sample remittance business plan

How to Start a Money Transfer Business

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Financial Service Industry

Do you want to start a money transfer business? If YES, here is a complete guide to starting a money transfer business with NO money and no experience plus a sample money transfer agency business plan template.

The money transfer business is one where you help two parties transmit a certain amount of money. It is an ideal business to start up as money transactions happen daily. You however will need to possess certain skills and abilities so that you can effectively manage financial transactions on behalf of your clients. 

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The criteria for starting this business however depends on the state where you intend to operate your business from, your start-up capital as well as licensing. To start and run a standard and successful money transfer business, you will need to obtain a license that will allow you to transmit money and this is dependent on the state where you intend to operate from.

The reason why it varies is because of the money transmitting act of the National Money Transmitters Association; this is why it is necessary to know what the requirements of your state are. You might need to submit an online application to the appropriate department.

The next step will be to file for a FinCEN Form 107 with the FinCEN which is at the Department of Treasury. The purpose of filing with this agency is to enable them classify your money transfer business.

It is only after you have established the money transfer business that you can then register your business with FinCEN and not before. The registration must not be done later than six months and the aim is to ensure that illegal acts like money laundering are not taking place.

Then comes the part where you will need to set up your transactions with commercial banks that you are comfortable with. An alliance with a bank or several banks is very necessary so that you can carry out your full functions as a business.

If you are however still confused about certain parts of the business, this article will help in clearing any confusion or questions you might have about the money transfer business.

Steps to Starting a Money Transfer Business

1. understand the industry.

The money transfer industry is one that greatly contributes to the economic growth of countries participating in it. The reason for the growth of this industry is due to several factors such as increase in the labour force of the sending countries, increase in the number of migrants as well as the development of the global economy.

According to a report from World Bank, the money sent back by migrants to families in their home countries amount to $441 billion, which is thrice the amount that is being spent on official aid by international non-profit organizations. The cash that flows in through these money transfers constitute over 10 percent of the GDP in more than 25 developing countries.

As at 2014, $583 billion was transferred globally, with the top three money transfer companies dominating the market with more than 1.1 million combined retail outlets across 200 countries. This has led to an imbalance in the money transfer industry as certain countries dominate the receive volumes while certain other countries dominate the send volumes.

The united states of America for instance was responsible for about 22% of the money transferred globally in the year 2015, while India topped the receiving money transfer countries globally at 12%. Even though this industry is heavily dominated by banks and money transfer businesses, digital players have started entering the industry and are poised to disrupt how things are done.

According to a report from the Aite Group, the global revenue from the money transfer industry will grow to about 6% CAGR between the periods of 2006 and 2010. This means that by 2010, the industry will have generated close to $18.3 billion in revenue as compared to the $13 billion it generated in 2004.

The group also predicts that cross border transfers will increase by 8% CAGR between the same periods as well. By the group’s estimate, the remittances globally will amount to $456 billion which is up from $369 billion in 2007. The increase is not only due to new players in the industry, but also increased competition that has been caused by so many players forcing them to expand the range of their products and differentiate their services.

The increase that has been experienced in the money transfer industry is one that has been fuelled by the increase in demand from migrants.

This has caused new entrants into the market with smaller companies making use of new technology to compete with the already established companies and their traditionally high costs, limited payment systems as well as limited distribution methods.

The World Bank, United Nations and the G8 countries have also strived to make money transferring become more common and transparent, thereby causing an increase in the industry amongst the players. The growth that has been experienced by the money transfer industry cannot be pinned to just the increasing demand from migrants or increase in the number of players, as the internet has played a huge role as well.

In the early 2000s, only about 27.6% of households has access to the internet; by 2011, this number jumped to 74.9%, which was caused by an increase in the ownership of smart phones, as nearly a quarter of the global population now own one.

The top three countries in 2014 that are on the receiving end of the money transfer industry are India, China and the Philippines , and these positions haven’t changed in 2016. Asia as a continent is the biggest recipient especially as migrants from China and india sent 0 billion back to their home countries as at 2012.

According to the World Bank as at 2015, global money transfer exceeded $601 billion. Out of this amount, developing countries got about $441 billion officially as it is believed that this is actually larger because a number of formal and informal channels that aren’t being recorded are used.

2. Conduct Market Research and Feasibility Studies

• Demographics and Psychographics

The demographic and psychographic composition of those that require the services of a money transfer business include migrants from Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries working in the United States of America. According to statistics, more male migrants, from young adult to middle aged are mostly the ones who are involved in sending money back to their home countries.

This does not however exclude nationals from the United States of America as well; the money transfer business is not only done internationally but nationally as well, therefore making it an all-encompassing business.

3. Decide Which Niche to Concentrate On

The money transfer business is one where you help two parties transmit a certain amount of money and it is an ideal business if you are looking for a lucrative business to start up because money transactions happens daily. There really aren’t many niches in the industry as players are mostly concerned with privacy, data security, ease of transactions as well as other factors.

However, due to the evolvement of the industry and the financial industry at large, more niches are opening up as new players are looking toward these sort of niches such as;

• Digital transfer
• Cyrptocurrency
• Money transfer services

The Level of Competition in the Industry

The level of competition in the money transfer industry has no relationship whatsoever to the area where the business is located because a money transfer business can operate from any part of the world via physical or virtual location, or even from both.

This is not to however say that any player can get into the industry and compete with already established players. The big players in the industry have a lot of advantage as their services are spread in strategic locations across the country; even as they have acquired the trust and confidence of their clients.

To be able to compete effectively with these big players, new operators are going digital and offering their services mostly via the internet. This is advantageous because almost every country in the world is connected to the internet and more than a quarter of the world’s population has a smart phone which allows them to carry out transactions anywhere in the world.

4. Know Your Major Competitors in the Industry

Every industry has brands that are well known due to a number of factors such as how long they have been in business, their publicity or advertising strategies, how huge they are and several other important factors, and a money transfer business is no different.

Therefore some of the leading money transfer businesses both in the United States of America and around the globe are;

• Western Union Company
• MoneyGram International Inc (MGI)
• Transferwise
• Currencyfair
• World Remit

Economic Analysis

The money transfer business is one that involves the offering of a service by two parties – where one party sends money to a beneficiary somewhere else using a platform. The service can either be done locally or between two or more countries.

To start this kind of business, you would need to create a business plan so that you have a clear vision of what your business would look like and how the flow of funds will work. You should realize that when running this business that every single penny you make must be accounted for, therefore you must be familiar with every aspect of the business.

One of the major issues that this industry faces is the that of compliance, which is why regulators globally are advocating for players into the industry to adopt platforms that are not only secure and robust but compliant, so as to effectively enforce proper procedures such as KYC (Know Your Customers) and block list checks against beneficiaries as well as remitters in order to efficiently track all transactions and the information attached.

Another reason why automated remittance platforms are seriously encouraged by the government is because such platforms make use of the latest technology so as to not only improve transaction speed but its efficiency as well.

These platforms can then be used to conduct the required checks and also provide the needed information to the correct delivery agent. The platforms also store all the relevant identification information as well as enhance customer service by ensuring that critical business information is made available instantly.

Also, these automated platforms can help provide financial information that is accurate about the money transfer business and the profit or loss incurred per transaction. It is also useful for auditing and other compliance purposes.

5. Decide Whether to Buy a Franchise or Start from Scratch

How you decide to start your business depends on the vision and goals you had in mind for the business. Starting your business from scratch versus buying a franchise comes with its own pros and cons; it should however be noted that the money transfer business does not operate via franchise and the closest thing to that is being an affiliate.

Starting your business from scratch means that you are in control of your business and are able to determine how best to achieve your goals and objectives. You can also know what strategies aren’t working and have them modified or removed to be able to make your business achieve the level of success you want for it.

6. Know the Possible Threats and Challenges You Will Face

Every business when established newly is faced with threats and challenges and the money transfer business is not different. Therefore, if you are going to start this business, bear in mind that there are several challenges you are going to face, and how you address these challenges will determine the success of failure of your business.

Some of the threats and challenges that you are going to face are; arrival of a competitor into the industry, unfavorable and stringent government and industry policies and the downturn of the global economy.

7. Choose the Most Suitable Legal Entity (LLC, C Corp, S Corp)

The moment that you decide to turn your business idea into reality is the moment you would need to decide on what kind of legal entity to choose for your business. Even though there are 4 basic types of legal entities in the United States, but the legal entity you would choose must take the industry you will be operating in into consideration.

