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Real winners do not play by the rules – they change them or even make their own.
Niall Fitzgerald, chairman, Unilever

Business Plans

Applying the Rules of Business

The outcome of applying the rules of business is a viable business, whose shape and direction is sketched out in a business plan.

The intuitive approach of Successful Micro Entrepreneurship results in the following structure for a business plan:

I am … Explain who you are, your education/work experience etc, especially insofar as it applies to your proposed business.
My product is … Explain your product: What it is, what is does, how it works, how it is made, what makes it different/unique, etc. Detail your experience with a particular method or use of equipment. Mention if you have gained or are working toward a quality standard.
My customers will … Explain who your customers will be and what evidence you have to support this.
My customers will buy my product because … Explain why your customers will buy your product and what evidence you have to support this.
My customers will pay … Explain how much your customers will pay for each unit of your product and what evidence you have to support this.
At this price, my customers will buy … Explain how many units of your product your customers will buy at the price set and what evidence you have to support this.
I can make … Explain how many units of your product you can make in a given time period and what evidence you have to support this.
To make each unit of product costs … Explain how much each unit of product costs you to make and what evidence you have to support this.
The start-up investment I require is … Explain the start-up investment you need, what it will be used for and what evidence you have to support this.
I have a viable business because … Explain why you believe you have a viable business and what evidence you have to support this.
In summary … On a single page, list the main points of your plan, in bullet point form. This is the part of the business plan that will make the biggest impression on your reader – make sure it’s easy to read and understand. Then put it at the front of your plan, where it will be seen!


To review the other approaches to business planning, choose from: