₦airaland Forum

Reposition yourself for accelerated professional success, learn to build and manage networks, close deals and uncover new opportunities. Join Joseph Edgar, E.D and Chief Wealth Officer, BGL Asset Management in this special networking and mentoring event for young professionals and entrepreneurs@ Protea Hotel, Maryland-20th October.

Hustle 2.0 is designed for professionals with strategy, business development/marketing, and growth responsibilities in Banking, Insurance, Telecoms, Healthcare, Retail, FMCG, Media& Entertainment, Agriculture, Hospitality and Non-Profits.
Book a seat-SMS your name and no to 08182991288 or by email to info@boardroomng.com

Reposition yourself for accelerated professional success, learn to build and manage networks, close deals and uncover new opportunities. Join Joseph Edgar, E.D and Chief Wealth Officer, BGL Asset Management in this special networking and mentoring event for young professionals and entrepreneurs@ Protea Hotel, Maryland-20th October.

Hustle 2.0 is designed for professionals with strategy, business development/marketing, and growth responsibilities in Banking, Insurance, Telecoms, Healthcare, Retail, FMCG, Media& Entertainment, Agriculture, Hospitality and Non-Profits.
Book a seat-SMS your name and no to 08182991288 or by email to info@boardroomng.com[img][/img]

f you are in the process of raising capital for your business from investors, then you unquestionably need a business plan. A business plan is a critical part of starting any business and serves a number of critical functions. Writing a solid business plan can be a real challenge, however, which is likely how you found yourself here

A good business plan must answer in sufficient details the following 10 questions if it is to meet the expectations of prospective investors and potential business partners.
1. Company Description – What does your company do? What is your mission statement and overall product or service focus?
2. Management Team – Give a brief description of your key employees with respect to leadership, education, background and work experience.
3. Problem Being Solved – What problem is your company solving and how great is the pain or waste?
4. Customers – Who are your potential customers? Does your product or service directly impact your customer’s bottom line?
5. Value Proposition – How much does your customer make or save by using your product or service? What are the benefits to your customer? How long does it take to realize these benefits?
6. Business Opportunity – How does your company make money? Describe the revenue streams, and include a yearly projection of revenue, expenses, EBITDA, net income and funding requirements for the next five years.
7. Uniqueness – How do your customers use your product or service today? Who else does the same thing you are doing today? Who else could be doing it tomorrow?
8. Barriers to Entry – Is your product or service defensible? Are there sufficient barriers to entry? What patents, copyrights, trade secrets, etc. protect your product from duplication?
9. Competitive Differentiation – What is the competitive landscape? Discuss companies that can be viewed as competition in the market segment. Please explain the key points of differentiation between you and your competitors.
10. Scalability – Where might your product grow within your client company (and its supply chain and sales channels) or among client users?
11. Sales and Marketing Strategy – What is the target market size and growth over the next five years? How will you attract customers? What are your distribution channels and how do you plan to achieve market penetration?
12. Strategic Partners – What strategic relationships do you currently have or plan to have in the future? What is the nature of these relationships?

Answering these questions successfully will sufficiently excite a lender or investor about your concept and that will convince them they should fund your business.

Contact SMARTLab, the business plan writing professionals for help creating an expert business plan that will help you achieve your goals. For more information about what we can do for you, call us today at 07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com for a free consultation.visit www.businessplansnigeria.com

Objectives of the programme

The main objective of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (You WiN!) Programme is to generate jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas that will lead to job creation. The programme will provide aspiring youth with a platform to show case their business acumen, skills and aspirations to business leaders, investors and mentors in Nigeria.

Specific Objectives of the Programme include to:

Attract ideas and innovations from young entrepreneurial aspirants from Universities, Polytechnics, Technical colleges, and other post-Secondary institutions in Nigeria;
Provide a one time Equity grant for 1,200 selected aspiring entrepreneurs to start or expand their business concepts and mitigate start up risks;
Generate 80,000 to 110,000 new jobs for currently unemployed Nigerian youth over the three years during which the three cycles will be implemented;
Provide business training for up to 6,000 aspiring youth entrepreneurs spread across all geo-political zones in Nigeria;
Encourage expansion, specialization and spin-offs of existing businesses in Nigeria; and,
Enable young entrepreneurs to access a wide business professional network and improve their visibility.

PLEASE NOTE!!!

