Information Paper

Business Planning Guide:

Practical Application
for SMEs
Published by the Professional Accountants in Business Committee
 Professional Accountants in Business Committee
International Federation of Accountants
545 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, New York 10017 USA

This information paper was prepared by the Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB)
Committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). The PAIB Committee serves
IFAC member bodies and the more than one million professional accountants worldwide who
work in commerce, industry, the public sector, education, and the not-for-profit sector. Its aim is
to enhance the role of professional accountants in business by encouraging and facilitating the
global development and exchange of knowledge and best practices.

This information paper may be downloaded free-of-charge from the IFAC website:
http://www.ifac.org. The approved text is published in the English language.

The mission of IFAC is to serve the public interest, strengthen the worldwide accountancy
profession and contribute to the development of strong international economies by establishing
and promoting adherence to high-quality professional standards, furthering the international
convergence of such standards and speaking out on public interest issues where the profession’s
expertise is most relevant.

Copyright © May 2006 by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). All rights
reserved. Permission is granted to make copies of this work provided that such copies are for use
in academic classrooms or for personal use and are not sold or disseminated and provided that
each copy bears the following credit line: “Copyright © May 2006 by the International
Federation of Accountants. All rights reserved. Used with permission.” Otherwise, written
permission from IFAC is required to reproduce, store or transmit this document, except as
permitted by law. Contact [email protected].

ISBN: 1-931949-58-1
Foreword
The Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee of the International Federation of
Accountants (IFAC) identified a practical business planning guide as a very useful tool for
management, principally but not exclusively, operating in the Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprise (SME) area of the market. The topic was selected in recognition of the role and
importance of SMEs in the development of an economy. This project was carried out in
collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). IFAC acknowledges their
contribution in developing the guide. Special thanks to Brian Wong and Lawrence Hwee of
Pannell Kerr Forster Consultants Sdn Bhd who assisted in researching and drafting the
publication.

The publication provides practical guidance that will help SMEs to understand their own
business and industry, enabling them to better evaluate the business potentials and their
associated risks. It will also be useful to Small and Medium-Sized Practitioners (SMPs) that are
providing professional accounting services to SMEs.

The publication:
• discusses the concepts and techniques of writing business plans;
• provides a business plan checklist; and
• provides an example of a business plan.

It complements an earlier IFAC publication, Setting Strategic Directions in the Small and
Medium Enterprises: A Guide for Professional Accounting Advisors which was aimed at
assisting managers working in SMEs and the practicing accountants engaged in advising SMEs.

IFAC encourages its member bodies to promote the value of this publication to their members,
which is available for download from the IFAC website at www.ifac.org.

Members of the PAIB Committee project team who provided valuable help in bringing this
project to fruition were:-
Malaysia Yeo Tek Ling (Convener)
Malaysian Institute of Accountants
Australia John Petty
CPA Australia
France Henri Giot
Conseil Superieur de l’Ordre des Experts-Comptables
Iran Ghasem Fakharian
Iranian Association of Certified Accountants

May 2006

1
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES
CONTENTS
Page
I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 4
II THE PURPOSE OF PREPARING A BUSINESS PLAN................................................ 4
III STRUCTURE OF THE BUSINESS PLAN ..................................................................... 8
1 Executive Summary: Snapshot of Your Business Plan .................................................... 8
2 The Business in Detail ...................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Business Overview................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Vision Statement...................................................................................................... 9
2.3 Mission Statement.................................................................................................... 10
2.4 Corporate Values ..................................................................................................... 11
2.5 Vision, Mission and Values Statement .................................................................... 13
2.6 Business Goals and Objectives ................................................................................ 13
2.7 Business Strategy and Keys to Success ................................................................... 14
2.8 Risk management, Business Continuity and Succession Planning.......................... 18
2.9 Scenario Planning .................................................................................................... 19
3 Organizational Structure and Management: Introducing your Business
and your Management Team ............................................................................................ 19
3.1 How to Put Together an Effective Organizational Structure ................................... 19
3.2 Core Organizational Competencies ......................................................................... 21
3.3 How to Present Your Management’s Capabilities................................................... 25
4 Presenting Your Business’s Operational Plan .................................................................. 26
5 Industry Analysis: Analyzing Your Business’s Environment .......................................... 27
5.1 Methods of Presenting Your Industry Analysis....................................................... 27
6 Presenting your Business’s Products or Services: Your Revenue Generators ................. 31
6.1 Product Portfolio Analysis: Analyzing Your Business’s Products or Services...... 31
7 Market Analysis: Defining Your Products or Services and That of
Your Competitors.............................................................................................................. 33
7.1 Identifying Your Target Market............................................................................... 33
7.2 Market Segmentation and Positioning of Your Products or Services ..................... 34
7.3 Competitor Analysis ................................................................................................ 35

2
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

8 Marketing Strategy: Presenting Your Strategies.............................................................. 37

8.1 The Four Ps of Marketing Strategy.......................................................................... 37
9 Constructing Your Business’s Financial Position and Projections.................................. 39
9.1 Income Statement..................................................................................................... 39
9.2 Cash Flow ................................................................................................................ 42
9.3 Balance Sheet........................................................................................................... 44
9.4 Financial Assumptions............................................................................................. 46
9.5 Financial Budgeting ................................................................................................. 46
9.6 Financial Ratios and Key Performance Indicators: Translating Figures
Into Meaningful Information ................................................................................... 47
9.7 Project Financing ..................................................................................................... 48
Appendix 1: Business Plan Checklist ..................................................................................... 50
Appendix 11: Sample of a Business Plan ............................................................................... 56
References............................................................................................................................... 83

3
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

I Introduction
This document is intended as a general guide in presenting and explaining the concepts,
techniques, frameworks and methodologies of writing business plans for the small and medium
enterprise (SME) owner. While this guide is aimed at SMEs, the principles and practices referred
to are equally applicable for practitioners who are servicing these SMEs. The practical
applicability of these principles and practices is not intended for micro-businesses, i.e. one-man
shows, although they also could find many aspects of the guide useful, but for those businesses
with a basic organizational structure in place as well as for fairly sophisticated SMEs.

This guide does not go into a detailed discussion of the theories behind the various concepts of
business planning. Part II The Purpose Of Preparing A Business Plan will first explain the
purpose of business plans and the general principles and practices covering the basic elements of
a business plan. Part III Structure Of The Business Plan will serve the purpose of helping you
construct an effective business plan. It will explain why it is important to include certain sections
within a business plan, and will also describe how to write them in a manner that is easily
comprehensible and gets the message across to the reader.

II The Purpose of Preparing a Business Plan

There are two primary objectives to preparing a business plan. The first is external, to obtain funding that
is essential for the development and growth of the business. The second is internal, which is to provide a
plan for early strategic and corporate development. This helps guide an organization towards meeting its
objectives, by keeping the business entrepreneur and all its decision-makers headed in a predetermined
direction, and by setting out how the company will be run for the next two to three years.

In addition, well designed business plans provide an operational framework that allows the
business to enjoy distinct competitive advantages. This, in turn, should result in increased profits
for the organization.

A well developed business plan serves the following four primary purposes:
(a) To serve as an Action Plan – for the next 12 months
(b) To serve as a Roadmap – for the next two to three years
(c) To serve as a Performance Tool – on an ongoing basis
(d) To serve as a Business Promotions Tool
(i) Action Plan
A business plan can help by breaking down a seemingly insurmountable task of starting a
business into many smaller and less intimidating tasks, each of which is assigned a due
date, person(s) responsible, and detailed action plans. For existing businesses it enables
greater focus on dealing with issues in an organized, coherent and systematic manner.
(ii) Roadmap
Once you have started your business, a business plan can be an invaluable tool to help keep
you on track and moving in the direction you want to go. In the busy running of the day-
to-day business, it is very easy to lose sight of your objectives and goals. A business plan

4
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

can help keep you focused and serve to help others understand your vision. The business
plan depicts the ‘flags on the hill’ and the roadmap of actions to get you there.
(iii) Performance Tool
Your business plan is also an operating tool which, when properly used, will help you
manage and guide your business towards its success. Your business plan will allow you to
set realistic goals and objectives for your organization’s performance, and, if maintained,
will also provide a basis for evaluating and controlling the organization’s performance in
the future.
(iv) Business Promotions Tool
Perhaps most importantly, a business plan serves as a business promotional tool. You will
probably require external financing to fund your business, and a business plan is one of the
tools you use to persuade investors or lenders to finance business.

In order for your business plan to be effective, you will need to follow the plan and to review it
periodically. When your business is faced with a difficult decision, your written business plan
will serve as a guide to help you form your decisions. For example, when deciding on a
particular action to undertake, whether an acquisition or divestment, it is important to look back
to your vision and mission statements documented in the business plan. If the outcome of the
corporate decision does not conform to the vision and mission statements, you should reconsider
the merits of the proposition and possibly abandon it or look at the need to adjust the business
plan to cater for the new opportunity.
There are some sections in your business plan that are particularly dynamic, and some that
remain static. In order for your business plan to be accurate and remain sensible, you will need
to review it periodically as certain sections of your business plan may require changes over time,
while other sections remain fundamental and form a backbone to the business plan. Sections
such as marketing strategies, organizational structure, pricing strategies, operational strategies,
management and shareholding structure, and products and services, will change due to
environmental changes. Whereas sections like vision and mission statements, corporate values,
goals and objectives are less likely to change over time unless key objectives are achieved or
need to be reassessed.

5
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

The general trend in a small and medium business life cycle is portrayed as follows

Sales &
Profits
SALES

PROFITS

PHASE Start-up Take-off Harvest Renewal

GOAL Survival Sales Profits Revival

YOUR Initiator Developer Administrator Successor

ROLE Innovator Implementor Manager Reorganiser
Organisor Delegator Leader Revitaliser

Confidence Confidence Leadership Inertia

Innovation
TYPICAL CRISES
Cashflows Delegation Complacency Succession

Start-up is the first one or two years in existence, as you attempt to gain initial clients, employ
your first few staff, build up your supply of tools, and start to make a name for the business: This
requires long hours, will result in little initial profit, and will likely put pressures on cash.

Take-off follows if you survive start-up, and is the next two to three years as the business
expands, builds on its initial satisfied client base, employs more staff, acquires bigger premises
and equipment to get through more volume of work. This calls for lots of work, but what is
worked on needs to be selected carefully to avoid unproductive action.

Harvest represents the good times, where there is plenty of work but at more competitive pricing
from new businesses; staff start to leave to set up in opposition; equipment needs updating; and
you need a good holiday.

Renewal or Decline: It is your decision to either reinvent and reinvigorate the business or simply
let it decline through natural competition. You have the assets but now need energy to recreate
that business momentum, or you could simply sell out.

6
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

General Principles
The following are some general guidelines and policies covering the basic elements of a business
plan. These will be helpful in writing a business plan for any audience.
• Make It Easy to Read
The business plan must be well formatted and easy to understand. The introductory
statement is one of the most important sections, in that it summarizes your business in a
page or two. Write your business plan in simple language so the readers can understand it
as they read.
• Present A Market Analysis
The business plan must not be product-driven. You must understand that investors or
customers are primarily interested in how the market will react and receive the products
and services. Present your research, demonstrating and substantiating how your customers
will benefit from your products or services; this is the “WIIFT” (“What’s In It For Them”)
approach.
• Present Your Distribution Plan
Be specific as to how your business will sell and distribute its products or services. Clearly
describe the methods used, and what it will cost to get the products or services into the
ultimate customer's hands. This will include logistics, warehousing and delivery
arrangements.
• Present Your Business's Uniqueness and Formulate Your Competitive Advantages
Explain what will give your business a competitive edge in the marketplace; for example,
state any special attributes like patents, trade secrets, copyrights, strategic alliances, or new
technologies.
• Emphasize Your Management’s Strengths
It is advantageous to show that your business is managed by highly qualified professionals
or people with vast experience in the industry that you operate in. It is important to
highlight the policies that will keep them together, and that the directors and the
management possess the necessary credibility.
• Present Stretch but Realistic Projections
Paint a realistic picture and substantiate it with plausible assumptions. Be meticulous and
keep it credible. Well-validated projections and forecasts are impressive. Ensure that all
projections are attainable in the business world.
• Design Business Plans for Specific Parties
Construct different versions of your business plan to suit the requirements of each reader. A
banker's or financier’s interest lies in stability, security, cash flow coverage, and sound
returns, whereas a venture capitalist is more interested in high leverage resulting in high
returns. Both will nonetheless also want to know their exit options and how the proceeds
are going to be spent. If you are managing and planning a family business, the focus is on
managing cash and the family remuneration for effort.

7
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• Uses of Funds and Terms of Payback

If the business plan is intended for potential investors, it should show that their funds are
adequately secured and that your cash flows more than cover their interest and principal
payments.

III Structure of the Business Plan

1. Executive Summary: Snapshot of Your Business Plan
The executive summary, or business plan summary, is just what it sounds like: a
summarized version of the big plan. In coming up with an Executive Summary, one needs
to answer the following questions:
• What sort of business is it?
• What is the product/service and why is it special?
• Who are the managers?
• How much money do you need? When, and at what stage would it be required? What
will you use it for?

Your executive summary may be the first thing investors or stakeholders see about your
business. Therefore, it should contain all the highlights of the plan that will provide a
strong positive impact to readers.

The executive summary should not be more than two pages long. Readers may lose interest
after going through the first page. The plan should be condensed, interesting, and present
the company in its best form. It can also be used as an overview for those who are less
interested in the details of your business, or for those who wish to analyze a particular
aspect of your business. The executive summary is used to capture the readers’ initial
interest and encourage them to know more about your business and your plans.

The Executive Summary includes an assessment of:

(a) The Business
(b) Products / Services
(c) Industry Analysis and Trends
(d) Competition
(e) Strategic Position
(f) Marketing Plan
(g) Income and Assets Summary
(h) Use of Proceeds Summary (where funds are borrowed)

8
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2. The Business in Detail

2.1 Business Overview:
The first section of your plan contains your business data. The information here should
describe briefly your business, your vision, your mission, your values, your business goals
and objectives, and your corporate strategies. In essence, you are using words to build a
picture of your business.

STRATEGIES

OBJECTIVES

GOALS

VALUES

MISSION

VISION

Diagram: Building blocks of a sound business

In this section, you should also highlight your business’s strategic initiatives and milestones. In
the process, also try to point out the competitive advantages your business has over your
competitors.
2.2 Vision Statement
2.2.1 What is a Vision Statement?
Your business’s vision statement should be a precise, well-drafted statement indicating
where your business wants to go. Your vision statement serves as a compass, presenting to
all the direction in which your business is heading. It has been described as the ‘flags on
the hill’ - to which you are marching. It is a short, succinct, and inspiring statement of what
the organization intends to become and to achieve at some point in the future, often stated
in competitive terms. It refers to the category of intentions that are broad, all-inclusive, and
forward-thinking. It describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means that
will be used to achieve those desired ends. The most effective visions are those that inspire,
usually motivating employees to be their best.

While a business must continually adapt to its competitive environment, there are certain
core ideals that remain relatively steady and provide guidance in the process of strategic
decision-making. These unchanging ideals form the business vision and are expressed in
the company mission statement.

9
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2.2.2 The following are some examples of a vision statement:

(i) CIMB: ‘To be the Premier Investment Bank in Malaysia post liberalization and
deregulation’.
(ii) General Electric (GE): 'We bring good things to life'.
(iii) Ford Motor Company: 'To become the world's leading consumer company for
automotive products and services'.
(iv) Apple Computer: ‘To change the world through technology’.
(v) Sony Corporation: ‘Sony is a company devoted to the CELEBRATION of life. We
create things for every kind of IMAGINATION. Products that stimulate the SENSES
and refresh the spirit. Ideas that always surprise and never disappoint.
INNOVATIONS that are easy to love, and EFFORTLESS to use, things that are not
essential, yet hard to live without’.
2.3 Mission Statement
2.3.1 What is a Mission Statement?
A mission statement is a broad statement of the organization’s purpose or intent, specifying
the fundamental reasons for its existence. It articulates your business’s purpose, beliefs and
long-term aspirations. It gives direction to the business by establishing the scope of its
business activities, provides overall direction, and gives a framework and justification for
the business’s goals and objectives. Usually, it defines the core business activities and the
strategic aims and objectives of the business in a short and concise manner. It is also a short
and concise statement of goals and priorities of the business.
2.3.2 Purpose of a Mission Statement
The mission statement affirms the business’s long-term commitment to achieving its vision,
and generates an aura of confidence and credibility to all. Other advantages to having a
mission statement are that it:
• serves as a reminder to top management of what the business is about, where it is
headed, and what it needs to do to get where it wants to be;
• presents the business and its employees with a clear direction as well as a challenge in
attaining the mission;
• serves as a form of motivation to employees and to give them a sense of purpose in
serving the organization; and
• enables straightforward decision-making during resource allocation.
2.3.3 Contents of the Mission Statement
Your business’s mission statement can be a powerful tool to communicate the purpose of
your business to people both inside and outside the organization. It establishes who you
are and what you are planning to do.

To be effective, your mission statement must convey the following in a clear, concise,
informative and interesting manner:

10
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• The business’s core business activities, including your target market and the products
and services your company offers.
• The business’s competitive advantage, or what sets it apart from its competitors.
• Major milestones in the next three to five years.

A mission statement should outline the business’s purposes, intentions and strategies to
stakeholders at the highest level of generality. However, some businesses may choose to
come up with a one-line mission statement supported by a set of values, or may choose to
be very specific in wording its mission statement. The following are two examples of
actual mission statements:
• Ford’s mission statement: ‘Our mission is to be the worldwide leader in automotive
and auto-related products and services as well as in newer industries such as
aerospace, communications and financial services’.
• Shell’s mission statement: ‘Our mission is to search for oil and produce, refine and
market petroleum and petroleum products throughout the world’.
2.4 Corporate Values
2.4.1 What are Corporate Values?
Corporate values reflect the core ideology of an organization and are independent of the current
industry environment, product life cycle and management trends.

Corporate values will not change even if the industry in which the business operates changes. If
the industry changes such that the core values of the business are not appreciated, then the
business should seek new markets where its core values are viewed as assets.

For example, if service is presently a core value, but will no longer be as appreciated by the
present customer market in the next decade, the business should seek new markets where service
is given priority in the consumer’s buying decision.

The following are examples of values that some businesses have chosen:
• Excellent customer service
• Continuous improvement
• Pioneering technology
• Creativity and innovation
• Human resource development
• Integrity
• Social responsibility and commitment
2.4.2 The Importance of Corporate Values
Your business faces all sorts of options, alternatives, and must make decisions every day. If
you take the time to define your business’s values, these values can provide a form of

11
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

guidance in your decision-making process as your company faces complicated issues for
which there are sometimes no straightforward responses. For example, when a crisis
happens, you can react quickly based on a clear sense of what is important. Even when
your business is sailing in smooth waters, a strong sense of values helps to motivate you
and your employees towards its ultimate goals.
2.4.3 Creating Your Corporate Value Statement
A value is a belief or a philosophy that is meaningful to the business.

Here are some examples of corporate values that have propelled the following companies
to great success:
(i) Sears' commitment to customer trust that allows any product to be returned with a
money-back guarantee.
(ii) Apple Computer’s belief in the values of ease of use and service to society.
(iii) Marriott's values of systemization and standardization, which enabled it to seamlessly
duplicate its standard model hotel hundreds of times across the country.
(iv) Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad’s values statement:

VALUES

Nestlé, Nourishing Malaysia since 1912 through our core values:

Trust
We earn trust from each other, consumers and business partners with our
competence, honesty and integrity.

Respect
We respect and care for our people and their diverse cultures, religions and
traditions.

Involvement
We are enthusiastically involved in proactive change to create sustainable and
profitable growth.

Pride
We feel proud in passionately building successful brands through our people and
the quality of all our activities and products.

Source: www.nestle.com.my

12
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2.5 Vision, Mission and Shared Values Statement

The vision, mission and shared values statement of PETRONAS:

VISION

"A Leading Oil and Gas Multinational Of Choice"

MISSION

"We are a business entity"

"Petroleum is our core business"

"Our primary responsibility is to develop and add value to this national

resource"

"Our objective is to contribute to the well-being of the people and the nation"

SHARED VALUES

Loyalty
Loyal to Nation and Corporation

Professionalism
Committed, Innovative and Proactive and Always Striving for Excellence

Integrity
Honest and Upright

Cohesiveness
United in Purpose and Fellowship

Source: www.petronas.com

2.6 Business Goals and Objectives

2.6.1 Goals
Goals are broad business results that your business is absolutely committed to attaining.
Goals are typically stated in terms of general business intentions. You may define your
business’s goals by using phrases such as “becoming the market leader” or “being the low-
cost provider of choice.” Such goals focus the business’s activities without being so
narrowly defined as to stifle creativity or limit flexibility.

13
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

The goals that you set for your business should ultimately dictate your business choices
throughout your organization and may take years to achieve. Goals should forge an
unbreakable link between your business’s actions and its mission.
2.6.2 Objectives
An objective is a specific step, a milestone, which enables you to accomplish a goal.
Setting objectives involves a continuous process of research and decision-making.
Knowledge of yourself and your unit is a vital starting point in setting objectives.

The objectives must be:

• results-driven, and not activity-driven
• specific
• measurable
• attainable
• related to time
Why Set Objectives
Corporate objectives are critical for effective performance management. They inculcate a
sense of direction among employees and facilitate coordinated growth across the
organization. Objectives act as a benchmark against which actual performance may be
assessed, and guide decision-making and action. Well established objectives provide
management with predictability of outcomes and create a form of control over employee
behavior and required degree of effort.
2.6.3 Difference Between Goals and Objectives
Objectives are quantifiable and time-related; goals are general open-ended statements of
desired outcomes, without quantification or specification of the periods in which they are to
be achieved.
2.7 Business Strategy and Keys to Success
2.7.1 Business Strategy
This section is crucial and must not be missed when preparing your business plan. This
section serves to tell the readers what strategic initiatives you plan to take to achieve your
visions, as mentioned earlier.

Corporate strategy involves the entire organization. It concerns itself with the survival of
the business as a minimum objective and added value as a maximum objective. It covers
the range and depth of the business’s activities and directs the changing and evolving
relationship of the business with its environment. It is concerned with a business’s basic
direction for the future: its purpose, its ambitions, its resources, and how it interacts with
the world in which it operates and, more importantly, towards other businesses in the
marketplace against which it competes. It is a plan a business formulates to gain a
sustainable advantage over its competition.

14
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

There are five major parts in writing your business strategy:

(i) Your business model
(ii) Building your competitive advantage
(iii) Innovation Strategies
(iv) Strategic initiatives
(v) Timeline
2.7.1.1 Describing your Business Model
The business model is the key focus of your business plan. It describes the nature of and
what is unique about your business, and how you intend to grow it. A good business model
illustrates the approach to four different aspects of the business i.e. revenue, profits, market
share, and growth.
Revenue
You need to describe where your revenues will come from. Not only do you need to
describe each revenue stream, you also need to quantify it. You may describe each stream
in terms of percentage of total revenues.
Profits
After establishing your revenue streams, you will then need to assess the profitability of
each stream by projecting its respective gross profit margins. Gross profit margins
represent the specific profitability of your products or services.
Market Share
You will need to assess your revenues in relation to total revenues earned by the industry
you are operating in. This is to provide you with an idea of your positioning on a macro
level. Often, the size of the market you operate in drives your revenue projections and
what market share you aspire to. Market share is computed by dividing your revenues into
the specific industry’s revenues. Profits are excluded from determining market share, as
different businesses have different operating cost structures.
Market Growth
The final component of your business model illustrates the projected growth of your
business and that of the industry it operates in.

In commenting on your market’s growth prospects, compile historical data and information
on market trends as a basis for extrapolating the data to the future. Based on how the
market is expected to change and grow, identify opportunities and possible competitive
forces, and analyze how they will affect your financial projections. If you ascertain that the
market is experiencing decline in growth over a long period, it is advisable to look for new
markets or at least be prepared with a strong marketing plan to challenge the underlying
market forces.

15
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2.7.1.2 Building your Competitive Advantage

The goal of a business strategy is to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage over your
rivals. Competitive advantages come in two forms, as expounded by Michael Porter. They
are cost advantages and differentiation advantages. Cost advantage is achieved when your
business can produce the same products and services at a lower cost. Differentiation
advantage is achieved when your business’s products and services are superior to your
competitors’. These advantages ultimately lead to higher margins than those of your
competitors.

A business’s sustainable competitive advantage is achieved by continuously developing

existing and creating new resources and capabilities in response to rapidly changing market
conditions. Human resources represent one of the most important value-creating assets in
developing a competitive advantage.

Competing businesses may possess similar types of resources - resources that are rare,
valuable, and difficult to imitate will provide a sustainable competitive advantage to your
business. In today’s competitive environment, intangible resources are more likely to
produce a competitive advantage because they are rare and difficult for competitors to
imitate. Examples of intangible resources include brand, human capital, supply chain
optimization, innovation, design excellence and reputation.

In this section, you should highlight how you are going to develop your intangible and
tangible resources to create a competitive advantage. There are a number of ways that your
competitive advantage can be built on the following assets:

Intangible assets:
• To continuously train and educate your employees. You need to ensure that their
skills and knowledge are up-to-date with the market.
• To provide benefits and attractive remuneration packages to motivate employees.
• To provide a more positive, supportive, and innovative work environment for your
employees.
• To diversify approaches to ensure staff are motivated to provide suggestions for
business improvement.
Tangible assets:
• To invest in research and development for your products and services.
• To provide a technologically advanced facility for your research and development
department.
2.7.1.3 Innovation Strategies
Due to the ever changing economic environment and evolving customer needs, your
business will have to provide special attention to research and development to manage
product innovation. The rate of product obsolescence is quickly increasing. Barriers to

16
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

entry are diminishing with impending globalization and free trade. Without product
innovation, your product’s market share will decrease, together with sales and profits.

You will need to highlight your innovation strategies. There are three factors that need to
be studied to assist you in formalizing these strategies. A brief explanation on these three
factors are as follows:
• Structure - The linkages across functional departments are necessary for a successful
innovation strategy. Continuous flows of information and knowledge across
functional boundaries are crucial in facilitating an innovative organization. For
example, the research and development department will obtain feedback from the
marketing and customer services department on the product’s strengths and
weaknesses. This information will provide the research and development specialists
a clearer picture on consumers’ needs and wants.
• Environmental - Technological changes, consumers’ psychographics (i.e.
classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations, and other
psychological criteria), and government regulations will affect your innovative
strategy. You may have developed a very successful product now, but over time there
could be new technologies which provide for a more advanced product; consumers’
taste might change as they mature; and the government might want to open up the
economy and promote free trade with neighboring countries, which may dramatically
increase the level of competition.
• Core Competencies - Your business’s ability to deliver innovative products and
services on a sustainable basis depends on its core competencies. Your management
and other key staff will play an important role in driving this strategy to success.
Their mindset must be imaginative, receptive to outside comments and be able to take
prudent risks. They must have an analytical mind and be able to spot future trends by
studying the current market.
2.7.1.4 Strategic Initiatives
This section should discuss any major initiatives outside the day-to-day running of your
business that are vital to the success of your business model. These initiatives might
include acquisitions, physical expansion, international development, and the like.
2.7.1.5 Timeline
This final section presents the major milestones you face in successfully implementing
your chosen business model. This can be presented either through narrative text or
graphical timeline.
2.7.2 Keys to Success: Critical Success Factors (“CSFs”)
Keys to success or critical success factors are the fundamental issues that you absolutely
and positively have to satisfy if you want to win in the marketplace. The CSFs for your
business should be specific. CSFs are the must do’s or must address that cannot be ignored.
The following are a list of critical success factors that you can identify ahead of time:
(i) Adopting new technologies

17
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

(ii) Hiring human resources

(iii) Strategic location
(iv) Distribution channels and marketing strategies
(v) Government regulation
(vi) Improving services or customer focus
(vii) Enhancing operations towards best practice
2.8 Risk Management, Business Continuity and Succession Planning
2.8.1 Risk management and Business Continuity Planning
In order to manage risk and to maintain continuity in business, it is essential to develop a
comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management Framework/System and a Business
Continuity Plan. These exercises should cover every aspect of your business. The
system/plan should be developed through contributions from a team of employees who
hold core responsibilities within the organization. This team needs to study the business
carefully and identify potential risks that might affect various facets of your business and
the mitigating actions to be taken by the business in the face of those risks. Effective risk
management and business continuity planning are not just about crisis management, it is
about crisis prevention.

The results of your risk assessment will help you understand your business’s underlying
risks and the potential impacts of disaster. A comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management
Framework/System and a Business Continuity Plan will have shown you the areas of most
risk within the business, and control systems to mitigate the chances of those risks
occurring. The control systems will have to be reviewed periodically to ensure that the
risks are adequately managed. The team will also need to be ready whenever a crisis or a
threat occurs, be it regulatory, industrial relations, technical, financial, internal, external,
human or natural, and manage them with as little disruption to the business as possible.
2.8.2 Succession Planning
The future success of your business depends greatly on who you choose to helm it. This
team must have the ability to steer your business towards the vision you have set previously
with your management. This team must also command a level of respect by all within the
organization, and from external stakeholders and business partners alike.

In this section, you will need to mention who you have identified as successors to key
functions held by present management. Highlight the necessary training that the persons
need to undertake in order to be fit for those roles. It will also add credibility to the chosen
successors if you highlight their past experiences, expertise, academic qualifications and
special skill sets.

Successors need to be reviewed periodically, as circumstances might arise that will change
the required leadership attributes to run your business.

18
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2.9 Scenario Planning

More often than not a business operates in an environment filled with risks and
uncertainties about the future. In these times of intense competition, forecasting alone may
not suffice in view of the rapid changes and the unpredictable nature of those changes.
Therefore, as a precautionary strategy, it is always wise for businesses to develop scenario
planning.

Scenario planning is a method that you can use to develop your flexible long term business
plans. It makes use of the scenarios of the future to manage strategic risks and
opportunities. It enables businesses to be flexible and responsive to the qualitative aspect of
change that affects the business environment. It is a process in which you invent and then
consider, in depth, several varied scenarios of equally plausible futures with the objective
of bringing forward surprises and experiencing unexpected leaps of understanding.

In doing this, you will need to create scenarios based on facts as well as on possible social
changes that surround your business.

3. Organizational Structure and Management: Introducing your Business

and your Management Team
3.1 How to Put Together an Effective Organizational Structure
The organization chart describes in diagrammatic form the structure of the organization. It
helps to explain the communication patterns, operational processes, reporting lines, and the
linking mechanisms between the roles. It illustrates to everyone who communicates with
whom, how the control system operates, who is in control, who has authority and finally,
who is responsible. It also explains how the organization is coordinated and how individual
departments relate.

A business organization may be structured in many different ways, depending on the

environment within which it operates. There are always drawbacks with any organizational
structure. Traditional organizations based on departments often tend to be bureaucratic and
slow in distributing information, whilst modern organizational structures which are more
aware of the external environment often lack the formality and control of the traditional
organization.

In more formal organizations, the organization chart defines the way that communication
and work flows through the organization. The typical organization chart assumes a
hierarchical structure, reflecting communication flowing downwards from top management
to the departments further down the organization. But of course communication also flows
in reverse, instructions received from above have to be acted upon and results reported
upward.

However, in many modern organizations communication tends to be horizontal, between

individuals and departments, rather than the upwards or downwards flow used by
conventional structures, which create unnecessary red-tape and bureaucracy.

19
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

This type of structure is often referred to as the matrix structure. Its advantage is that it is
cross-functional, whilst maintaining functions and the commitment and specialization of
individual departments. At the same time it allows flexibility for change, encourages
commitment to the organization as a whole, improves communication and perhaps most
importantly, reduces the need for slow, laborious communication up and down the
traditional hierarchical structure.

The organization’s structure is essentially developed to deliver its mission and objectives.
Building the organizational structure must therefore begin at this point.
• Type of organization: Commercial? Non profit-making? Service oriented?
Government administration?
• Who are the major stakeholders? Shareholders? Managers? Employees?
• What is our purpose?
• What does our purpose tell us in broad terms about how we might be structured?

