Business Plan down to Earth, in 10 points

A Business plan! My kingdom for a Business plan! no wait! If I have a kingdom… no need for business plan… Anyway, this down to earth list will tell you the first steps. Thanks to Sequoia, now we know how to get a business plan, even if we are not looking for venture capital, is always good to know the final goals, a business plan also help to keep the focus on the project and not divagate looking for the colored fishes at the end of the bright rainbow.

Bullet proof Business Plan - Underpants Inc.

1. Define your purpose: write down what do your business in one sentence: “We will collect old underpants”.
2. Know your customer’s problem: define the problem of the public you will be targeting: “Every 3 of 5 people loss 1 underpants a year”. Also find out how they solve the problem today: “Then they buy a new ones”.
3. Your amazing solution: now write how your business will solve the problem: “We will help our customers to save them money in new underpants”. Drop some users cases: “Cuco lost 3 underpants this year, now have to buy one pack of five new underpants to keep going”.
4. Why your solution is useful right now: describe how you will solve the problem in this very moment: “Now, with our business people will have not stress when their underpants get lost”. Also give some market info like: “People are buying very expensive underpants in the last 5 years”.
5. Describe your customer: self explanatory: “Our customers never remember how they lost the underpants, also where. Our customers are suffering of Memento Psychosis, Shampoo Paranoia and Gnutella Effect”.
6. Know your competition: list their advantages and weak points: “The garbage truck always get all lost underpants but they don’t know what to do. Also they are many and work at night though”.
7. Draw the development roadmap: How you will, step by step, getting more customers. “1. Collect underpants 2. ?  3. Profit!”
8. Show me the money!: Describe how you will make money solving the problem of your customers: “We will charge the half for every underpants”.
9. Select your team: look for the right people to work and make your business successful: “A Dog to lead us to the underpants, Crazy Gnomes to collect them, Pretty ladies to the sales department. etc”. You may also may need some one with experience in the matter for advice: “Anacleto, who have lost 100 underpants in his live, but found 10″.
10. Describe you finances: like this: “With every 10 underpants sold we will buy a bone for the dog, beer for the Gnomes, clothes to the ladies and will invest 40% in find new ways to get more underpants, and save 5% for hard times”.

Mystery Solved!

1. Collect underpants
2. Sell the underpants at half price
3. Profit!

Was not hard at all, what you think? If I miss something you are welcome to point it in the comments. Keep flowing.