SERG

Starting
a Business?

BUSINESS PLAN RESOURCES:

10 Step Guide to Creating a Business
CREATING A BUSINESS PLAN
Business Planning Workbook (PDF)
Sample Business Plan (PDF)
5 Core Questions Addressed In Your Business Plan
Develop A Marketing Strategy
About Your Competition
Targeted Sales Leads from infofree.com

UPCOMING TRAINING SCHEDULE

1-Day-to-Start (3/7/22)
Paying Yourself (3/14/22)
Determine Your Legal Structure (3/21/22)
Do You Need Business Insurance? (3/28/22)
Contracts 101 (4/7/22)
Marketing Strategies for Your Startup (4/14/22)
Accessing Capital (4/21/22)

Starting
a Business
In Seminole?

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

All state licenses/DBA/ficticious names must be acquired...
Before acquiring property, purchase or lease, one MUST make certain the use of the property is allowed and is zoned appropriately. This information can be found through the local municipalities if property is within city limits otherwise found through the county.
Apply for a BTR (Business Tax Receipt or Occupational License)

APPLY FOR A BTR:
Info page
Form link
Sample form

COUNTY RESOURCES:

Pinellas County Demographics Report
Career Source Pinellas
Library

Visit St. Pete Clearwater
Pinellas County Business Enterprise Program
Pinellas County Industrial Locations

Growing
Your Business?

LOREM IPSUM DOLAR:

Dennis Hammel SCORE
Yolanda Goodlow - FL SDBC (Pinellas County)
Casey Reader - First Home Bank
Grow with Google®

LOREM IPSUM DOLAR:

Preparing for Retirement Exit Strategies

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”

- Nolan Bushnell, Entrepreneur

Building A Business Plan

A business plan is a guide for how a company will achieve its goals. For anyone starting a business, building a business plan is a vital first step. It’s a written document that serves as a roadmap, defining the marketing, financial and operational objectives, and the plan for achieving your goals. This is all crucial information to have at the ready when seeking investors or obtaining financing from a bank.

5 core questions addressed by your business plan

At the heart of all business plans are at least five common sections that address the core questions that face all new start-ups. We recommend proceeding through these sections in order, making sure that you can complete each step before proceeding to the next. For example, if the market feasibility proves to be negative, then there is no need to proceed to developing financials.

I. Description of the business and industry

What is it you propose to do?
Is it completely new or is it an organized industry?

2. Market Feasibility Analysis

How many people want this? (Request a demographic or consumer spending report)
How many people are providing it? (Request a competitor report)

3. Financials (Contact for FSBDC for assistance)

What are my fixed and variable expenses?
How much do I have to make to break even?
Can I make a profit?

4. Marketing Pan

What is the profile of my customers?
Where are they?
Where do they congregate?
Is the market growing or shrinking?
Why would customers pick my business over everyone else?

5. Documentation of Experience

What is the most cost effective way of reaching them?
What is their motivation and how do I work that into my message?
What experience does the management team have in the industry? In business?
In the specialized areas of sales, accounting, strategy, operations, organization building.

SEE A SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN

Starting A BUSINESS PLAN

BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE

VI. Supporting Documents
  A. Tax returns of principals for last three years
  B. Personal financial statement (all financial institutions have these forms)
  C. For franchised businesses, a copy of franchise contract and all supporting documents provided by the franchisor
  D. Copy of proposed lease or purchase agreement for building space
  E. Copy of licenses and other legal documents
  F. Copy of resumes of all principals
  G. Copies of letters of intent from suppliers, etc.
Adapted from www.sba.gov I. Cover Sheet
II. Statement of Purpose
III. Table of Contents
IV. The Business
A. Description of business
  B. Marketing
  C. Competition
  D. Operating procedures-Schedule a professional consultation
  E. Personnel-Schedule a professional consultation
  F. Business insurance
V. Financial Data (Contact the FSBDC)
  A. Loan applications
  B. Capital equipment and supply list
  C. Balance sheet
  D. Breakeven analysis
  E. Pro-forma income projections (profit & loss statements)
      1. Three-year summary
      2. Detail by month, first year
      3. Detail by quarters, second and third years
      4. Assumptions upon which projections were based
  F. Pro-forma cash flow

Targeted sales leads

When you are ready to make sales calls or try out a new marketing strategy, you need information fast! The Chamber subscribes to infofree.com

infofree.com is a leading provider of end-to-end marketing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.

No more wasting hours trying to find the right people to call or buying leads that get stale before you have the chance to use them. Give us a call and we will create you a list.

Whatever business or person you need to target – you can find them at the SERG Center located at the Seminole Chamber of Commerce.

Call the Chamber at 727.392.3245 for details on getting your targeted sales leads.

15 Million
Businesses

250 Million
Consumers

Example: You are looking for the Human Resource Manager of mid-sized companies in the Midwest, to brand new businesses that have opened up in your area, or if you want to call on people reaching retirement age and homeowners who have lived in their home more than 7 years.

5 core questions addressed by your business plan

Starting A BUSINESS PLAN

BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE

Targeted sales leads

Contact

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