When structuring an organization, you will need to consider the following issues:
• Whether the business should have departments i) for particular functions, ii) for
products, iii) for geographical regions, or iv) for teams of individuals concerned with
specific projects
• The best organizational structure for the business in terms of the number of levels of
authority in its hierarchy, and how many immediate subordinates each line manager
should personally control.
• Whether each member of the organization should specialize in and be responsible for
a single function, or whether duties and responsibilities should overlap.
• How individuals, sections and departments are to be appraised and controlled.
• Whether employees should be closely supervised, or left alone to effect broadly
defined tasks.
• How activities are to be coordinated and by whom.
• Whether decision-making is to be centralized or decentralized.
• Sizes of departments.
• Extent and nature of delegation.
3.1.1 Purposes of Organizational Structures
The essential purposes of an organizational structure are:
• To have the right people making the right decisions at the right time.
• To establish who is accountable for what and who reports to whom.
• To facilitate the easy flow of information through the organization.
• To provide a working environment that encourages efficiency and the acceptance of
change.

20
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• To integrate and coordinate operations.

3.1.2 Types of Organizational Structures
Here are some organizational structures that you can choose from to present in your
business plan:
• Small Organizational Structure – ownership controlled
• Functional Organization – functions predominate
• Multidivisional Structure
• Holding Company Structure
• Matrix Organizational Structure
• Innovative Organizational Structure
3.2 Core Organizational Competencies
Based on Michael Porter’s 1985 book entitled “Competitive Advantage: Creating and
Sustaining Superior Performance”, an organization’s value chains can be broadly divided
into two segments, comprising primary and support activities as shown in the following
diagram. These activities are what an organization does to bring a product or service from
conception to delivery to customers/end users. They also form a series of value-generating
activities that are aimed at generating value that exceeds cost of activities, thereby resulting
in profit margins.

PRIMARY ACTIVITIES

Inbound Outbound Sales and Services Profit

Operations Margin
Logistics Logistics Marketing

SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

Organization’s Human Technology Procurement

Infrastructure Resource Development

Source: Michael Porter’s Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining

Superior Performance. New York, NY The Free Press.

21
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

By enhancing the skill sets required to perform each set of activities stated above,
operational efficiency, cost competitiveness or product differentiation may be achieved,
thus providing an organization a competitive advantage based on the competencies at
which the organization has chosen to excel. This would in turn, result in superior value
creation for which customers would pay more, thus creating higher profit margins for the
organization.

Descriptions of value-generating activities and corresponding key competencies/skill sets

required to perform these activities are as follows:-

Value–Generating Description Key Competencies / Skill Sets

Activities
Primary Activities
Inbound Logistics This involves receiving and • Knowledge in logistics planning;
warehousing activities pertaining • Storage and warehousing planning to
to raw materials and minimize inventory costs;
delivery/distribution of the same • Practice “Just-in-Time” ordering if
to production floor. In the case applicable, to minimize inventory
of a service-based organization, holding costs.
this involves preparation or • Production and project planning skills;
acquisition of supporting tools and
for service delivery. • Ability to deliver raw
materials/inventory from storage to
production floor or goods display area
efficiently to minimize bottlenecks.

Operations This involves the actual process • Production and project

of converting the inputs into scheduling/planning;
finished products or services. • Production and project management
skills;
• Supervisory skills in monitoring work
progress of production operators/service
personnel to improve lead time;
• Troubleshooting and maintenance of
production machinery or supporting
tools in the case of service delivery;
• Quality control and management;
• Monitoring of subcontractors’
performance, if production is
outsourced; and
• Managing relationships with
subcontractors.

Outbound logistics This involves the warehousing • Knowledge in logistics planning;

and delivery of finished • Storage and warehousing planning to
goods/services to customers/end minimize inventory costs;
users. It also dictates the manner • Smart packaging to reduce inventory
in which an organization and delivery cost;
interfaces with its customers. • Effective monitoring of product/service

22
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Value–Generating Description Key Competencies / Skill Sets

Activities
delivery process to reduce bottlenecks
and improve lead time;
• Ability to establish adequate distribution
network to increase coverage; and
• Online transaction capability to provide
convenience and improve purchasing
experience of customers.

Sales and This involves the process of • Ability to identify areas where
Marketing bridging the gap between customers’ needs may be most
customers’ needs and an effectively fulfilled by an organization’s
organization’s products and product/service offering;
service offering. It also includes • Salesmen’s negotiation skills in
the actual transactions of sales soliciting new business/accounts;
and purchases between the • Effective advertising and promotions;
customers and an organization. • Ability to formulate right pricing
strategy;
• Market intelligence such as knowledge
of industry development, competitors’
strengths and weaknesses, customers’
changing needs and lifestyles, etc; and
• Online marketing capability to reach out
to more of the targeted audience.

Services This involves after-sales support • Knowledgeable and courteous customer

and customer relationship support team;
management. • Technical skill sets to troubleshoot
problems encountered by customers;
• Ability to respond to customers within
targeted timeframe;
• Effective monitoring of subcontractors’
performance if customer service
function is outsourced;
• Managing relationships with
subcontractors;
• Capability to provide online support to
provide convenience to customers and
improve response time;
• Providing 24-hour customer support if
this would result in value creation for
customers; and
• Effective customer loyalty programs to
achieve high customer retention.

23
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Value–Generating Description Key Competencies / Skill Sets

Activities

Support Activities
Organization’s This relates to an organization’s • Flexibility to alter production volume
Infrastructure physical and soft infrastructures according to changes in volume of
that are in place to support its demand within targeted timeframe;
primary business operations. • Effective information dissemination to
Physical infrastructure includes support decision-making;
plant and machinery, • Appropriate organizational structure to
management information ensure effective communication and
systems, motor vehicle fleet for execution of jobs;
product delivery, etc. Soft • Ability to mitigate major risk areas via
infrastructure include policies sound internal controls, policies and
and procedures, risk procedures;
management control systems, • Efficient and cost effective delivery
organizational structure, etc systems to minimize disruption to
distribution channels; and
• Ability to execute proper maintenance
programs on plant and machinery to
minimize downtime.

Human Resource This involves human resource • Recruiting manpower with matching
Management activities comprising recruiting, skill sets for available positions;
training, compensation and • Create the right corporate culture in line
benefits, retrenchment, with an organization’s vision and
dismissal, etc. mission;
• Provide continuous training to
employees to ensure that customers’
requirements are constantly met;
• Formulate effective compensation and
benefits programs to attract qualified
personnel and retain high performers;
and
• Ability to mitigate and minimize cost
associated with labor disputes.

Technology This relates to the technology • Availability of personnel with research

Development platform that is available to and development (R&D) skill sets;
support the organization’s • Formulate product development plan to
primary business operations. enhance and develop existing and new
products or services respectively;
• Ability to meet R&D milestones;
• Perform R&D according to customers’
demand and requirements to maximize
the commercial value of R&D products
or services; and
• Capability to produce proprietary
technology, where applicable.

24
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Value–Generating Description Key Competencies / Skill Sets

Activities
Procurement This involves purchasing • Purchases are performed in a manner
activities for production/service that ensures that the organization
delivery inputs such as raw achieves cost competitiveness;
materials, supporting tools, • Managing and maintaining good
production equipment, office relationships with suppliers;
supplies, etc. • Ability to negotiate for attractive trade
creditors’ financing terms;
• Quality control on products/services;
purchased; and
• Professional conduct of buyers, when
dealing with suppliers, as a display of
corporate value and ethics.

3.3 How to Present your Management’s Capabilities

This section should include the details about the ownership of your company, profiles of
your management team, and the qualifications of your board of directors.

Who does what in your business? What are their backgrounds and their roles in the
business as board members or senior management? What are their responsibilities? These
may seem like unnecessary questions to answer in a one or two person organization, but the
reader of your business plan will want to know who is in charge to assess their capabilities.
Give a detailed description of each division or department and its function.

This section should include who is on the board (if you have an advisory board) and how
you intend to keep them there. What kind of salary and benefits package do you have for
your people? What incentives are you offering?
3.3.1 Ownership Information
This section should also include the legal structure of your business, along with the
subsequent ownership information it relates to. Have you incorporated your business? Or
perhaps you have formed a partnership with someone. If so, is it a general or limited
partnership?

Important ownership information that should be incorporated into your business plan
includes:
• Names of owners
• Percentage ownership
• Extent of involvement with the company
• Forms of ownership (e.g. common stock, preferred stock, general partner, limited
partner)

25
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

3.3.2 Management Profiles

Experts agree that one of the strongest factors for success in any business is the capabilities
of its owners and management. Let your reader know about the key people in your business
and their backgrounds. Provide resumes that include the following information:
• Name
• Position
• Primary responsibilities and authority
• Education
• Unique experience and skills
• Prior employment
o Past track record
o Industry recognition
o Community involvement
o Number of years with company
• Compensation basis and levels
Be sure you quantify achievements (e.g. "Managed a sales force of ten people" - "Managed
a department of fifteen people" - "Increased revenue by 15% in the first six months" -
"Expanded the retail outlets at the rate of two each year" - "Improved the customer service
as rated by our customers from a 60% to a 90% rating.")

4. Presenting Your Business’s Operational Plan

Operational planning is the driving force behind a business plan. It provides operational
guidance to employees to ensure smooth process flow. The operational plan describes what
each department in your company does. This section examines the operating plans
necessary for the four basic functional areas of business: production and operations
management; marketing; human resources; and finance. Benefits derived from the
preparation of operational plans are that:
• It should improve the overall morale and commitment among all employees involved
in the operational plan, as each of them will have a clearer understanding of their role
and functions;
• Lower level employees will be able to highlight the day-to-day operational
inefficiencies and bottlenecks that higher level management might not be able to see;
• It provides a basis for control and appraisal;
• Junior managers gain valuable experience that will eventually help them to undertake
more senior planning duties.

26
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

This section is where you describe what each unit or part of your company does. It is to
show potential lenders and investors that you actually do have a depth of organization, and
that someone is controlling and watching everything that is happening in your business.

5. Industry Analysis: Analyzing your Business’s Environment

No business operates alone. No matter what kind of business you are in, you are affected
by forces around you that you must recognize, plan for, and deal with to be successful.

How much do you already know about your industry? Take a moment to complete the
Industry Analysis Questionnaire below. If you are unsure of the answer, tick the “?” box.
The questionnaire is aimed to help provide you with a better understanding of the industry
you operate in.

Industry Analysis Questionnaire:

Number of competitors are... Many Moderate Few ?
Are the numbers of competitors increasing? Yes No - ?
Is your industry dominated by a few players? Yes No - ?
Do new technologies affect your products and Yes No - ?
services?
Is there a large and untapped market that your Yes No - ?
industry can expand to?
Does price play an important role? Yes No - ?
Do consumers’ tastes change frequently? Yes No - ?
Are there substitutes for your products and Yes No - ?
services?
Barriers of entry to your business are... High Moderate Low ?
Powers of distributors are... High Moderate Low ?
Bargaining power of customers are... High Moderate Low ?
Powers of suppliers are... High Moderate Low ?
Is your revenue... Growing Stable Declining ?
Profit margins are... Growing Stable Declining ?
Costs within your industry are... Growing Stable Declining ?

5.1 Methods of Presenting your Industry Analysis

5.1.1 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (“SWOT”) Analysis
In any consideration of the factors surrounding the organization, there is one technique
which is frequently used to explore the general environment: this is the SWOT analysis. It
involves a process of scanning the internal and external environment of the organization,
which is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal
to the organization usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those
external to the organization can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T).

A SWOT analysis of the organization is a useful way of summarizing the current and future
status of the organization. In devising a SWOT analysis, there are several factors that will
enhance the quality of the material:

27
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• Keep it brief – pages of analysis are usually not required.

• Relate strengths and weaknesses, wherever possible, to critical success factors.
• Strengths and weaknesses should also be stated in competitive terms if possible. It is
reassuring to be ‘good’ at something, but it is more relevant to be ‘better that the
competitor’.
• Statements should be specific and avoid blandness – there is little point in stating
ideas that everyone believes in.
• Analysis should distinguish between where the company wishes to be and where is it
now. The gap should be realistic.
• It is important to be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of one’s own and
competitive organizations.

The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm’s resources
and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. As such, it is
instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. The following diagram shows how a
SWOT analysis fits into an environmental scan:

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
• Economies of scale • Lack of marketing expertise
• Specialist marketing expertise • Undifferentiated products and service
• Exclusive access to natural resources (i.e. in relation to your competitors)
• Patents • Poor location of your business
• New, innovative product or service • Weak distribution channels
• Strategic location • Poor quality goods or services
• Cost advantages through proprietary know-how • Weak brand name and reputation in
• Strong distribution networks market
• Strong brand names with solid reputation • Lack of patent protection
• High cost structure

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
• Developing and expanding your market • A new competitor in your home market
• Mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances • Price war
• Moving into new attractive market segments • Competitor has a new, innovative
• A new-found market substitute product or service
• Loosening of rules and regulations • New regulations
• Removal of international trade barriers • Increased trade barriers
• A market led by a weak competitor • Taxation may be introduced on your
• Unfulfilled needs and wants product or service
• New technologies

Your Business’s Strengths

A business’s strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for
developing a competitive advantage. Remember, you must plan according to your
strengths. Examples of such strengths are highlighted in the above table.

28
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Your Business’s Weaknesses

The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a weakness. The weaknesses identified
are to be studied and rectified, making sure that steps are taken to ensure that these
weaknesses will not occur again in future. You cannot go forward with weaknesses.
Examples of such weaknesses are highlighted in the above table.
Opportunities in the External Environment and Future
The external environmental analysis may reveal new opportunities for profit and growth.
Opportunities need to be worked on. Examples of such opportunities are highlighted in the
above table.
Threats from the External Environment
Changes in the external environmental also may present threats to the business. Examples
of such threats are highlighted in the above table.
5.1.2 Porter’s 5 Forces : Analyzing the Forces of the Environment
In carrying out an industry analysis, you will need to examine the forces that influence your
business and to address these forces well before your competitors in order to gain a
competitive advantage.

Michael Porter developed a framework that provided an outline of the primary external
forces that determine competitiveness within an industry and how they are related. His
framework suggests that in order to develop effective organizational strategies, the business
owner needs to first understand and subsequently react to five primary external forces to
create a competitive advantage within the industry.

Porter’s five forces are as follows:

• SUPPLIER POWER - The bargaining power of suppliers
• BUYER POWER - The bargaining power of buyers
• BARRIERS TO ENTRY - The threat of potential new entrants
• SUBSTITUTION- The threat of substitutes
• INDUSTRY RIVALRY - The extent of competitive rivalry

The objective of the ‘5 Forces’ analysis is to investigate how the business needs to form its
strategy in order to develop opportunities in its environment and protect itself against
competition and other threats.

29
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

SUPPLIER POWER
• Supplier concentration
• Importance of volume to supplier
• Differentiation of inputs
• Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation
• Switching costs of firms in the industry
• Presence of substitute inputs
• Threat of forward integration
• Cost relative to total purchases in industry

BARRIERS TO ENTRY
• Absolute cost advantages
• Proprietary learning curve
• Access to inputs
• Government policy
• Economies of scale
• Capital requirements
• Brand identity
• Switching costs
• Access to distribution
• Expected retaliation
• Proprietary products

BUYER POWER
RIVALRY
• Bargaining leverage
• Buyer volume
• Buyer information
• Brand identity
• Price sensitivity
• Threat of backward integration
• Product differentiation
• Buyer concentration vs. industry
• Substitute available
• Buyer’s incentives

THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES
• Switching costs
• Buyer inclination to substitute
• Price/performance trade-off substitutes

DEGREE OF RIVALRY
• Exit barriers
• Industry concentration
• Fixed costs/Value-added
• Industry growth
• Intermittent overcapacity
• Product differences
• Switching costs
• Brand identity
• Diversity of rivals
• Corporate stakes

30
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

6. Presenting your Business’s Products or Services: Your Revenue

Generators
In this section, you are to describe your business’s products or services. Make sure to
elaborate on the benefits that it can bring to potential and current customers. Focus on the
areas where you have a distinct advantage. Identify the problems in your target market that
might be beneficial to potential consumers, such as lack of product features, lack of variety
and choice, etc., and explain how your business’s products or services would address those
problems.