This means that the legal entity you should choose for your money transfer business should take into consideration; protection of your assets, tax issues, how to take money out of the company, your personal responsibility should your business lose money as well as estate planning. Also, the legal structure you finally choose will affect how you open your business legally.

The good thing about a legal entity is that once you find out that the needs of your business can no longer be met by your legal entity, you are free to change it.  It is however beneficial if you have basic knowledge of business laws as it will be highly beneficial to your business or you can engage the services of a law attorney to help guide you on what is best for your business.

8. Choose a Catchy Business Name

Choosing the right name for your money transfer business is very important because it would portray the kind of business you are going into. Therefore, if you are considering some unique and catchy names for your money transfer business, here are some names you can choose from;

• Transferpay International
• Currency Wise International
• Pennywise International
• Cash Central Inc
• Payable International

9. Discuss with an Agent to Know the Best Insurance Policies for You

Having insurance is very important and for a business as sensitive as a money transfer business, it is very vital that you buy an insurance policy that would protect you from any form of liability. Knowing the right insurance policies to choose from can be quite tasking, which is why it is necessary to approach an insurance agent or broker to advise you on which policies you would need to buy for your business.

Some of the basic insurance policies that you would need to consider purchasing if you intend to start your money transfer business in the United States of America are;

• General Insurance
• Liability insurance
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance
• Health Insurance
• Errors and Omission Insurance
• Payment Protection Insurance
• Data Breach Insurance

10. Protect your Intellectual Property With Trademark, Copyrights, Patents

While the money transfer business is one that is very sensitive and requires a solid and secure database to protect the information of clients, it is however not a business that requires getting an intellectual property protection. This is due to the fact that this kind of business is a service based business that does not require inventions of any sort.

However, certain money transfer businesses have overtime applied for intellectual property protection for their company logo, slogan or jingle, and if you consider this as a priority, you can do yours as well, especially your logo or company name.

11. Get the Necessary Professional Certification

You would not need a professional certification in order to start a money transfer business. However, there are certain professionals you would need to have on board in your organization if you intend to run a standard money transfer business.

A compliance officer is very necessary to boost the profile of your business and there are certain certifications that must be taken by the compliance officer. Some of the certifications that a compliance officer must have include;

• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)

The more certifications the compliance officer possesses, the easier it is for you to legally transact your business.

12. Get the Necessary Legal Documents You Need to Operate

The money transfer business is one that is very serious and sensitive, therefore certain documentations must be in place before the business can be started in the United States of America. However, it is necessary to point out that no business can be effectively run without proper documentations in the United States of America.

Some of the basic legal documents that you are expected to have in place if you want to legally run your money transfer business in the United States of America are;

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Operating Agreement
• Business License and Certification
• Business Plan
• Non Disclosure Agreement
• Insurance Policy
• Employment Agreement
• Money Services Business Application form
• Money transferring license
• FinCEN Form 107
• Online terms of use
• Online Privacy Policy Document

13. Raise the Needed Startup Capital

The money transfer business just like any other business, would need certain amount of capital from you. While seeking for start-up capital for a business is not an easy affair, it is very important that you have a good business plan in place that will help you convince your banks, investors and friends to invest in your business.

Some of the options that you might need to explore when sourcing for start-up capital for your money transfer business include;

• Raising money from personal savings, sale of stock or properties
• Raising money from business partners
• Sourcing for soft loans from family members and friends
• Pitching your business idea to angel investors for a loan
• Applying for Loan from your Bank

14. Choose a Suitable Location for your Business

The money transfer business is one that can be run from home or from the internet. Whether you choose the traditional brick and mortar building or the internet to run your business, a suitable location is very important to the success and growth of your money transfer business.

One factor that would come to bear greatly on your location issue is the scale of the business you intend to run. If you are a bit constrained by budget, then you might need to choose a location that would not add more financial strain to you.

If you carefully study the money transfer business, you would see that the popular and dominant industry players operate from both a physical location as well as from the internet in order to capture a large share of the market.

The location where you choose to locate your physical offices must be strategic; while it must be close to your banks, it must also not be far from your clients. In the money transfer business, most of the clients are migrants who want to send money to relatives or loved ones in their home countries, so it would be unwise to locate it far from where a lot of migrants live or work.

If you indeed intend to locate your business far away, a competitor might seize this advantage and use it to get a huge share of the target market.

While your physical location must be conspicuous and easily accessible, your website which should be your virtual office should also be as well. Clients who need to conduct transactions via your website shouldn’t have to experience difficulties, insecure website or downtime.

This is why you should search for a good web host and developer to ensure that you offer your clients a safe place to carry out secure transactions.

15. Hire Employees for your Technical and Manpower Needs

Due to the fact that the money transfer business is a licensed one, there are certain paths you would need to take to be able to run your business successfully in the United States of America. You could decide to follow the affiliate, correspondent, correspondent/ISO, authorized delegate, licensed or banking agent route.

There are also several players in the business such as the sender, the sender’s bank, beneficiary, beneficiary’s bank, money transfer operator (sending side), money transfer operator bank (sending side), correspondent bank (sending side) and money transfer operator/bank (receiving side).

In order to fully set up and run your money transfer business, you would need basic office supplies such as computers, printers, phones and software (security, customer and transfer software) to enable you run a business that is reliable and trustworthy for your clients.

As regards your website, you will need to create a firewall so that hackers do not hack into your database and steal customers’ information as this could make your money transfer business to quickly lose credibility and eventually fail.

In employing the right people to work in your money transfer business, you would need to conduct security and background checks so as to not employ criminals or those with a bad financial history.

The business structure that you would build for your money transfer business are; the chief executive officer, the admin and human resources manager, accountant, customer care officer for both online and offline inquiries, marketing officer, ethical hackers, cleaner, security guard.

The number of people you would need to employ in order to run a successful money transfer business that is of medium scale is at least 10 people.

The Service Delivery Process of the Business

The money transfer business is one that includes several types of operators to be able to function effectively and this includes banks and money transfer operators. For a service to be delivered well, the remitter of cash usually goes to a physical location where he or she hands over cash to a money transfer operator teller.

The money transfer operator will have agreed with the agent (a bank) as to the exchange rate as well as any additional charges that will be incurred during the transaction and these charges are passed on to the remitter before the money can be sent to the beneficiary in another country.

The remitter is given a receipt showing the details of the transaction which will include who the beneficiary is and how much will be given.

It is only after this that the money is deposited by the money transfer operator into its bank account and when it has reached a certain amount, make a transfer to the delivery agent in the destination country. This arrangement which depends on the agreement between the money transfer operator and delivery agent can be daily, weekly or monthly.

Once instructions have been received from the money transfer operator, the delivery agent then delivers the money to the beneficiary via the agent’s physical location. A commission is usually charged by the delivery agent for this service. This cycle is usually referred to as a transaction.

16. Write a Marketing Plan Packed with ideas & Strategies

The money transfer industry is one that is not only stiff with competition but also filled with dominant players as well; this is why you must ensure that all is in place before you proceed to market your business to your potential clients.

Because marketing not only helps generate revenue for your business but equally increases awareness for the business; it is important that you conduct a market survey that will help you identify your target market as well as ways to penetrate the market using certain strategies.

Conducting a market survey will also help you study the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and then help you develop strategies that you can use to compete with them and get a huge share of the target market.

The result of your market survey would help you determine the right marketing strategies that would be effective for your business. It is also from your market survey that you would determine the budget that you will need to market your business.

The internet has made it possible these days to reach customers from far and wide and so combined with physical form of marketing, any enterprising entrepreneur can achieve all its corporate goals and objectives. Therefore some of the platforms you would need to market our money transfer business are;

• Ensure you introduce your business to stakeholders in the industry by having your marketing team approach corporate organizations and international businesses with letters and brochures listing the benefits of your money transfer business.
• Ensure that you place advertisements in newspapers, business and money related magazines, as well as on radio and television stations.
• Ensure that your business is listed in yellow pages as well as on online directories.
• Empower your marketing executives to engage in physical and direct marketing.
• Use your website as well as social media platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus to vigorously market and advertise your business.
• Place billboards in strategic locations in order to enable your target market be aware of your money transfer business

17. Develop Strategies to Boost Brand Awareness and Create a Corporate Identity

If you are serious about starting your money transfer business, then you should be ready to engage in activities that would promote your brand and create a corporate identity for you. Boosting of awareness is what all companies engage in no matter how long they have been in business, because the more you publicize your business, the more you attract new customers and retain already existing customers.

