business plan

[shinebox6]

Im starting a new business i would also like to make a business plan. Do you guys make them your self of have them done by professional? I see there is a lot of software out there to do it your self but is better just to have it done by a professional? thanks.

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

I know you posted this in another thread but I wanted to respond to you here as well. We have a few business plan discussions on the forum that I think you would benefit from reading. http://www.gopherforum.com/showthread.php?t=401 http://www.gopherforum.com/showthread.php?t=416 http://www.gopherforum.com/showthread.php?t=384 http://www.gopherforum.com/showthread.php?t=414 Try using those questions and responding to them on here and we can look into it to see how it can be expanded upon and elaborated.

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[shinebox6]

Business Description
- Give a one paragraph description of your business.
Schenck Property Maintenance is if family owned and operated. We going to offer all types of property services all year around.
- Where is your business located?
Schenck Property Maintenance is located in Newcastle County Delaware.
- What services does your business offer?
Lawn Maint.
Mulch/ Bed edging
Minor Tree work
Design Install
Landscaping
Aerate/over seed
Spring/ Fall clean-ups
Planting
Fertilization
Snow management

- What value does it add to the marketplace?
Small business that is family owned and operated.

Management Abilities
- What are your qualifications?
Four years experience working with another company doing all of the above services.
- How will your experience contribute to the success of your business?
Due to my experience working in the field I have seen many mistakes from under biding jobs to damages to some ones property. This will to better the company so that Schenck Property Maintenance dose not makes the same mistakes.

Business Strategy
- What is your business strategy?
Schenck Property Maintenance will be basing work on quality and performing work to all of the customers’ expectations.
- What are the strengths of your business strategy?
Doing quality work that customers will appreciate.
- What are the weaknesses of your business strategy?

- What are the key strategic opportunities you have identified in your marketplace?
Offering services year around.
- How will your business take advantage of these strategic opportunities more effectively than your competition?
Most of the competitors around here only offer summer services or winter there are only a few that offer year around.
- How do you intend to maintain your competitive edge?
Quality work.
- Describe the key challenges you face and how will you overcome them?
The intal start up cost. Plant to get a small loan that the business can easily pay off.

Legal Structure
- Will your business operate as a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation or an LLC?
Not shur yet would like to do residential and commercial work so which is best for it?
- How will your legal structure decrease your business's exposure to risk?
TBA

Financial
- How much will you personally invest in your business?
0
- How much money are you seeking from banks?
TBA
- How much money are you seeking from private investors?
0
- How long until you plan to break even?
August
- How long until you plan on making a profit?
August
- What will your start-up costs be? Be specific, describe each and the cost.
TBA
Mower=?
Trailer=?
- What is your sales forcast for each month of the entire year? List each month's goal.
Summer months 6000
Winter months 3000
- What will be your monthly operating expenses? Be specific, describe each and the cost.
Phone 150
Bank fee ?
Gas 300
Insurance ?
Maintenance 200
- What will your monthly fixed costs be? Be specific, describe each and the cost.
SAA


Mission Statement
- What is your business?
Schenck Property Maintenance is if family owned and operated. We going to offer all types of property services all year around.
- How will your business succeed?
By doing quality work at a fair price.
- What values are important to your business?
Quality, Professionalism.
- How does your business improve the lives of your customers' and employees'?
By offering great services at fair prices.

Marketing Slogan
- What is your marketing slogan?
TBA
Customer Analysis
- What is your current customer base?
0
- Who are your target customers? (age range, education level, occupations, average home value)
Every one
- What zip codes do they live in?
All of Newcastle county
- What do your customers want?
Most want mowing

Competition Analysis
- Who are your competitors?
many
- How many employees do they have?
Most run two, two man crews
- What is their estimated sales volume?
?
- What services do they offer?
Mostly the same services.
- What is the quality of their product?
good
- What is the price range of their product?
Residential 30-50
Commercial ?
- Who are there customers?
Everyone
- What are their strengths?
Size
- What are their weaknesses?
They do more quantity than quality
- Are they a direct or indirect competitor?
direct

Labor
- How many employees will you start with? Full or p/t?
one my self
- What will the hourly labor wage paid to employees be?
16
- What will your total annual labor hours be, see below?
* Jan total billable hours =120
* Feb =120
* Mar =120
* Apr =140
* May =200
* Jun =200
* Jul =200
* Aug =200
* Sept =140
* Oct =100
* Nov =100
* Dec =120

* Yearly total billable hours =1440

Equipment
- What equipment will be needed?
Mower
Trailer
- How much will it cost to obtain this equipment?
? need to price
- Where will you store the equipment?
Secured lot
- How much will it cost to store the equipment?
75 month

Advertising / Promotion
- How will you advertise or promote your business? Post cards, door hangers
- How much will you spend doing each per year?
TBA

[shinebox6]

hey steve let me know when u can look this over thanks.

[Steve]

Yes this is very good. See it forces you to think about how you will attack the market place.

You plan on standing out with your quality over other companies that focus on quantity.

How are you planning to play that up to your advantage in your marketing? Are you going to be promoting that personal touch and get your image on your marketing material as well?

Or maybe you have another marketing angle you want to work.

[shinebox6]

so on my post card and door hangers i will be putting a list of the most common services a plan to put some before and after pics of some lawn care and landscaping. what do you think? also with the busniess plan do you think what i have here will work if i retype it on letterhead, becuse i will need to give it to the bank for my samll loan. also im looking on other trends trying to decide what kind of insurance i should get im lookin to do residential and commercial. also as far as that goes im think of going with the LLC business.

[Steve]

I look forwards to seeing your door hanger designs. It sounds like you are on track.

As far as the business loan goes, have you thought about what you needed and why you need it? Are there alternatives you could go with that would allow you to not take out a loan?

[shinebox6]

ok got my license whent with the LLC. now for insurance.. any ideas anyone? steve, i dont have any equipment right now and dont want to put personal money in to it i would like for the busniess to pay for its self.

[Steve]

Well could you start with even basic consumer models? Use them for a while, they should be pretty cheap and see if you are enjoying this business? Then you could scale up as your interest and your customer's interest increases?