In effect, you are trying to convince the reader to buy your products or services.
Emphasize your competitive advantage over that of your competitors and convince them
that people are, or will be, willing to pay for your products or services rather than your
competitors’. You should also list all your business’s products or services and attach all the
marketing or promotional materials.

It is important to provide details about your suppliers, availability of products/services, and

service or product costs. In addition, include information about products or services that
you might want to launch in the future that will boost your revenue.

It is vital to explain to your readers your products specifications, such as how the product
will operate and what is its size and dimensions? If your business is providing a service,
you should describe your services. How it will benefit potential customers and who are the
services targeted to? Your description should not be too technical and should be written in
layman’s terms. If you are entering a new market, you should answer why there is a need
for your products or services offerings. Also discuss any barriers that you face and have
overcome in the early development stage to the launch of the product or service.

Areas that should be covered in this section include:

(i) Is your product or service already on the market or is it still in the research and
development stage?
(ii) If you are still in the development stage, what is your products launch strategy and
what is your intended timeline in bringing your products or services to the market?
(iii) What makes your products or services unique? What competitive advantage does
your products or services have over its competitors?
(iv) Can you price the products or services competitively and still maintain a healthy
profit margin?

6.1 Product Portfolio Analysis: Analyzing your Business’s Products or Services

It is very common for businesses to have more than one product or service. These products
and services will probably be in different product life cycles and require different input of
resources. In the early 1970’s the Boston Consulting Group (“BCG”) developed a model
to help businesses manage and analyze their product portfolios. The model is known as the

31
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

BCG Growth-Share Matrix and is now used all over the world for analyzing product
portfolios. The Product Portfolio Analysis is based on two major factors:
(i) Relative market share – for each product, the share of the organization’s market
divided by the share of the market leader.
(ii) Market growth rate – for each product, the market growth rate of the product
category.

The BCG Growth-Share matrix is made up of four quadrants that describe your business’s
products in relation to market share and market growth rate. The matrix helps you to
understand each of your product’s life cycle and position in the market better by charting
each product in one of the four quadrants:

Stars Question Marks

High

(Cash Neutral) (Cash User)

Market Growth
Low

Cash Cows Dogs

(Cash Generator) (Cash Neutral)
High Low
Market Share

The BCG matrix provides a framework for allocating resources among different business
units and allows one to compare the performance of each product at a glance. Resources
are allocated to business units according to where they are situated on the grid as follows:
• Cash Cow – a business unit that has a large market share in a mature, slowly growing
industry. Cash cows require little investment and generate cash that can be used to
invest in other business units.
• Star – a business unit that has a large market share in a fast growing industry. Stars
may generate cash, but because the market is growing rapidly they require investment
to maintain their lead. If successful, a star will become a cash cow when its industry
matures.
• Question Mark (or Problem Child) – a business unit that has a small market share in a
high growth market. These business units require resources to grow market share, but
whether they will succeed and become stars is unknown or potentially less likely.
• Dog – a business unit that has a small market share in a mature industry. A dog may
not require substantial cash, but it ties up capital that could better be deployed

32
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

elsewhere. Unless a dog has some other strategic purpose, it should be liquidated if
there is little prospect for it to gain market share.

Overall, the strategy is to take cash from the cash cows to fund stars and invest in future
new products that do not yet even appear on the matrix. Cash may also be invested
selectively in the question mark quadrant to turn them into stars with the others being
milked or even sold to provide funds for use elsewhere.

The BCG Matrix is an effective way to represent the strategic balance of the organization’s
business areas.
7. Market Analysis: Defining your Product or Services and that of your
Competitors
7.1 Identifying your Target Market
Your target market is simply the market (or group of customers) that you want to target (or
focus on and sell to). When you are defining your target market, it is important to narrow it
to a manageable size.

In this section, you should gather information which identifies:

• Distinguishing characteristics of your primary market you are targeting.
This section should highlight information about the needs and wants of your potential
customers, the degree to which those needs and wants are lacking, and the
demographics of this particular group. You should also include the geographic
location of your target market, the identification of the major decision-makers, and
any seasonal or cyclical trends which may impact the industry or your business.
• Size of the primary target market.
You would need to know the estimated number of potential customers in your
primary market, the amount of goods and services similar to yours that they
purchased in a year, the geographic area they reside in, the demographics of this
group and the forecasted market growth for this group.
• The extent to which you feel you will be able to gain market share and provide the
reasons why.
Determine the market share percentage and number of customers you expect to obtain
in a defined geographic area. You would also outline the assumptions you used to
develop these estimates.
• Your pricing and gross profit margin targets.
Define your pricing strategies in achieving the maximum gross profit margin, and any
discount structures that you plan to set up for your business such as bulk discounts,
prompt payment discounts or cash discounts.

33
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• Media you will use to reach your target audience.

These might include publications, radio or television broadcasts, or any other type of
credible source that may have influence with your target market.
• Trends and potential changes which may impact your primary target market.
Analyze the changing consumer trends of your primary target market may lead to
repositioning of products in anticipating and satisfying their new needs.
• Purchasing cycle of your potential customers
Understand the time interval between each purchasing cycle. Find out reasons for the
interval and come up with solutions to shorten this cycle. One of the ways is to
identify the needs and wants of your targeted market, and identify who actually has
the final say in purchasing your products or services.
7.2 Market Segmentation and Positioning of your Products and Services
7.2.1 Market Segmentation
Market segmentation may be defined as the identification of specific groups of customers
who respond differently from other groups to competitive strategies.

Market segmentation is important for business planning for several reasons:

• Some segments may be more profitable and attractive than others. For example, large
segments may have low profit margins but their size may make them attractive, even
at these levels of profitability.
• Some segments may have more competition than others. For example, a specialist
segment may have only a limited number of competitors.
• Some segments may be growing faster and offer more development opportunities
than others.

In conclusion, a careful analysis of segments and their characteristics is therefore

important. You can come up with ways to create market segments by asking five basic
questions:
(i) Who buys your product or service?
(ii) What do they buy?
(iii) Why do they buy?
(iv) Where do they buy?
(v) When do they buy?

7.2.2 Market Positioning

The term ‘market position’ describes how a product is perceived and evaluated by
consumers in comparison with the products of competing businesses. Market positioning
means finding out how customers think about your business’s products or services, with a
view either to enhance the product features together with associated advertising and other

34
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

publicity to make it fit in with consumer’s perceptions, or to change the product’s position
in consumer’s minds. Positioning depends on the demographics and psychographics of the
consumers and how consumers relate with your products or services. Businesses operating
in several different foreign markets need to decide whether to locate their products in
similar or disparate positions in each country.
7.3 Competitor Analysis
When conducting a competitive analysis you need first of all to identify your competitors’
products and services and the market segments that these products and services are in. You
need to also identify the barriers which may hinder your entry into the market.

For each competitor, determine what their market share is and estimate how long before
new competitors enters the market. The purpose of this is to calculate how much time you
have to establish yourself in the market and how much profits you can reap before new
competitors begin entry and create impact.

When competing in the same market, it is also important to identify your competitors’
strengths and weaknesses, so that you can study their strengths and oppose them, and you
can study their weaknesses and learn how to avoid them and yet take advantage of them.

If your target market is new and does not have any competition, then you will enjoy a head
start in your market until competitors start to enter. While establishing yourself and
expending your market, you will need to also strategize what actions you need to take to
create certain levels of barriers to entry so that it will not be too easy for new competitors
to enter into your market, such as seeking patents and trademarks.

Some examples of barriers to a market may include:

• a high cost of investment
• a competitively priced market
• the time it takes to set up your business
• changing technology
• the lack of quality personnel
• customer resistance to change to your brand (i.e. customer loyalty)
• existing patents and trademarks
• industry reputation

7.3.1 Understanding your Competitors

It is useful for a business’s management to know as much as possible about each of its
rival’s strengths and weaknesses, cost structure, culture and management style,
organizational system, strategies, mission and objectives, major markets, size, sales,
production methods and asset structure. Competitor analysis needs to encompass the
following:

35
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• Prices and pricing history of competitors’ brands, particularly the environmental

changes that caused alterations in pricing strategies.
• Timing of competitors’ promotional campaigns, and the effect of these timings on
how competitors perceive their target audiences.
• Themes and concepts used in competitors’ promotional materials. This requires the
collation of a folio of each competitor’s advertisements.
• Information on the strengths and weaknesses of each rival business’s products and
how these compare with the outputs of your business.
• Market sectors covered by competitors, their packaging, distribution arrangements,
sales promotions, and public relation events.
• Competitors’ product development strategies: introduction by competitors of new
products or product features, or competitors’ acquisitions of other businesses in order
to obtain their brands.
• Competitors’ terms of sale, credit periods, levels of after-sales service, and so on.
• The financial performance of competing firms.
• The reasons why competitors choose to operate in particular markets.
• How competitors are organized or structured: distribution systems, catergorization of
departments by branch or functions; nature of subsidiaries, etc.

When you are doing a competitive analysis, you need to identify your competition by
product line or service as well as by market segment. It is important to assess your
competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and compare it with that of your business.
Determine also how important your target market is to your competitors, and identify any
barriers which may hinder you as you are entering the market.

Understanding your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses is critical for establishing your
business’s competitive advantage. If you find a competitor struggling, you need to know
why, so you do not make the same mistake. If your competitors are highly successful, you
will also need to understand why and how they are doing so well. Lastly, you will also need
to explain why there is still room for another player in the market.
7.3.2 Contents of your Competitor Analysis
Specific areas to address in this section are:
• Identify your closest competitors and compare them with your company. How
profitable are their businesses? Where are they located? How long have they been in
business?
• Define their target market.
• What percentage of the market do they currently have?
• In what ways is your business superior or inferior to your competitors?
• How is their business progressing? Is it expanding or is it scaling back?

36
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

• How are their operations similar to yours and how do they differ? Is their operation
superior to yours?
• Are there certain areas of the business where the competition surpasses you? If so,
what are those areas and how do you plan to compensate for your lost market share?

8. Marketing Strategy : Presenting your Sales Strategies

8.1 The 4 Ps of Marketing Strategy
This section outlines your intended marketing strategies. What marketing initiatives are you
going to formulate to create and increase sales? This section should include information
about:
• Product - anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need.
• Price - how much is charge for your products.
• Promotion - a means of promoting and creating awareness of the product in the
marketplace.
• Place (distribution) - a means of bringing the product to the marketplace. .

Brief explanations of what should be included in the marketing strategy section of your
marketing plan pertaining to the 4 Ps is illustrated below.

8.1.1 Your Product Descriptions

• Describe in detail your products or services in terms of the features and benefits they
offer to customers.
• Describe the characteristics of your product in terms of functionality, quality,
appearance that meet the needs of your customer.

8.1.2 Pricing your Products and Services

Pricing is strategically important for several reasons:
• Change in pricing will lead to higher or lower profitability for your business. It also
shows how low you can price your products or services when a price war occurs, and
how much margin you can play with and still be competitive. This is important
knowledge that you should know.
• Pricing strategy allows you to position your products or services in the marketplace.
Pricing is an important tool when used in market penetration and barriers to entries.
• Pricing strategy can affect consumers’ demand for your products or services. This
happens when your products or services are homogeneous with that of your
competitors. Pricing is very sensitive in this type of market, because pricing is the
only differentiation strategy that the business can apply.
• Pricing strategy can affect consumers’ perception of your products or services. Some
producers choose to price their products or services at a very high level to create a
sense of exclusivity and quality.

37
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

In price analysis, there are four main steps in the process:

(i) Analyze competitors’ pricing – Compare your prices with that of the market and see
where you stand. Is your pricing above or lower than that of your competitors?
However, try not to focus solely on pricing; do consider other factors that will
influence their buying choice such as quality, performance and service levels.
(ii) Establish pricing objectives – Different products will require different pricing
objectives. These might include the following: harvesting mature products with
higher prices; driving for growth by lowering prices; signaling quality by selling at a
premium and maintaining market share by matching competitive moves; establishing
a new product or brand at a special price.
(iii) Consider competitors and their product life cycle – It is important to consider
competitors’ reactions to your pricing and the actions that they had previously taken.
It is also useful to explore the stage of competitors’ product life cycle and the price
implications.
(iv) Set prices – Price setting can then be analyzed in the context of the customer and
value-for-money considerations. This latter comment may include an element of
service, design and other matters.
8.1.3 Promotional Plan
A promotion plan describes the tools or tactics used to accomplish your marketing
objectives. There are a number of ways you can market, or tell customers about your
products and persuade them to buy. They include:
• Direct mail – This method involves sending of letters, brochures and flyers to
potential customers highlighting the unique selling point of your products or services.
• Advertising – Placing advertisements in the press, magazines or trade journals.
• Press release – Editorial coverage in the press is free, and often carries more
credibility than advertising.
• Exhibition and trade shows – Some products and services can be exhibited at trade
shows targeted at a specific industry. This can be an effective way of reaching a target
market.
• Image – The name of your business and the overall image you present will provide a
form of perception or impression about your business’s products and services,
including your logo.
• Packaging and labeling – Packaging and labeling of your business’s products can be
used as a marketing tool to communicate a clear message about your business.
8.1.4 Distribution Channels
This section describes how your products or services will reach the end users through
various sales and distribution channels.

Describe your sales strategies and philosophies. Do you employ an aggressive or a

defensive strategy? Do you use contract sales people or permanent employees?

38
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Describe the various distribution channels that you intend using to bring your products or
services to the consumers. What distribution strategy will you adopt, for example, door-to-
door, catalogues, departmental stores, etc? A few points about distribution that you should
address in your marketing plan are:
• Is the delivery of the product made in a store? Through the mail? Through a direct
sales representative?
• What are your production and inventory capacities? (How quickly can you produce or
source products and how much stock can you store?)
• Are there cyclical fluctuations or seasonal demands for your products? For example,
if you produce winter clothing, how will you manage the peak season and slow
periods?
• Do you sell directly to consumers, retailers or wholesalers? Your company may use
more than one method. For example, you may sell directly to customers who place
large orders but also sell to customers who buy small quantities of your product
through retail outlets.

9. Constructing your Business’s Financial Position and Projections

The financial plan section is the section that determines whether or not your business idea
is viable, and is a key component in determining whether or not your business plan is going
to generate interests from the readers.

Financial statements that depict a future period are called forecasted or projected financial
statements. It represents what your business will look like financially in the future, based
on a set of assumptions about the economy, market growth and other factors.

For the most useful projection, state your assumptions clearly. Do not put down numbers
that you cannot justify or substantiate. Do not overstate or understate your financial figures
to make them look attractive. Smaller businesses should make three-year projections for
both planning purposes and loan proposals.

Basically, the financial plan section of the business plan consists of three financial
statements: the income statement, cash flow statement, and the balance sheet, and a brief
explanation/analysis of these three statements.
9.1 Income Statement
The income statement shows your revenues, expenses, and profits for a particular period. It
is a snapshot of your business that shows whether or not your business is profitable at that
point in time; revenue - expenses = profit or loss.

