What are you selling? In this section, you describe your service or product emphasizing the benefits to potential and current customers. For example, don't tell your readers which 89 foods you carry in your "Gourmet to Go" shop. Tell them why busy, two-career couples will prefer shopping in a service-oriented store that records clients' food preferences, and caters even the smallest parties on short notice.
Focus on the areas where you have a distinct advantage. Identify the problem in your target market for which your service or product provides a solution.
Give the reader hard evidence that people are, or will be, willing to pay for your solution versus others. List your company's services and products and attach any marketing/promotional materials. Provide details regarding suppliers, availability of products/services, and service or product costs. Also, include information addressing new services or products which will soon be added to the company's line.
Overall, this section should include:
A detailed description of your product or service (from your customers' perspective)
Here, you would need to include information about the specific benefits of your product or service. You would also want to talk about your product/service's ability to meet consumer needs, any advantages your product has over that of the competition, and the present development stage your product is in (ie., idea, prototype, etc.).Information related to your product's life cycle
Be sure to include information about where your product or service is in its life cycle as well as any factors that may influence it's life cycle in the future.Any copyright, patent, and trade secret information that may be relevant
Here, you need to include information related to existing, pending, or anticipated copyright and patent filings along with any key characteristics of your products/services that you cannot obtain a copyright or patent for. This is where you should also incorporate key aspects of your products/services that may be classified as trade secrets. Last, but not least, be sure to add any information pertaining to existing legal agreements in this section such as nondisclosure or noncompete agreements.Research and development activities you are involved in or are planning to be involved in
R&D activities would include any in-process or future activities related to the development of new products/services. This section would also include information about what you expect the results of future R&D activities to be. Be sure to analyze the R&D efforts of not only your own business, but also that of others in your industry.
Information courtesy of the Small Business Administration.
Back to Business Plans
