns or controls, how much is owed to creditors, and the residue net worth of the enterprise after asset value has debt subtracted from it.

To prepare this document one should understand the concept of BASIC ACCOUNTING EQUATION that appears like this.

A=      C+     L

Accounting is considered the language of business

ANALYSIS OF THE BASIC ACCOUNTING EQUATION

Some assets are tangible like cash while others are theoretical or intangible like goodwill or copyrights. Another common asset is a receivable. This is a promise to be paid from another party. Receivables arise when a company provides a service or sells a product to someone on credit. All of these assets are resources that a company can use for future benefits.

Assets are classified in two main types.

• 1 . Fixed/Non-current assets -Required by the business to assist in earning revenues and not for sale. They are normally expected to be in business for more than one year.
• Current assets -They are not expected to last for more than one year. They are mostly directly related to trading activities of the firm.

Here are some common examples of assets:

• Cash at bank
• Accounts Receivable/debtors
• Prepaid Expenses
• Plant and machinery
• Cash in hand
• Prepayments

2 LIABILITIES

A liability, in its simplest terms, is an amount of money owed to another person or organization. Said a different way, liabilities are creditors’ claims on company assets because this is the amount of assets creditors would own if the company liquidated. A common form of liability is a payable. Payables are the opposite of receivables. When a company purchases goods or services from other companies on credit, a payable is recorded to show that the company promises to pay the other companies for their assets. Here are some examples of some of the most common liabilities:

• Accounts payable /creditors
• Lines of Credit
• Personal Loans
• Officer Loans
• Unearned income
• Bank overdraft

Liabilities are classified in two main types

• Long term liabilities -They are expected to last or to be paid after one year e.g. 5 years loans from a bank.
• Current liabilities -Last for a period of less than one year and therefore would be paid within one year.
• EQUITY (CAPITAL)

Equity represents the portion of company/business assets that shareholders or partners own. In other words, the shareholders or partners own the remainder of assets once all of the liabilities are paid off.

VARIABLES AFFECTING CAPITAL

• Additional investments

One can prepare a vertical or horizontal/T balance sheet.

• 1 . Horizontal /T format

Non-current assets are listed in order of performance as shown i.e. from land and buildings to motor vehicles.

The current assets are listed in order of liquidity i.e. which assets is far from being converted into cash. Example, stock is not yet sold, (i.e. not yet realized yet) then when it is sold we either get cash or a debtor (if sold on credit). When the debtor pays then the debtor may pay by cheque (cash has to be banked) or cash.

The current liabilities are listed in order of payment i.e. which is due for payment first. Bank overdraft is payable on demand by the bank, then by creditors.

5.3 Working capital.

Working capital = Current assets – current liabilities.

• Cash flow projection

This is a financial statement that shows cash in and out of the business.

• Transactions that generate cash in a business include: sales, payments from debtors, discount received, rent received, loan received and many more.
• Transactions that may reduce cash in a business include: purchases, salaries/wages, rent payments, payment to creditors, standing orders, discount allowed and many more.

NB It’s always good to prepare cash flow projection for three years.

A business enterprise normally prepares the following two financial statements

• Profit or loss or income statement which helps to find out the profit or loss made as result of operations of the company over a specified period.
• Balance sheet or financial position statement which reflects the state of asset and liabilities of company on a particular period.

Another required financial statement is cash flow statement. This is requirement of International Accounting 7 (IAS 7)

NEED FOR CASH FLOW STATEMENT.

Users of financial statements, require understanding how the business generated cash and how the cash was used. Unlike the income statement where profit reported is influenced by accounting policies and estimates, cash flow indicate the performance of the business enterprise without such influences, therefore provide a better perspective to evaluating the performance. Remember that a business enterprise can be making profits, while at the same time suffering from cash crisis. This can lead to business enterprise wind up.

COMPONENTS OF CASH FLOW STATEMENT

Cash flow statement summaries the cashbook, by reconciling the opening and closing balance of the cash and cash equivalents.

• Demanded deposits in banks
• Short term investments

The cash movement activities are classified into 3 categories

• Operating cash movement/ activities
• Investing cash movement/ activities
• Financial cash movement/ activities

USES OF CASH FLOW STATEMENTS

Cash flow statements have many uses other than the legal need for some companies to prepare them. A few cases where a business might find them useful is answering such questions as below

Small businessman may want to know why he now has an overdraft. He started off the year with money in the bank, he has made profit and yet he now has a bank overdraft. Another businessman may want to know why the bank balance has risen even though the business is losing money. The partners in a business have put in additional capital during the year. Even so, the bank balance has fallen dramatically. They may want explanation as to how this has happened. A study of the final accounts themselves would not give them the information that they may needed. However, a study of the cash flow statement in each case will reveal the answer to their questions. Besides the answers to such specific queries, cash flow statement should also help businesses to assess the following.

• The cash flows which the business may be able to generate in the future;
• How far the business will be able to meet future commitment, e.g tax due, loan repayments, interest payments, contracts that could possible lose quite a lot of money;
• How far future share issues may be needed or additional capital in the case of sole trader or partnership;
• A valuation of the business

SAMPLE FROM AN OPERATIONAL BUSINESS.

5.4 Projected cash flow for the year 20xx

• projected cash flow for the year 20xx
• Proforma income statement (Trading, Profit and Loss account)

This is one of the final account and has two sections

• Trading account

Summarizes trading activities i.e. sales and purchases of goods of a business and tries to determine the gross profit for the relevant financial period.

The gross profit is then taken up in profit and loss account as part of the income

• Profit and loss account.

It shows the net profit/net loss of the business as made from all the activities during a financial period. The net profit/loss is determined by deducting expenses from all incomes of the same financial period.

SAMPLE FORMAT FROM AN OPERATING BUSINESS

THIKA TRADERS

                     TRADING PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT

                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 20XX

5.5 Proforma income statement for the year 20xx

• Proforma income statement for the year 20xx

5.6 Break even analysis.

Break even analysis is where the total revenue is equal to the total costs. The firm is at normal profit or zero profit.

If total revenues are more than total costs, the firm makes abnormal or supernormal profits.

If total revenues are less than total costs the firm will make losses.

Break even analysis is also known as Cost Volume Analysis.

Assumptions of break-even point analysis.

• Fixed cost will remain constant.it means that the fixed cost does not change as output changes.
• Cost and revenue behave in a linear fashion or linear manner.it means if costs increases, revenues will increase proportionally.
• The only factor affecting cost and revenue is volume (turnover).
• Technology, production methods and efficiency does not change.
• For graphical methods, the analysis relates to one product or to a constant product.
• The closing stock is valued at marginal cost only

USEFULLNESS OF BREAK EVEN POINT ANALYSIS

As a management tool, it has the following benefits.

• Helps to find specific level of output
• Shows behavior trend of cost and sales.
• Information can be used to make proper decisions.
• To know the quantity which is safer to produce (safety level).

LIMITATIONS TO BREAK-EVEN POINT ANALYSIS.

• Only done within specific levels of activity.
• Fixed costs may change at different levels of activity especially in long run.
• Variable costs may not give a linear trend.
• The relevant time factor can affect break-even analysis.