Because the money transfer business is majorly an international kind of business, you would need to understand the international market when creating the necessary strategies for promoting your business.

The importance of publicity has made it imperative for businesses to get a brand consultant that understands the national and international market and can therefore draft the right strategies that would boost the awareness of the brand.

The money transfer business is one that has a lot of competition and so it is absolutely necessary to create the best strategies that would help the business stand out and be able to compete favorably against its competitors. Below therefore are the platforms that you can leverage on to boost your brand and communicate the corporate identity of your business;

• Ensure that you leverage on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter to promote your money transfer business
• Place adverts in popular websites and blogs
• Ensure that your website is search engine optimized so that it can appear tops in search engines when clients are looking for a money transfer business to use
• Hand out handbills and business cards and paste fliers in strategic locations
• Set up branches in countries where you are likely to have enough potential clients and carry out adverts there as well
• Use your official website to advertise your business

• Core Banking Software
• Functionality
• Partners Marketplace
• Licencing & Consulting
• Bank accounts for client funds
• Business for sale
• Blog & News
• For partners

How to start a money remittance or money transfer business

Posted on December 11, 2023

Starting a remittance or money transfer business is a venture that requires careful planning, adherence to regulatory frameworks, and strategic partnerships. In this article, we explore the concepts of money remittance and transfer, examining various types of remittance services. Additionally, we offer a guide outlining the step-by-step process to establish a successful remittance or money transfer business.

What is money remittance?

What is a money transfer, how remittance works, 1. bank transfer:, 2. wire transfer:, 3. in-person transfer:, 1. through a bank or financial institution:, 2. through a specialised money transfer company:, 3. through a payment app:, 4. to the receiver’s phone:, 1. traditional brick-and-mortar services:, 2. online money transfer platforms:, 3. mobile money services:, 4. peer-to-peer (p2p) payment platforms:, 5. cryptocurrency-based remittance services:, traditional brick-and-mortar remittance services, online money remittance businesses, the international money transfer industry overview, money remittance in africa, 1. define your usp and target audience:, 2. prepare all required documents and obtain special registration or license, 3. prepare all processes, including compliance:, 4. open correspondent bank accounts:, 5. set your it system or core banking software:, 6. make partnerships with financial institutions:, 7. make required integrations with your main partners:.

Money remittance involves sending money from one location to another, typically across borders, to meet financial needs or fulfil payment obligations. This financial service is vital for individuals who must send funds to family members, friends, or others in different regions or countries. Money remittance can occur through various channels, such as banks, dedicated remittance providers, online platforms, or mobile applications.

The sender initiates the transfer by providing necessary details about the recipient and selecting the preferred transfer method. The recipient can access the transferred funds through local financial institutions or designated payout locations. Money remittance is crucial in supporting global financial connectivity and addressing the diverse financial requirements of individuals and businesses worldwide.

These services contribute to financial inclusion by providing accessible and efficient channels for individuals to send and receive money globally, overcoming geographical barriers and enhancing overall economic well-being.

A money transfer refers to moving funds from one individual or entity to another. This financial transaction can occur through various channels, including banks, online platforms, money transfer services, or traditional methods. Money transfers are commonly utilised for diverse purposes, such as sending funds to family members, making payments, conducting business transactions, or meeting financial needs across borders.

The process typically begins with a sender initiating the transfer, specifying the recipient, and selecting a preferred transfer method, such as wire transfers, online transfers, mobile payments, or remittance services. The term ‘money transfer’ also encompasses credit/debit card transfers, where funds move from one card to another credit/debit card, a bank account, or a merchant.

Remittance is a financial process that enables the transfer of money from one location to another. The sender initiates the transaction through a remittance service provider, a traditional brick-and-mortar agency, an online platform, or a mobile application. The sender provides necessary details, such as the recipient’s name, location, and transfer amount.

The remittance service processes the transaction, converting funds into the desired currency if necessary and transfers the money to the recipient. The recipient can then collect the funds through various channels, including cash pickup points, bank accounts, mobile wallets, or even opt for home delivery, depending on the chosen service and the options provided by the remittance provider.

The entire process is facilitated by a network of financial institutions and payment service providers to ensure a secure and efficient transfer of funds across borders.

Forms of money transfers

What are the types of money transfers?

Easily facilitated through online banking or apps, bank transfers are common. In the UK, Bacs, CHAPS, or Faster Payments, and in the EEA, SEPA payments support both one-off and regular transfers.

Ideal for international transfers, wire transfers move money between two unlinked bank accounts, with the bank serving as an intermediary.

Specialised money transfer services like Western Union facilitate in-person transactions. This method accommodates recipients without bank accounts, allowing them to collect funds in cash at a nearby agent location.

How can money remittance be executed?

Money remittance can be executed through various methods, providing consumers with diverse options to suit their preferences:

Funds can be transferred from the sender’s bank account to another using online banking, digital services, a banking app, or visiting a branch. Essential details include the recipient’s account name, sort code, and account number. Customers may need the recipient’s IBAN or SWIFT/BIC code for international transfers.

Companies like Western Union offer multiple methods for transferring money within many countries. Customers can choose between online transfers or visiting an agent’s location for an in-person transaction. Depending on the transfer type, customers will need the recipient’s details and possibly a government-issued ID for verification, ensuring a swift and secure delivery.

Remittance can be provided through a payment app for convenient on-the-go transfers. Customers can seamlessly send money directly to a loved one’s bank account using their debit or credit card. Alternatively, funds can be transferred for pickup at a local or international location.

Money can be sent directly to their phone to provide the recipient with immediate access to funds. Depending on their location and mobile operator, funds can be directed to the recipient’s mobile wallet, allowing for instant spending.

Types of money transfer or remittance businesses

Money transfer or remittance businesses encompass various types, each tailored to meet individuals’ and businesses’ specific needs and preferences. These include:

Operating through physical locations such as banks or dedicated remittance centres, these services allow customers to send money in person.

These platforms have gained popularity, enabling users to initiate transactions through web-based interfaces or mobile applications, providing convenience and accessibility.

Leveraging mobile phone networks, these services facilitate transfers, particularly in regions with limited access to traditional banking.

Individuals can send funds directly to each other using digital wallets or bank accounts through these platforms.

Utilising blockchain technology for secure and decentralised transactions, these services offer an alternative to traditional methods.

The diverse landscape of money transfer businesses reflects the financial services sector’s evolving preferences and technological advancements.

Traditional brick-and-mortar remittance services have served as the cornerstone of cross-border financial transactions for an extended period. These physical establishments, commonly situated in local communities, serve as a familiar and accessible channel for individuals to send and receive money. Customers typically visit these locations to initiate transactions, relying on face-to-face interactions with service agents. Renowned for their reliability and trustworthiness, these establishments offer a comforting in-person experience, especially for those less familiar with digital transactions. Although lacking the convenience of online platforms, brick-and-mortar remittance services remain indispensable in catering to populations with limited access to technology or those who prefer the tangible and personal nature of in-person transactions.

Online money remittance businesses have revolutionised the financial landscape, offering individuals a convenient and efficient way to send money globally. These digital platforms utilise web-based interfaces or mobile applications, enabling users to initiate transactions from the comfort of their homes or on the go. With secure and streamlined processes, online remittance services provide speed and accessibility, diminishing the reliance on traditional brick-and-mortar methods. Users can fund transfers using various payment options, including bank accounts, credit cards, or digital wallets. Furthermore, real-time tracking features empower senders and recipients to monitor the status of their transactions. The growth of online money remittance businesses underscores the industry’s commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced financial inclusion and seamless cross-border transactions.

The international money transfer industry is pivotal in facilitating global financial transactions and fostering connections among individuals, businesses, and economies across borders. Technological advancements have significantly reduced traditional barriers, enabling faster, more accessible, cost-effective remittance services.

As of 2020, the global remittance market was valued at $701.93 billion , and it is expected to reach $1,227.22 billion by 2030, projecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2021 to 2030. Major players in the remittance market include Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase & Co., MoneyGram International, RIA Financial Services, Wise, UAE Exchange, Wells Fargo, Western Union, and XOOM. These players have implemented diverse strategies to strengthen their market presence, such as expanding product portfolios, engaging in mergers and acquisitions, forming agreements, extending geographical reach, and fostering collaborations.

Money remittance in Africa is experiencing significant growth, marked by the emergence of numerous companies eager to provide remittance services in this vibrant and dynamic region. Remittances play a crucial role in Africa, with migrants living and working abroad frequently sending money back to support their loved ones.