39
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Here is an example of a projected income statement:

Your business name

3 Year Income Statement Forecast & Projections for the year ending 31 December
20_6 20_7 20_8
FORECAST PROJECTION PROJECTION
$ $ $
Revenue
Gross Sales 600,000 720,000 864,000
Sales Returns and Allowance (12,000) (13,800) (15,870)
Net Revenue 588,000 706,200 848,130

Less: Cost of Goods Sold

Beginning Inventory - 53,096 63,532
Purchases 426,192 457,064 548,360
Freight 1,000 1,130 1,300
Labor 1,000 1,130 1,300
Indirect Expenses 1,000 1,130 1,300
429,192 513,550 615,792
Ending Inventory (53,096) (63,532) (76,180)
Cost of Goods Sold 376,096 450,018 539,612
Gross Profit 211,904 256,182 308,518
Gross Profit Margin 36% 36% 36%

Less: Expenses
Depreciation 4,800 5,550 9,600
Salaries and Benefits 60,000 63,000 66,150
Bad Debts - 10,593 12,722
Advertising 2,000 2,040 2,081
Lease/Rent 6,000 6,000 6,300
Vehicle Expenses 1,800 1,836 1,873
Insurance 1,300 1,300 1,300
Charitable Contributions - 200 300
Utilities 4,000 4,080 4,162
Bank Charges 100 102 104
Commissions 1,000 1,201 1,442
Contract Labor 500 510 520
Courier Expenses 800 816 832
Interest Expenses 1,750 1,000 250
Maintenance/ Repairs - 1,500 1,575
Total Expenses 84,050 99,728 109,211
Operating Profit 127,854 156,454 199,307
Other Income
Gain on Sales of Assets - - -
Interest Income - 50 100
Investment Income - - -
Total Other Income - 50 100
Profit Before Taxation 127,854 156,504 199,407
Less : Taxation (25,571) (31,301) (39,882)
Profit After Taxation 102,283 125,203 159,525

40
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

The next step is to make a comparison between the actual revenue earned and the projected
amount for the period. The following is an example of a comparison made between the actual
profit and loss position and the projected amount of the income statement:
Your business name
Income Statement for the year ended 31 December 20_5
ACTUAL FORECAST VARIANCE
YEAR-TO-DATE $ $
$ %
Revenue
Gross Sales 580,000 500,000 80,000 16%
Sales Returns and Allowance (10,000) (8,000) (2,000) -25%
Net Revenue 570,000 492,000 78,000 16%
Less: Cost of Goods Sold
Beginning Inventory - - - N/A
Purchases 432,855 377,000 55,855 15%
Freight 800 1,000 200 20%
Labor 1,000 1,000 - -
Indirect Expenses 1,000 1,000 - -
435,655 380,000 55,655 15%
Ending Inventory (58,500) (48,500) 10,000 21%
Cost of Goods Sold 377,155 331,500 45,655 14%
Gross Profit 192,845 160,500 32,345 20%
Gross Profit Margin 34% 33%

Less: Expenses
Depreciation 4,800 4,000 800 20%
Salaries and Benefits 57,600 45,000 12,600 28%
Bad Debts 3,000 - 3,000 100%
Advertising 1,000 2,000 (1,000) -50%
Lease/Rent 1,000 4,000 (3,000) -75%
Vehicle Expenses 1,000 1,800 (800) -44%
Insurance 500 1,000 (500) -50%
Charitable Contributions 500 - 500 100%
Utilities 500 2,000 (1,500) -75%
Bank Charges 100 100 - 0%
Commissions 100 500 (400) -80%
Contract Labor 100 500 (400) -80%
Courier Expenses 100 500 (400) -80%
Interest Expenses 1,770 1,500 270 18%
Maintenance/Repairs 100 - 100 100%
Total Expenses 72,170 62,900 9,270 -15%
Operating Profit 120,675 97,600 (23,075) -24%
Other Income
Gain on Sales of Assets 1,000 - 1,000 100%
Interest Income 500 500 100%
Investment Income 500 - 500 100%
Total Other Income 2,000 - 2,000 100%
Profit Before Taxation 122,675 97,600 (23,075) -24%
Less : Taxation (24,535) (18,674) 5,861 -31%
Profit After Taxation 98,140 78,926 (19,214) -24%

41
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

9.2 Cash Flow

9.2.1 Cash Flow Projection
The cash flow projection shows how cash is expected to flow in and out of your business. It
is an important tool used for cash flow management. It allows you to know in advance
when you might need to arrange for financing. It also allows you to plan in advance for
short term investments when there is a cash flow surplus. As part of your business plan, a
cash flow projection will give you a much better idea of how much capital investment your
new business venture might need.

For a bank loans officer, the cash flow projection offers evidence that your business will
generate enough cash in future to repay the business loan.
Period of Information
Projected cash flow statements should look three to five years into the future; preferably,
the statements for the first two years should include quarterly or monthly cash flow
estimates.
Inflows, Outflows and Cash Balances
There are two methods to report cash flows from operating activities: that are the direct and
indirect method. However, the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
encourages businesses to report cash flows from operating activities using the direct
method as it provides information which may be useful in estimating future cash flows.
Under the direct method, the IFRS prescribes the information about major classes of gross
cash receipts and gross cash payments that may be obtained either:
(a) from the accounting records of the company; or
(b) by adjusting sales, cost of sales (interest and similar income and interest expense and
similar charges for a financial institution) and other items in the income statements
for:
(i) changes during the period in inventories and operating receivables and
payables;
(ii) other non-cash items; and
(iii) other items for which the cash effects are investing or financing in nature.

42
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Here is a template for a 3-year cash flow projection using the direct method that you can
use for your business plan (or later on when your business is up and running):
Your business name
3 Year Cash Flow Forecast and Projections for the year ending 31 December
20_6 20_7 20_8
Forecast Projection Projection
$ $ $
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Cash receipt from customers 71,618 211,886 270,692
Cash paid to suppliers and employees (27,866) (67,842) (83,276)
Cash generated from operations 43,752 144,044 187,416
Income taxes paid (25,571) (31,301) (39,881)
Net cash from operating activities 18,181 112,743 147,535

Cash Flows From Investing Activities

Purchase of fixed assets (79,000) (5,000) (22,000)
Net cash used in investing activities (79,000) (5,000) (22,000)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities

Proceeds from issuance of share capital 10,000 - -

Drawdown of long term debt 20,000 - -
Repayment of long term debt - (10,000) (10,000)
Drawdown of mortgage 15,000 - -
Repayment of mortgage - (5,000) (5,000)
Net cash (generated from) / used in financing
activities 45,000 (15,000) (15,000)

Net (decrease) / increase in cash and cash

equivalents (15,819) 92,743 110,535
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of
the period - (15,819) 76,924
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the (15,819) 76,924 187,459
period

Cash and cash equivalents comprise

Cash and cash at bank - 85,424 191,459
Bank overdrafts (15,819) (8,500) (4,000)
(15,819) 76,924 187,459

Take note that the closing cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period are carried
over to the next period. You may tailor this template to suit your own business by
deleting or adding the appropriate revenue and disbursement categories.

43
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

9.3 Balance Sheet

Once you have your cash flow projections completed, it is time to move on to the balance
sheet.

The balance sheet is the last of the financial statements that you need to include in the
financial plan section of the business plan. The balance sheet presents a picture of your
business’s net worth at a particular point in time. It summarizes all the financial data about
your business, breaking that data into 3 categories: assets, liabilities, and equity.

Some definitions first:

• Assets are tangible objects of financial value that are owned by the company.
• A liability is a debt owed to a creditor of the company.
• Equity is the net difference when the total liabilities are subtracted from the total
assets.
• All accounts in your general ledger are categorized as an asset, a liability or equity.
• The relationship between them is expressed in this equation: Assets = Equity +
Liabilities.

44
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Here is a template for a balance sheet that you can use for your business plan (or later on
when your business is up and running):
Your business name
Balance Sheet as at 31 December 20_5
$
ASSETS
Non-current Assets
Fixed Assets 74,200
Goodwill 10,000
84,200
Current Assets
Inventories 58,500
Accounts Receivable 98,507
Prepayments 1,000
Cash and bank balances -
158,007

Total Assets 242,207

EQUITY & LIABILITIES

Capital and Reserves
Share Capital 20,000
Reserves 98,140
118,140
Non-current Liabilities
Borrowings 20,000
Payables 15,000
35,000
Current Liabilities
Accruals 2,000
Bank Overdrafts 25,069
Accounts Payable 61,998
89,067

Total Equity & Liabilities 242,207

Once again, this template is an example of the different categories of assets and liabilities
that may apply to your business. You may need to modify the categories in the above
balance sheet template to suit your own business.

45
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

9.4 Financial Assumptions

It is critical that the assumptions and projections in this section be realistic. Figures that are
poorly reasoned, inconsistent, or unrealistic will damage the credibility of the entire
business plan. On the other hand, well-reasoned financial assumptions and projections
indicate operational maturity and business credibility.

The entire presentation of your business plan up to now is about establishing and proving
the assumptions that drive your financial projections. The value of your business is
calculated based on its perceived future value. Differences in your assumptions versus
those of your investors can drastically alter the outcome of your financial picture and their
perception of your business.

There is a logical process for creating financial assumptions. The steps are as follows:
(i) As you develop each piece of your business plan, remember to develop it in terms of
revenues you expect to generate and expenses you expect to incur. Base your
projections on these and be careful not to overstate or understate revenues and
expenses.
(ii) As you examine each individual revenue stream and expense, write down your
assumptions on how these revenues will be realized and expenses incurred. It is also
important to determine when these revenues and expenses will be realized and
incurred.
(iii) When you are ready to develop your financial plan, gather all your assumptions
together and use them as the basis for drafting your financial statements. Finally,
attach your assumptions together with your financial statements in case readers
require any clarification or justification of your projected figures.
9.5 Financial Budgeting
A financial budget is a translation of your business plan into numbers. It is basically a
detailed plan of future receipts and expenditures or a projected profit and loss statement. It
is usually included a capital expenditure budget or plan. The financial budget will allow
you to plan ahead and answer questions like: Will you require additional staff? Do you
need to expand your facilities or equipment? When will be the best time to start your
promotional campaign? What is the dividend policy? Knowing when revenues are realized
and expenses incurred will help prevent any unexpected surprises that could lead to
financial problems linked to short-term reduced liquidity.

In preparing a budget, you need to determine the level of achievable profits. Set them as
financial goals. You must then project your fixed and variable costs. From these three
factors i.e. targeted profit, fixed costs and variable costs, you will be able to determine the
required level of sales. Many businesses start with a forecast of profits and work backwards
to determine the forecast of sales. Some large corporations choose to determine the
required return on investment and work backwards to plan their revenue goals.
Alternatively, you can start with a sales forecast to maintain the required bottom line in
order for you to achieve your required rate of return.

46
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

It will be useful to compare actual results with budgeted figures. If the actual figures
deviate from planned figures, you should study the reasons for the deviation. If your
expenses are higher than expected, find out why and find ways to reduce them. If your
sales are lower than expected, ask yourself what caused the difference. Use information
constructively and improve your budget the next time around.

In gathering your figures, keep in mind that without accurate information, budgeting
becomes guessing. Plan your financial budget in as much detail as possible. This plan, if
carefully constructed, will be a great asset to you in managing your business. It will help
you make decisions on when you might need extra resources in particular areas of your
business or in which areas you need to trim in order to meet budgeted profits.
9.6 Financial Ratios and Key Performance Indicators: Translating Figures into
Meaningful Information
In addition to an income statement, a balance sheet, and a cash flow statement, financial
ratios and key performance indicators (KPIs) tell you how well or badly your business is
doing. It helps to highlight specific areas of your business that need special attention.
Financial ratios and KPIs also help prepare you for what to expect in the near future. It is a
powerful tool to help readers interpret your business’s financial and operational
performance.

KPIs are commonly used to measure business performance in the key areas such as
productivity, quality, wastage, analysis of market share, gain or loss of key customers,
product and customer profitability, customer satisfaction and etc.

Financial ratio analysis groups the ratios into categories, which tell us about different facets
of a business’s finances and operations. The following is an overview of some of the
categories of primary ratios commonly used:
• Profitability ratios are used to compute the degree of the business’s profitability and
the extent of costs incurred in generating sales. To measure profitability either gross
profit margin or net profit margin are used.
Gross Profit (GP) Margin = Gross Profit / Net Revenue
Gross Profit Margin shows how much is generated after deducting the cost of goods sold
from net sales; GP is an operating efficiency measure of pricing and sales and marketing
tactics.
Based on the financial examples in the preceding sections, for example:
(192,845 / 570,000) * 100 = 33.8%
The above equation shows that for every dollar of revenue earned, 33.8 cents is your gross
profit before indirect expenses are deducted.
Net Profit Margin = Net Profit Before Taxation / Net Revenue
This ratio measures the overall performance of the business’s operations and tells you the
net profit margin earned on every sales dollar.

47
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Based on the financial examples in the preceding sections, for example:

(122,675 / 570,000) * 100 = 21.5%
The above equation shows that for every dollar of revenue earned, 21.5 cents is your profit
after deducting all expenses.
• Operational efficiency ratios are designed to assist in the evaluation of management
performance. To calculate your business efficiency in employing tangible assets to
generate returns, you can use the return on investment ratio shown below:
Return on Assets = Net Profit After Interest and Tax / Total Assets
Based on the financial examples in the preceding sections, for example:
(98,140 / 242,207) * 100 = 40.5%
Rate of return on assets is equal to 40.5%.
• Liquidity ratios measure your business’s ability to meet short-term debts. To
calculate short-term liquidity ratio you can use the current ratio shown below:
Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities
Based on the financial examples in the preceding sections, for example:
(158,007 / 89,067) = 1.77
This shows that the company is able to use its current assets to repay its current liabilities
1.77 times. A ratio of more than 1 says the business can meet its debts as they fall due from
current or expected cash in the business.
• Funding companies with high level of debt are more vulnerable to financial
downturns than companies with lower debt positions. To calculate your business’s
state of solvency or risk, you can use the debt-to-equity ratio shown below:
Debt-to-Equity Ratio = Non-Current Liabilities / Total Equity
Based on the financial examples in the preceding sections, for example:
(35,000 / 118,140) = 0.30
This means that the business is not highly geared and is not at risk. If the above ratio is
more than one, then the business may have insolvency risks. It also shows the extent to
which the business is funded by owner’s funds or borrowed funds which must be repaid
and serviced.

Interpreting and understanding a ratio requires a comparison with another ratio, be it the
similar ratio of a competitor, or the similar ratio of your business over time. Ratios are also
only as accurate as the numbers from which they are calculated.

9.7 Project Financing

Choosing which financing vehicle is best for your business is very important. Two broadly
based types of financing are debt financing and equity financing. Both have their
advantages and disadvantages depending on the financial strength and establishment of

48
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

your business. Usually companies will try to get equity financing at the very early stage of
business as they have little or no real assets to use as collateral, while more established
companies use debt financing to fund their business as they have proven cash flows and
business assets to support the debt.

9.7.1 Debt Financing

Debt financing is normally only available to you if you have something of value that the
lender can instantly and realistically liquidate in the event your loan becomes uncollectible.
Debt financing companies are in the business to make money from lending their money to
you for a period of time. Traditional bankers will always ask for your tax returns over three
to five year periods as an independent and verifiable document to demonstrate how steady
and reliable your flows of profits have been. They also will look at your future projections
and relate them to past performance. They will also look at your accounts to see how
capable you are of servicing debts. Borrowing from the bankers relies on two variables, the
collateral that secures your loan, and your ability to repay the loan based on your historical
financial health. Therefore, it may be appropriate for new start-up companies to turn to
venture capitalists to raise funds for their business. Venture capitalists have a bigger
appetite for risk but they expect higher returns than banks. This makes borrowing from
them more costly than borrowing from traditional banks.

9.7.2 Equity Financing

The equity value of your business today is the value of all your assets less all the liabilities
that comes with it, plus the future value that the business will generate. Once you have
determined the value of your equity, you may then be able to raise finance by selling a
percentage of your equity to interested buyers. A venture capitalist will only be interested
in investing in your company if your business shows great potential for growth. The
venture capitalist will first of all examine your management team and your business idea
and strategies. Once they find credibility in the team and business ideas, they will invest in
your company and play an active role in the strategic decision-making of your company.
As they have bought a stake in your business, they are now your partners, and how active
they become will need to be agreed upon before the deal is done.

49
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Appendix I

Business Plan Checklist

Below is a checklist to help you in the development of your business plan. It is intended as a
self-assessment tool for the adoption of good business management practices that the SMEs
should practice in order to successfully commence and operate their businesses.

Executive Summary YES NO

1 Executive Summary should briefly answer the following questions without going into details
(1-2 pages):
- What company is it?
- What are your products and services?
- What is the current trend in your industry?
- What is the level of competition that your company is currently facing?
- What is your strategic position in the market?
- What is your marketing plan?
- What are your financial statements?
- How do you intend to utilize the proceeds?

The Business YES NO

1 When preparing the Company Overview, do include the followings:
- Who is your target market?
- What are your differentiation strategies?
- Who are your key personnel running the business?
- What are your marketing strategies?
- What are the business risks involved?
- What is your strategic marketing plan?
- What is your company's past history and achievements?
- What are your company's competitive advantages?

2 Vision Statement:
- Was your vision statement communicated across the entire organization?
- How often do you monitor your company's growth to ensure that it is growing towards the
company's set vision?

3 Do highlight the following when preparing your company's Mission Statement:

- Business activities, targeted market, and products and services you provide.
- Your competitive advantage.
- Major accomplishments that your company have achieved over the past years.