FORMULAE TO BE USED IN BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS.

• BEP in units = fixed costs

Contribution/unit

• BEP in value(shs) = fixed costs  
• Contribution/sales ratio = Contribution/unit

Selling price

• Number of units for target profits = fixed costs +target profits
• Sales for target profit= fixed costs +target profits(selling price)

A company makes a single product with a price of shs 10 and a marginal cost of shs 6 and the fixed cost of shs 60,000 pa.Calculate.

• Number of units to break-even point(BEP)
• BEP in units= fixed costs

a.Contribution=selling price-marginal/variable cost

BEP in units =      60,000

7 Desired financing

5.8 Capitalization

• What security will you give? (Consider: fixed assets, mortgage, collateral security e.g land title deeds or property title deeds, other acceptable security (specify).
• What will be your preferred loan repayment terms?(Consider the amount of the loan, the repayment period, loan interest percentage grace period and monthly installments.)

5.9 profitability ratios

• Gross profit margin

Gross profit      x          100      =   ……………………… %

Year 1             Year 2             Year3

Percentage ……………………………………………………………

• Return on equity

Net profit after tax       x          100        = …………………… %

Owner’s equity

Year 1              Year 2              Year3

Owners’ equity=opening capital+ net profit-withdrawals

• Return on investment

Net profit after tax + interest x 100    =   …………………. ksh

Total investment

• Net profit ratio= Net profit x 100      =   ……………………… %
• Asset turnover = Sales revenue (total sales) x100 =   ……………………… %

Assets (CA+FA)

• Quick ratio= current assets-stock (closing)

Current liabilities

• Liquidity ratio = CA

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A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors (2015)

Chapter: chapter 5 - business plan.

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

66 Business Plan Overview In order to implement the certification on a nationwide basis, a clear structure must be developed, and an organization must be identified with a capacity to develop, implement and maintain the structure. This business plan assumes there will be two main players involved in implementing the program. First, there will be a national steering committee responsible for issuing an RFP and contracting with an administrator, ensuring overall quality of implementation, and being responsible to the industry. This organization may be a successor to the Project F-19 panel, a newly established nonprofit, a subcommittee of APTA, or an informal committee of industry leaders. This steering organization will in turn select an AO. The AO, through a creden- tialing management system, will provide a consistent and timely confirmation of a participant’s progress through the competency model, and issue the certifications. The AO will also, either directly or through subcontractors, develop an infrastructure to directly deliver the training needed for the competency model, as well as overseeing the approval and acceptance of alternative courses. Structural Elements of AO The Project Team envisions that the AO could be an existing organization with the appropriate capacity and experience, or a newly formed nonprofit created for the purpose of implementing the program. It seems likely though, that a brand new organization whose sole purpose would be running the ICP would have more significant fixed costs than an existing organization with experience running similar or complementary programs. The organization should meet the requirements and be answerable to a standing committee of industry representatives to ensure that all expectations for the program are met. As part of the program launch, a number of critical qualifications for the AO should be sought in the RFP. The selected organization should possess these characteristics, listed in rough order of priority: • Ability to manage a program of national scope: The organization will need to communicate the value of the program to the industry as a whole and be able to administer the program without bias to any geographic region. • Experience working with transit industry: The organization should have the ability to work with multiple transit stakeholders and understand the challenges and limitations transit organizations face. • Documented instructional design expertise and material development capacity: The organi- zation will need to finalize the design of the competency model and develop all material to implement the curriculum in the identified delivery methods. C H A P T E R 5 Business Plan

Business Plan 67 • Training delivery experience, especially to instructors: The organization will need to deliver directly or subcontract with experienced trainers. It will be advantageous to have experienced training professionals and transit personnel. • Certification program administration experience and program design and administration staff: The organization will need to show a plan to use a robust credentialing management system that can seamlessly track a participant’s progress and communicate progress to participants and employing agencies. • IT infrastructure (Training and certification information management system): Experience with an adequate credentialing management system and the IT capacity to implement the program will be critical. • Sound legal system to protect against liabilities. • ADA requirements. • Program maintenance: The organization will need to have a plan to regularly review the program, update core competencies, and revise the program as necessary to meet the ongoing needs of the industry. Potential Organizations for Program Development and Delivery In Task 1 of the project, SME survey respondents provided a list of organizations that may have the potential to develop and deliver all or some components of the national training and certification program. The suggested organizations included: • Colleges, universities and technical schools (13): Many respondents consider any educational institution that prepares teachers in teaching methods for adult learners as potentially capable of carrying out the program. A dozen examples were given by the respondents, mostly local colleges and universities in their areas. • For profit and not-for-profit training, research and technical assistance organizations (8): Many of these organizations have provided training and/or certification programs to transit maintenance personnel or trainers. • Industry associations (2): Industry associations have increasingly taken on workforce develop- ment as a priority of their services to members. In the Project F-19 survey, respondents mentioned one national and one state public transportation association as examples. • Large transit agencies (2): Large training departments can have well-developed programs to prepare skilled technical workers to become equally skilled instructors. These training environments stress strong preparation for classroom time, solid documentation on what is taught and hands-on and interactive learning. Survey participants included two examples of large transit agencies as potential providers. The full details of these programs are included in the Task 2, Best Practices Report found in Chapter 3. • OEMs (4): Despite their role in transit technical training, only one respondent listed transit OEMs as potential organizations for delivering instructor training. The organizations with potential in developing and delivering instructor training and/or certification as identified through the SME survey are listed in Appendix B, along with their locations and respondent comments. An original task assignment called for the Project Team to assess the capabilities of these organizations. However, the oversight panel thought it best to leave that work for the future competitive RFP process and instead steered the Project Team toward identifying the qualification requirements needed for a national AO, and identifying existing training programs and courses that could be considered as equal alternatives to core program offerings. The list of potential organizations provides a reference point to the future AO selection process.

