Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

This Info Menu is Sponsored by:

Writing a business plan is a major task. Professional business plan writers charge anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 for a complete business plan. Find A Groomer, Inc. fees are on the lower end of that range because they specialize in pet grooming business plans. If you write a business plan first, and then let professionals review and edit it, the fees may be lower depending upon the quality of your work. Financials require an experience in accounting and bookkeeping. Nearly everyone personally writing their business plan contracts the Financials portion out to their bookkeeper or CPA, or business plan writer.

It's worth the investment, and of course if you are seeking a business loan, you will almost certainly need a business plan. You can be certain your banker will review key portions of the business plan that must exist. Let's take a closer look at the contents of a business plan.

Business Plan Table of Contents

The traditional sections of a business plan are:

Summary. This is the most read section of any business plan. In just 1 or 2 pages the reader should get a well-stated summary of the overall business plan content. All of the who, what, where, when are why are briefly covered. You should also make a statement of the amount of capital you seek.

Objectives. List your short-term and long-term objectives that the balance of the business plan explains how you will achieve them.

Present Situation. How far along are you as of the time you finalize the business plan? Have you formed your company? Are you enrolled in a pet grooming school? Are you already a pet grooming business owner and planning a major expansion?

Management. This is an important section. Your resume should be included as well as those of your partners in the business or hired management. Create flow charts for the management and staff organization of your business when it opens (or as it is now) and through stages of growth. If you are working alone in the beginning, show that and how you will add staff. State your plans to manage the business with the assistance of professional working relationships such as your bookkeeper, CPA, attorney and management consultant. We highly-recommend your including job descriptions. The only job descriptions we know of in the industry that you can use and adapt are in From Problems to Profits.

Product and Service Description. Describe your complete pet care and pet owner services in detail. If you are selling retail also, note that and why you have chosen the type of products you intend to sell. We strongly suggest you create a model of your business' brochure for pet owners, and include it now. There is an excellent example of one in From Problems to Profits. What are the characteristics of your services for both the pet owner and pets. For example, all natural pet products used on all pets, convenient days and hours of operation, all-breed grooming, appointment scheduling programs, courtesy appointment reminder calls, humane standards of pet care, certified pet groomers, Sunday appointments, special care appointments and many more possibilities. Do you do cats?

Marketing. Rarely does a banker overlook this vital section. How many households have pet dog and cats in your area? How many are dogs? Cats? Is there enough your business plan objectives? What are the characteristics of your area's pet owners seeking assistance with their responsible pet care? Besides the town or city where your business is located, what others will you draw upon, and how? Who are your competitors? What are the advantages of your services compared to theirs? Instead of only going after the existing market of pet owners using pet grooming services, how will you attract pet owners to come to your business for their first-time pet groomer visit? How will you generate referrals (the lifeblood of the pet grooming industry)? Realtors? Veterinarians? Will you market more frequent repeat business with a preferred client program (Editor note: an excellent preferred client program can be found in From Problems to Profits)? What are the most marketable characteristics of your business? Include a sample of your Resources Directory ad. It's time to develop a logo, and include it here. Will your road sign have high-visibility? Do you have a sample of an ad you will place in local publications? Will you market your membership in professional organizations?

Note: Even if you are a new career seeker getting ready to select and enroll in a school, all of the above business plan information is pertinent to you now if you intend to be self-employed. In fact, you can learn more at school when you have a better idea of what you need to learn. Perhaps most important, determine if your school curriculum includes pet grooming small business management? If not, where are you going to gain the knowledge you need to operate a small business? We strongly recommend attending a school that includes management training. In the last five years, many of the better schools have added it, and you need it. Everyone benefits from small business management training. If you need help finding a school, refer to this web site's Grooming Education Main Menu.

We're not done yet, let's look the important Financials section of a business plan, and how you can overcome obstacles if you are not accounting minded. Let's go to the next page.