YouWiN is an equity contribution to your business. It is therefore NOT A LOAN but a grant.
Award recipients will be paid according to the needs of the business and specific mile-stones stated in the business plan.
Award recipients must be registered with CAC before disbursment of funds even though they do not need to be registered to apply. You/wiN will support the registration process.
Award recipients will opperate accounts using their registered companies with any of the participating commercial banks prior to disbursment.
Award recipients must sign a grant agreement with the managers of YouWiN before disbursment of funds

Objectives of the programme

The main objective of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (You WiN!) Programme is to generate jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas that will lead to job creation. The programme will provide aspiring youth with a platform to show case their business acumen, skills and aspirations to business leaders, investors and mentors in Nigeria.

Specific Objectives of the Programme include to:

Attract ideas and innovations from young entrepreneurial aspirants from Universities, Polytechnics, Technical colleges, and other post-Secondary institutions in Nigeria;
Provide a one time Equity grant for 1,200 selected aspiring entrepreneurs to start or expand their business concepts and mitigate start up risks;
Generate 80,000 to 110,000 new jobs for currently unemployed Nigerian youth over the three years during which the three cycles will be implemented;
Provide business training for up to 6,000 aspiring youth entrepreneurs spread across all geo-political zones in Nigeria;
Encourage expansion, specialization and spin-offs of existing businesses in Nigeria; and,
Enable young entrepreneurs to access a wide business professional network and improve their visibility.

PLEASE NOTE!!!

YouWiN is an equity contribution to your business. It is therefore NOT A LOAN but a grant.
Award recipients will be paid according to the needs of the business and specific mile-stones stated in the business plan.
Award recipients must be registered with CAC before disbursment of funds even though they do not need to be registered to apply. You/wiN will support the registration process.
Award recipients will opperate accounts using their registered companies with any of the participating commercial banks prior to disbursment.
Award recipients must sign a grant agreement with the managers of YouWiN before disbursment of funds

If you are in the process of raising capital for your business from investors, then you unquestionably need a business plan. A business plan is a critical part of starting any business and serves a number of critical functions. Writing a solid business plan can be a real challenge, however, which is likely how you found yourself here

A good business plan must answer in sufficient details the following 10 questions if it is to meet the expectations of prospective investors and potential business partners.
1. Company Description – What does your company do? What is your mission statement and overall product or service focus?
2. Management Team – Give a brief description of your key employees with respect to leadership, education, background and work experience.
3. Problem Being Solved – What problem is your company solving and how great is the pain or waste?
4. Customers – Who are your potential customers? Does your product or service directly impact your customer’s bottom line?
5. Value Proposition – How much does your customer make or save by using your product or service? What are the benefits to your customer? How long does it take to realize these benefits?
6. Business Opportunity – How does your company make money? Describe the revenue streams, and include a yearly projection of revenue, expenses, EBITDA, net income and funding requirements for the next five years.
7. Uniqueness – How do your customers use your product or service today? Who else does the same thing you are doing today? Who else could be doing it tomorrow?
8. Barriers to Entry – Is your product or service defensible? Are there sufficient barriers to entry? What patents, copyrights, trade secrets, etc. protect your product from duplication?
9. Competitive Differentiation – What is the competitive landscape? Discuss companies that can be viewed as competition in the market segment. Please explain the key points of differentiation between you and your competitors.
10. Scalability – Where might your product grow within your client company (and its supply chain and sales channels) or among client users?
11. Sales and Marketing Strategy – What is the target market size and growth over the next five years? How will you attract customers? What are your distribution channels and how do you plan to achieve market penetration?
12. Strategic Partners – What strategic relationships do you currently have or plan to have in the future? What is the nature of these relationships?

Answering these questions successfully will sufficiently excite a lender or investor about your concept and that will convince them they should fund your business.

Contact SMARTLab, the business plan writing professionals for help creating an expert business plan that will help you achieve your goals. For more information about what we can do for you, call us today at 07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com for a free consultation.

Your business plan paints a picture of your business as a whole. It illustrates how you want the business to grow, and how you are going to accomplish your ultimate goal of success. Your business plan is the foundation behind your business philosophy. It helps you organize your business concept, and gives you something to refer to when you are confronted with difficult decisions.
Writing a business plan should not be a restrictive process; it should be inspiring and encouraging. Most important, your business plan should be adapted to fit the needs of your business. To get you started, the following are a few categories you may want to consider including in your plan:

Description of the Business
This section of your business plan should describe your business objective. It should illustrate the products or services you offer, why you believe these products or services are marketable, and how you plan to distribute them to customers. This section should also include your reason for starting the business, your overall vision, and your mission statement.

