The Enterprise

BulletProof

Business Plans


	Overview What we refer to as "The Enterprise" section of a business plan is primarily used to describe a company's product or service and how it holds an advantage in the marketplace. This information is typically proceeded by background information on the company, key attributes of management, and management's vision for where the company will be over the next five years.

The Company
We believe that in most cases the first questions that should be answered following the executive summary are who the company is and what it does to make money. Instead, more often than not, many documents begin with information regarding the legal structure of the company. The first couple of sentences should tell what the company does. We typically follow with the company description in the main body of the business plan.

The Vision/The Founders
A popular, and perhaps overstated, saying is that one should bet on the rider not the horse. However, until a business has matured, the horse and the rider are essentially one and the same. This is why is it critical to highlight the accomplishments and aptitude of key management personnel, often the founders, early in the document. We generally follow this quick snapshot of the management team with a summary of what they expect the financial and operational output of the venture to be over the years covered by the business plan.

The Product
Most entreprenaurs have a solid handle on what their product is. Communicating this information to outside parties, especially in the case of technology products, often requires effort. One approach is to try to describe what the product does in such a manner that an eight grade student can understand it. Illustrations can go a long way in accompishing this goal.

Competitive Advantage
Until a product is presented in the context of a market, it can be hard for outsiders to grasp its advantages. One way to communicat this information is use a table that compares the performance, cost or other features to those of leading alternatives or substitutes.