68 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Core Competency Course Delivery A major factor in determining costs for development, delivery, and administration of the program depends on the method of course delivery selected. There are three possible options for managing the delivery of each course described in the core competency model. First, existing courses from outside providers could be accepted as equivalent for meeting all competency requirements of the model. For each core competency course, the AO will confirm that a course submitted meets the requirements, and review the reflection paper and/or course capstone requirements against an objective model. The process for evaluating these courses is described later. Alternatively, the AO or a single subcontractor could directly offer courses specifically designed to meet these competencies and delivered directly to transit instructors. Further, each of those courses could be delivered either through a traditional classroom setting or an e-learning/ video conferencing platform. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to pursuing the different approaches as shown in Table 5.1. It seems that, with the exception of the course for mentor core competencies, there will not usually be enough participation in the program to make centralized in-person delivery of the courses viable. It would require travel for multiple days to a central location, or an instructor traveling to different regions, but in that case achieving a sufficient class size will be very difficult. In turn, with a very small class size, per student and per course cost will need to be higher, and that will further suppress participation. However, the AO may be able to identify some courses that could be offered on a limited basis in person, perhaps by tying it to another event that will draw instructors and transit professionals nationwide, such as the NTI Transit Trainers’ workshop or various APTA conferences. The e-learning and video conferencing option will almost certainly require a significant up-front development investment, but would offer flexible scheduling of courses at a reasonable cost to the AO and a reasonable charge to those pursuing certification. (Note: There may also be some existing e-learning courses that some potential AO, or subcontractors to the AO, may have that may meet some or all of the program requirements. Identifying if these exist and how to make them viable for use in the certification program will be an important part of determining development Advantages Disadvantages Outside Equivalent Courses The courses already exist and are dispersed geographically Interaction with instructors from other industries Courses not limited to transit instructor population means they can be offered more regularly Inconsistent experiences and emphases May require more time and commitment than necessary (i.e., enrollment in full grad program) Directly Delivered Courses – In-Person Consistent delivery of content that can be continually evaluated In-person interaction of transit instructors sharing best practices Need funding for development of single approved curriculum and courseware Travel costs for instructor and/or students Limited scheduling ability; would need to cancel course if enrollment not sufficient Directly Delivered Courses – E-Learning / Video Conferencing Consistent delivery of content that can be continually evaluated Interaction of transit instructors sharing best practices More flexible scheduling Substantial development cost for platform and e-learning material Inconsistent equipment on user end to participate in the classes Table 5.1. Advantages and disadvantages of course delivery approaches.

Business Plan 69 costs accurately.) Using a centrally developed e-learning and video conferencing curriculum also ensures that all participants receive the same information and level of quality and will provide opportunities for participants to learn from each other in a collaborative environment. However, it also seems important to offer the flexibility for students to submit equivalent outside courses to demonstrate the competencies. The conclusion is that the advantages and disadvantages for delivering the course on different platforms, or accepting existing courses as equivalent, will be slightly different for each course that is part of the program plan. There is no distinct advantage to forcing all courses into one mode of delivery, and the AO will need to explore the best available options for each course. The business plan therefore assumes a mix of delivery methods will be used. The operating cost and revenue projections included later assume an offering of e-learning classes will be available for all courses except mentoring, and that mentoring will be delivered in person. The projections also assume that at least one equivalent existing course will be identified for each part of the program plan, and that these outside courses will be chosen by 50 percent of the participants. Initial Development Costs Developing a full suite of e-learning and video conferencing materials for delivering the core competency model will require a significant investment. A common rule of thumb is that for each hour of instruction, 10–25 hours of professional instructional design time is necessary. With the necessity of extensive interactive material, it is reasonable to think these costs would be on the high end of that estimate. This would give an estimated development cost of: 92 hours instructional time 20 hours of development per hours of instruction $100 hr fully loaded cost of professional instructional design $184,000 × × = As shown later in the operating cost and revenue projections, even at a high rate of participation among transit maintenance instructors, the projected revenue surplus is not enough to attract an organization to front the money for initial development at this level. It seems very likely that some initial source of the money needs to be found through a consortium of transit agencies, newly established nonprofit, or potential grants. A similar situation was faced with the launch of the Transit Bus Mechanic testing program, where ASE received funding to develop the initial tests in exchange for an agreement to offer and administer the tests for a minimum of five years regardless of participation levels. As mentioned earlier, there may be some courses for which some of this development has already been completed, but it is likely there will still be significant investment needed. Another possibility to be explored is if the participation levels could be significantly expanded by changing the focus of the credential from maintenance instructors only to all transit instructors. This possibility was mentioned during the Project Team’s presentation and discussion at NTI’s Transit Trainers’ Workshop. The operating side of transit receives a lot of attention, and it was suggested that including operating trainers would garner more organizational support of the program. While some changes in the core competency model would be needed, it would in large part apply to all instructors as is. Unfortunately, the research done on participation levels to this point focused solely on maintenance instructors, and it is unclear how much larger the full instructor population is and if the NTI participants correctly estimated the interest level. If this is explored further it may be the case that a significantly higher participation level could provide enough surplus revenue to amortize the significant up-front development costs. How- ever, because of the uncertainty, the analysis that follows assumes a program focused only on the maintenance instructor population.

70 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Participation Projections and Operating Cost Analysis For the transit trainer certification program to be sustainable, several critical items must be present: • Sufficient participation levels from transit trainers and agencies initially and over time. • Revenues from participants fully cover the long term costs of the organization(s) implementing the program. • Charges for certification are set to levels that are reasonable for agencies, and provide a clear ROI. Participation Estimates To determine the projected participation over time, the Project Team looked at three different populations identified in Task 1: current transit agency instructors (~600), projected annual new instructors (~40), and current mentors (~3,700). For incumbent instructors, the Project Team assumes that participation levels will be lower than participation levels for new instructors after the certification program is launched. This is due to a number of incumbent instructors being in the middle or latter part of their careers, and the likelihood that transit agencies may “grandfather” or otherwise not incentivize participation of current employees in the program in the same way as new employees. Based on these under- standings, the Project Team projected that over the first five years of the program, 20–40 percent of the instructor population would participate, but that 40–80 percent of each year’s new crop of instructors would begin the program. Mentors may benefit from portions of the certification program. The development of strong mentoring practices may help identify talent for future full-time instructors, improve the overall culture of training, and be key to the sustainability of the certification program. The Project Team estimated a steady population of 3,700 instructors, and that 6–10 percent will participate in some portion of the program each year. These assumptions provide the following projections over 10 years as shown in Table 5.2. Assumptions Applied to Revenue/Cost Projections It should be noted that Year 1 draws only from incumbent trainers; “new trainers” begin with Year 2. Also, after Year 5 the Project Team assumes that all of the present populations of trainers Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Instructor Participants High Projection 48 80 80 80 80 32 32 32 32 32 Medium Projection 36 60 60 60 60 24 24 24 24 24 Low Projection 24 40 40 40 40 16 16 16 16 16 Mentor Participants High Projection 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 Medium Projection 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 Low Projection 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 Table 5.2. Ten-year participant projections.

