It should be noted that there is no special software required to use these templates. All business plans come in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel format. Each business plan features:

• Excecutive Summary
• Company and Financing Summary
• Products and Services Overview
• Strategic Analysis with current research!
• Marketing Plan
• Personnel Plan
• 3 Year Advanced Financial Plan
• Expanded Financial Plan with Monthly Financials
• Loan Amortization and ROI Tools
• FREE PowerPoint Presentation for Banks, Investors, or Grant Companies!

1.0 Executive Summary

The purpose of this business plan is to raise $100,000 for the development of a greeting card maker while showcasing the expected financials and operations over the next three years. The Greeting Card Maker, Inc. (“the Company”) is a New York based corporation that will provide a number of different produced greeting cards to customers in its targeted market. The Company was founded by John Doe.

1.1 Products and Services

The Greeting Card Maker, as stated above, specializes in the sale of produced greeting cards, small gifts, and related merchandise to the general public. Management intends to acquire a 900 square foot retail facility from which to conduct business. After the business begins its operations, the Company will launch an online ordering platform to generate sales on a nationwide basis of the business’s proprietary greeting cards. These additional sales will allow the business to reach profitability very quickly. The business will use popular platforms such as Yahoo, Amazon, and eBay to make sales of greeting card products. The third section of the business plan will further describe the products offered by the Greeting Card Maker.

1.2 The Financing

Mr. Doe is seeking to raise $100,000 from as a bank loan. The interest rate and loan agreement are to be further discussed during negotiation. This business plan assumes that the business will receive a 10 year loan with a 9% fixed interest rate. The financing will be used for the following: • Development of the Company’s Greeting Card Maker location. • Financing for the first six months of operation. • Capital to purchase a company vehicle. Mr. Doe will contribute $10,000 to the venture.

1.3 Mission Statement

The Greeting Card Maker’s mission is to become the recognized leader in its targeted market for proprietary developed and produced Greeting Cards.

1.4 Mangement Team

The Company was founded by John Doe. Mr. Doe has more than 10 years of experience in the retail industry. Through his expertise, he will be able to bring the operations of the business to profitability within its first year of operations.

1.5 Sales Forecasts

Mr. Doe expects a strong rate of growth at the start of operations. Below are the expected financials over the next three years.

1.6 Expansion Plan

The Founder expects that the business will aggressively expand during the first three years of operation. Mr. Doe intends to implement marketing campaigns that will effectively target individuals and businesses that need regular and seasonal greeting cards.

2.0 Company and Financing Summary

2.1 Registered Name and Corporate Structure

Greeting Card Maker, Inc. The Company is registered as a corporation in the State of New York.

2.2 Required Funds

At this time, the Greeting Card Maker requires $100,000 of debt funds. Below is a breakdown of how these funds will be used:

2.3 Investor Equity

Mr. Doe is not seeking an investment from a third party at this time.

2.4 Management Equity

John Doe owns 100% of the Greeting Card Maker, Inc.

2.5 Exit Strategy

If the business is very successful, Mr. Doe may seek to sell the business to a third party for a significant earnings multiple. Most likely, the Company will hire a qualified business broker to sell the business on behalf of the Greeting Card Maker. Based on historical numbers, the business could fetch a sales premium of up to 4 times earnings.

3.0 Products and Services

Below is a description of the products offered by the Greeting Card Maker.

3.1 Greeting Card Production and Distribution

As stated in the executive summary, the business will specialize in the retail sale of greeting cards that have been produced directly by the business. These cards will feature complex art and will be extremely artistic in nature. This will be the driving force for the Company’s sales. All cards will be produced directly at the Company’s retail location. The business will begin online distribution capabilities of its greeting card products shortly after retail operations commence. The business will also generate relationships with wholesalers that will acquire produced inventories in bulk for sale to retail stores throughout the United States.

