Retail & Production -- business plan...

[BlackCat]

Ok So I've started designing a business plan... and I was wondering, does anyone have expierence here with designing one? I'm interested cause a business plan I figure is the most useful thing in life when it comes to business. I feel I have the neccesary expierence, some people would vent toward people to start a business without education so that people may buy it from them. I like to know a bit more about this, while I search the web for a business plan example, I don't have my old book anymore showing anything for me. So I'm going to have to ask around. People must be well prepared... 

Any ideas?

[true_north_son]

I must say I'm the last person to give any kind of business advice - I have no brain for business.  That being said; I'd suggest looking into government help if there is any in SA.  I know here there are counsellors to help get you started and government funds to get new businesses going.  Good luck with your future business!

[Chinaren]

A comprehensive business plan is not a small document.  It covers all aspects of the business, from the product (range), selling price, target demographic to market research and revenue/profit projections.

That said, for something small you can keep it relatively simple.  It's far too large a project for me to go through here.  I'd look on the web and perhaps ask the bank small business section for advice.  (Esp if you want a startup loan)

[BlackCat]

But the problem is to have a loan you have to have a balanced income... Which I don't have at the moment. This business taht my mom has, is a website design, Graphics & 3D design business going on. I find it easier when I know what our family is going to do. Cause I work for my mother too, but I don't gt paid anything at the moment. I make 3D characters. I believe if I want to own characters as my own copyright and also get paid for them, I need to have a few people interested in buying them. Then all rights is signed over to them. The best thing I made was a rose and it's petals, sadly I lost the 3D transformation and petals falling off to a computer virus.... I'll have to work out everything. It's not a small business I'm going to start, it's medium. Production means huge company... If you understand. I'll go look into the websites and ask around at the bank, but I'm not going to start it this year. I hope the R5000 house is still open for rent, cause its 200M2 by 200M2... And I quite like it.

[Hedra]

I make 3D characters. I believe if I want to own characters as my own copyright and also get paid for them, I need to have a few people interested in buying them.


It's not a small business I'm going to start, it's medium. Production means huge company... If you understand. I'll go look into the websites and ask around at the bank, but I'm not going to start it this year.

Can't help you with a business plan because  a) I've never done it, and b) even if I had, my advice would probably not help much as I don't live in the same country.

First person I reckon you should ask about starting up and running a busines is the expert closest to you - your mother.

In the meantime, why not consider Turbosquid.com (and similar sites) for selling your 3D stuff in the short term. The experience wouldn't hurt, and you may learn a few useful things along the way. You might even make a buck or two.

[BlackCat]

It's about time I started creating things again, I gave up hope when my pretty flower got Virused to death. I continued studing how to draw a dragon, to create one in 3D or try and design a 3D scanner with a red light and very odd dots at a background of a paper. Didn't work. So I'm going to continue learning through my Maya CDs etc. Might work if I try and sell the stuff.

[Thunderbird]

You absolutely must have a clearly profitable concept.  Profit, in this case, appears to mean an income to time spent ratio that makes it worth it.  Sounds like a fun idea, and if you can make it profitable I'd be impressed.

While this isn't exactly a business plan outline, I'd at least address on paper, for yourself if noone else:

* Most importantly, how much do you need to make for yourself to survive and thrive?
* What exactly are you selling?
* At what price will you be selling it?
* Who is your target market (who will you sell it to?)
* How will you reach your target market?
* How much time will it take to produce what you sell?
* How much time will it take to arrange sales?
* How much time will it take to account for your business profits and losses?
* How will you collect money for your work?
* When will you collect it? Before the work is complete or after or both?
* Can you survive if you end up maintaining a number of accounts due? (Payments that have yet to be made, and may never BE made)
* How will you collect on such payments?
* What expenses will it require to maintain your business operations (including your time and the time of any employees that become necessary to handle increasing volume?)
* Are you completely clear on the tax and liscencing laws in your operational environment?
* What costs are you capable of dealing with where customer service and legal matters are concerned?
* Considering all these details, will you noteworthily profit from this venture, and at what rate of sales success will it require to maintain a healthy flow of income?
* How will you handle competition and what makes YOUR business concept better than EVERYONE elses who does the same thing?  Are you completely aware of what competition sources you may be facing?  There are a lot of overseas firms doing jobs we'd love to make a living at but doing it so cheaply (cuz they can get away with making so much less in their economy) that it makes it impossible for us to compete with them.  This is especially true regarding anything that can be purely marketed, generated, and sold on a computer.


Only THEN should you start adding up what its going to take to enter into this business and the wise enrepreneur will find a way to do it without financing from outside sources, that way you can't end up owing something you can never repay.  Make no mistake, most businesses fail.  I know this first hand... more than once.  And don't be suckered by anyone who tells you that grant resources are available... you'll end up wasting your time, and possibly your money, barking up that tree... most grants are for non-profits only and those few that will support a profitabe enterprise will not likely support a venture of this nature.  Loans are also next to impossible to procure anymore unless you have a very definate profen track record of success in your industry.  This leaves private investors, the worst of all to end up in debt to.  Thus, a business plan is mostly for your benefit anyhow.  Answer these questions and your plan is pretty much in place.

[BlackCat]

Thank you. There is history that proves our company has success, my mother's company has been running for more than 10 years. I'll answer the questions you've laid out. Thanks Birdy!

[BlackCat]

so I've talked to fochini, a clothing line and asked them wether they'd sell their mannequins to me so that I may spraypaint them, they said yes, but the price still has to be worked out for it, and if I'm done spraypainting them they can buy it back and sell it or use it. I'm going to spraypaint fantasy or suits on them, want to try it really, but the starting point is to spray paint them with human colors and bring life. If I can I'll spray paint the name fochini in silver letters with curls etc on the doll. Think they might like it. So far I'm only starting with one doll without a head...