4 The following are the elements that make up a Value Statement:

- What are your beliefs?
- What is your mission?
- What are your philosophies?

50
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

The Business (Con’t.) YES NO

5 Business Goals and Objectives:
- Did your management and your lower level staff take part in brainstorming the company's
goals and objectives?
- Have you included a time factor in achieving your goals and objectives?

6 Corporate Strategy includes the following three parts:

- Have you appropriately described your Business Model?
- Have you defined your Competitive Advantage?
- Have you considered Strategic Initiatives?
- Have you set up a Timeline for implementation of the business model?

Industry Analysis Using: YES NO

1 SWOT Analysis
- What are your major
- Strengths?
- Weaknesses?
- Opprotunities?
- Threats/

2 Porter’s Five Forces

- What are the five forces affecting your business?

Market Analysis Checklist YES NO

1 Is the market in which the business is operating expanding, declining or stagnant?
- Has the business conducted a consumer profitability analysis for itself?

2 Identify and describe your targeted market:

- Define your target market.
- Briefly describe the demographics and psychographics of your targeted market.
- Size of your target market.
- Pricing and gross margins in your target market.
- Marketing strategies you plan to use to get to your targeted audience.

3 Market segmentation and positioning strategy:

- Who buys your product or service?
- What do they buy?
- Why do they buy?
- How do consumers feel about your product or service?
- What marketing strategies do you plan to use to change your customer's perception of
your products or services?

4 Competitor analysis:
- What are the various pricing strategies that your competitors have previously adopted?
- Timing of your competitors’ advertising and promotional campaigns.
- Information on the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.
- Financial performance of competing firms.
- Competitors’ product development strategies.

51
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

- Who are your closest competitors?

- What percentage of the market do they currently control?
- What are the business’s major competitive advantages?
- Does the business have a unique product or service?
- Are there any other significant special factors which give the business protection against
new players?
- Has your organization conducted a review of its competitors’ markets and marketing
strategy?

Marketing Strategy Checklist YES NO

1 The 4 Ps of Marketing Strategy:
- Product design and packaging strategy.
- Pricing strategy.
- Promotional strategy.
- Place - distribution strategy.

2 Product design and packaging strategy:

- Describe your products or services in terms of features and benefits to customers.
- Describe the characteristics of your products that meet the need of customers.

3 Pricing strategy:
- Impact of price on profitability.
- Positioning of products in the market place.
- Evaluate competitors’ pricing strategies.
- Competitors’ product life cycle.

4 Promotional plan:
- Describe your intended promotional plan.
- What sort of perception you would like your products or services to be associated with?
- Have you developed specific strategies to retain your most profitable customers?

5 Place - distribution strategy:

- Describe your chosen distributional channel
- Why?

Product and Services Checklist YES NO

1 Product portfolio analysis (Use BCG Growth-Share Matrix):
- Analyze each of your products by their market share and their growth rate.
- Are your products or services in seasonal demand?
- Does the business produce a homogeneous or a specialized product or service?

52
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Organizational Structure and Management Checklist YES NO

1 Describe your organizational structure:
- Is it a small organization structure?
- Is it a functional organization?
- Is it a multidivisional organization?
- Is it a holding company?
- Is it a matrix organization?
- Is it an innovative organization?

2 Descriptions of each department or operating unit:

- Who is responsible for what?
- Who communicates with whom?
- How does this department or operating unit communicate with the rest of the
organization?
- Who has authority and control?
- Who reports to whom?

3 Flow charts of key processes within each department:

- How are each department's key processes linked to each other?

4 Remuneration structure for employees:

- How do you plan to motivate and reward your employees?

5 Employee count for each department or operating unit:

- Does all employees understand their roles in the company?
- Are they constantly reminded of the company's vision and mission?

6 Management roles, profiles and background:

- Who are the people who make up your management team?
- Which part of the company are they appointed to manage?
- What are their educational backgrounds and experiences?
- Where were they previously employed?
- What is the management remuneration structure?
- Does the business have formal weekly/monthly management meetings?

7 Shareholding structure and shareholders information:

- Who are your shareholders and their percentage of ownership?
- What is the extent of their involvement with your company?

53
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Operational Checklist YES NO

1 Operational checklist for the four functional areas:
- Production and operational management
Marketing
- Human resource management
- Are the current employees capable of keeping up with the proposed growth plans for
the business?
- What is the average staff turnover?
- Does the business have any employee loyalty or motivation programs in place in the
organization?
- Financial management
- Do you monitor your monthly accounts on a timely basis?

2 What are the operational procedures of each individual department?

- Does the business have a formal planned process improvement program in place?

3 What are the control systems in place?

- Do you have someone in place to monitor every department's processes so as to ensure
that nothing goes wrong?

4 What are the operational procedures when a crisis occurs?

- Does the business adopt a philosophy of preventive or breakdown maintenance?

5 Who does what in each department?

- Does your company have up to date organization charts distributed across the business?

Financial Checklist YES NO

1 Projected income statement:
- Has the business maintained its profit margins over the past two years?
- Is the business forecasting to maintain its profit margins over the next two years?
- Does the business adopt full costing for all its products or services?
- Does the business know its break-even point?
- Has the business’s growth in sales over the past five years been matched by a growth in
shareholders funds?
- Does the business prepare or receive monthly financial & management accounts?
- Do you receive regular reports on the cost of all products or services and are they
reviewed/addressed as necessary?

2 Projected cash flow statement:

- Does the business have good cash management/control practices?
- What are the business’s current days debtors?
- What are the business’s current days creditors?
- Does the business have a formal credit management policy?
- Has the business experienced strong positive cash flows over the past two years?
Projected balance sheet:
3 - Can the businesses fixed costs be easily adjusted downwards in times of fixed demand?
- Does the business have the current capacity to increase the output of its product or
services without any extra resources?

54
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

4 - Is the business’s present liquidity ratio more or less than it was one or two years ago?
5 List your major financial assumptions used in constructing your financial projections.

Financial ratios:
- How are your profitability ratios as compared with competitors'?
- What are the shareholders’ returns?
- Liquidity ratios.
- Debt-to-equity ratios.

55
 Appendix II:

Sample of a Business Plan

PAIB SDN BHD

CONTENTS
Page
Statement of Purpose ............................................................................................................. 58
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 59
1 The Business .................................................................................................................... 60
1.1 Business Background.............................................................................................. 60
1.2 Vision...................................................................................................................... 60
1.3 Mission Statement................................................................................................... 60
1.4 Corporate Strategy .................................................................................................. 60
2 Organizational Structure .................................................................................................. 64
2.1 Share Capital Structure ........................................................................................... 64
2.2 Office Location ....................................................................................................... 64
2.3 Shareholding Structure............................................................................................ 64
2.4 Management............................................................................................................ 64
2.5 Directors’ Profile .................................................................................................... 65
2.6 Management Team.................................................................................................. 66
2.7 Staff Force............................................................................................................... 67
3 Operational Plan............................................................................................................... 68
3.1 Operational Strategy ............................................................................................... 68
3.2 Production Process.................................................................................................. 68
4 Market Analysis ............................................................................................................... 70
4.1 Polymer Market ...................................................................................................... 70
4.2 Oleochemical Market.............................................................................................. 70
4.3 Competitors Analysis.............................................................................................. 71
5 Products............................................................................................................................ 72
5.1 Application of Polymeric Products......................................................................... 73
6 Marketing Strategy........................................................................................................... 74
6.1 Distribution Network and Marketing...................................................................... 74

56
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

6.2 Product Branding .................................................................................................... 74

7 Financials ......................................................................................................................... 75
7.1 Profit Forecast and Projections ............................................................................... 75
7.2 Cash Flow ............................................................................................................... 78
7.3 Balance Sheet.......................................................................................................... 80
7.4 Bases and Assumptions........................................................................................... 81
7.5 Financial Ratios ...................................................................................................... 81

57
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Disclaimer
The names, places, figures and statistics contained in the sample business plan are intended for
education or information only. Any similarity in the name or information contained in this
sample business plan is purely coincidental and is not intended to refer to any real person,
organizations, place, information, figures, statistics or academic qualifications.

The materials contained in this sample are provided as a service to you. Neither the International
Federation of Accountants (“IFAC”) nor the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (“MIA”)
assumes any responsibility for any errors or omissions in these materials. Neither IFAC nor MIA
shall be responsible or liable for any claims, loss, damages, costs or expenses arising in any way
out of or in connection with any third party relying upon the information contained in the
sample.

Statement of Purpose
The sample business plan shown in this appendix is intended for two purposes. Firstly, PAIB Sdn
Bhd (“PAIB”) is in the process of positioning itself for expansion and business growth in the
manufacturing and trading of polymeric and oleochemical compounds. In embarking on this
journey, the Company is aware of the need to formulate a strategic blueprint for internal purposes
in guiding the organization along its chosen path. Secondly, the information compiled and
presented can also be used for financing purposes targeted at banks and financial institutions in
its effort to source various financing packages for future expansion of the business of PAIB.

58
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Executive Summary
PAIB Sdn Bhd (“PAIB”) was incorporated on 1 October 2002 with a paid-up capital of
$100,000. Its principal activity then was acting as a foreign manufacturers’ representative for
Polyvinyl Chloride (“PVC”) compounds in Malaysia. In January 2006, PAIB ventured into the
manufacturing of various types of PVC compounds.

The Company now principally focuses on the manufacturing and trading of polymeric and
oleochemical compounds.

With the Company’s healthy growth to date, the management estimates that it currently holds
approximately 3% and 2% respectively of the market share in the domestic polymeric and
oleochemical compound industry in Malaysia.

The Company’s products consist of various types of PVC compounds and PVC color master
batches, chemical stearates, one-pack lead systems, foam boosters, concentrated detergent paste,
and detergents and shampoos. These products can be applied to various markets such as the
consumer, cable, plastic, construction and telecommunication sectors.

The business strategy of the Company has always been to focus on providing high quality
compounds at reasonable prices to its customers. It has been able to penetrate the polymeric and
oleochemical compound industry, from a single customer base to 30 customers in the past three
years. The Company’s prospects and growth have been highly promising and it has expanded its
operations to manufacturing with a factory located in Kuala Lumpur.

59
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

1 The Business
1.1 Business Background
The Company’s history dates back to 1 October 2002, when its founders, Dr. Wong Peng
How and two other partners ventured into the business as a foreign manufacturers’
representative for PVC compounds in Malaysia. Prior to that, Dr. Wong Peng How, who
holds a Ph.D in Chemistry, had already been involved in the commercial PVC compound
industry for a number of years. With Dr. Wong’s vast experience in the trading of various
chemical related products and sound technical knowledge, PAIB decided to venture into the
manufacturing of PVC compounds in January 2006.

Today, the principal activities of PAIB include the manufacturing and trading of PVC
products, plastic additives, stearates and one-pack lead system for PVC and other
polymeric compounds, palm kernel diethanolamide and non-toxic and biodegradable semi-
finished neutralizers, toiletries, cleaning liquids, chemicals and industrial products.

1.2 Vision
The Company’s vision is ‘To become the largest, most comprehensive and innovative
polymeric and oleochemical compound producer in Malaysia.’

The Company has formulated its vision to become a leading compound producer in the
market. Its business and development plans are therefore aimed at positioning the
Company to capture the potential growth of these two industries.

1.3 Mission Statement

The Company’s mission statement is ‘To focus on continuous product development in
order to provide a comprehensive and innovative range of high quality polymeric and
oleochemical products to the customer.’

1.4 Corporate Strategy

1.4.1 Competitive Strategy
Organization Structure • The present low overheads enable the Company to maintain its low
and Plant Efficiency pricing strategy, yet deliver high quality products.
• The inherent strengths of creating a low cost high quality product
allow the Company to hold a strategic position over other compound
manufacturers, and achieve its target market share in the polymeric
and oleochemical market.
• The Company’s low overheads are achieved through the employment
of only fully qualified and capable personnel to perform the required
task. This can be seen from the information given.
• In addition, the current factory of the Company is kept simple in order
to minimize cost. Its machines are also placed strategically so as to
achieve efficiency in production.

60
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Technical Know-how • The main promoter, who has more than 15 years of experience in
chemistry and marketing, has the ability to understand molecular
structures. This enables the Company to develop new compounds, or
to enhance existing compound formulas to suit customers’
specifications. Having this technical knowledge and the ability to
introduce new products has enabled the Company to increase its
current market share in the compound industry.
• Having the technical know-how also enables the management to
better understand the market trends of customers, suppliers and
competitors. As such, the Company has the ability to adapt to market
requirements, and customer specifications. The Company has grown
from producing a single PVC type compound, to a range of various
plasticized and rigid PVC compounds, stearates and stabilizers, palm
kernel diethanolamide (“PKDE”) and non-toxic and biodegradable
semi-finished neutralizers.

Customer Focus • The Company has the ability to deliver specific specifications of the
type of compounds required by customers. With this, the Company is
in a better position to be aware of customer needs and manage their
supply chain more efficiently. Such an edge within the Company
enables them to respond swiftly to changing market conditions, as
seen from their rise from a single customer base in 2002 to 30
customers presently. Additionally, the Company also focuses on
ensuring good prior and after sales customer service. Hence, its
employees are required to maintain a certain level of professionalism
when selling its products.

Strategic Alliances • The Company believes in the formation of strategic alliances with its
customers. This allows informal partnerships to be formed. This has
established relationships that provide the Company with a defined
demand for its products. Further, the management believes that such
alliances will also provide branding opportunities in the future.

1.4.2 Business Model

1.4.2.1 Growth Strategy
Quality in product and the production process has been one of the prime drivers behind the
Company’s growth strategies. The technical know-how of its founders has ensured that the
simplicity of the production processes does not compromise product quality. Being technically
sound in chemistry and molecular structures has also enabled the Company to consistently search
for alternative raw materials at lower prices, thus enabling the Company to market its products
cheaper than other manufacturers. However, the Company’s product quality has never been
compromised despite this strategy, as evident by the recurring orders from the Company’s
customer base over the years. In fact, the amount of each recurring purchase order has increased.

With further expansion in the production capacity of its polymeric and oleochemical compound
divisions, the Company aims to capture at least 20% of the domestic compound industry by

61
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2010. Management is confident of achieving the targeted market share, based on the present
market reputation and consistent product quality of the Company.

1.4.2.2 Strategic Initiatives

The Company is also looking into acquisitions of companies with complementary products
and services in related areas. The Company will acquire businesses, products or
technologies that the Company believes will be in the best interests of its shareholders.
Any future acquisitions will, however, be studied carefully to reduce exposure of the
Company to new risks, including those associated with the assimilation of new operations
and personnel, the diversion of financial and management resources from existing
operations, and the possible inability of management to integrate successfully acquired
businesses, personnel, and technologies.

1.4.2.3 Timeline and Milestones

The major business development targets to be achieved over the next five years are as
follows:

YEAR TARGETS
2006 • Acquire factory, plant and machinery to start own manufacturing of polymeric and
oleochemical compounds
• Setting up major strategic marketing initiatives to improve the branding of the Company’s
product range. This will enable the Company to focus on building its presence in the
domestic market and also gain international recognition in the coming years.
• Allocation of $300,000 over the next five years for marketing efforts, to build its name by
way of:
- product advertisements in specialized media and journals, both locally and
internationally;
- circulating brochures in the industry to educate customers on product specifications
and applications;
- participating in seminars, trade fairs and exhibitions, both locally and internationally,
to promote products; and
- setting up a website to provide general information about the company and all the
products to the public.
• Appointment of local distributors or agents to promote products and expand market share.
By appointing distributors and agents, the Company will be able to expand its sales to
other countries, as well as establishing its presence in the market.
• Implementation of Quality Management System

62
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2007 • To expand research and development activities to enable the Company to produce high
quality and innovative products, as well as custom-designed compounds for specific
customer requirements.
• Increase qualified and technically based people for its marketing team. This is to ensure
that the standards and customer support are always considered in its marketing strategies,
to service existing and potential customers.
• Continue to source markets for further growth, and target being appointed as contract
manufacturers for multinational companies.
• To achieve ISO 9001 Certification for Quality Management System.
• Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Assessment System (OSHAS)
• Establishment of Enterprise Risk Management Framework/System

2008 • Create a brand name that associates the Company with the polymeric and oleochemical
market in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
• Acquire a new factory, plant and machinery to expand production capacity to meet the
growing demand as the Company enters the foreign market.
• Aim to be certified to ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System.
• Implementation of Balance Scorecard and Key Performance Indicators.