Business Plan 71 who will participate have participated and so there is a drop off at that point. However, the fixed costs will also be front loaded in the early years, so a smaller participation level is necessary for sustainability after the initial costs are covered. Although the courses are not assigned to a strict time frame in the competency model, for the purposes of projecting revenue the Project Team has assumed that students, on average, will move through the program over the course of three years. The Project Team has also assumed some attrition through the program. It is projected that 10 percent of those who begin will not proceed to the second year of courses and an additional 20 percent will not proceed to the third year. The team projected that of the 10 courses identified, participants will submit the equivalent course documentation for four of them and take the remainder directly administered through the program. Whether these participation levels are sufficient to sustain the program will depend on the costs charged and the variable and fixed costs to the implementing organization. The plan to achieve the necessary participation will be discussed later. Annual Operating Costs (Fixed and Variable) As noted earlier, depending on the structure chosen for delivering classes, there may be substantial up-front development costs for e-learning and other courseware development, and platforms for delivering courses remotely via video conferencing. This analysis focuses on ongoing fixed and variable operating costs. It will almost certainly be necessary for separate funding from agencies, other organizations, or the steering organization to be identified to cover the pre-program launch costs. Each year, there will be relatively fixed costs for a website, marketing of the program to agen- cies, the credentialing management system license and administration, and ongoing updates of the competency model. An initial analysis estimates that these costs will be in the range of $35,000–50,000 per year. A detailed projection is provided in Table 5.3. Other costs will be variable based on the number of participants and the attrition and progress of participants through the program. The main types of costs are per course offering for courses offered directly through the AO, and the review of equivalent courses, evaluation of portfolios and other deliverables to confirm that competencies have been achieved, and the evaluation of the final capstone project. The cost projection is $1,000 per offering of an 8-hour course via video conferencing, or $1,500 for courses offered in person. The primary driver of these costs is direct instructor time; other costs such as curriculum development and updating are included elsewhere. The number of offerings of the course needed was calculated by the projected participation, assuming a goal of eight enrollees per course offering, and assuming that half of participants would take the course directly through the certification program and half would submit an equivalent outside course. Review of portfolios and reflection papers is projected at $25 per course and $100 for the capstone project. Revenues To cover the administration costs, several fees would be charged to participants during the certification program: • Initial registration fee (proposed at $100). • Review of course documentation and portfolios for four Training Delivery courses: $200. • Review of course documentation and portfolios for four Instructional Design courses: $200.

72 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Projected Parcipaon Parcipang Trainers (from Year 1 populaon) 48 48 48 48 48 0 0 0 0 0 Parcipang Trainers (from New Hires each year) 0 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 Parcipang Mentors 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 370 Fees/Income (Constant $ in Thousands) Cerficaon System Registraon (Charged at beginning to parcipang instructors) $100 4.8 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $250 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 92.5 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $250 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Adult Learning $250 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Delivering Instrucon $250 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Instruconal Technology $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Lesson Plan Design $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Instruconal Material Development $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $250 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Program Evalua on and Management $250 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Curriculum Development $250 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Review of Course Documenta on and Porolios (Training Delivery Level) $200 9.6 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 Review of Course Documenta on and Porolios (Instruc onal Design Level) $200 0.0 8.6 14.4 14.4 14.4 14.4 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 Review of Course Documenta on and Porolios (Program Design Level) $150 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Review of Final Capstone Project $150 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Total Fees/Income 123.7 179.1 227.3 244.1 244.1 212.9 178.3 153.1 153.1 153.1 Table 5.3. Operating revenue vs. cost analysis of transit trainer and mentor certification program— high participation estimate.

Business Plan 73 Costs (Constant $ in Thousands) Note: These are recurring operang costs, both fixed and variable. There are other one me startup costs that will have to be invested and recovered over me or covered through other possible sources. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Fixed Costs (Overall) Updates for Task Analysis, Competency Model and Program Review (ongoing and major update every 5 yrs, incl. SME travel) 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Marke ng to Agencies / ROI Analysis 10.0 10.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Public Website Maintenance 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 Legal Costs (incl. insurance) 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Creden al Management System License and Admin 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 Total Fixed Costs 47.5 47.5 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 Variable Costs Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In-Person) $1,500 46.5 51.0 51.0 51.0 51.0 51.0 51.0 51.0 51.0 51.0 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $1,000 6.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Adult Learning $1,000 6.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Delivering Instrucon $1,000 6.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Instruconal Technology $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Lesson Plan Design $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Instruconal Material Development $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Program Design Courses Standards-Based Training $1,000 0.0 0.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Program Evaluaon and Management $1,000 0.0 0.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Curriculum Development $1,000 0.0 0.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Review of Course Documentaon and Por­olios (Training Delivery Level) ($25/person/course) $25 4.8 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Review of Course Documentaon and Por­olios (Instruconal Design Level) ($25/person/course) $25 0.0 4.3 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 Review of Course Documentaon and Por­olios (Program Design Level) ($25/person/course) $25 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Review of Capstone Projects $100 0.0 0.0 3.4 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 2.2 2.2 2.2 Total Variable Costs 69.3 117.3 153.1 163.0 163.0 140.2 115.9 98.0 98.0 98.0 Total Costs 116.8 164.8 193.1 203.0 203.0 180.2 155.9 138.0 138.0 138.0 Annual Cost Excess/Shortage 6.9 14.2 34.2 41.1 41.1 32.7 22.5 15.1 15.1 15.1 Cumulave Reserve/Loss 6.9 21.1 55.4 96.5 137.6 170.3 192.7 207.9 223.0 238.1 Table 5.3. (Continued).

74 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors • Review of course documentation and portfolios for three Program Design courses: $200. • Review of final capstone project and issuing certification: $150. Total cost to agency or trainer for certification: $850. There will also be costs for taking the courses themselves. If a participant is taking an approved equivalent course from an outside provider, the charges will be paid directly to that provider. It is projected that a fee of $250 per course for those taking courses directly through the certification managing organization. 10-Year Operating Profit/Loss Projections Tables 5.3 to 5.6 show one year cost and revenue projections based on different assumptions. Table 5.3 assumes participation for mentors and instructors will follow the “High” level projection model. Under this level of participation and using the fees indicated. Under this model, there is a projected operating profit starting with Year 1 and an ongoing projected profit of $15,000 per year from Year 8 forward. Table 5.4 assumes participation follows the “Low” model. In this case there is an operating loss almost every year, and the program would not be sustainable without significant fee increases. However, those fee increases might further decrease participation, leading to a spiral downward. Participation must certainly come in above the low projections for the program to work, and a strong marketing program and understanding of the ROI among the agencies will be critically necessary to achieve the required participation. Table 5.5 takes the “Medium” level of participation and projects the necessary fees to break even. In this case only a slight increase to the charge for the mentor course (to $260) would provide fiscal stability, as the excess from the mentor course can subsidize the overall program. Finally, Table 5.6 projects the necessary participation level given the initial projected fees. The key takeaway here is that the sustainability of the program decreases with higher instructor participation unless the mentor participation increases by a similar amount. In the long term, participation of 32 instructors per year and 270 mentors per year would provide a small annual operating surplus. All of the numbers in these projections are very preliminary and have a wide margin of error. As even the most optimistic projections do not show a substantial operating margin, the implementation of the program in an efficient manner by a well-qualified flexible organization will be critical for success. A focus of upcoming meetings with SMEs will be to determine the reasonableness of these assumptions and what steps will be necessary to ensure the required participation levels. A significant part of the evaluation of the RFP responses should be the organization’s plan to achieve the necessary participation levels for sustainability. Summary of Projections The projected operating surpluses or losses (not including up-front development costs before Year 1) are shown in Table 5.7. These figures assume that all courses except mentor training are offered in an online, video conferencing format, that one half of courses are taken directly through the program, while the others are taken through equivalent outside courses, and that there are eight participants per course offering. All participants, regardless of where courses are taken, would be required to pay the full registration fee.