Progress to Date
Often times new business owners have already made significant strides with their business without even realizing it, including developing a concept for the business, a vision for the business, brainstorming potential target markets and networking contacts that could turn into potential leads. Therefore, I think it is important, especially when you are just starting out with a new business, to highlight the accomplishments you have made thus far.

The Marketing Plan
This section is critical because it defines your target market, how you plan to market you business, and what you plan to market. Understanding your target market will help you with your marketing plan because if you understand the type of people who may be interested in your product or service, you can better determine the best way to market your business.

The Management Plan
How do you plan to manage your business? If you have employees, what style will you use to manage interpersonal dynamics? Do you need written procedures to help your business run smoother? How will you handle difficult decisions, and what key team members do you need to help you make these decisions? All of these questions and more should be answered in this section.

The Financial Plan
This section helps you understand and organize your business finances. It shows how much you need to start the business, your revenue model, profit and loss projections, cash flow and break-even analysis.

For professionally written business plans, business proposals, feasibility studies, business presentations, investment documentation, marketing plans, financial projections (profit & Loss, cash flow, balance sheet, breakeven analysis, financial ratios)-talk to the Nigerian Business plan writing experts on 08106397244, 07031517266 or info@businessplannigeria.com
www.businessplansnigeria.com

The second edition of the YouWiN Business Plan competition tagged “YouWIN! Women” has launched. The YouWiN Women is an equity grant/fund designed for ONLY female entrepreneurs aged 45 years or less.
To be eligible for the Business Plan Competition you must satisfy the following criteria

You must be a proven citizen of Nigeria and a woman no older than 45 years (proof of identity: International passport/Drivers License/National ID/Voters card required)
You must have a post-secondary school qualification
Your proposed business venture must be within the national borders of Nigeria, and with the intention of employing Nigerian citizens.
Your proposed venture must not entail the production or distribution of weapons, alcoholic beverages, tobacco or/and gambling, or any activities in contradiction with the Nigerian constitution
You must prepare an innovative business concept summary

To register visit www.youwin.org.ng and www.businessplansnigeria.com for help in developing your winning business plans

The second edition of the YouWiN Business Plan competition tagged “YouWIN! Women” has launched. The YouWiN Women is an equity grant/fund designed for ONLY female entrepreneurs aged 45 years or less.

To be eligible for the Business Plan Competition you must satisfy the following criteria

•You must be a proven citizen of Nigeria and a woman no older than 45 years (proof of identity: International passport/Drivers License/National ID/Voters card required)
•You must have a post-secondary school qualification
•Your proposed business venture must be within the national borders of Nigeria, and with the intention of employing Nigerian citizens.
•Your proposed venture must not entail the production or distribution of weapons, alcoholic beverages, tobacco or/and gambling, or any activities in contradiction with the Nigerian constitution
•You must prepare an innovative business concept summary

To register visit www.youwin.org.ng and www.businessplansnigeria.com for help in developing your winning business plans

Business planning is the process of planning ahead for success and then executing on that plan. A compelling business plan requires significant research and strategic thinking about the direction of the business. It needs a high level of detail and process that are painful for the typical entrepreneur.

The elements of a standard business plan documents you need to prepare in order to have a great chance of being funded is outlined below:

The following are the major elements of a business plan:

Executive Summary
This section is considered to be the most important part of your business plan. It must be clear, concise and compelling so that people will read further. It is usually written after you have completed the other sections of your business plan. It is advised to keep this section to around one page.

Company Description
State company name, legal status and ownership structure
Mission statement – should provide focus for your company and define your business for at least the next few years
Outline where your company has been and where you are at right now. If you are a startup company describe what your company intends to do. Only include information that is relevant to the product or service you are describing.
How will this new activity add to or enhance your existing business

Product or Service
Describe your product or service – what is unique about it and why will you be a success
Indicate any regulations that will effect you and show that you have or can meet the requirements

Market
Outline the industry you are in, how you fit in and what will be your market share.
Who is your primary customer? What are the demographics of this customer base? It is very important to know your customers as success depends on you being able to meet customer needs.
Why have you chosen this customer base and how large is it? You need to know that there is enough room in this market for you and that it is not already saturated.

What are the trends that are influencing and affecting your market (customer base)? How are you addressing these trends?
Who is your competition and how will you be able to compete? By knowing and understanding your competition you will be able to better position your product or service in the market place.If your business is seasonal (ie u- pick operation), explain how you will handle this challenge
What is the price of your product or service? How does this compare to similar products in the market?