2009 • Appointment of international distributors or agents to promote, market and expand sales of
products to countries in ASEAN and other parts of the world.
• A more aggressive marketing effort will be introduced to tap into foreign markets.
• The Company will also focus on product quality by meeting all international standards.

2010 • To capture at least 20% of the domestic compound industry by end of 2010.
• Sourcing for Enterprise Resource Planning System to be implemented in 2011.
• Preparing for a new 5-year business plan from 2011 to 2015 to chart the next phase of
business expansion.
• Preparing for a public listing in 3 years.

63
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2 Organizational Structure
2.1 Share Capital Structure
The authorized share capital of the Company is $5,000,000, comprising 5,000,000 ordinary
shares at $1.00 each, whilst its issued and paid-up share capital is $1,000,000, comprising
1,000,000 ordinary shares of $1.00 each.

2.2 Office Location

The Company is presently operates from an office cum factory located on Lot 155, Golden
Industrial Estate, Jalan P/2, 51688 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2.3 Shareholding Structure

Based on the Register of Members of PAIB as at 3 January 2006, the direct interests of the
shareholders in the issued and paid-up share capital of the Company are as follows:

Shareholders No. of
Shares %

Dr. Mustasa Rahimath Samad 200,000 20

Dr. Wong Peng How 200,000 20
Mr. Yang Te Long 200,000 20
Mr. Nik Jaslan Salleh 100,000 10
Mr. John William 100,000 10
Mr. Nathan Selvarajah 100,000 10
Ms. Marina Abdullah 50,000 5
Mr. Henri Robin 50,000 5
Total 1,000,000 100

2.4 Management
The board of directors of PAIB comprises the following members:
Board of Directors Position
Dr. Mustasa Rahimath Samad Chairman
Dr. Wong Peng How Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Yang Te Long Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Nathan Selvarajah Director
Mr. John William Director

64
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2.5 Directors’ Profile

The key profiles of the directors of PAIB are as follows:
Dr. Mustasa Rahimath Samad – Chairman
Dr. Mustasa Rahimath Samad, Malaysian, aged 50, was appointed as the Chairman of
PAIB on 1 October 2002. He graduated in 1980 with a degree in Accounting from the
University of Malaya, Malaysia and subsequently in 1995, he obtained a Doctorate Degree
in Business Administration from the same university. He obtained a Master Degree in Arts
from Universiti Teknologi MARA in 1990. He is a fellow member of the Chartered
Institute of Management Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants of the United Kingdom. He is also a Chartered Accountant with the
Malaysian Institute of Accountants and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Certified
Public Accountants. He has more than 25 years of experience in lecturing, accounting,
auditing, consulting, commerce and industry. He is currently the Managing Director of
MRS Management Consultants Sdn Bhd.
Dr. Wong Peng How – Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Wong Peng How, Malaysian, aged 43, was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of
PAIB on 1 October 2002. He is responsible for the overall management of the Company,
particularly marketing, operational, research and development activity. He graduated in
1985 with a degree in Chemistry from University of Paris, France. He subsequently
obtained a Master Degree in Science from National University of Ireland, Ireland and a
Doctorate Degree in Chemistry from University of London, United Kingdom in 1986 and
1989 respectively. He has more than 15 years of experience in technical, operations,
marketing and sales, and general management. Prior to setting up PAIB, he was attached to
Titun Compound & Chemical Sdn Bhd for 12 years holding executive and managerial
positions in various functions such as quality assurance, production, technical, and sales.
Mr. Yang Te Long – Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Yang Te Long, Malaysian, aged 38, was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of
PAIB on 1 October 2002. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Commerce from Tunku
Abdul Rahman College and is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants, United Kingdom. He is also a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian
Institute of Accountants. He has more than 15 years of relevant PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN
THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY and he is currently responsible for finance, treasury,
banking, corporate affairs, corporate planning, risk management, regulatory, human
resource and administrative matters. He is also a director of a publicly listed company in
Malaysia.
Mr. Nathan Selvarajah – Director
Mr. Nathan Selvarajah, Malaysian, aged 56, was appointed as a Director of PAIB on 3
January 2006. He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering from New York
State University, USA in 1971. He has more than 25 years of working experience in
research and development in chemical and oleochemical compound industry. He was the
Senior Manager – Research and Development of Omega Oleochemical Bhd for 10 years
until his retirement recently.

65
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Mr. John William – Director

Mr John William, Malaysian, aged 53, was appointed as a Director of PAIB on 3 January
2006. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in marketing from the University of Sydney,
Australia. He began his career as the marketing executive of Pentas Engineering Bhd in
1976 covering the state of Selangor. In 1990, he then joined Plasticon Industries Bhd as
Marketing Manager, and subsequently was promoted to Marketing Director in 1995. He
has more than 25 years of experience in the field of marketing and sales.
2.6 Management Team
Senior management of PAIB is led by the board of directors and assisted by the following
team of experienced key managerial personnel.
Mr. Anandha Kumar Ganapathi – Plant Manager
Mr. Anandha Kumar Ganapathi, Malaysian, aged 33, joined PAIB on 16 November 2005 as
its Plant Manager. He graduated from University of Kolkata, India,, with a Bachelor of
Chemical Engineering (Hons) in 1997. He began his career in Jagat Compound
Manufacturing Sdn Bhd in 1998 as a Trainee Engineer and was later promoted to the
position of Production Manager in 2002. He is currently responsible for the overall smooth
operation of the plant, production, maintenance, and research and development activity.
Ms Harveena Kaur - Quality Assurance Executive
Ms Harveena Kaur, Malaysian, aged 26, holds a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) from
University of Malaya, Malaysia. She joined PAIB on 3 January 2006 to oversee the quality
assurance activities and quality management system. Prior to joining PAIB, she was
attached to Alpha Polymeric Compound Sdn Bhd for two years as Quality Control Officer.
Ms. Selena Rachel Davies – Marketing Manager
Ms Selena Rachel Davies, Malaysian, aged 31, joined PAIB on 2 January 2003 as its Sales
Manager and was promoted to Marketing Manager on 3 January 2006. She holds a
Bachelors of Business Degree from the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong and is a
committee member of the Institute of Marketing, Malaysia. She began her career in
Petrolcon Pte Ltd, Hong Kong as a marketing executive in 1997 and was promoted to
senior marketing executive in 2001. Presently, she is responsible for implementing
marketing strategies adopted by the board, managing PAIB’s sales force, and setting sales
and collection targets.
Ms Jane Chang – Accountant
Ms Jane Chang, Malaysian, aged 28, joined PAIB on 2 January 2005 as its Accounts
Executive and was subsequently promoted to Accountant on 3 January 2006. She holds a
Bachelor of Commerce Degree, majoring in Accounting from Curtin University of
Technology, Western Australia. She is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants
and CPA Australia. She is currently responsible for PAIB’s cash flow, credit control,
financial and management accounting, budgeting, taxation, management and financial
reporting, and IT matters. Prior to joining PAIB, she has worked in both external auditing
and manufacturing industry for three years.

66
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Ms Jamilah Bibie Roslan – Human Resource and Administration Executive

Ms Jamilah Bibie Roslan, Malaysian, aged 27, joined PAIB on 3 January 2006 as its
Human Resource and Administration Executive. She graduated from Universiti Utara
Malaysia, Malaysia with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. She started her
career in Fortune Corporation Sdn Bhd in 2002 as an Assistant Administration Officer, and
was later promoted to Human Resource and Administration Officer in 2004. She is
presently responsible for PAIB’s human resource planning, recruitment, training,
purchasing, and general administrative matters.
2.7 Staff Force
The current staff force of PAIB as at 3 January 2006 is as follows:

Finance & Marketing Factory/ Executive Total Staff

Administration & Sales Production Directors,
Managers &
Skilled Others Executives

3 3 8 15 7 36

67
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

3 Operational Plan
3.1 Operational Strategy
The Company’s key operational strategy has been to operate at near automation, thus
simplifying its production processes. The nature of the Company’s production is generally
simple, but requires proper planning. PAIB’s production line has been designed to operate
with full automation, and only minimal supervision is required.

The other key strategy in the operations of the Company is to achieve economies of scale in
its production process. The management’s strong production knowledge has enabled the
Company to streamline production processes to maximize the efficiency of its plant and
equipment.
Human Resource
In realising its corporate vision, the Company will recruit the best talent from the field of
Chemistry and re-engineer its products and move towards automation in the value chain
with less dependency on conventional labour-intensive methods.
Automation Set Up
The set-up of its new factory in Kuala Lumpur with the purchase of the new machines for
the production of PVC compound is run semi-automated. It is expected that with the new
semi-automated factory, only two supervisors are required to monitor all the production
lines. The Company also intends to set up individual production lines for each category of
products. This will eliminate the need to halt and clean the entire production line when
producing different types of PVC compounds. This will also improve operational
efficiency by reducing start-up and/or warm-up time for each of its production lines.

For its stearates products, the management intends to set up additional mixers, and
proposes to upgrade and automate the whole process. For oleochemicals products, the
management intends to commence operations towards the semi-automation of the new
factory.
3.2 Production Process
3.2.1 Polymeric Products
Manufacturing of PVC compound
The process for manufacturing PVC compounds consists of several major steps:
In the initial stage, major components consisting of PVC resin, filler and plasticizer are
pumped into a hot mixer. As the ingredients are mixed, minor components such as
stearates, lubricants and pigments are gradually pumped into the existing mixture through a
funnel into a hot mixer. The ingredients are then mixed until they achieve a homogeneous
mixture which will then be discharged into a cold mixer. When the mixing process has
been completed, the mixture is discharged into the Feed Hopper of the extruder to achieve
its pellet form. The pellets are then blown into the pellet cooler for cooling and
subsequently flowed to the storage silo to await packing.

68
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

Manufacturing of stearates
Initially, the raw materials together with the catalyst are mixed in a super mixer. The
mixing of the chemicals at high speed will initiate a chemical reaction. The heated mixture
will then be cooled down for a few minutes before it is transferred into a pulverizer and
milled until the required fineness is attained. The mixture, which by now will be in powder
form, will then be transported for packaging.
Manufacturing of one-pack lead systems
Raw materials such as calcium stearates, together with other chemicals and antioxidants,
are mixed in a super mixer until they are homogeneous. Similar to the manufacturing of
stearates, the mixing of the chemicals at high speed will initiate a chemical reaction.

3.2.2 Oleochemical Products

Manufacturing of Palm Kernel Diethanolamide (commonly known as foam booster)
The manufacturing of Palm Kernel Diethanolamide basically requires raw materials such
as amine, catalyst and palm oil. An initial mixture of amine and catalyst is heated by
heating elements in a stainless steel mixing tank. Subsequently, oil is poured into the
mixture and heated. The mixture will turn clear upon the completion of the reaction. The
cooled mixture will then be transferred into a cooling tank and kept overnight. The
finished goods are pumped into 200kg drums before they are distributed to customers.
Manufacturing of Concentrated Detergent Paste
A mixture of linear alkyl benzene, water, amine and emulsifier is stirred in a stainless steel
tank. The process is completed when all the components are thoroughly mixed and a level
of viscosity is attained. The thoroughly mixed blend is checked for viscosity and PH level
before it is sent for packing. The finished goods are pumped into 180kg drums and
delivered to customers.

69
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

4 Market Analysis
Based on the total industry sales of PVC compound in 2005 from the Department of
Statistics, PAIB’s estimated market share in the PVC compound segment stood at 3% of the
total industry sales.

The polymer industry is poised to grow 7.5% in 2006 on the back of the expected growth in
the electronics and electrical sectors, transport equipment, plastic products, and paint and
coatings industries. For the oleochemical industry, the world demand is expected to
increase for products derived from oleochemical base, as it exhibits many distinct
advantages over other chemically based products, such as petrochemicals. In addition,
oleochemical products are more biodegradable; therefore do not pose a threat to the
environment.
4.1 Polymer Market
The polymer industry in Malaysia has increased by 10.4% annually over the period of 1995
to 2005. This is reflected in the rise of total resin exports by 18.3% in 2005, which
represents $1 billion in value. Polymer consumption in Malaysia has been fuelled by
imports due to non-available grades and types in Malaysia. Local manufacturers managed
a 5% export and import growth, which amounted to $2 billion last year as compared to
2004.

The sales in the polymer industry are projected to grow by 7.5% in 2006 on the back of
continuous demand from the key end-user industries such as electronics and electrical,
transport equipment, plastic products and paints and coatings industries. Exports of
polymer products grew by 18.3% in 2005, supported by the strongest growth from
polymers of ethylene and styrene.

The growing trend of using polymer-based products in the substitution of products based
on glass, metal and paper provides opportunities for compound manufacturers.
4.2 Oleochemical Market
With respect to the oleochemical industry, opportunities are also vast. Currently, Malaysia
accounts for nearly 70% of the total oleochemical production capacity in the ASEAN
region. As its end products are seen as necessary items, and with the imminent move from
petrochemical-based products to natural oil-based products, growth appears certain for the
oleochemical industry.

Oleochemicals are applicable to various industries and products, namely leather, metal
work and foundry, mining, rubber, electronics, lubricants and hydraulic fluids, paints and
coatings, printing and paper re-cycling, plastics, biofuels, waxes, soaps and detergents,
health and personal care, food and animal feeds.

The current production capacity of oleochemicals in Malaysia is approximately 7.95

million tonnes, while the total production capacity in ASEAN is about 11.37 million
tonnes. In light of this, Malaysia accounts for nearly 70% of the total oleochemical
production capacities in the ASEAN region.

70
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

In connection with the above, the world production of basic oleochemicals has also
increased from about 20.05 million tonnes in 2000 to 32.50 million tonnes in 2005, of
which 35% came from the ASEAN region. It is anticipated that by 2010, the ASEAN
region will contribute more than 50% of the world’s estimated production of 52.50 million
tonnes.
4.3 Competitors Analysis
Listed below are some of the main PVC compound manufacturers in Malaysia

Name of company Type of compounds

Regal Plastics Malaysia Sdn Bhd PVC compounds

INKO Dayabumi Sdn Bhd PVC compounds

JD Compounds (M) Sdn Bhd PVC compounds

Barangan Kimia Sdn Bhd PVC compounds

Emprico Sdn Bhd PVC and TPE compounds

From the above list of compound manufacturers, PAIB has identified Regal Plastics
Malaysia Sdn Bhd, INKO Dayabumi Sdn Bhd and JD Compounds (M) Sdn Bhd as its
closest business competitors in the PVC compound business.

71
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

5 Products
The Company’s focus is on producing various PVC compounds, stearates, one-pack lead
system, foam boosters and concentrated detergent paste. Generally, PAIB’s products can be
generally classified under two industries, namely the polymeric industry and the
oleochemical industry.
• Polymeric Products
PVC products constitute part of the polymeric industry and play a complementary
role in arriving at polymer-based products. The Company compounds polymer raw
materials for manufacturers operating in this industry. Generally, compounding
enables thermoplastic resins to effectively meet the heat and strength requirements for
polymer or plastic products. The raw materials used for the production of compounds
are derivatives of crude oil and natural gas. These building blocks of plastics are
short-chain molecules called monomers. Monomers that are combined to create
longer, more complex chains are known as polymers.
PAIB’s focus is on producing PVC compounds. Basically the type of PVC
compounds ranges from plasticized PVC compound to PVC color master batch. In
addition, the Company also produces stearates and one-pack lead system. Stearates
and one-pack lead systems are also used in the manufacturing of PVC and other
polymeric materials. Apart from manufacturing for its internal use, PAIB also sells to
external parties.
• Oleochemical Products
Oleochemicals refer to chemicals derived from natural oils and fats of both plants and
animals. They refer to fatty acids and glycerol derived from the splitting of
triglyceride structures of oils and fats. This also include derivatives from the
subsequent modification of the carboxylic acid group of the fatty acids by chemical or
biological means and other compounds obtained from the further reactions of such
derivatives. Similar chemicals may be synthesized from petrochemicals but are
classified as synthetic chemicals and not oleochemicals.
The main products under this category are:
o Foam Boosters or palm kernel diethanolamide;
o Concentrated detergent paste or non-toxic and biodegradable semi-finished
neutralizer (“CDP”); and
o Cleaning liquid and shampoo

72
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

5.1 Application of Polymeric Products

The application for the products that PAIB plans to develop in the future are as follows:

New products to be launched Applications

PVC Rigid Compound Transparent PVC bottle compounds.
Transparent PVC compounds for I.C. tube for electronics
industry.
Rigid PVC compounds for pipe fittings, PVC doors and
profiles
Low Smoke & Flame Retardant Low-smoke, flame-retardant PVC compound for cable
industry.
Cross Linked Polyethylene For hot water piping systems, electrical insulation for
(“XLPE”) cables.
Polyethylene (“PE”) Color Masterbatch PE Color Masterbatch is widely used for extrusion and
injection processors.
Thermoplastic Polylefin Modified Compounds used in the manufacturing of automotive
compound body parts, shoe sole, toy, eraser and other plastic
modification application.
Sodium Stearate Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, latex and rubber
compound, polystyrene, chemical
One-Pack Lead Free System One-pack stabilizers that contain calcium stearates to
provide stabilizing lubricating properties for cable
compounds. This product gives a good finish and
increases productivity.
Bacteria killer chemical Mainly used as an anti-fungus in cleaning products.