Business Plan 75 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Projected Parcipaon Parcipang Trainers (from Year 1 populaon) 24 24 24 24 24 0 0 0 0 0 Parcipang Trainers (from New Hires each year) 0 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Parcipang Mentors 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 222 Fees/Income (Constant $ in Thousands) Cerficaon System Registraon (Charged at beginning to parcipang instructors) $100 2.4 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $250 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 55.5 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $250 3.6 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 Adult Learning $250 3.6 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 Delivering Instrucon $250 3.6 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $250 0.0 3.2 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 Instruconal Technology $250 0.0 3.2 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 Lesson Plan Design $250 0.0 3.2 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 Instruconal Material Development $250 0.0 3.2 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $250 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Program Evaluaon and Management $250 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Curriculum Development $250 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Training Delivery Level) $200 4.8 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Instruconal Design Level) $200 0.0 4.3 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Program Design Level) $150 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Review of Final Capstone Project $150 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Total Fees/Income 71.1 98.8 122.9 131.3 131.3 115.7 98.4 85.8 85.8 85.8 Table 5.4. Operating revenue vs. cost analysis of transit trainer and mentor certification program— low participation estimate. (continued on next page)

76 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Costs (Constant $ in Thousands) Note: These are recurring operang costs, both fixed and variable. There are other one me startup costs that will have to be invested and recovered over me or covered through other possible sources. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Fixed Costs (Overall) Updates for Task Analysis, Competency Model and Program Review (ongoing and major update every 5 yrs, incl. SME travel) 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Markeng to Agencies / ROI Analysis 10.0 10.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Public Website Maintenance 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 Legal Costs (incl. insurance) 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Credenal Management System License and Admin 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 Total Fixed Costs 47.5 47.5 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 Variable Costs Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $1,500 28.5 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $1,000 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Adult Learning $1,000 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Delivering Instrucon $1,000 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $1,000 0.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Instruconal Technology $1,000 0.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Lesson Plan Design $1,000 0.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Instruconal Material Development $1,000 0.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $1,000 0.0 0.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Program Evaluaon and Management $1,000 0.0 0.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Curriculum Development $1,000 0.0 0.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Review of Course Documentaon and Por€olios (Training Delivery Level) ($25/person/course) $25 2.4 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 Review of Course Documentaon and Por€olios (Instruconal Design Level) ($25/person/course) $25 0.0 2.2 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 Review of Course Documentaon and Por€olios (Program Design Level) ($25/person/course) $25 0.0 0.0 1.3 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 0.8 0.8 0.8 Review of Capstone Projects $100 0.0 0.0 1.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 1.1 1.1 1.1 Total Variable Costs 39.9 63.2 84.5 89.5 89.5 78.1 63.9 55.0 55.0 55.0 Total Costs 87.4 110.7 124.5 129.5 129.5 118.1 103.9 95.0 95.0 95.0 Annual Cost Excess/Shortage 16.3 11.9 1.6 1.8 1.8 2.4 5.5 9.2 9.2 9.2 Cumulave Reserve/Loss 16.3 28.2 29.8 28.0 26.2 28.6 34.1 43.3 52.5 61.7 Table 5.4. (Continued).

Business Plan 77 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Projected Parcipaon Parcipang Trainers (from Year 1 populaon) 36 36 36 36 36 0 0 0 0 0 Parcipang Trainers (from New Hires each year) 0 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 Parcipang Mentors 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 296 Fees/Income (Constant $ in Thousands) Cerficaon System Registraon (Charged at beginning to parcipang instructors) $100 3.6 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $260 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 77.0 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $250 5.4 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 Adult Learning $250 5.4 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 Delivering Instrucon $250 5.4 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $250 0.0 4.9 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Instruconal Technology $250 0.0 4.9 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Lesson Plan Design $250 0.0 4.9 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Instruconal Material Development $250 0.0 4.9 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $250 0.0 0.0 3.8 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 Program Evaluaon and Management $250 0.0 0.0 3.8 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 Curriculum Development $250 0.0 0.0 3.8 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Training Delivery Level) $200 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Instruconal Design Level) $200 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Program Design Level) $150 0.0 0.0 3.8 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 Review of Final Capstone Project $150 0.0 0.0 3.8 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 Total Fees/Income 100.4 141.9 178.1 190.7 190.7 167.3 141.3 122.4 122.4 122.4 Table 5.5. Operating revenue vs. cost analysis of transit trainer and mentor certification program— medium participation estimate/adjusted pricing. (continued on next page)

78 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Table 5.5. (Continued). Costs (Constant $ in Thousands) Note: These are recurring operang costs, both fixed and variable. There are other one me startup costs that will have to be invested and recovered over me or covered through other possible sources. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Fixed Costs (Overall) Updates for Task Analysis, Competency Model and Program Review (ongoing and major update every 5 yrs, incl. SME travel) 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Markeng to Agencies / ROI Analysis 10.0 10.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Public Website Maintenance 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 Legal Costs (incl. insurance) 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Credenal Management System License and Admin 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 Total Fixed Costs 47.5 47.5 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 Variable Costs Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $1,500 37.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 40.5 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $1,000 5.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Adult Learning $1,000 5.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Delivering Instrucon $1,000 5.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $1,000 0.0 4.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Instruconal Technology $1,000 0.0 4.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lesson Plan Design $1,000 0.0 4.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Instruconal Material Development $1,000 0.0 4.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $1,000 0.0 0.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Program Evaluaon and Management $1,000 0.0 0.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Curriculum Development $1,000 0.0 0.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Review of Course Documentaon and Por€olios (Training Delivery Level) ($25/person/course) $25 3.6 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 Review of Course Documentaon and Por€olios (Instruconal Design Level) ($25/person/course) $25 0.0 3.2 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 Review of Course Documentaon and Por€olios (Program Design Level) ($25/person/course) $25 0.0 0.0 1.9 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 Review of Capstone Projects $100 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Total Variable Costs 56.1 89.7 120.3 129.3 129.3 110.7 91.4 78.0 78.0 78.0 Total Costs 103.6 137.2 160.3 169.3 169.3 150.7 131.4 118.0 118.0 118.0 Annual Cost Excess/Shortage 3.2 4.6 17.8 21.4 21.4 16.6 9.9 4.4 4.4 4.4 Cumulave Reserve/Loss 3.2 1.4 19.2 40.6 62.0 78.6 88.5 93.0 97.4 101.8

Business Plan 79 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Projected Parcipaon Parcipang Trainers (from Year 1 populaon) 48 48 48 48 48 0 0 0 0 0 Parcipang Trainers (from New Hires each year) 0 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 Parcipang Mentors 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 Fees/Income (Constant $ in Thousands) Cerficaon System Registraon (Charged at beginning to parcipang instructors) $100 4.8 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $250 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 67.5 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $250 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Adult Learning $250 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Delivering Instrucon $250 7.2 12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Instruconal Technology $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Lesson Plan Design $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Instruconal Material Development $250 0.0 6.5 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $250 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Program Evaluaon and Management $250 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Curriculum Development $250 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Training Delivery Level) $200 9.6 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Instruconal Design Level) $200 0.0 8.6 14.4 14.4 14.4 14.4 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Program Design Level) $150 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Review of Final Capstone Project $150 0.0 0.0 5.0 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 Total Fees/Income 98.7 154.1 202.3 219.1 219.1 187.9 153.3 128.1 128.1 128.1 Table 5.6. Operating revenue vs. cost analysis of transit trainer and mentor certification program— break even participation level. (continued on next page)

