This guide belongs to 100 Ways To Be Being Remarkable Series, a special project that brings you business and self-development advice from The Success Manual.

1. THE BUSINESS PLAN
A possible outline for a venture plan is given below:

Introduction:
i. Executive Summary
ii. Table of contents
iii. Layout of the Plan
iv. Product or service description
v. Proposed role of the company
vi. Needs of the venture
vii. Market and Sales Expectations
viii. Competitors’ Relative Advantages and Disadvantages
ix. Technical Development to be done
x. Production Scenario
xi. People and Organization

Longer Term:
xii. Strategy for Staying Ahead Long-Term
xiii. Financial Projections

Supporting Details:
xiv. Financial Assumption Statements
xv. Supporting Detail Appendices

After you have prepared the first full draft of the plan, get it reviewed by knowledgeable (ones you trust) people revise and present for review again.

2. THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT: divided into 3 sections:

A.Operating Activities - Cash you received and what you spent in the normal course of your business. Here, just the cash is reflected, how you get it and how you spend it. Major companies start with net earnings and then adjust for items like accounts payable, accounts receivable, deferred income taxes and depreciation.
B. Investing Activities: Buying and Selling long-term assets like plants and equipments.
C. Financing Activities: Transactions between the company and its owners (shareholders) and other investors, such as bondholders. This shows dividends paid, borrowings, and repayment of debt, as well as the proceeds of securities issued.

When the cash dies, your business dies. It doesn’t mater that your products are selling - there is payroll to meet or a tax bill to pay.

The cash flow comes from collecting on your sales. They depend on what will be sold, when it will be delivered, when the bill be sent out, most important, when it will be collected. This must be determined month by month.

CASH FLOW FORECAST - 12 Months
Month:

Receipts
Cash sales
Collections from credit sales
New equity inflow
Loans received
Other(interest)
Total Receipts

Payments
Printing and distribution
Cash purchases
Payments to creditors
Salaries and wages
Employee benefits
Payroll taxes
Rent
Utilities
Repairs and maintenance
Insurance
Travel
Telephone
Postage
Office supplies
Marketing and advertising
Professional fees
Training and development
Bank charges
Misc. (trademark regn., IP)
Owner’s drawings
Loan repayments
Tax payments
Capital purchases
Reference, web, soft. tools and Web site
Total Payments

Cashflow Surplus/Deficit (-)

Opening Cash
Balance

Closing Cash
Balance

Also read The 21 Greastest Rules for Entrepreneurs

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