Читать книгу Start & Run an Event-Planning Business - Mardi Foster-Walker - Страница 55

If you begin with a good business plan, you are off to a good start in your business’s financial management. Sound planning encourages you to think practically about the factors critical to your business, such as costs, space requirements, equipment purchases, and so on. The following list outlines some key benefits provided by a detailed business plan:

(a) Allows you to see your business on paper before you invest any money

(b) Indicates at what point your venture will break even and begin to show a profit

(c) Helps a lender or investor see the merits and potential profitability of your business

(d) Prepares you for the possible risks of starting a business and guides you in your personal financial planning

(e) Tells you how long your start-up capital will last and at what point you will need to rely on the revenues to operate the business

In addition, to prepare a financial forecast — an important part of a business plan — you must know and be able to predict the following:

(a) What is the amount of cash on hand you have to invest in your new business?

(b) What amount of loans or borrowed money from outside sources is available?

(c) What is your business capacity? How many events can you realistically expect to produce per year?

(d) What will you charge for your services?

(e) Based on your sales and marketing efforts, how many special events and what types of events can you produce?

(f) What are the costs involved in producing events?

(g) What are the fixed expenses of running your business?