Are you preparing to launch a software company? If so, review this startup business plan template and get ready to jump into the deep end of the pool.
There’s no doubt a software company is a great idea in today’s growing software industry sector; however, starting a software company is dependent on many factors and faces a host of issues along the way, both of which necessitate a well-developed business plan. Check out the following scope and sequence of a well-crafted business plan:
What is a Business Plan?
Before jumping in, let’s discuss the meaning of the term, “business plan,” because most individuals aren’t confident they know what this means. A business plan provides a picture of the past, present, and future of your software company. This means the plan will provide information regarding the history of the company, even if brief, and detail the progress of the company to date.
In addition, the plan will indicate the current status of your software company, providing specifics regarding finances, competition, target audience customers, and operational systems. Further, the plan will also propose a future based on your projections of expected income against expenses and the vision you have for ongoing development.
What are the Primary Reasons To Develop A Business Plan?
There are multiple reasons why you’ll want to complete a business plan, beginning with one of the most important: funding. A completed business plan provides an extensive amount of information about the company that is starting.
As such, it contains the financial information, including future projections, and it also outlines the target audience, competition, the goals and objectives of the company, the operational plans and other crucial features of the company. With the plan in place, you are able to present it to interested investors or lenders.
Which Financial Plans are Offered to Investors or Lenders?
If you’ve decided to present the plan to interested investors, you’ll include a pitch deck or other visual aids and tell the story of your company. The investors will examine your company thoroughly and make their decisions regarding funding. If investors fund, they will not expect to receive repayment, which is a positive factor when the company is seeking startup funding. However, investors will expect to receive a certain percentage of your company upon funding. Typically, not more than 15%, however, this is a consideration to think about carefully before moving ahead.
If you’ve decided to approach lenders, you will present the plan with a pitch deck and answer questions regarding the ability to repay the funding loan. The lenders will offer a very large sum of money, typically, however the funding must be repaid with interest on a regular schedule. This can be problematic if you are unsure about meeting payment schedules. Again, you’ll want to carefully consider loan offers before moving ahead.
Other reasons to develop a business plan include the need to stay on track with the plan, the requirement to provide verifications or validation of plans and other corporate requirements.
What Are the Key Components of A Business Plan?
First, the executive summary will serve as an introduction to your company and provide an overview of all components within it. It is key because it is the one portion of a business plan that will be thoroughly examined by potential lenders or investors.
The executive summary is considered to be the short list of all the details in the plan; as such, it will list the components briefly of your plan, including the industry report, competitors, marketing strategy, and an overview of financial plans. Although the executive summary is placed at the front of the document, it is typically the last item in the presentation.
What is the Strategic Marketing Plan for the Software Company?
An effective marketing plan for a software company should include the product, price, place and promotion categories of marketing:
Product: Describe the type of software to be created and sold. Give specifics to any software details that are unique or specialized.
Price: Offer the pricing and alternate forms of that pricing for the software. Also, include any licensing fees to be paid or royalties to be collected as part of this item.
Place: The location of your software company should be listed and any advantages that are attached to it should be discussed.
Promotions: The strategic marketing of the software is outlined in this section, including documentation and distribution details.
Writing a business plan for your software company is valuable because it offers the outline and specifics of your software company within a package. This allows investors or lenders to study your company and make informed decisions about funding, and it also creates the backdrop for the story of the company, which is important for all key players. From stating your goals to providing a marketing strategy, your business plan will inform investors and serve as a roadmap for the future of your software company.