80 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Costs (Constant $ in Thousands) Note: These are recurring operang costs, both fixed and variable. There are other one me startup costs that will have to be invested and recovered over me or covered through other possible sources. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Fixed Costs (Overall) Updates for Task Analysis, Competency Model and Program Review (ongoing and major update every 5 yrs, incl. SME travel) 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Markeng to Agencies / ROI Analysis 10.0 10.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Public Website Maintenance 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 Legal Costs (incl. insurance) 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Credenal Management System License and Admin 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 Total Fixed Costs 47.5 47.5 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 40.0 Variable Costs Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Training Delivery Courses Mentoring Course (In Person) $1,500 34.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 37.5 Oral and Wrien Communicaon $1,000 6.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Adult Learning $1,000 6.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Delivering Instrucon $1,000 6.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Instruconal Design Courses Assessment and Process Analysis $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Instruconal Technology $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Lesson Plan Design $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Instruconal Material Development $1,000 0.0 6.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Program Design Courses Standards Based Training $1,000 0.0 0.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Program Evaluaon and Management $1,000 0.0 0.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Curriculum Development $1,000 0.0 0.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Training Delivery Level) $25 4.8 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Instruconal Design Level) $25 0.0 4.3 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 Review of Course Documentaon and Porolios (Program Design Level) $25 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 Review of Capstone Projects $100 0.0 0.0 3.4 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 2.2 2.2 2.2 Total Variable Costs 57.3 103.8 139.6 149.5 149.5 126.7 102.4 84.5 84.5 84.5 Total Costs 104.8 151.3 179.6 189.5 189.5 166.7 142.4 124.5 124.5 124.5 Annual Cost Excess/Short age 6.1 2.7 22.7 29.6 29.6 21.2 11.0 3.6 3.6 3.6 Cumulave Reserve/Loss 6.1 3.4 19.4 49.0 78.6 99.8 110.7 114.4 118.0 121.6 Table 5.6. (Continued).

Business Plan 81 The numbers show that, if the “medium level” of participation can be achieved and the other participation assumptions hold valid, the program can be sustainably offered. However, the margins are always fairly small and the potential AO will always be in a somewhat precarious position where a small change in demand or costs will result in an operating loss. Even at a high level of participation, the projected cumulative reserve over 10 years is not likely to attract an organization to invest in the up-front development costs. An ongoing commitment of the industry and the steering committee will be necessary for the program to be implemented. Making the Business Case to Transit Organizations— Impact and Potential ROI of Instructor Training and Certification Understanding that agencies will need to make significant investments to support the program in terms of paying for registration fees and allowing instructors the time needed away from work to complete the program, it is essential that agency managers value the outcome. When it comes to measuring the impact and ROI of an instructor training, development, and certification program, one question becomes essential: How much does a transit agency benefit from technical training and how is that benefit enhanced by skilled instructors? Research shows that in both cases investment in technical training pays dividends. Transit Technical Training Makes a Difference A study aimed specifically at transit calculated significant gains regarding ROI from technical workforce training (Transportation Learning Center 2010b). Research conducted at the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), Albany, NY, showed that as a result of training provided under a special program: • Average test scores improved by 43 percent. • Some test scores improved by 70 percent. • Miles between breakdowns improved by 18 percent. • Bus spare ratio fell from 20 percent to 13 percent. • More maintenance repair work stayed in-house. • Work culture among technicians also improved. In total, 23 classes developed in-house by CDTA instructors were provided to 202 students over a one year period. The training addressed both basic and advanced technology subjects including engines, transmissions, hydraulics, and preventive maintenance. The results were impressive. A true measure of an agency’s maintenance program is to keep vehicle defects to a minimum. Defects left unattended lead to breakdowns, passenger interruptions, and safety concerns. Fortunately for the effort to measure ROI at CDTA, the agency has an annual fleet inspection 10 year cumulative reserve/(loss) Long-term annual reserve/(loss) (Year 8 and later) Low Participation -$61,700 -$9,200 Medium Participation $101,800 $4,400 High Participation $238,100 $15,100 Table 5.7. Operating surpluses or losses.

82 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors conducted by an independent contractor to measure overall maintenance efficiency. One activity is to inspect a percentage of the bus fleet on an annual basis and itemize the number of defects found. After conducting the extra training, the average number of per-bus defects at CDTA fell from 8.4 to 5.9 percent, an impressive 30 percent improvement. When the defect reduction was compared to specific training classes given through the program, the results were even more impressive. Regarding engine defects for example, where five training classes were provided, the number of defects in this critical category fell 44 percent. The training at CDTA also led to the reduction of outsourcing, a practice where vendors perform certain repair and maintenance work because the agency’s own technicians lack the required technical knowl- edge and ability. The practice brings with it many disadvantages. The primary disadvantage is that extensive outsourcing makes the agency dependent on others to do much of their work. As a result, costs and scheduling cannot be controlled. Such was the case with CDTA: lack of skills was making the agency dependent on others to do much of the critical engine and transmission work. Following training in these specific areas, however, the agency was able to bring 50 percent of this work back in-house and make the repairs themselves. Based on interviews with 20 main- tenance personnel, the ability to perform work in-house combined with the enhanced skills made possible by the training has re-energized the workforce, improved working relations, and estab- lished a “can do” attitude throughout the maintenance department. Training ROI in Pennsylvania The transit ROI study also included the benefits derived from over 11,000 maintenance training opportunities provided to various transit agencies in Pennsylvania. In this example, results of the technical training show a return of five to 12 times the training investment. The SEPTA, the largest agency participating in the training program, demonstrated several quantifiable gains derived through the training. In the area of mean distance between failures (MDBF), an indication of in-service vehicle reliability, the research compared SEPTA’s bus garages that did not receive any preventive maintenance (PM) training to those garages that did receive training. Following PM training where technicians were taught to identify and repair defects before they result in a mechanical failure, MDBF showed improvements each month with up to 1,797 more miles traveled between failures, or 39 percent improvement in miles driven between failures. This translates to fewer passengers being inconvenienced by buses that fail in service, thereby improv- ing the agency’s performance and public image. At a smaller transit agency in Pennsylvania where technicians lacked essential electrical skills, specialized training led to a sharp reduction in charging system related failures. Prior to taking these classes, many technicians were replacing perfectly good batteries because of their inability to properly diagnose charging system faults. Following the training, battery costs were reduced 26 percent. Another key measurement in bus maintenance is the ratio between scheduled maintenance events where activities are accomplished as planned service events, and unscheduled maintenance where repair jobs are usually the result of breakdowns. It is more advantageous to accomplish repairs while the vehicle is receiving scheduled maintenance than having to chase unscheduled repairs where vehicle downtime is not anticipated. Following the training provided to SEPTA technicians, unscheduled maintenance activities fell from 51 percent to 42 percent of the total maintenance activities. The reduction of unscheduled maintenance is a strong indicator of improved equipment performance, which generates cost savings from not having so many dis- ruptive and costly breakdowns and unscheduled overtime. The time and effort spent on BMT at all skill levels also produced impressive improvements in parts and labor cost reduction in many of SEPTA’s major maintenance/repair categories.