How will you distribute your product?
Marketing Plan
The marketing plan is very important - you can have the best product in the world but if you have no sales, you have no business.
How will you make customers aware of your product or service?
Where will you sell your product (ie farmers’ market, farm gate sales, retail, etc)?
When will you launch your marketing plan?

Operations
Where will your business be located?
What facilities and equipment do you have and what do you need?
How will you run the business?
How will you keep track of inventory?
How will you keep costs down to remain competitive?
What is your plan for growth?
How does this business mesh with your existing business? It is important that you keep separate records for each different business you have. This way you will know what is making you money and what is not.

Management Team
Investors pay particular attention to this section. They want to know that you have the right people for your business.
The quality of your people will determine the success of the business.
Indicate who is on your team, their qualifications and responsibilities (ie production, marketing, accounting etc).
If you do not have people in these positions right know because of the size of your business, provide a time frame to put your team together.
How will you overcome any labor shortages?

Financials
Financial statements show where your business is at right now and provides you with the information you need to make decisions.
It is important to keep your statements current and to refer to them on a monthly basis.
You should include the following financial forms with projections for three to five years:
Income statement
Cash-flow projections
Balance sheet
When making financial projections, it is important to explain any assumptions - how you determined the figures you used.
If you are looking for financial assistance, lenders will want to know where you will get financing for your business and how you will spend the money. They will also want to see historical records for the past three to five years.

For professional business plans, proposals and feasibility studies visit www.businessplansnigeria.com,
Call 07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com [b][/b]

ouWiN! stands for Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria. It is an innovative business plan competition aimed at job creation by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas. The first edition of YouWIN! launched in 2011 and the accomplishments of the 1,200 YouWiN! awardees were celebrated at the Presidential Villa on April 12, 2012. Click here for a list of all the winners.

YouWiN! Women is the second edition of the entrepreneurial scheme which is designed for only female entrepreneurs aged 45 years or less.Women in Management, Business and Public Sector (WIMBIZ), a female focused Nigeria based non-governmental organization was established in 2002 with the overriding vision “to be the catalyst that elevates the status and influence of women and their contribution to nation building.”

visit www.youwin.org.ng for more details on how to enter the competitition and visit www.businessplansnigeria.com for help in developing a winning businessplan

A fast wellness spa based in ikeja/allen/opebi axis offering offer a variety of Skin and Spa treatments needs a young and smart Spa Manager is responsible for the day to day operations of the Spa.Applicant must reside within the ikeja/Allen/Opebi axis, have a minimum of OND/Diploma and willing to work weekends.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities
Admin
· Front Office Management
· General clerical, administrative and secretarial responsibilities
· monitor record keeping
· Monitor and maintain spa Inventory products and order new supplies.
· maintain a safe and secure spa environment
· Check spa equipment to ensure proper functioning.
· Provide daily and weekly reports.

CRM
· customers service and guest relations
· handle customer inquiries and complaints
· organize, manage and maintain the confidentiality of customer data

Marketing
· Manage marketing of the company’s products and services using online social networks like Facebook and twitter etc
· Ensure company’s blog is constantly updated and work towards growing its viewership
· Manage email marketing and bulk SMS Marketing
· Follow up on business development leads
· Identify and follow up on existing and new prospects
Education and Experience
· minimum OND or diploma with a few years administrative experience
· Internet Savvy, computer skills and knowledge of basic MS office packages
Key Competencies
· Excellent organizational and Customer Service skills
· Good interpersonal skills (Strong command over English language)
· Level Headed, motivated and well groomed

Send CV to iden27@gmail.com

A fast wellness spa based in ikeja/allen/opebi axis offering offer a variety of Skin and Spa treatments needs a young and smart Spa Manager is responsible for the day to day operations of the Spa.Applicant must reside within the ikeja/Allen/Opebi axis, have a minimum of OND/Diploma and willing to work weekends.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities

Admin
· Front Office Management
· General clerical, administrative and secretarial responsibilities
· monitor record keeping
· Monitor and maintain spa Inventory products and order new supplies.
· maintain a safe and secure spa environment
· Check spa equipment to ensure proper functioning.
· Provide daily and weekly reports.