According to the latest World Bank Migration and Development report , Sub-Saharan Africa received an estimated influx of US$49 billion in remittances in 2021. With a substantial diaspora population, Nigeria leads in remittance inflows, followed by Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. Conversely, South Africa is the largest sender of remittances to other African nations.

Companies aiming to start their money remittance or mo=oney transfer business are seeking comprehensive solutions that encompass core banking software , licensing , or special MSB registration to facilitate these services. Contact Advapay to discover what we can provide for companies looking to offer remittance services to Africa.

What you need to start a digital money remittance or money transfer business

Defining your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and identifying your target audience are crucial initial steps before starting money remittance business. Your USP distinguishes your service from others, and understanding the specific demographic you aim to serve will shape your business strategy.

Prepare all necessary legal and regulatory compliance documents, including business registration documents, identification proofs, financial statements, and any other paperwork required by regulatory authorities in the countries where you intend to operate.

Navigate the regulatory landscape by obtaining the necessary registrations or licenses to operate your remittance business. Compliance with local and international regulations is crucial to establishing the legitimacy and credibility of your operation. Alternatively, you can enlist the assistance of companies like Advapay to facilitate the licensing process. Contact us to learn how we can support your business further.

Develop a robust framework that includes stringent anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures in alignment with regulatory guidelines. Establishing a solid foundation in compliance is essential for ensuring the security of transactions and building trust among users. Consider leveraging compliance-as-a-service, which provides remote and outsourced compliance services by professionals according to regulatory requirements.

The next step to start money remittance business is to ensure the smooth movement of funds by establishing correspondent bank accounts. Select reputable banking or financial services partners that align with your business goals. Transparent communication is key to building a strong financial relationship and ensuring the efficient flow of transactions.

Invest in a secure, efficient IT system or core banking software like Macrobank . This system will be the backbone of your remittance operations, covering transaction processing, customer management, and data security. Additionally, consider implementing white-label mobile banking or web banking applications to deliver an exceptional experience to your customers.

Forge strategic partnerships with financial institutions to expand your remittance network. Collaborate with banks, credit unions, remittance providers, or other financial entities to facilitate smoother transactions and extend the reach of your services.

Integrate your core banking system with key partners, including banks, payment gateways, or other financial service providers. Seamless integrations ensure interoperability and create a streamlined flow of funds between your remittance company and partnering entities. Check our BaaS-offering .

Conclusion:

In conclusion, starting a money remittance or money transfer business demands a comprehensive approach that integrates strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and a robust technological infrastructure. By defining your unique value proposition, securing the necessary licenses, prioritising compliance, and establishing crucial partnerships and integrations, you can position your remittance business for success. This guide serves as a roadmap for entrepreneurs seeking to contribute to the global financial ecosystem while addressing the needs of their target audience.

Advapay at stake:

How can Advapay can assist you in launching a money remittance or money transfer business?

• Assistance in EMI/PI licencing in the EEA/UK • Registration of MSB company in Canada • Delivery of a comprehensive Core banking system encompassing back-office and white-label applications for end-users • Assistance in payment infrastructure development • BaaS-solutions in collaboration with our partners – EEA/UK licenced EMIs and PIs

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How to Start a Money Transfer Business in 14 Steps (In-Depth Guide)

Updated:   February 22, 2024

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The money transfer industry is expected to reach $95.1 billion by 2032. With more people living abroad and sending money home, it’s a market ripe for new entrants.

The process of building your own money transfer business can seem daunting. You may wonder how to get started, what legal and regulatory requirements exist, and whether there is room to carve out a niche in this competitive space.

This guide breaks down startup costs, critical factors for long-term viability, and step-by-step instructions on acquiring licensure, launching marketing, and obtaining an EIN. With strategic planning and execution, you can be successful. Learn how to start a money transfer business here.

1. Conduct Money Transfer Market Research

Market research helps you develop a business plan for your remittance business. It offers insight into your target market, trends in the money transfer industry, and even which social media platforms are being used by competitors to get money transfer business posted online.

Some details you’ll learn through market research include:

• Global migration patterns mean more people than ever live abroad as expatriates and migrant workers.
• Improving economic conditions in developing countries leads to rises in disposable income available for family members to send home.
• Advances in digital transfer technology have significantly increased accessibility, convenience, and affordability compared to traditional cash-based means.
• A closer look at the underlying demographics reveals promising target consumer segments.
• Expatriate workers are the largest contributors, responsible for over 70% of money transfers.
• With over 164 million migrant workers globally, there is a huge addressable audience here.
• The end-user opportunity is immense, and systemic changes create space for new entrants.
• Stricter regulations have led some banks, including JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America , to pull back from the consumer remittance sector, opening a gap for non-bank specialists.
• Services like PayPal’s Xoom , Remitly and WorldRemit have all expanded operations, but still account for less than 5% of total volume, signaling ample remaining share up for grabs.

With accessible technology, low overhead costs compared to traditional models, and exponential end-market growth anticipated, the conditions for building a money transfer business are ideal. Capitalizing on this potential requires contending with regulatory requirements and significant competition.

2. Analyze the Competition

To understand the competitive landscape, first look at the traditional brick-and-mortar money transfer operators. Observe customer demographics, pain points in the process, and customer service quality. This will reveal targetable weaknesses alongside their brand dominance.

Complement this in-person competitive analysis by evaluating their online capabilities. Register accounts, try transferring funds, and scrutinize strengths like transfer speed, payment options, currency support, and loyalty programs.

While Western Union and MoneyGram ’s immense scale can seem daunting, don’t underestimate startups gaining traction in the digital space. Companies like Remitly and Azimo have managed to carve out multi-million dollar niches with more convenient, transparent, and affordable online-first offerings.

Replicate using their services to experience features that delight customers first-hand. Sign up for demos, explore integrations with payment platforms like PayPal , and evaluate customization for funding sources and payout methods. This reveals winning strategies to emulate and build upon.

By benchmarking both traditional big names and emerging digital disruptors, you gain invaluable insight into market positioning and customer priorities. Blend this with target user and region-specific research to identify strategic white space opportunities.

3. Costs to Start a Money Transfer Business

Launching a money transfer business demands a meticulous approach to financial planning. Let’s explore the initial expenses involved in getting your venture off the ground:

Startup Costs

• Licensing and Legal Fees: Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements is paramount. Allocate funds for obtaining federal and state licenses, alongside adherence to regulations like the Bank Secrecy Act. Estimate these expenses to range from $1,000 to $5,000, varying by jurisdiction complexity.
• Location Costs: Securing a suitable commercial space is crucial for visibility and accessibility. Anticipate monthly rent or lease costs between $1,000 to $5,000, contingent on the location’s size and foot traffic.
• Equipment and Technology: Invest in essential equipment and technology infrastructure, including POS terminals and security systems. Initial expenses can range from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on operational scale.
• Staffing Expenses: Quality personnel are indispensable for customer service and regulatory compliance. Budget for salaries, benefits, and training, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 monthly, based on staff numbers and local wage rates.
• Marketing and Advertising: Promotion is key to attracting customers. Allocate funds for marketing materials and online advertising, typically ranging from $500 to $5,000 initially.
• Insurance Coverage: Shield your business from potential risks with adequate insurance coverage. Estimate annual premiums between $1,000 to $5,000, factoring in coverage limits and operational risks.

Ongoing Costs

Maintaining operational continuity requires foresight in managing ongoing expenses. Let’s delve into the recurring costs:

• Rent or Lease Payments: Monthly rental or lease payments for commercial space are recurring. Expect costs between $1,000 to $5,000 per month, reflecting market rates and location.
• Staff Salaries and Benefits: Sustain business operations by budgeting for ongoing staff salaries, benefits, and training, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 monthly.
• Technology Maintenance and Upgrades: Ensure seamless operations by allocating funds for technology upkeep and upgrades, typically ranging from $500 to $2,000 per period.
• Compliance and Regulatory Costs: Maintain adherence to regulatory standards with ongoing compliance costs, varying from $500 to $2,000 annually, dependent on operational complexity.
• Marketing and Advertising Expenses: Sustain brand visibility through periodic marketing campaigns, with expenses typically ranging from $500 to $2,000 per cycle.
• Insurance Premiums: Renew insurance coverage annually to mitigate risks, with premiums ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per year.

By meticulously accounting for both startup and ongoing costs, aspiring entrepreneurs can chart a clear financial course for their money transfer business. Regular monitoring and adjustments are essential to ensure financial stability and adaptability in a dynamic market landscape.

