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From Vision to Reality: The Role of the Business Plan in a Start-up Venture. Mijbel F. AlQattan, CFA Head of Business Development Cubical Services. Who are Cubical Services?.
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From Vision to Reality: The Role of the Business Plan in a Start-up Venture Mijbel F. AlQattan, CFA Head of Business Development Cubical Services
Who are Cubical Services? • Cubical Services offers advisory, incubation and office space solutions to entrepreneurs, small business owners and individuals. • It was incorporated in 2009 with a paid up capital KD 100,000. • The company currently has the following revenue streams: • Advisory services and business planning for small business owners. • Turnkey SME project management. • Office space and executive solutions.
Story of Airbnb • It all started in 2008 in the living room of Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky, alumni of the Rhode Island School of Design, who knew that a prominent design conference was coming to town but all the nearby hotel rooms were fully booked..
So what happened? • How did Airbnb find an investor willing to pay $112 million for a 10% stake in the company? • A live prototype that demonstrates the idea works • Smart and creative entrepreneurs behind it • An effective business plan
Who reads a business plan and what makes it good? • People interested in reading the business plan include: • The business owner • The management team • Investors and financers • A good business plan usually has: • Clarity • Clear definition of roles, responsibilities & procedures • Reasonable assumptions • For prospective investors, a sound exit strategy
What’s in a business plan? • An executive summary where you pitch your idea briefly and outline keys to success • For new business, an overall industry analysis that discusses competitors and industry players. Outline your competitive advantages • An overview of your target market • SWOT analysis of the business concept • Operational procedures, how will the business work?
What’s in a business plan? • Targets, both short- and long-term, and a roadmap of how to achieve them • Marketing and web plan for non-electronic businesses • If you are looking for investors, what is your exit strategy? • How do you plan to allocate your budget? • What are your start-up requirements and financial projections? How to break-even?
What are the keys to success? • The factors that will determine whether the business is successful or not • Entrepreneurs should focus on 3-5 critical keys • Example: What are the keys to success for a new sushi restaurant?
What is SWOT analysis? • Strengths: Factors within the business that add value to your service or marketing efforts • Weaknesses: Factors within the business that detract from having a competitive edge • Opportunities: Factors in your market or environment from which you hope to benefit. • Threats: Factors in your market or environment that are risks to your business • Example: Perform SWOT analysis for Airbnb
How to calculate your start-up budget Total budget required: Average item price: Average item cost: Profit per item: # of items sold to breakeven: