Consider your own business or business idea and outline a business plan for it.
Identify which areas of the business plan will need more research,
brainstorming, and calculations and what steps are needed to address theseareas.
Table 4.2 Outline of an International Business Plan I. Title Page, Table of Contents, and Executive Summary Three-page description of the project. II. Introduction The type of business proposed and an in-depth description of the major products service involved. A description of the country proposed for market entry, the rationale for selecting the country, identification of existing trade barriers, and identification of sources of information. III. Analysis of the International Business Opportunity A. Economic, Political, and Legal Analysis of the Trading Country 1. The trading country's economic system; economic information important to the proposed product/service; and the level of foreign investment in that country. 2. The trading country's governmental structure and stability, and how the government regulates trade and private business. 3. Laws and/or governmental agencies that affect the product/service such as labor laws and trade laws. B. Trade Area and Cultural Analysis 1. Geographic and demographic information; important customs and traditions; other pertinent cultural information; and competitive advantages and disadvantages of the proposed business opportunity. IV. Operation of the Proposed Business A. Organization Type of ownership and rationale; start-up steps to form the business; personnel (or functional) needs: proposed staffing to handle managerial, financial, marketing, legal, production functions; proposed organizational chart; and brief job descriptions. B. Product/Service 1. Product/service details include potential suppliers, manufacturing plans, and inventory policies. 2. Transportation information: costs, benefits, risks of the transportation method, documents needed to transport the product, C. Market Entry Strategy D. Marketing Strategy Plan 1. Pricing policies: what currency will be used, costs, markups, markdowns, relation to competition, factors that could affect the price of the product such as competition, political conditions, taxes, tariffs, and transportation costs. 2. Promotional program; promotional activities, media availability, costs, and 1-year promotional plan outline. V. Financials A. Projected Income and Expenses 1. Pro forma income statements for first 3 years operation. 2. Pro forma cash flow statements for first 3 years of operation. 3. Pro forma balance sheet for the end of the first year. 4. A brief narrative description of the planned growth of the business, including financial resources, needs, and a 3-year pro forma income statement. B. Sources and Uses of Funds Statement 1. Country statistics 2. Partner information 3. Relevant laws VI. Appendix (Exhibits)