4. Form a Legal Business Entity

When launching a money transfer business, one of the most important early decisions is selecting your legal entity structure. This carries major implications for legal liability, taxation, raising capital, and regulatory requirements. There are four main legal entities to choose from:

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

LLC maintenance tends to have less demand than corporations in most states. Record keeping and required meetings are typically simpler, with fewer forms and filings. LLC formalization separates legally from sole proprietors, makes clear financial accounting a necessity, and boosts perception among license-issuing bodies.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is best suited for a business with a single owner, or a married couple. It puts you in the driver’s seat in terms of ownership but comes with a downside. Sole proprietorships don’t separate personal and professional assets in cases of liability.

With money transmission licenses central to operations, the risks of non-compliance and handling client funds make limiting personal assets at stake prudent.

Partnership

A partnership works much the same as a sole proprietorship but is intended for a group of business owners. This is a good option for a business run by a family, where each member has an equal investment in the company. Like a sole proprietorship, a partnership doesn’t provide separation between personal and business assets.

Corporation

A corporation is the most advanced form of legal business entity there is. It offers the most protection and the greatest level of customization for owners. On the downside, a corporation is the most complicated and expensive to initiate.

5. Register Your Business For Taxes

One of the key regulatory requirements for launching a money transmission company is obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. The EIN serves as a unique taxpayer ID that identifies your business to federal and state authorities for reporting and filing purposes.

Registering for an EIN is free and can be completed online via the IRS website in just minutes.

To apply, you will need to provide basic information about your LLC such as name, address, and ownership details. The online wizard will guide you through a simple 7-step process that includes reviewing and submitting supporting documentation for your entity.

Upon completion, you will be provided an EIN confirmation notice containing your new tax ID number. This universal business identifier will be used on state money transmitter license applications and down the line for employee onboarding, banking, and payment provider integrations.

In addition to the federal EIN, be sure to look at state and local licensing bureaus to understand sales tax permit requirements for money transfer provider services in your geographic areas of operation. The costs are typically minimal ($50 or less).

While EIN receipt alone does not require filing regular business tax returns, integration with payment systems and employing workers down the line will trigger tax and information reporting obligations. The EIN serves as the consistent tracking number tied to your LLC as these tax scenarios emerge over time.

Obtaining an EIN only takes a few minutes but is a mandatory step to operate legally as a money services business in the United States. With the EIN secured, you can proceed to acquire requisite state money transmitter licenses with confidence.

6. Setup Your Accounting

Maintaining rigorous accounting is crucial for money transfer businesses to track high transaction volumes across customer payments. Money transfer businesses must carefully reconcile payroll for expanding local agents and staff, monitor contractor payout pipelines, and more.

Some ways to optimize your accounting include:

Accounting Software

All complex financial workflows are made smoother by leveraging meticulous accounting software like QuickBooks . QuickBooks works to centralize real-time tracking to reconcile and organize every expense. It streamlines accounting services and allows small businesses to avoid an in-house accounting team.

Hire an Accountant

Along with using accounting software, you should work with an accountant part-time or at the end of the year. Accountants are trained in the intricate methods and tools involved in maintaining and balancing records and can help you meet the part-time requirements of your money transfer license as far as the government is concerned.

Open a Business Bank Account

Another way to organize business finances is to open a business bank account. Remittance services should never mix personal and business funds. Adhering to the Bank Secrecy Act is made easier by having separate accounts to remain transparent to shareholders, customers, and partners.

7. Obtain Licenses and Permits

Obtaining the proper money transmitter and related financial services licenses is essential for legally facilitating cross-border transactions and handling customer funds as a money transfer provider. Find federal license information through the U.S. Small Business Administration . The SBA also offers a local search tool for state and city requirements.

For example, requirements to research may include:

• Money transmitter licensing in states where operations will be based
• Registration as a licensed MSB (Money Services Business) with entities like FINCEN on the federal level
• Acquiring positive background checks and compliance histories for owners/officers
• Securing bonds and meeting minimum capitalization requirements

Because policies frequently evolve, it is advisable to enlist guidance from legal and compliance advisors with a specialized understanding of updated changes proposed by complex regulators like the Conference of State Bank Supervisors .

8. Get Business Insurance

Comprehensive business insurance is considered a prudent move for any company handling sensitive customer data and funds. For regulated financial services like money transmission, insurance can provide an added backstop that demonstrates good faith risk management to licensing authorities.

Potential risks include internal fraud, cybersecurity breaches, failing compliance audits, or events like fires or floods that physically destroy servers and records. Having policies that reimburse customers and restore business operations quickly after disasters minimizes business continuity disruptions.

Common coverage includes:

• Employee theft insurance
• Data breach plans
• Errors & omissions liability
• Property/casualty

With manufacturers crafting over 150 niche solutions, expert guidance is key. Evaluating local transmission regulations to quantify specific coverage gaps, projected customer base value, disaster likelihoods, and growth trajectories can inform smarter buys.

Collaborating closely with an independent broker well-versed in the financial technology sector can illuminate advantageous products unknown to laypersons. They can also assist in interfacing with carriers negotiating tailored solutions like enhanced cyber plans with breach coaches.

While more affordable than some industries, underinsured transmission businesses still risk major continuity threats, hefty non-compliance fines or lawsuits, and even shutdown orders. But those taking a proactive rather than reactive stance on comprehensive insurance enjoy peace of mind as a worthy investment.

9. Create an Office Space

Having a professional office can facilitate customer meetings, support staff collaboration, safely store sensitive documents, and establish legitimacy for licensing boards. Locations projecting security and financial competence may strengthen trust in handling client funds.

Home Office

Many founders launch from home offices minimizing overhead until revenue stabilizes. This allows concentrating resources on core business operations rather than real estate early on. Upgrading later as needs emerge can work well for web-based models.

Coworking Office

For location flexibility at affordable monthly rates, coworking spaces like WeWork provide turnkey environments configurable as teams grow. Built-in amenities, networking events, and central locations offer cost-efficient flexibility difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Retail Office

The option of a retail storefront could provide neighborhood visibility and convenience for cash pay-ins/payouts. But weigh higher fixed costs against target customer digital expectations and foot traffic potential.

Commercial Office

Long-term, strict security and compliance needs may merit eventually overseeing internal spaces like stand-alone commercial offices. This enables highly customized build-outs aligning to data and money-handling best practices as businesses scale up.

10. Source Your Equipment

Many money transmitters function predominantly through web-based platforms, minimizing extensive physical equipment needs early on. But some key components could include:

• Computer hardware/software for building digital platforms and interfaces
• Smartphones/tablets for testing, demos, communications
• Office equipment like printers, and scanners for customer onboarding

When starting, relying on modern personal devices to develop minimally viable technology can suffice and cost little. As efforts grow more sophisticated, upgrading to commercial-grade equipment may support resilience and capacity.

Buying new equipment ensures modern furniture and electronics, extended warranty options, and a longer life span. You can obtain new supplies for your business office through retailers like Staples and Office Depot .

To save money as you start, your transferring money business could invest in used equipment. Check platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for deals. Be sure to check that everything is in working order before paying for products.

11. Establish Your Brand Assets

Entering an industry reliant on consumer confidence in the safe, reliable passage of hard-earned funds internationally. Branding your business helps potential clients recognize you, and for your brand to in turn grow in value online.

Some ways to begin developing your brand include:

Design a Logo

Logos offer a visual indicator of who your company is and what it can do. It helps set you apart from competitors and even inspires consumers and business owners to make a change from a competing service. A great place to get started with logo design is Looka .

Design a Website

In the digital age, it’s more important than ever before for businesses to develop easily navigable websites. Designing websites has become easy, even for newcomers. Wix is a great do-it-yourself option. You can also invest in freelance platforms like Fiverr for a more professional custom design.

Print Business Cards

Business cards provide a professional jumping-off point for referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. As a tangible marketing resource, business cards give potential customers memorable access to your business phone number, website, and more. Try Vistaprint for quick, affordable, and professionally printed business cards.

Get a Business Phone Number

Business phone services from RingCentral provide a focused point of contact for customers, investors, and more. A business phone line helps maintain organization between personal and business calls.

Get a Business Domain Name

An indicator of serious long-term market commitment comes through seemingly small touches. Official domain names, like your logo, help brand your business and offer a memorable way for customers to find you. Check out providers like Namecheap for affordable .com addresses.

12. Join Associations and Groups

Joining localized trade organizations, chambers of commerce chapters, or money transmitter alliances creates opportunities to regularly exchange guidance with specialists navigating similar regulatory nuances, banking bottlenecks, and risk climates within overlapping regions.