CRM
· customers service and guest relations
· handle customer inquiries and complaints
· organize, manage and maintain the confidentiality of customer data

Marketing
· Manage marketing of the company’s products and services using online social networks like Facebook and twitter etc
· Ensure company’s blog is constantly updated and work towards growing its viewership
· Manage email marketing and bulk SMS Marketing
· Follow up on business development leads
· Identify and follow up on existing and new prospects

Education and Experience
· minimum OND or diploma with a few years administrative experience
· Internet Savvy, computer skills and knowledge of basic MS office packages

Key Competencies
· Excellent organizational and Customer Service skills
· Good interpersonal skills (Strong command over English language)
· Level Headed, motivated and well groomed

Send CV to iden27@yahoo.com

A formal business plan is just as important for an established business, irrespective of its size, as it is for a startup. It serves four critical functions as follows:

• Helps management or an entrepreneur to clarify, focus and research their businesses or project's development and prospects.
• Provides a considered and logical framework within which a business can develop and pursue business strategies over the next three to five years.
• Serves as a basis for discussion with third parties such as shareholders, agencies, banks, investors etc.
• Offers a benchmark against which actual performance can be measured and reviewed.


Just as no two businesses are alike, so also with business plans. As some issues in a plan will be more relevant to some businesses than to others, it is important to tailor a plan's contents to suit individual circumstances. Nonetheless, most plans follow a well-tried and tested structure and general advice on preparing a plan is universally applicable.

A business plan should be a realistic view of the expectations and long-term objectives for an established business or new venture. It provides the framework within which it must operate and, ultimately, succeed or fail. For management or entrepreneurs seeking external support, the plan is the most important sales document that they are ever likely to produce as it could be the key to raising finance etc. Preparation of a comprehensive plan will not guarantee success in raising funds or mobilizing support, but lack of a sound plan will, almost certainly, ensure failure.

For well written business plans, proposals, corporate profiles, marketing plans, strategic plans or financial projections, Call the experts-07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com[b][/b]
www.businessplansnigeria.com

Your business plan paints a picture of your business as a whole. It illustrates how you want the business to grow, and how you are going to accomplish your ultimate goal of success. Your business plan is the foundation behind your business philosophy. It helps you organize your business concept, and gives you something to refer to when you are confronted with difficult decisions.
Writing a business plan should not be a restrictive process; it should be inspiring and encouraging. Most important, your business plan should be adapted to fit the needs of your business. To get you started, the following are a few categories you may want to consider including in your plan:

Description of the Business
This section of your business plan should describe your business objective. It should illustrate the products or services you offer, why you believe these products or services are marketable, and how you plan to distribute them to customers. This section should also include your reason for starting the business, your overall vision, and your mission statement.

Progress to Date
Often times new business owners have already made significant strides with their business without even realizing it, including developing a concept for the business, a vision for the business, brainstorming potential target markets and networking contacts that could turn into potential leads. Therefore, I think it is important, especially when you are just starting out with a new business, to highlight the accomplishments you have made thus far.

The Marketing Plan
This section is critical because it defines your target market, how you plan to market you business, and what you plan to market. Understanding your target market will help you with your marketing plan because if you understand the type of people who may be interested in your product or service, you can better determine the best way to market your business.

The Management Plan
How do you plan to manage your business? If you have employees, what style will you use to manage interpersonal dynamics? Do you need written procedures to help your business run smoother? How will you handle difficult decisions, and what key team members do you need to help you make these decisions? All of these questions and more should be answered in this section.

The Financial Plan
This section helps you understand and organize your business finances. It shows how much you need to start the business, your revenue model, profit and loss projections, cash flow and break-even analysis.

For professionally written business plans, business proposals, feasibility studies, business presentations, investment documentation, marketing plans, financial projections (profit & Loss, cash flow, balance sheet, breakeven analysis, financial ratios)-talk to the Nigerian Business plan writing experts on 08106397244, 07031517266 or info@businessplannigeria.com[i][/i]
www.businessplansnigeria.com

A formal business plan is just as important for an established business, irrespective of its size, as it is for a startup. It serves four critical functions as follows:

• Helps management or an entrepreneur to clarify, focus and research their businesses or project's development and prospects.
• Provides a considered and logical framework within which a business can develop and pursue business strategies over the next three to five years.
• Serves as a basis for discussion with third parties such as shareholders, agencies, banks, investors etc.
• Offers a benchmark against which actual performance can be measured and reviewed.


Just as no two businesses are alike, so also with business plans. As some issues in a plan will be more relevant to some businesses than to others, it is important to tailor a plan's contents to suit individual circumstances. Nonetheless, most plans follow a well-tried and tested structure and general advice on preparing a plan is universally applicable.

