average business plans from marvelflex's blog

 Keep it brief. The length of the average business plans is shorter now than it was in the past. It's possible to convey all the information you need in 20-30 pages and an additional 10 pages of appendices. It's impossible to summarize a plan for more than 40 pages in length.

 Of of course there are some exceptions to the general rule. The design for a chain or coffee shops included photos of the proposed location as well as sketches and maps of the different places. While the plan was more extensive than expected, the graphics were of great value. Location shots, product photos, menus, blueprints, logos, floor plans and signage photos are useful.

 Use business charts. Use business charts to make your most important numbers easy-to-find and easy to comprehend. Highlight the main numbers using simple business diagrams and summary reports. Appendices should be simple to locate the relevant information. Also...

 Bar charts are useful for displaying, at a minimum gross margin, net profits by year, cash flow and net worth.

 The three-dimensional bars appear smoother while two-dimensional bars can be easier to read. It is important that numbers are clear.

 Stacked bars make it easier to view totals. If your sales are divided into segments, stack the bars to show the total.

 Pie charts can be used to display market share and market segments.

 Show tasks and milestones as horizontal bars with labels to the left, and dates on the top or bottom. This is what most people refer to as a Gantt diagram. Show only the major tasks and milestones, because too many details make these charts difficult to read.

 So that readers can quickly look them up and recognize the numbers on the charts, it is a good idea to include the sources in a table of summary. A business plan reader must never be unable locate the source numbers in charts. That's frustrating.