Local Associations

There are many groups designed to support newcomers in the financial business sector. The International Association of Money Transfer Networks and Money Services Business Association will connect you with like-minded professionals.

Local Meetups

In-person venues provide local mentorship opportunities. Meetup is a great avenue to find events and trade shows in your area. Don’t see one you like? Create a meetup of your own.

Facebook Groups

Tapping forums comprised of principal compliance officers and licensed transmitters via Facebook Groups is a good place to begin. Check out How to Money and Money Transfer Hub to get started. LinkedIn is also a great digital platform to network. It provides mentorship from long-tenured practitioners over common pitfalls.

13. How to Market a Money Transfer Business

Marketing is essential to starting a money transfer services business. It draws in new interest and encourages current customers to use your service again and share it with others. Some of the major ways to market your business as a money transfer operator include:

Referral Marketing

Gaining visibility and trust in a highly regulated industry often hinges on referral networks stemming from exemplary customer service. Providing transfer fee discounts or cash bonuses to satisfied customers who refer other senders could incentivize organic word-of-mouth promotion.

Digital Marketing

Digital tactics useful for amplifying reach may include:

• Search ads on Google Ads to drive users from relevant money-oriented keyword searches
• Social media ads on platforms like Facebook to target expatriate demographics
• Optimized blogging and video content to organically appear for searched money questions
• Email nurture tracks guiding interested leads through account signup
• Retargeting ads remarketing the brand to site visitors

Traditional Marketing

More traditional outlets typically demanding higher spending like billboards or radio may prove less traceable but still contextually valuable:

• Transit posters in high-traffic pickup and delivery locales
• TV or radio ads placed strategically around key cultural events when sending spikes
• Community sponsorships aligned with relevant diaspora organizations

With heavy compliance considerations, however, professional guidance would be advisable before deploying ads to confirm acceptable creative approaches across mediums.

14. Focus on the Customer

In an industry dependent on deep trust to protect clients’ sensitive, hard-earned money, delivering highly responsive, individualized support helps forge meaningful relationships that fuel referrals. Doing whatever it takes to ensure customers feel taken care of can pay dividends.

Consider this scenario: Throwing in a small transfer fee discount for a repeat customer who frequently sends remittances to cover a loved one’s medical bills abroad costs little but signals meaningful support. When their grateful friend later asks where to send their niece’s college tuition, a heartfelt personal recommendation carries far more weight than any advertisement.

Even providing customized guidance to new customers overwhelmed by the transfer options, compliance documentation required, and international policies cements your brand as an ongoing resource at their side rather than just a transactional platform.

By consistently making people the bottom line by nurturing consumer experiences you put yourself in a prime position for return customers.

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How to Start a Money Transfer Business: Step-by-Step Guide!

Envisioning a world where transferring money across borders is as easy as clicking. This is not a distant dream but today’s reality in the digital age. In today’s digital age, the concept of how to start a money transfer business has become more than just a financial venture, It’s a bridge connecting global economies.

The journey of starting a money transfer business has evolved from traditional methods to innovative digital money transfer services. The rise of this industry isn’t just about technology, it’s about connecting lives and fueling economies. With each transaction, there’s a story of someone supporting a loved one or a business expanding its reach.

As we explore this thriving sector, we will uncover the essentials of licensing, compliance, and business setup. These are more than just regulatory hurdles. They are stepping stones to building a trusted and successful venture. fer business. Now, let’s explore this realm where fintech ventures address global problems and generate opportunities for both consumers and entrepreneurs.

Table of Contents

Mapping the $930 Billion Money Transfer Industry

The global remittance space is undergoing tremendous growth, expected to reach a staggering $930 billion by 2026 according to World Bank estimates. Driving this expansion is the growing migrant workforce seeking to support families internationally through convenient money transfer channels.

Key trends like migration, globalization, digitization, and increasing financial inclusion are catalysts for the rising cross-border money flows. We examine the market dynamics powering this expansion.

Navigating the Spectrum of Money Transfer Models

From traditional agents to emerging cryptocurrency platforms, transmitters now integrate various transfer modalities to facilitate affordable convenience. We outline prevalent structures like bank-centric wire transfers, online platforms, mobile apps, and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Underpin the global conveyance infrastructure today, weighing their strengths and weaknesses.

What Drives Money Transfer Costs and Friction

While innovation aims to minimize fees, pricing pressure persists as a barrier for many migrants. Variables like forex fluctuations, provider margins, and licensing overheads contribute to costs frequently amounting to 7% of send amounts. New entrants must balance affordability and profitability concerns amidst structural cost drivers. As newcomers enter this arena, understanding these variables is vital to stand out.

Understanding Compliance Requirements

Navigating the compliance landscape is a critical step in establishing a money transfer business. Before finalizing services, analyzing state-level expectations across bond mandates, capital thresholds, reporting, and application timelines is imperative.

Key Points:

• Researching federal and state regulatory frameworks to ensure your business aligns with legal standards.
• The pivotal role of obtaining a money transmitter license is a non-negotiable aspect of legal operation.
• Outlining essential prerequisites such as net worth requirements and surety bonds.
• A detailed look at the application procedure, demystifying processing times, and documentation intricacies.

Crafting a Strategic Business Plan

A well-crafted business plan is more than a document; it’s a strategic compass guiding your money transfer business toward industry success. It serves as a strategic plan that directs every facet of your company’s path, not just a document. It’s the plan that deftly combines your vision with reality. Laying the groundwork for an enterprise that speaks to both the modern financial services industry and the digital era.

• Breaking down the essential components of a business plan: from the executive summary to the management team.
• The significance of thorough market research in understanding the digital remittance market and identifying target demographics.
• Strategies for establishing competitive pricing and navigating the complexities of regulatory compliance.
• Practical advice on financial planning and risk assessment, crucial for sustaining and growing in the fintech venture.

Structuring Your Money Services Business

Choosing the right business structure is a pivotal decision in the journey of setting up a money transfer business . It’s about aligning your business goals with legal and financial frameworks.

• Deciding on the business entity: Partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), corporations, etc., and understanding their implications.
• Navigating taxation policies, registration formalities, and business registration requirements with relevant authorities, including the U.S. Treasury Department.
• Reviewing capital requirements, exploring sources of investment, and formulating an investment strategy.
• Planning the organizational hierarchy and reporting structures to optimize business operations.

Establishing a Strong Market Position

Gaining visibility amidst veterans like Western Union requires crisp messaging rooted in customer insights. We analyze your niche potential across retail, business, and program remittance segments to shape differentiated propositions.

• Evaluating the Competitive Landscape: Assess offerings from global and regional players through dimensions like transfer modes, corridor coverage, pricing models, and target groups to identify whitespace opportunities.
• Sizing Market Potential: Analyze World Bank migration data and segment flow patterns to quantify addressable consumers and business partners in key send-receive corridors.
• Crafting Value Propositions: Interview customer panels and journey map needs of prime prospects to shape messaging conveying unique strengths over substitutes.
• Building Partnership Networks: Explore strategic tie-ups with post offices, mobile wallets, banks, and SMB aggregators as a cost-effective consumer acquisition strategy.
• Detailing promotional schemes and partnerships : Plan out promotional activities and explore partnerships that can enhance your visibility and credibility. This might include collaborations with local businesses, financial institutions, or technology providers in the financial technology sector.
• Deploying Digital Campaigns: To reach your target audience, develop a thorough digital marketing strategy that makes use of social media, content marketing, and SEO. Utilize marketing strategies that align with the latest trends in the digital age, ensuring your services are visible to those looking for digital money transfer solutions.

Using the above model, you may create outreach plans and positioning strategies that are specific to the target segments and proposition pillars of your endeavor.

Architecting Robust Operational Capabilities

Before accepting first transfers, designing an end-to-end process flow spanning compliance, payments infrastructure, and customer experience is vital. We provide actionable advice on:

• Selecting Banking and Technology Partners: Assess leading payment rails and core banking providers that enable reliable global coverage. Consider platform capabilities, i ntegration mechanisms, and compliance-centric KYC/AML procedures.
• Modeling Process Workflows: Map approval protocols, transfer steps, reconciliation, and settlements outside core systems.
• Masking Infrastructure Costs: Size up expenditure across talent, licensing, banking, software, security, and administration to project realistic overheads.
• Installing Security Safeguards: Implement layered defenses spanning perimeter, network, application, data, and physical realms to continually manage risks.