A business plan should be a realistic view of the expectations and long-term objectives for an established business or new venture. It provides the framework within which it must operate and, ultimately, succeed or fail. For management or entrepreneurs seeking external support, the plan is the most important sales document that they are ever likely to produce as it could be the key to raising finance etc. Preparation of a comprehensive plan will not guarantee success in raising funds or mobilizing support, but lack of a sound plan will, almost certainly, ensure failure.

For well written business plans, proposals, corporate profiles, marketing plans, strategic plans or financial projections, Call the experts-07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com[b][/b]

ccess to capital has always been a problem for small businesses in Nigeria. There is a consensus that the deepening of the small business sector can drastically reduce the high unemployment rate, leading to more far-reaching socio-economic development. In a bid to bridge this gap between small businesses and private capital owners, Boardroom Nigeria has introduced a venture financing portal. This portal can be accessed on www.capital2growng.com.

On this portal entrepreneurs can provide basic information about their businesses on www.capital2grow.com or through the Venture Financing link on the Boardroom website, www.boardroomng.com. There is also a user-friendly mobile version of the portal.

With access to investment and financing opportunities in Nigeria being one of its focus areas, the portal provides a platform for Boardroom to recruit and select small businesses to be matched with its network of private investors within and outside Nigeria. This will give entrepreneurs in Nigeria an opportunity to pitch their business ideas to investors willing to fund small businesses. There are two models for the investor-matching service; active matching/venture management and passive matching.

In active matching/venture management, Boardroom works with the business during the pre-funding stage, ensuring that the business processes are optimised and attractive to investors. There is also the option of post-funding venture management service, where Boardroom works with the business to ensure it makes optimal use of the funds. Sawubona Advisory Services Limited, Boardroom’s parent company, will provide venture management service.

In passive matching, Boardroom (through Sawubona Advisory Services Limited) only provides an opportunity for the small business to meet the investors, with no venture management commitment.

If you are in the process of raising capital for your business from investors, then you unquestionably need a business plan. A business plan is a critical part of starting any business and serves a number of critical functions. Writing a solid business plan can be a real challenge, however, which is likely how you found yourself here

A good business plan must answer in sufficient details the following 10 questions if it is to meet the expectations of prospective investors and potential business partners.
1. Company Description – What does your company do? What is your mission statement and overall product or service focus?
2. Management Team – Give a brief description of your key employees with respect to leadership, education, background and work experience.
3. Problem Being Solved – What problem is your company solving and how great is the pain or waste?
4. Customers – Who are your potential customers? Does your product or service directly impact your customer’s bottom line?
5. Value Proposition – How much does your customer make or save by using your product or service? What are the benefits to your customer? How long does it take to realize these benefits?
6. Business Opportunity – How does your company make money? Describe the revenue streams, and include a yearly projection of revenue, expenses, EBITDA, net income and funding requirements for the next five years.
7. Uniqueness – How do your customers use your product or service today? Who else does the same thing you are doing today? Who else could be doing it tomorrow?
8. Barriers to Entry – Is your product or service defensible? Are there sufficient barriers to entry? What patents, copyrights, trade secrets, etc. protect your product from duplication?
9. Competitive Differentiation – What is the competitive landscape? Discuss companies that can be viewed as competition in the market segment. Please explain the key points of differentiation between you and your competitors.
10. Scalability – Where might your product grow within your client company (and its supply chain and sales channels) or among client users?
11. Sales and Marketing Strategy – What is the target market size and growth over the next five years? How will you attract customers? What are your distribution channels and how do you plan to achieve market penetration?
12. Strategic Partners – What strategic relationships do you currently have or plan to have in the future? What is the nature of these relationships?

Answering these questions successfully will sufficiently excite a lender or investor about your concept and that will convince them they should fund your business.

Contact SMARTLab, the business plan writing professionals for help creating an expert business plan that will help you achieve your goals. For more information about what we can do for you, call us today at 07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com for a free consultation.[i][/i]

You've no doubt heard the expression, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Many entrepreneurs write a business plan only when they need to secure start-up financing. However, your plan is far more than a document for banks and investors to read; it's an invaluable roadmap for launching and growing your business.

1. Executive summary
Your executive summary should be 1-2 pages long, and provide an overview of your business concept, key objectives of your business and your plan, ownership structure, management team, your product or service offering, target market(s), competitive advantages, marketing strategy, and a summary of your financial projections. Your executive summary should be written last, after you've written the rest of the plan; each paragraph should be a summary of the more detailed, related section of the plan.

2. Business Overview
In your overview, include details regarding your business’s history, vision and/or mission, objectives, and your ownership structure.

