Resources

Business Plan Format (example)

The body of the plan must not exceed 25 pages. This does not include financials or other appendices (a.k.a. exhibits). Exhibits must not total more than 5 additional pages for a total of 30 pages. Resumes of the team members and/or advisors are also not included in the page limit restrictions.

I. Executive Summary (1-2 pages)
• Your business idea or concept
• Your social mission
• The target market and size
• The target customers
• Your competitive advantage
• Barriers to entry
• Estimated year of breakeven profitability
• Estimated quantitative social impact
• Three years of estimated revenues and net income
• Your funding requirements

II. Business Overview
• Company description and business model
• Value proposition- financial
• Value proposition- social or environmental
• Vision
• Current status
• Current or committed funding and all funding sources

III. The Market Opportunity (the problem, the customer's pain)
• Why is this such a great idea? Define the problem, describe the pain
• Competitive analysis (how the problem is not being solved by competitors)

IV. Market Solution
• Product or service
• Description of a working model or prototype, if appropriate
• How you will remove the pain, solve the problem
• Ability to create barriers to entry

V. The Market
• Identification of customer(s)
• Market size, analysis and forecast
• Industry analysis and forecast

VI. Management Team
• Founders and key management
• Industry experience, education
• Board of advisors (Critical-- it can augment team experience if needed)
• Optional: Board of directors (3 required by law, usually not needed until first round of institutional funding is in place)
• A statement describing level of involvement of MBA student

VII. Financial Analysis
• Outline overall financial model with detailed projections through Year 3
• including pro forma cash flow and budget analysis
• Other analysis, as appropriate (i.e. break even analysis)
• Discuss assumptions and capital requirements

VIII. Social/environmental quantitative impact analysis (see GSVC Social Impact Assessment Guidelines for more information)

• Definition of your Social Value Proposition (i.e., Theory of Change)                                                                                                                                                                                               •Quantification of your top three Social Indicators (e.g., Social Impact Value Chain)
• Monetization of your social impact (i.e., Social Return on Investment)
• Discuss key assumptions throughout the analysis*
• Discuss your potential negative social or environmental impact, if any
• Discuss, where applicable, how you are addressing each of the following areas within your business: economic development, community involvement,environmental practices, governance, hiring and workplace practices, sourcing/supply chain
• Other considerations (e.g., analysis of stakeholder needs, qualitative or anecdotal social impact data)
* recall that true Social Impact is defined as the value your venture provides beyond the status quo (what would have been without your social venture)

IX. Funding request