4.0 Strategic and Market Analysis

4.1 Economic Outlook

This section of the analysis will detail the economic climate, the greeting card industry, the customer profile, and the competition that the business will face as it progresses through its business operations. Currently, the economic market condition in the United States is in sluggish. This slowdown in the economy has also greatly impacted real estate sales, which has halted to historical lows. Many economists expect that this sluggish growth will continue for at least another year, at which point the economy will begin a prolonged recovery period. However, this should have a limited impact on the Greeting Card Maker’s ability to produce a positive income given the fact that many people will continue to frequent these locations in order to effectively purchase holiday and occasion cards.

4.2 Industry Analysis

The greeting card and related products industry generates more than $6 billion dollars per year among 900 companies that produce greeting cards. The industry employs 35,000 people and provides annual payrolls of $1.2 billion dollars. This is a mature industry, and future growth is expected to equal that of the general US economy. According to the Greeting Card Association (GCA), over 7.4 billion greeting cards were sold to Americans last year. Of this number, approximately 2.5 billion of these products were created and sold by freelances and non-major greeting card distributors.

4.3 Customer Profile

The Greeting Card Maker’s average client will be a middle to upper middle class man or woman living in the Company’s target market. Common traits among clients will include: • Annual household income exceeding $30,000 • Lives or works no more than 15 miles from the Company’s location. • Will spend $25 per visit to the Greeting Card Maker. • Among wholesalers, average purchases will range from $1,000 to $2,500 for bulk inventories of greeting cards.

4.4 Competitive Analysis

This is one of the sections of the business plan that you must write completely on your own. The key to writing a strong competitive analysis is that you do your research on the local competition. Find out who your competitors are by searching online directories and searching in your local Yellow Pages. If there are a number of competitors in the same industry (meaning that it is not feasible to describe each one) then showcase the number of businesses that compete with you, and why your business will provide customers with service/products that are of better quality or less expensive than your competition.

5.0 Marketing Plan

The Greeting Card Maker intends to maintain an extensive marketing campaign that will ensure maximum visibility for the business in its targeted market. Below is an overview of the marketing strategies and objectives of the Greeting Card Maker.

5.1 Marketing Objectives

• • Develop ongoing relationships with Greeting Card Wholesalers throughout the United States.

• • Maintain a committed program for divesting the Greeting Card Maker’s inventories through online distribution channels.

• • Implement a local campaign with the Company’s targeted market via the use of flyers, local newspaper advertisements, and word of mouth.

5.2 Marketing Strategies

Mr. Doe intends on using a number of marketing strategies that will allow the Greeting Card Maker to easily target men and women within the target market. These strategies include traditional print advertisements and ads placed on search engines on the Internet. Below is a description of how the business intends to market its services to the general public. The Greeting Card Maker will also use an internet based strategy. This is very important as many people seeking local services, such as Greeting Card producers and locations, now the Internet to conduct their preliminary searches. Mr. Doe will register the Company with online portals so that potential customers can easily reach the business. The Company will also develop its own online website. The Company will maintain a sizable amount of print and traditional advertising methods within local markets to promote the greeting cards that the Company is producing and selling.

5.3 Pricing

In this section, describe the pricing of your services and products. You should provide as much information as possible about your pricing as possible in this section. However, if you have hundreds of items, condense your product list categorically. This section of the business plan should not span more than 1 page.

6.0 Organizational Plan and Personnel Summary

6.1 Corporate Organization

6.2 Organizational Budget

In this section of the business plan, you should write a two to four paragraph biography about your work experience, your education, and your skill set. For each owner or key employee, you should provide a brief biography in this section.

7.0 Financial Plan

7.1 Underlying Assumptions

• • The Greeting Card Maker will have an annual revenue growth rate of 16% per year.

• • The Owner will acquire $100,000 of debt funds to develop the business.

• • The loan will have a 10 year term with a 9% interest rate.

7.2 Sensitivity Analysis

In the event of an economic downturn, the business may have a decline in its revenues. However, the high gross margins generated by the business will ensure that the business will maintain profitability despite deleterious economic conditions.

7.3 Source of Funds

7.4 General Assumptions

7.5 Profit and Loss Statements 

7.6 Cash Flow Analysis

7.7 Balance Sheet

7.8 General Assumptions

7.9 Business Ratios

Expanded Profit and Loss Statements

Expanded Cash Flow Analysis