Guiding lines:

1. SUMMARY

The first part of a business plan consists of a summary. This must be brief – no longer than two pages. The purpose of the summary is to set out the main points (1) of a financing proposal for the financier, to arouse curiosity and encourage further reading.

• A brief description of the business, e.g. business concept, when and by whom the company was started, what products you develop, produce and sell, subsidiaries, associated companies, presence abroad, export activities.

• Owner structure, members of the board and management team.

• Turnover and earnings for the last three years, budget for the current financial year and projections for the next three years.

• The purpose of the business plan. For example, does it target banks or investors in order to raise capital? Or is it designed to help management formulate future product strategy?

• The strong aspects of your business, for example, products, patents, product ownership rights, product development or export investments.

• Risks, for example, a high product development rate in your field of business.

• Risk handling.

(1) The contents and wording must be adapted to your goal – in this case raising capital for your company. A business plan can also be a useful tool for the board of directors as they develop the company’s future product strategy.