3. Products and Services
Expand upon your products and services, including features and benefits, competitive advantages, and, if marketing a product, how and where your products will be produced.

4. Industry overview
The industry overview is your opportunity to demonstrate the viability of your business by discussing the size and growth of your industry, the key markets within your industry, how your customers will buy your products or services, and which markets you’ll be targeting.

5. Marketing Strategy
Here you describe your target market segments, your competition, how you'll differentiate your products or services, and your products’ or services’ unique selling proposition (USP).
• Discuss product or service pricing and promotion, including how your promotional programs will appeal to each of your target market segments.
• Provide a plan of traditional and guerrilla marketing tactics, such as tradeshows, press-magnet events, social media marketing (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.), networking, and print, media, or online advertising. Include the cost associated with each tactic.
• Describe how your products or services will be sold (e.g. storefront, online, wholesalers), and your target markets’ buying cycle.

6. Operations Plan
Provide a profile of your management team, your human resources plan, your business location(s) and facilities, your production plan (if selling a product), and an overview of day-to-day operations.

7. Financial plan
Some believe this is the most important part of a plan—so much so, it’s worth dedicating up to 80% of your time to writing this section. You'll need to show three years’ worth of projected financial statements, including income statements, pro-forma balance sheets, and monthly cash flow and annual cash flow statements. Summarize each statement into a few easy-to-understand sentences and put these in a cover page for the statements. Be sure to document all of the assumptions you used in forecasting your revenues and expenses.
SOURCE:http://www. smallbusinessbc. ca

Contact SMARTLab, the business plan writing professionals for help creating an expert business plan that will help you achieve your goals. For more information about what we can do for you, call us today at 07031517266 or iden25@yahoo.com for a free consultation.

Developing a business plan for your startup or growing business proves that you’re serious about your business. A formal business plan is necessary to show all interested parties -- employees, investors, partners and yourself -- that you are committed to building the business.
It helps you to:
• To establish business milestones.
• To better understand your competition.
• To better understand your customer or target market
• To document your revenue model.
• To determine your financial needs.
• To attract investors.
• To reduce the risk of failure
• To attract a solid management team.
• To attract partners.
• To position your brand.
• To judge the success of your business.
• To reposition your business to deal with changing conditions.
• understand your to reach your customers with a marketing plan
• To understand and forecast your company’s staffing needs.
• To uncover new opportunities.

A business plan is paramount. We can help. We develop full business plans for start-ups and existing businesses that are looking for financing, entering new markets, introducing new products, or restructuring. For professional, well written, investor ready business plans Talk to us today call 07031517266 or send us an email on iden25@yahoo.com.

Developing a business plan for your startup or growing business proves that you’re serious about your business. A formal business plan is necessary to show all interested parties -- employees, investors, partners and yourself -- that you are committed to building the business.
It helps you to:
• To establish business milestones.
• To better understand your competition.
• To better understand your customer or target market
• To document your revenue model.
• To determine your financial needs.
• To attract investors.
• To reduce the risk of failure
• To attract a solid management team.
• To attract partners.
• To position your brand.
• To judge the success of your business.
• To reposition your business to deal with changing conditions.
• understand your to reach your customers with a marketing plan
• To understand and forecast your company’s staffing needs.
• To uncover new opportunities.

A business plan is paramount. We can help. We develop full business plans for start-ups and existing businesses that are looking for financing, entering new markets, introducing new products, or restructuring. For professional, well written, investor ready business plans Talk to us today call 07031517266 or send us an email on iden25@yahoo.com.

PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME FOR INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (PRESSID)
As part of efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda, the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to develop a critical mass of professionals who would serve as catalysts of change and agents of scientific and technological advancement, as well as sustainable economic development. This would be achieved through the sponsorship of outstanding students for postgraduate studies in the top 25 universities in the world. To this end, the Federal Government has instituted the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development.

Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme

Interested candidates should:
http://www.knowledgecentreng.com/2012/07/nstudy-any-of-top-25-universities-in.html

PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME FOR INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (PRESSID)
As part of efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda, the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to develop a critical mass of professionals who would serve as catalysts of change and agents of scientific and technological advancement, as well as sustainable economic development. This would be achieved through the sponsorship of outstanding students for postgraduate studies in the top 25 universities in the world. To this end, the Federal Government has instituted the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development.

Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme
Interested candidates should:

http://www.knowledgecentreng.com/2012/07/nstudy-any-of-top-25-universities-in.html

Logistics support and business Services company needs an Experienced Executive/Project Assistant Urgently. Must have two years minimum experienced and a Bsc , ability to manage the office of a busy CEO including packaging proposals and other documentations.carry out internet research, manage clients and suppliers and others.

send CV to iden25@yahoo.com

PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME FOR INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (PRESSID)
As part of efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda, the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to develop a critical mass of professionals who would serve as catalysts of change and agents of scientific and technological advancement, as well as sustainable economic development. This would be achieved through the sponsorship of outstanding students for postgraduate studies in the top 25 universities in the world. To this end, the Federal Government has instituted the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development.

Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme
Interested candidates should:

http://www.knowledgecentreng.com/2012/07/nstudy-any-of-top-25-universities-in.html

Interested in Fashion and Lifestyle PR? Obsessed with Fashion, Beauty and Entertainment? PR UNO & OnoBello.com is looking for two PR and Editorial interns with previous Fashion and Lifestyle experiences in the respective fields to start work immediately.

If your dream job involves writing all day, our internship is the one for you!
As the business grows we need lots of help running day-to-day PR UNO and OnoBello.com operations. So we’re looking for interns who can bring it with fun and engaging content for the next three months. Expect to do lots of writing, in return, you’ll get bylines.

http://www.knowledgecentreng.com/2012/07/pr-uno-onobello.html

PR UNO & OnoBello.com Is Looking For PR & Editorial Interns

Interested in Fashion and Lifestyle PR? Obsessed with Fashion, Beauty and Entertainment? PR UNO & OnoBello.com is looking for two PR and Editorial interns with previous Fashion and Lifestyle experiences in the respective fields to start work immediately.

If your dream job involves writing all day, our internship is the one for you!
As the business grows we need lots of help running day-to-day PR UNO and OnoBello.com operations. So we’re looking for interns who can bring it with fun and engaging content for the next three months. Expect to do lots of writing, in return, you’ll get bylines.

http://www.knowledgecentreng.com/2012/07/pr-uno-onobello.html

Two good heads they say, are better than one. This age-old saying is as true for businesses as it is for individuals. With ideas and innovation hubs (à la Silicon Valley (USA), Bangalore (India) and Nigeria’s Co-Creation Hub) a prominent feature of emerging industries over the last couple of decades, strategic alliances have proven to be a smart way to grow small businesses. With technological developments driving globalisation, businesses have had the opportunity to collaborate, achieve benefits of scale (like cost reduction) and co-create value.

According to Michael Hitt, Duane Ireland and Robert Hoskisson, in their 2011 classic, Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases, strategic alliances involve the combination of resources, capabilities and core competencies, to promote “mutual interests in designing, manufacturing and distributing goods or services.” They provide three possible frameworks on which strategic alliances can be developed; Joint Ventures, Equity Strategic Alliances and Non-Equity Strategic Alliances.

In joint ventures, partners create a legally independent company by sharing some of their resources and capabilities. In equity strategic alliances, partners own different percentages of equity in a separate company. Non-equity strategic alliances involve partners entering contractual agreements to share resources and capabilities

It is evident the by leveraging partnerships, entrepreneurs can grow small businesses. However, the equation is not always straight forward as many partnerships fail. There is therefore a need to be guided in approaching alliances. Below are some (not exhaustive though) of the factors that should guide you decision on partnerships.

http://boardroomng.com/strategic-alliances-can-grow-small-businesses/

C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel. Guess the names don’t quite ring a bell, especially if you are a management researcher. Certainly, not the same decibel as a Michael Porter or Phillip Kotler. However, their contribution to the theory of core competence, one of the most fundamental concepts in management is stellar.

What will I do differently? How do I standout from the crowd? Why should a customer choose me over a competitor? In a nutshell, what will be my competitive advantage? These questions resonate deeply in most entrepreneurs as they start out in the sometimes-dangerous world of entrepreneurship.
http://boardroomng.com/the-business-of-core-competence/

C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel. Guess the names don’t quite ring a bell, especially if you are a management researcher. Certainly, not the same decibel as a Michael Porter or Phillip Kotler. However, their contribution to the theory of core competence, one of the most fundamental concepts in management is stellar.

What will I do differently? How do I standout from the crowd? Why should a customer choose me over a competitor? In a nutshell, what will be my competitive advantage? These questions resonate deeply in most entrepreneurs as they start out in the sometimes-dangerous world of entrepreneurship.

http://boardroomng.com/the-business-of-core-competence/