From the
Business Studies FAQ:
I have an assignment which involves completing a business plan on a business. How do I go about writing a business plan in the preliminary course?
Choosing a Business:
Some people do their business plan on a hypothetical business whilst others do it on an actual existing business. If you need to choose a business I recommend you choose one which has an owner/manager that is willing to assist you with information. If you know someone who owns a small business (friend, relative, employer) you can ask them. You also might like to choose one which you find the product is interesting - might make the assignment a little more fun if you are writing about a product/service you are interested in as opposed to one you find boring.
Interviewing/Surveying the Business for Info:
In order to gain information to do your report you will need interview or survey the owner/manager of the business. To do this you will need to develop a series of questions. The below outline of what you have to include (structure) gives you a guideline of what you have to ask the business about. So for example for Marketing when it says you should discuss target market, you would ask the business "what is your target market?" and even "Why did you choose this target market?". You would ask them about the advertising they use, the effectiveness of it etc. There is no right or wrong answer, just ask as many questions as possible that relate to the content you have to provide in your business report. Remember the more questions you ask, the more informed you are on the business, allowing you to write a more thorough report.
Structuring the Business Plan:
I recommend you to have a look at the syllabus as this shows in great detail what you need to include. If you don't have a copy of the syllabus, you can get one from the Board of Studies website. Also grab your textbook and read these chapters.
In regards to how to set it out, this is straight from the syllabus:
elements of a Business Plan
• executive summary
– business description and ownership
– purpose of plan, situational analysis
– business objectives and strategies
• operations
– description of product/service
– personnel requirements and skills
• marketing
– market analysis
– sales forecasting
– marketing strategies
• finance
– financial requirements, forecasts, records, controls.
Which textbook do you have? Jacaranda has a copy of a business plan in it, which would be a good example to look at. The resources page:
http://www.boredofstudies.org/view.php?course=20 also has some business plans that some nice students have donated for others to look at. Remember these are just for reference though.
Also your assignment sheet (when you get it) should include marking guidelines and exactly what the teacher wants. if it is not clear, then confirm with your teacher what they are looking for, as remember they are the ones who mark it.