Business Plan 83 Figure 5.1 showcases an example of such savings. A PM job that once cost $114 in labor and materials now cost only $82 after four years of training because of improved skill levels, a result of improved diagnostic abilities and an overall reduction in the time needed to make repairs. SEPTA has saved a total of $8,194,000 on bus PM jobs due to its training initiatives. A broader cost/benefit analysis shows that SEPTA’s training investment has produced impressive financial gains. Figure 5.2 summarizes the total savings from reduced labor time and materials needed to accomplish maintenance jobs at SEPTA throughout the training period. As illustrated in Figure 5.2, annual savings in all bus maintenance/repair categories rose rapidly from $3.6 million in 2002 (the first year of Keystone) to $11 million in 2005. Understanding that calculating the effect of training is not an exact science, the study estimated that SEPTA’s investment of $2,625,127 to train its bus maintenance workforce over a four-year period led to a combined cost savings of between $10 million and $22 million. The savings in vehicle maintenance, repair, and bus capital costs provides solid evidence that investment in training does provide financial benefits. Instructor Training and Development Makes a Difference: Research Evidence It’s commonly understood that highly proficient teachers and instructors do make a difference when it comes to student achievement. Unfortunately, there is no known ROI study that quantifies instructor effectiveness in a transit maintenance environment. However, a study conducted by the ROI Institute, Inc. regarding the impact of instructor development on student retention and corresponding ROI in an automotive training environ- ment produced impressive findings (Imagine America Foundation 2010). The research was conducted at a campus of UTI, a provider of technical training for students seeking careers as automotive, marine and heavy-duty truck technicians. UTI is featured in the Best Practices chapter of this project. Figure 5.1. Average labor & parts cost and annual savings—SEPTA bus PM jobs.

84 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors The ROI study focused on measuring the impact of a comprehensive faculty development program provided to UTI by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), a career college employee development and performance improvement initiative. Conclusions from the study found that the CEE program had a positive effect on UTI instructors and the students they taught. Seventy-nine percent of the instructors reported their teaching performance had been enhanced as a result of the program, improving their ability to: • Incorporate multiple teaching styles to better suit a diverse class; • Develop more ways to make presentations; • Involve students in classroom teaching to help learners be more active; and • Increase listening skills to hear students’ concerns. After isolating the effects of the program, converting the measures to monetary value, and identifying the fully loaded costs, the result was a positive ROI of 517 percent for UTI. Enhanced instructor skills contributed to an improvement in student retention and the number of additional courses taken by the students because of the higher quality instruction they received. Additionally, there were notable intangible benefits of the program, including job satisfaction, faculty career development, and student satisfaction. In addition to the UTI study, there is anecdotal evidence from several technicians whose careers have benefitted from instructors that made a difference. Michele Winn, a woman working as an automotive technician, is one example. She credits the instructors at a technical school that she attended for helping her to achieve a perfect 4.0 grade average and land a well-paying and Total Labor and Parts Savings in Bus Maintenance/Repair Categories Rose Rapidly since the Start of Keystone Training $0 $2,000,000 $4,000,000 $6,000,000 $8,000,000 $10,000,000 $12,000,000 Fiscal Years A nn ua l S av in gs Accident $187,000 $163,000 $187,000 $329,000 Capitalization (Overhaul) $2,461,000 $4,566,000 $2,628,000 $2,320,000 Inspection Repairs $0 $0 $0 $3,140,000 Operator Report $32,000 $68,000 $142,000 $138,000 Overhaul $0 $184,000 $356,000 $341,000 Preventive Maintenance $827,000 $1,613,000 $2,615,000 $3,139,000 Running Repairs $0 $326,000 $586,000 $1,021,000 Service Failure $5,000 $0 $197,000 $540,000 Vandalism $35,000 $16,000 $34,000 $64,000 Warranty $32,000 $0 $3,000 $64,000 FY02 07/01-06/02 FY03 07/02-06/03 FY04 07/03-06/04 FY05 07/04-06/05 $3,579,000 $6,748,000$6,936,000 $11,096,000 Figure 5.2. Total labor and parts savings—SEPTA maintenance jobs.

Business Plan 85 satisfying job. The instructors at this particular technical school provided just enough classroom instruction to prepare students for intensive hands-on education, combining theory and practice in a way that engaged students and prepared them for real-world job experiences. In the article, “The Value of the Maintenance Instructor” (Chamberlin 2010), an aircraft mechanic reflects back on the instructors that made a difference in his career. Over the years Chamberlin observed many instructors in action. As he notes, most were just average, a few were really good, and some had no business being in the profession. The reason he gives for the high number of poor technical instructors is that rarely are there any requirements for them to have received formal training in teaching skills. Chamberlin goes on to contrast the many investments being made in training technologies such as e-learning with the lack of investment being made with regard to instructor training and preparation. As he notes, the training aids are only valuable tools when used correctly by a skilled instructor. Chamberlin asks: “What’s really important in your training program? Is it having the latest technological advances in training aids? Or is it selecting good instructors and providing them with the tools they need to accomplish their jobs?” Hopefully, transit agencies can have both. Direct evidence pointing to the benefits offered by quality instructors in more traditional teaching settings is plentiful. In the book, Teacher Quality: Understanding the Effectiveness of Teacher Attributes, by Jennifer King Rice, the author proves that teacher quality does in fact matter (Rice 2003).The book contends that the teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. The publication lends credibility to best practices findings that experience has a positive effect on teacher effectiveness, especially when it comes to “learn-by- doing” instruction. The research also validates this effort in this project to certify transit main- tenance instructors because it suggests that teachers who are certified have an increased impact on student achievement. The study goes on to state that teaching is a complex activity influenced by many elements of teacher quality. The research suggests that investing in teachers can make a difference in student achievement. In a conventional school setting it is estimated that the difference between having a good teacher and a bad one can exceed one grade-level equivalent in annual achievement growth. The book points to several studies that argue that the single most important factor affecting student achievement is the teacher, and the effects of teachers on student achievement are both additive and cumulative. Further, the studies contend that lower-achieving students are the most likely to benefit from increases in teacher effectiveness. This is especially important in today’s transit environment where many transit technicians may have been subjected to poor quality training in the past. A study conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research Annual Conference, Building Teacher Quality (Hattie 2003), also provides a direct correlation between teacher quality and student accomplishment. It shows that the students themselves account for about 50 percent of the variance of achievement. It’s what students bring to the table that predicts achieve- ment more than any other single variable. Of the remaining 50 percent, teachers account for 30 percent of the variance with schools, principals, and peer effects accounting for the remainder. The study identified five major characteristics of excellent teachers as those with the ability to: • Identify essential representations of their subject, • Guide learning through classroom interactions, • Monitor learning and provide feedback, • Attend to affective attributes, and • Influence student outcomes.

