Business Plan for Large Corporations

Elements of a Business Plan for Large Corporations

Financial Information

A business plan for large corporations will include the following components:

• A Balance Sheet
• An Income Statement
• A Cash Flow Analysis

These documents act as a type of resume to tell other corporate entities about the business. This financial information will be included with a loan application to arrange additional funding for the corporation. It can also be provided to suppliers when arranging credit for the corporation or form part of a package used to make the corporation attractive to potential business partners.

Executive Summary

The executive summary is like the corporation's calling card and includes a:

• Company Profile
• Description of the Product or Service Offered
• Sales Projection Sheet
• List of Management Team Members

This portion of the business plan is written after the rest of the business plan is completed.

Business Description

The corporation's mission statement, company history, and a detailed description of the product or service being offered will be included here.

Market Information

A detailed analysis of the market or markets the corporation is targeting is included in this part of the business plan. It will show that the corporation has considered the competition as well.

Management Team

Corporate investors and lenders need to know something about the corporation's management team. Information about the managers' background and corporate responsibilities are listed in this part of the document.

Planning Tool

The reason a well-written business plan can open a number of doors in the corporate world is that it demonstrates that the person or group who developed the plan has put a considerable amount of thought into how the business will be run and how each challenge in starting and maintaining the business will be met.

Management Tool

Managers in the corporation can monitor how well the corporation is performing according to the business plan and use it as a blueprint for further growth. The names of those on the Board of Directors will also be provided.

Operations

The Operations Section of the business plan is the portion of the document which explains how the corporation's goals will be reached. It will include the elements of Marketing, Personnel, Production, Customer Service, and Research.

Risks

Part of the business plan is to assess risks to the corporation's growth and success. The business plan should include reference to insurance provisions to protect the corporation, wherever feasible, along with a contingency plan.

Financial Projections

With an established corporation,the Financial Projections portion of the business plan should include sales figures for the previous three-five years. Financial projections (monthly and quarterly), a forecast for the next five years, and a break even analysis will also be found here.

Not a Static Document

Preparing the business plan for large corporations is not a one-time exercise. As the corporation grows and circumstances change, it will be updated and revised as well. When the first set of goals are accomplished, a new set of goals for the corporation will be set. The business plan is the road map of how to reach the goals; it makes them specific and measurable.