In wrapping up, we have navigated the intricate licensing pathway and business setup essentials for launching a successful money transfer business. This journey, while demanding, opens doors to the vast and ever-expanding fintech sector.

The digital age has revolutionized how we handle money, making services like online money transfers not just convenient but essential. For aspiring entrepreneurs, the digital remittance market offers immense potential. It’s a realm where innovative marketing strategies and cutting-edge technology converge, creating opportunities for substantial growth and success.

Let’s draw inspiration from the success stories within this industry. These narratives aren’t just tales of triumph but are testaments to the power of entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and strategic business pro-planning . They encourage risk-taking and innovation, essential ingredients for success in the financial technology world.

As you embark on this venture, remember that the journey of establishing a money services organization or a remittance service provider is not just about navigating regulatory requirements or securing a money transmitter license. It’s about finding a place in a fast-paced field and having a significant influence on the financial sector.

Muhammad Asif Saeed has extensive experience in commerce and finance. Specifically, He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree specializing in Accounts and Finance and an MBA focusing on Marketing. These qualifications underpin his understanding of business dynamics and financial strategies.

With an impressive 20-year career in Pakistan’s textile sector, including roles at Masood Textile (MTM) and Sadaqat Limited, excelling in business & financial management. His expertise in financial and business management is further evidenced by his authoritative articles on complex finance and business operation topics for various renowned websites including businessproplanner.com,businesprotips.com,distinctionbetween.com, trueqube.com, and bruitly.com, demonstrating his comprehensive knowledge and professional expertise in the field.

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Business Plan Template for a Remittances and Money Transfer Service Platform

$ 790.00

Our Remittances and Money Transfer Service Business Plan offers a strategic blueprint for businesses in this sector. It focuses on enhancing accessibility, reducing costs, and expanding the customer base. With a detailed plan, you can navigate the competitive landscape, optimize operations, and leverage technology to thrive in the remittance industry.

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Business Plan Outline: Remittances and Money Transfer Service

Executive Summary:

• Overview of the remittances and money transfer industry.
• Mission statement and vision for the business.
• Key objectives, including improving accessibility, cost reduction, and customer base expansion.
• Summary of the business plan.

Business Description:

• Detailed description of the remittances and money transfer service.
• Market analysis, including industry trends and competition.
• Target market identification and segmentation.
• Explanation of the need for improved accessibility, cost-efficiency, and customer base expansion.

Market Analysis:

• Assessment of the current market size and growth potential.
• Analysis of customer behavior and preferences in the remittance industry.
• Identification of key competitors and their strengths and weaknesses.
• Market trends and opportunities for innovation.

Business Strategy:

• Details on expanding physical and digital access points.
• Partnerships with banks, agents, and mobile money providers.
• Utilization of innovative technologies like mobile apps and online platforms.
• Analysis of existing costs and inefficiencies.
• Strategies for optimizing operational processes.
• Negotiating better deals with correspondent banks and service providers.
• Marketing and customer acquisition tactics.
• Customer retention strategies.
• Expansion into new geographical regions and target demographics.

Operational Plan:

• Detailed explanation of the day-to-day operations of the remittances and money transfer service.
• Staffing requirements and organizational structure.
• Compliance with regulatory requirements and licensing.

Technology and Innovation:

• Description of technology infrastructure.
• Security measures to protect customer data and transactions.
• Plans for continuous innovation and adoption of emerging technologies like blockchain.

Financial Plan:

• Projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability.
• Break-even analysis.
• Funding requirements and potential sources of capital.

Marketing and Sales Strategy:

• Branding and marketing tactics.
• Customer acquisition channels.
• Sales team structure and strategies.

Risk Analysis:

• Identification of potential risks and challenges.
• Mitigation strategies for regulatory changes, currency fluctuations, and cybersecurity threats.

Implementation Timeline:

• A detailed timeline for executing the strategies outlined in the business plan.

Conclusion:

• Summary of the key points in the business plan.
• Reiteration of the mission, vision, and objectives.
• Call to action for stakeholders and potential investors.

This business plan provides a roadmap for remittances and money transfer service providers to enhance their accessibility, reduce costs, and expand their customer base in a competitive market. It outlines strategies to address key challenges and seize opportunities in the remittance industry.

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How to Start a Money Transfer Business: Getting started with why, how and what January 23, 2023

Authored by Ibrahim Muhammad, Senior Consultant at RemitONE

Ibrahim Muhammad is a highly passionate payments professional with over 20 years of experience in Money Transfers and provides specialized consultancy to start-ups and incumbents.

Getting started with why, how and what

Diving into a Money Service Business (MSB) without conducting proper research and the right finances can be a very overwhelming project. Therefore, we are introducing a series of articles to help and guide business founders or entrepreneurs who are aiming to launch and scale up their MSB in new jurisdictions. The first article starts with defining the business case and consists of 3 key elements: Why, How and What.

Why: Setting the purpose of your business

As with any other business type, it is essential that the purpose of setting up the business is clearly defined as the first and foremost step of the journey.  This means defining the problem statement wherein you need to identify what sort of problems or challenges you are going to address in the market from which you aim to launch the business. There are several examples, such as your target market (whether send or receive corridors), the sort of pain points or problems customers face with the existing players, how you are going to simplify the overall customer experience while also addressing the transfer fees, exchange rates and other pay-in or pay-out factors.

Business owners need to understand the regulatory landscape in the chosen markets as that will enable them to introduce the appropriate products or services that fit within the given regulatory framework and licensing type. It is crucial that business owners consult subject matter experts to understand all the regulations governing the MSB.

How: Requirements to address the challenges identified in the target markets

After completing the ‘Why’ component of the business case, the next step is to address all the requirements the business owners need to consider to establish the business. 

Various requirements need to be taken into consideration such as:

• Having the right technology and tools to manage the business
• Having the key human resources required to launch and run the business
• The type of partnerships needed for providing the relevant services to the customers (such as establishing relationships with money transfer operators, banks and other payment service providers).

The delivery channels also need to be defined, such as whether the business aims to serve its customers via digital channels only (mobile app, web), brick-or-mortar branches, agent-based networks, or a hybrid model.

Last but not least is selecting the right licensing type available in the given market to launch the business. 

What: the products and services offered to the customers

Once the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ elements are identified, the next step is to specify ‘What’ type of products and services will be offered to the customers. Examples could be a money remittance service provided to the customer via mobile app and providing multiple options of pay-in and pay-out.

Now you’ve read the article, stay tuned for the next in the series that will look at the various money service business licences and the requirements of each. 

If you’re looking to launch a money service business, come and talk to the team at RemitONE. The RemitONE Launchpad Proposal is a bespoke service specifically designed to help new players rapidly launch their money service business and existing players to launch into a new market.

This customised proposal is packed with valuable information and recommended partners you’ll need to start trading, including market and feasibility studies, business plans, costs and timescales so you can plan your launch with confidence.

With over 100 years of combined senior leadership experience in the money transfer industry, RemitONE’s expert consulting team are here to guide you to get you up and running as fast as possible.

Tap into our experts and schedule a free consultation to get started.

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How to Create a Money Transfer App For Remittance Businesses – The Ultimate Guide

The demand for money transfer apps is skyrocketing. With global digital remittance transactions reaching a staggering $390 billion in 2022 alone (source: Grand View Research ). 

It’s high time to seize this profitable opportunity and develop a money transfer app for your remittance business.

In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through the crucial steps of creating a successful money transfer app that will attract a wide audience and position your business.

What Is the Point of a Money Transfer App?

A money transfer app is like having a virtual wallet that a person can use to send money to anyone with just a few taps on their phone. They can link their bank account or credit card to the app, and then use the app to send money to someone else’s bank account or debit card.

The main feature of money transfer platforms is that they make it easy and convenient to send money quickly and securely without the hassle of writing checks or carrying cash. 

The user can send and receive funds as well as track their transactions anytime, anywhere. Also, mobile remittance apps offer additional features like bill payment, splitting expenses with friends, and even international money transfers.

Most often, transfers are made from a bank card to Visa/MasterCard, electronic wallets, or regular bank accounts. Some apps suggest using an email address or phone number.

A money transfer app acts as an intermediary in financial transactions. Product features should be determined by the category to which it belongs and its type.

Review of Money Transfer Platforms Market

Research And Markets reports that the global digital remittance market in 2022 was $19.65 billion. By 2030 it will increase to $60.05 billion (CAGR 15%).

Statista predicts that by 2027 there will be 18.6 million users in the Digital Remittances segment. By comparison, in 2022, the number was 12.8 million. This proves that in the next few years, the popularity of this method will grow steadily.