86 A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors Taken together, the sources provided here and elsewhere conclude that quality teachers are a critical determinant of student achievement. There is clear evidence to suggest that technicians are in a better position to perform their jobs when provided with effective instructors. Certification Improves Instructor Employment Opportunities While research clearly shows that providing instructors with enhanced teaching skills contributes significantly to student achievement, there is also evidence that instructors themselves benefit from attaining certifications. In the article, “Does Your Resume Need New Acronyms?”, the author strongly indicates that in today’s business climate, anything that differentiates job candidates from the crowd is critical to building a substantial career (Zupek 2009). Certifications show employers that job candidates are dedicated and committed to a particular profession and they are credible and knowledgeable about current trends and best practices in their field. The article indicates that certifications are especially beneficial when coupled with an appropriate number of years of experience in a given field of work. A scan of institutions that offer instructor and teacher certifications points to several other benefits: • Certification ensures that instructors are trained to consistent skill levels. • Certified people are more employable; hiring managers believe certified individuals are more productive than their non-certified counterparts. • Certificated people are typically more productive. • Certification reduces downtime because staff members have the skills needed to cope with issues as they arise. • Gaining certifications typically results in increased salaries. • Certification ensures that knowledge has been retained. • Certification results in lower staff turnover. The National Training and Certification Program seeks to improve and verify instructor skills with the intent of not only improving the quality of training delivery to students to make them more proficient, but to elevate the position of maintenance instructor within the transit community. Examples provided in other occupations indicate that these benefits can be achieved for transit maintenance technicians and instructors. Recommended Procurement Language At the interim meeting, the panel directed the Project Team to recommend language for transit agencies to include in future vehicle procurement contracts specifying vendor instructor qualifications. APTA’s Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines document already contains a section on training. It is proposed that the relevant section be changed to read: The Contractor shall have at least one qualified instructor certified through the National Training ICP who shall be available at the Agency’s property for [insert number] calendar days between the hours of [insert starting time] and [insert closing time] per month for [insert number] months prior to, and [insert number] months after, acceptance of the first vehicle. Instructor(s) shall conduct schools and advise the personnel of the Agency on the proper operation and maintenance of the equipment. The Contractor also shall supplement classroom instruction with hands-on training and provide visual and other teaching aids (such as manuals, slide presentations, literature and other teaching aids) designed to engage students for use by the Agency’s own training staff and which shall become the property of the Agency.

TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 178: A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors provides a proposed national program structure and plan for training and certifying transit bus and rail maintenance instructors. The report also provides best practices used in the public and private sectors to prepare and certify technical instructors, as well as the attributes and instructional delivery methods found most effective for maintenance instructors.

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1.1: Chapter 1 – Developing a Business Plan

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• Page ID 21274

• Lee A. Swanson
• University of Saskatchewan

Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to

• Describe the purposes for business planning
• Describe common business planning principles
• Explain common business plan development guidelines and tools
• List and explain the elements of the business plan development process
• Explain the purposes of each element of the business plan development process
• Explain how applying the business plan development process can aid in developing a business plan that will meet entrepreneurs’ goals

This chapter describes the purposes, principles, and the general concepts and tools for business planning, and the process for developing a business plan.

Purposes for Developing Business Plans

Business plans are developed for both internal and external purposes. Internally, entrepreneurs develop business plans to help put the pieces of their business together. Externally, the most common purpose is to raise capital.

Internal Purposes

As the road map for a business’s development, the business plan

• Defines the vision for the company
• Establishes the company’s strategy
• Describes how the strategy will be implemented
• Provides a framework for analysis of key issues
• Provides a plan for the development of the business
• Helps the entrepreneur develop and measure critical success factors
• Helps the entrepreneur to be realistic and test theories

External Purposes

The business plan provides the most complete source of information for valuation of the business. Thus, it is often the main method of describing a company to external audiences such as potential sources for financing and key personnel being recruited. It should assist outside parties to understand the current status of the company, its opportunities, and its needs for resources such as capital and personnel.

Business Plan Development Principles

Hindle and Mainprize (2006) suggested that business plan writers must strive to effectively communicate their expectations about the nature of an uncertain future and to project credibility. The liabilities of newness make communicating the expected future of new ventures much more difficult than for existing businesses. Consequently, business plan writers should adhere to five specific communication principles .

First, business plans must be written to meet the expectations of targeted readers in terms of what they need to know to support the proposed business. They should also lay out the milestones that investors or other targeted readers need to know. Finally, writers must clearly outline the opportunity , the context within the proposed venture will operate (internal and external environment), and the business model (Hindle & Mainprize, 2006).

There are also five business plan credibility principles that writers should consider. Business plan writers should build and establish their credibility by highlighting important and relevant information about the venture team . Writers need to elaborate on the plans they outline in their document so that targeted readers have the information they need to assess the plan’s credibility. To build and establish credibility, they must integrate scenarios to show that the entrepreneur has made realistic assumptions and has effectively anticipated what the future holds for their proposed venture. Writers need to provide comprehensive and realistic financial links between all relevant components of the plan. Finally, they must outline the deal , or the value that targeted readers should expect to derive from their involvement with the venture (Hindle & Mainprize, 2006).

General Guidelines for Developing Business Plans

Many businesses must have a business plan to achieve their goals. Using a standard format helps the reader understand that the you have thought everything through, and that the returns justify the risk. The following are some basic guidelines for business plan development.

As You Write Your Business Plan

1. If appropriate, include nice, catchy, professional graphics on your title page to make it appealing to targeted readers, but don’t go overboard.

2. Bind your document so readers can go through it easily without it falling apart. You might use a three-ring binder, coil binding, or a similar method. Make sure the binding method you use does not obscure the information next to where it is bound.

3. Make certain all of your pages are ordered and numbered correctly.

4. The usual business plan convention is to number all major sections and subsections within your plan using the format as follows:

1. First main heading

1.1 First subheading under the first main heading

1.1.1. First sub-subheading under the first subheading

2. Second main heading

2.1 First subheading under the second main heading

Use the styles and references features in Word to automatically number and format your section titles and to generate your table of contents. Be sure that the last thing you do before printing your document is update your automatic numbering and automatically generated tables. If you fail to do this, your numbering may be incorrect.

5. Prior to submitting your plan, be 100% certain each of the following requirements are met:

• Everything must be completely integrated. The written part must say exactly the same thing as the financial part.
• All financial statements must be completely linked and valid. Make sure all of your balance sheets balance.
• Everything must be correct. There should be NO spelling, grammar, sentence structure, referencing, or calculation errors.
• Your document must be well organized and formatted. The layout you choose should make the document easy to read and comprehend. All of your diagrams, charts, statements, and other additions should be easy to find and be located in the parts of the plan best suited to them.
• In some cases it can strengthen your business plan to show some information in both text and table or figure formats. You should avoid unnecessary repetition , however, as it is usually unnecessary—and even damaging—to state the same thing more than once.
• You should include all the information necessary for readers to understand everything in your document.
• The terms you use in your plan should be clear and consistent. For example, the following statement in a business plan would leave a reader completely confused: “There is a shortage of 100,000 units with competitors currently producing 25,000. We can help fill this huge gap in demand with our capacity to produce 5,000 units.”