73
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

6 Marketing Strategy
The Company has been marketing its products via direct supply to end-users, i.e.
manufacturers of polymer and oleochemical products. This strategy has allowed the
management to be directly involved at problem-solving and identifying the requirements of
its customers. The marketing team at present is headed by Ms Selena Rachel Davies, its
Marketing Manager.

Through this strategy, the management is able to obtain feedback on its products, and
continually improve on its compounds. As a result, the Company is able to continuously
enhance its after-sales customer services and also provide for changes in the methodologies
for the production of its compounds.

With key personnel possessing strong product development skills and the ability to provide
continuous development for polymer manufacturers to pursue new products, business
continuity is ensured and relationships with clients are further enhanced.

Due to the size of the Company and its proximity with its customers, the turnaround time to
come up with a compound that suits its customers is very fast. In the polymer market, key
buyers and end-users are often given formulation and technical assistance in order to build
closer relationships. The Company’s ability to meet the specifications and requirements of
end-users opens the option for it to specialize in a niche market.
6.1 Distribution Network and Marketing
All of the Company’s production will be carried out in Malaysia, but sales offices will be
opened up in selected countries to handle marketing and distribution. With the introduction
of ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), the reduction of tariff and protection taxes will enable
the Company to export its products to the ASEAN regional market with the least of
difficulties.

Joint collaboration with reputable multinationals will enable the Company to gain
recognition in the market, not only regionally, but also within the ASEAN and the world
market.

The Company also plans to appoint distributors in selected ASEAN countries to promote
and expand the Company’s polymeric and oleochemical products. At present, the
Company is already supplying to Singapore and the Middle East through its distributors.

6.2 Product Branding

The Company currently markets both its polymeric and oleochemical products by their
generic name. However, it is the intention of the Company to create a brand name for its
products. This is anticipated to materialize once the Company is able to increase the
market coverage for its products, estimated to be by year 2007.

74
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

7 Financials
7.1 Profit Forecast and Projections
The projected income statements for the Company for the five financial years ending 31
December are as follows:
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Revenue $ $ $ $ $

Sales 3,612,000 4,695,600 6,573,840 10,518,144 18,932,659

Sales Returns and Allowance (12,000) (13,800) (15,870) (18,250) (20,988)

Net Revenue 3,600,000 4,681,800 6,557,970 10,499,894 18,911,671

Less: Cost of Goods Sold

Opening Inventory - Finished Goods - 342,100 422,558 579,159 902,816

Cost of Materials Consumed:

Opening Inventory - Raw Materials - 298,187 372,331 530,101 834,235

Purchases 2,400,000 2,700,000 3,900,000 6,200,000 11,900,000

Freight 12,000 13,559 15,595 17,934 20,623

2,412,000 3,011,746 4,287,926 6,748,035 12,754,858

Closing Inventory - Raw Materials (298,187) (372,331) (530,101) (834,235) (1,576,837)

Cost of Materials Consumed 2,113,813 2,639,415 3,757,825 5,913,800 11,178,021

Direct Labor 270,000 324,000 388,800 505,440 657,072

Power utilities & other direct cost 120,000 144,000 172,800 224,640 292,032

Prime Cost 2,503,813 3,107,415 4,319,425 6,643,880 12,127,125

Factory overhead cost 180,000 216,000 259,200 336,960 438,048

Depreciation 91,000 104,000 119,000 342,000 345,000

Cost of Goods Manufactured For Sale 2,774,813 3,427,415 4,697,625 7,322,840 12,910,173

Closing Inventory - Finished Goods (342,100) (422,557) (579,159) (902,816) (1,591,665)

Cost of Goods Sold 2,432,713 3,346,958 4,541,024 6,999,183 12,221,324

Gross Profit 1,167,287 1,334,842 2,016,946 3,500,711 6,690,347

Gross Profit Margin 32% 29% 31% 33% 35%
Expenses
Selling & Distribution
Advertising 60,000 61,200 62,424 63,672 64,945
Commissions 12,530 16,295 22,825 36,545 65,823
Shipping and Transportation 36,000 43,200 51,840 67,392 87,610
Salaries and Benefits 150,000 157,500 165,375 214,988 279,484

Total Selling & Distribution Expenses 258,530 278,195 302,464 382,597 497,862

75
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
$ $ $ $ $
Administrative & General

Depreciation 32,000 33,000 37,400 60,400 64,800

Salaries and Benefits 210,000 220,500 231,525 300,983 391,277

Bad Debts - 70,227 98,370 157,498 283,675

Telephone, telecommunication and fax
charges 36,000 36,000 37,800 39,690 41,675

Vehicle Expenses 8,800 8,976 9,156 9,339 9,525

Insurance 13,000 13,650 14,333 28,665 30,098

Charitable Contributions - 2,000 3,000 3,000 3,000

Office Utilities 14,000 14,280 14,566 14,857 15,154

Office Maintenance and Repairs 4,500 4,725 4,961 5,209 5,470

General Expenses 5,500 5,610 5,722 5,837 5,953

Courier Expenses 2,800 2,856 2,912 2,971 3,031

Total Administrative & General Expenses 326,600 411,824 459,745 628,449 853,658

Research & Development Costs

Salaries and Benefits 90,000 94,500 99,225 104,186 109,396

Total Research & Development Costs 90,000 94,500 99,225 104,186 109,396
Finance Costs

Interest Expenses 51,000 45,500 40,000 150,400 120,800

Bank Charges 3,000 3,600 4,320 5,184 6,220

Total Finance Costs 54,000 49,100 44,320 155,584 127,020

Total Expenses 729,130 833,619 905,754 1,270,816 1,587,936

Other Income - 2,000 3,000 3,000 5,000

Profit Before Taxation 438,157 503,223 1,114,192 2,232,895 5,107,411

Less : Taxation (92,431) (105,541) (227,832) (519,424) (1,334,681)

Profit After Taxation
345,726 397,682 886,360 1,713,471 3,772,730
Retained Profit b/f 49,800 395,526 793,208 1,679,568 3,393,039

Retained Profit c/f 395,526 793,208 1,679,568 3,393,039 7,165,769

76
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

The Company expects its sales to grow at an annual rate of 30% in 2007, and gradually up
to 80% in 2010, as a result of its increased marketing efforts and distribution plans.

Product margins are expected to average between 30% to 35%. The average gross profit
margin is expected to improve over the years from 32% IN 2006 TO 35% in 2010 as a result
of improved cost efficiencies arising from economies of scale. Consistent with the
Company’s strategy to provide continuous training to its staff, direct labour costs as a
percentage of costs of goods sold are expected to improve from 11% in 2006 to 5% in
2010. On the same token, factory overheads as a percentage of cost of goods sold are
expected to reduce from 7% in 2006 to 4% in 2010.

Selling and distribution costs are forecasted at 7% of sales in 2006, but will only be 3% of
sales in 2010, given the heavier marketing efforts required in the earlier years of operations.
Administration and general costs are forecasted at 9% of sales in 2006 and will drop to 5%
of sales in 2010. Research and development costs, comprising essentially salaries for
technical staff, will form approximately 13% of total salaries & wages in 2006, but 8% of
total salaries and wages in 2010. Finance costs are expected to range between 9% and 15%
against borrowings, whilst the effective rate of taxation is expected to range between 20%
to 26% over the projected periods.

77
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

7.2 Cash Flow

The projected cash flows for the Company for the five (5) financial years ending 31
December are as follows:

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
$ $ $ $ $
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Profit before taxation 438,157 503,223 1,114,192 2,232,895 5,107,411
Adjustment for:
Provision for bad debts - 70,227 98,370 157,498 283,675
Depreciation 123,000 137,000 156,400 402,400 409,800
Operating profit before working capital
changes 561,157 710,450 1,368,962 2,792,793 5,800,886

Increase in inventories (640,287) (154,602) (314,370) (627,791) (1,431,451)

Increase in receivables (446,315) (203,822) (329,933) (643,782) (1,321,081)

Increase in liabilities 401,898 150,287 196,284 404,081 858,433

Cash (used in)/ generated from operations (123,547) 502,313 920,943 1,925,301 3,906,787

Taxes paid (92,431) (105,541) (227,832) (519,424) (1,334,681)

Net cash (used in) / generated from (215,978) 396,772 693,111 1,405,877 2,572,106
operating activities

Cash Flows From Investing Activities

Purchase of fixed assets (1,710,000) (135,000) (172,000) (3,145,000) (52,000)

Net cash used in investing activities (1,710,000) (135,000) (172,000) (3,145,000) (52,000)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities

Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares 900,000 - - - -
Drawdown of long-term debt 350,000 - - 750,000 -

Repayment of long-term debt - (25,000) (25,000) (110,000) (110,000)

Drawdown of mortgages 600,000 - - 1,900,000 -

Repayment of mortgages - (80,000) (80,000) (460,000) (460,000)

Net cash generated from / (used in) 1,850,000 (105,000) (105,000) 2,080,000 (570,000)
financing activities

Net increase in cash & cash equivalents (75,978) 156,772 416,111 340,877 1,950,106
Cash & cash equivalents at beginning of
period 149,800 73,822 230,594 646,705 987,582
Cash & cash equivalents at end of period 73,822 230,594 646,705 987,582 2,937,688
Cash & cash equivalents comprise
Cash & bank balance 73,822 251,094 664,705 1,003,582 2,950,188

Bank overdrafts - (20,500) (18,000) (16,000) (12,500)

73,822 230,594 646,705 987,582 2,937,688

78
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

There will be heavier costs at the start of the projected period, resulting in a net utilization
of cash for the business in 2006. However, the Company expects to generate positive cash
flow in the subsequent years of about $157,000 in 2007 and up to $1.95 million in 2010.

The Company also expects to borrow and invest over $3million in another factory and
plant to increase its production capacity in 2009.

79
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

7.3 Balance Sheet

The balance sheet for the Company for the five financial years as at 31 December are as
follows:

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Assets $ $ $ $ $
Non-current Assets
Property, Plant &
Equipment 1,587,000 1,585,000 1,600,600 4,343,200 3,985,400

Current Assets

Inventories 640,287 794,889 1,109,261 1,737,052 3,168,504

Accounts Receivable 445,315 578,910 810,472 1,296,756 2,334,162

Deposits &
prepayments 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Cash & bank balances 73,822 251,094 664,705 1,003,582 2,950,188

1,160,424 1,625,893 2,585,438 4,038,390 8,453,854

Total Assets 2,747,424 3,210,893 4,186,038 8,381,590 12,439,254

Equity & Liabilities
Capital & Reserves

Share Capital 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000

Reserves 395,526 793,208 1,679,568 3,393,039 7,165,769

1,395,526 1,793,208 2,679,568 4,393,039 8,165,769

Non-current
Liabilities
Term Loan 350,000 300,000 275,000 830,000 720,000

Mortgages 600,000 440,000 360,000 1,420,000 960,000

950,000 740,000 635,000 2,250,000 1,680,000
Current Liabilities

Accounts payable 399,898 550,185 746,470 1,150,551 2,008,985

Other liabilities 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

Borrowings - 105,000 105,000 570,000 570,000

Bank overdrafts - 20,500 18,000 16,000 12,500

401,898 677,685 871,470 1,738,551 2,593,485

Total Equity &
Liabilities 2,747,424 3,210,893 4,186,038 8,381,590 12,439,254

80
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

7.4 Bases and Assumptions

The projected profit and loss and cash flows for the Company are premised on the
following bases and assumptions:
1. Revenue growth at:

2007 2008 2009 2010

30% 40% 60% 80%

2. Annual depreciation rates are at:

Land and building 2%
Plant & machinery 10%
Motor vehicles 20%
Office, furniture & fittings 20%
3. Inventory turnover at 45 days, trade debtor turnover at 45 days, and trade payable
turnover at 60 days.
7.5 Financial Ratios
7.5.1 Profitability Ratios
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Gross Profit
Margin 32.4% 28.5% 30.7% 33.3% 35.3%

(computed as Gross Profit / Net Revenue)

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Net Profit
Margin 12.1% 10.7% 17.0% 21.3% 27.0%
(computed as Net Profit Before Taxation / Net Revenue)
Profit margins are expected to improve over the period with increased sales growth,
reduced direct overheads and other operational expenses as a result of improving
economies of scale. There will be however a slight dip in the margins in 2007 as a result of
rationalization in the production process.
7.5.2 Rate of Return Ratio
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Return on
Asset 12.6% 12.4% 21.2% 20.4% 30.3%
(computed as Net Profit After Interest and Taxation / Total Assets)
The improving profit trend over the period is expected to translate to improved return on
assets for shareholders from 12.6% in 2006 and gradually up to 30.3% in 2010.

81
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

7.5.3 Liquidity Ratio

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Current Ratio 2.9 2.4 3.0 2.3 3.3
(computed as Current Assets / Current Liabilities)
The Company is expected to maintain its financial position at a liquidity ratio of between 2
to 3 times during the projected periods.

7.5.4 Solvency Ratio

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Forecast Projection Projection Projection Projection
Debt-to-
Equity Ratio 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.2
(computed as Non-current Liabilities / Total Equity)
The Company’s solvency will be maintained at a debt-to-equity ratio of no more than 1
over the projected periods. This ratio is expected to rise in 2009 as a result of envisaged
gearing requirements for the investment of the additional factory and plant, but will reduce
in subsequent years.

82
 BUSINESS PLANNING GUIDE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SMES

References
Roger Bennett (1996). Corporate Strategy and Business Planning. London, M&E Pitman
Publishing.
Richard Lynch (1997). Corporate Strategy. 2nd Edition. Pitman Publishing.
Michael Miller (2001). Alpha Teach Yourself Business Plans in 24 Hours. Indianapolis, Alpha
Books.
David H. Bangs, Jr (2001). The Business Planning Guide 8th Edition. Advantage Quest
Publications.
Paul Tiffany and Steven D. Peterson (2005). Business Plans for Dummies 2nd Edition. Wiley
Publishing, Inc.
Philip Kotler (2003). Marketing Management 11th Edition. Prentice Hall
International Accounting Standards Board (2005). International Financial Reporting Standards.
London, International Accounting Standards Board

The Internet:
http://www133.americanexpress.com/osbn/tool/biz_plan/mgt/descr/index.asp
http:www133.americanexpress.com/osbn/tool/biz_plan/mgt/board/index.asp
http://www.bizplanit.com/vplan/execsum/basics.html
http://www.bizplanit.com/vplan/mission/basics.html
http:www.businessplans.org/market.html
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-developing.asp
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-structuring.asp
http://www.ford.com/en/company/about/overview.htm
http://www.onlinewbc.gov/docs/finance/fs_ratio1.html
http://www.planware.org/bizplan.htm
http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtml
http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/marketing/basics.html
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/wileychi/tidd3e/supp/6Teaching_Guide/Session_3_Developing_an_
Innovation_Strategy/KeybulletpointsSession3.doc

83
International Federation of Accountants
545 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel +1 (212) 286-9344 Fax +1 (212) 286-9570 www.ifac.org