Notably, personal transfers dominated this global market in 2022 – 44% of global revenues . Remittances from migrant workers, who sent money to their own country, also occupied a significant share.

Experts identify several key market drivers:

• Increasing globalization. Active business and personal transactions across borders increase the need for fast and reliable international remittance apps .
• Convenience. Availability and speed of transfers are especially important for younger generations, who are used to conducting most of their transactions digitally.
• Lower costs. Transfer services offer lower commissions and faster transfer speeds compared to traditional methods.
• Security. Apps guarantee secure transactions thanks to advanced encryption and fraud protection measures that give users peace of mind when sending money.
• Growing use of cryptocurrency. Mobile apps allow users to send and receive digital currencies and are likely to become increasingly popular.

The pandemic has stimulated the use of digital platforms by financial institutions. Also, individuals have become more active in using digital payments, including paying for online purchases. According to Visa Back to Business Study 2021, 68% of consumers preferred more touchless ways to pay.

Do you want to take a highly competitive position in this market? Then provide your audience with a solution with valuable features.

Types of Money Transfer Apps

There are several types of apps for remittance , each with its own unique features and capabilities. I’ll describe some of the most common types:

Bank-Owned Apps

Many major banks offer their own transfer apps. Customers can send money directly from their bank account to another person. The feature is that the app integrates with the bank’s online banking platform. This allows customers to manage all their finances in one place.

All popular U.S. banks support Zelle. Chase QuickPay is an easy way to send/receive money through Zelle in minutes.

Standalone Apps

Unlike the previous type, these apps are not owned by a specific bank. The user can add their bank account or credit card to make transactions. The app allows you to send money to other app users or directly to a recipient’s bank account.

• PayPal. The well-known electronic payment system for sending/receiving transfers.
• Venmo. An American mobile payment service that belongs to PayPal.
• Cash App. Payment service for transferring funds to another account via an app or e-mail.

International Money Transfer Apps

These digital products make it possible to transfer money outside the country. It is only natural that the fees are higher than for domestic transfers. However, this is justified because of the speed and security of transactions at the global level.

• TransferWise. A popular online system for money transfers abroad.
• WorldRemit. A service for sending/receiving funds instantly anywhere in the world with low fees.
• Xoom. Reliable service for sending funds, phone top-ups, and bill payments worldwide.

Crypto Wallet Apps

This is a separate category of apps due to its specific nature. They are not designed for fiat, but for digital funds based on blockchain (cryptocurrency). The user can store and send bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies. It is a decentralized way to send funds outside traditional banking systems.

• Coinbase. A secure platform for storing, transferring, buying, and selling cryptocurrencies.
• Binance. App for cryptocurrency exchange trading and crypto payments.
• BitPay. Service for easy bitcoin management directly on your smartphone.

It’s worth noting that some apps may fit into multiple categories (for example, PayPal offers both domestic and international money transfer services). I should also note that the app can target a specific audience.

For example, individuals use P2P services to transfer funds from card to card (CashApp, mentioned above). But B2B services are designed for one-time or regular payments between businesses (businesses often choose Stripe for this).

Regardless of type, each platform ensures the availability, speed, and reliability of transfers. It is not surprising that more and more people choose this method for their purposes, and the market is growing.

Remittance App Key Features

Here are the features that must be implemented in your money transfer app .

Provide an opportunity to register and fill out a profile: (personal info, bank account, billing address, payment card details). 

It is important that each user can set up authorization (via PIN, graphic key, fingerprint) and receive requests.  RNDpoint has implemented all these features in P2P Money Transfer App (project under NDA). See the project screenshots below.

Sending and Receiving Money

The app must offer transfers within the country and abroad (in different currencies), intrabank and interbank.

Several transfer methods should be introduced:

• To bank account . The user enters the recipient’s name, address, and account number. If it is an international money transfer app , the details must include SWIFT, IBAN of a client’s bank.
• To a bank card . The payer specifies all the necessary card details: the cardholder’s name, card number, and expiration date.
• In-app . In this case, it is enough for the payer to add the recipient’s email address or phone number. It can also be an e-wallet address or an account ID.

The option to save templates for transfers to your card, cell phone, etc., will be helpful. This is one of the features of the P2P Money Transfer App I discussed above.

Paying Bills

Take care of convenience and optimize the billing process. Here, you also can prepare templates for services requiring regular payments: water, electricity, telecommunications, insurance, university education, and so on. 

If the exact date and payment amount are known, the withdrawal process can be automated.

Transaction History

Users of money transfer platforms should be aware of the transaction processes. Let them view transfers (by country, sender, recipient, period) and fees in real time. Automate the generation of reports based on this data.

Balance Management

The balance should be automatically updated upon receipt/withdrawal. Add several ways to deposit funds (from a card, bank account, etc.) and withdraw them (to an account, card, etc.). 

Currency Conversion

In addition to monitoring currency exchange rates, you need the ability to convert to the desired currencies. This is an important function of the app for international transfers. 

The app should offer currency conversion options to ensure that the recipient receives the correct amount of money in their local currency.

Deposits, Loans, and Credits

Another function is related to obtaining additional funds. It can be deposits, loans, etc. The borrower can apply and receive funds. The lender approves/rejects the request and notifies the borrower of the need for repayments. Communication between the parties plays an essential role here.

Payment Requests

Users should be able to request payments from others, such as friends or family members, by sending them a payment request through the app. This allows both parties to be aware of and manage scheduled transactions.

Payment by Installments

If you want your app to be used for purchases, add the option to pay in installments. The purchase price is divided into several equal parts, which are withdrawn within a short time. It will make you popular with a broad audience of online shoppers.

It is critical that user data and transactions are secure. The app should offer advanced security features, such as:

• Encryption of payment data.
• AI fraud detection.
• Adding an electronic signature.
• Two-factor authentication.
• Biometric authentication.
• 3D Secure for card protection.
• Identity verification using KYC/AML.
• Compliance standards (PCI DSS, ISO 20022, PSD2, and GDPR).

With enormous experience in outsourcing financial software development , RNDpoint knows how to secure your application. See the security section of P2P Money Transfer app created by the RNDpoint team.

Customer Support

The app should offer reliable and responsive customer support, with clear instructions for how to contact support in case of any issues or questions. This will help improve the user experience and build audience trust in the app.

Notifications

Users need to receive notifications about all actions on bank accounts: receiving a transfer, debiting funds, replenishing the balance, etc. It can also be newsletters, for example, about updating the functionality.

Additional Features

Some apps for remittance may also offer additional features, e.g., splitting payments with friends or the ability to donate to charity through the app. It all depends on the preferences of your audience.

To make the application even more convenient, connect it to third-party services and systems.

RNDpoint specializes in developing advanced money transfer apps that empower remittance businesses to stay ahead of the curve. Contact us to learn all the details.

Success story. How RNDpoint developed a money transfer app from scratch in just 6 months

At RNDpoint, we have implemented dozens of projects related to the remittance industry. One of them was a money transfer app for a large European bank. We developed it from scratch. All the work took us 6 months.

Bank’s request. Our team has to develop a P2P payment app from scratch. With this application, the Bank wanted to expand its services.

UI/UX design. This was a separate big task. At the top of the list was the requirement that elements of the application load as quickly as possible.

Implementation. Firstly, our team created a prototype of the application, and then the Bank entrusted us with the development of the entire platform. 

We implemented all the necessary integrations with third-party systems and the Bank’s payment gateways.

In addition, we trained Bank employees to maintain the application, as well as provided technical support and development of new functionality.

Our team created a functional and easy-to-use admin panel so that bank employees can manage the application without involving software development specialists.

Functionality developed: 

• Money transfers
• Money requests
• Sign-up and onboarding process 
• Admin panel 
• Bill splitting  
• Customizable templates
• Card ordering
• Promotional games settings
• Virtual card design

Result. Over the course of six months, we successfully created a comprehensive money transfer app, equipped with all the essential features and functionality. Our work received a commendation from the Bank, expressing their utmost satisfaction.

Read the full success story here .

Integrations of a Money Transfer App

Integrations empower money transfer platforms. There are two options of integrations for such apps.

First option. The money transfer app should definitely be integrated with: 

• Local transfer providers : interstate euro bank transfers (SEPA) or payment transactions through a special electronic network between US banks (ACH).
• International transfer systems (SWIFT, Western Union, MoneyGram): sending funds worldwide.
• Currency exchange systems : currency conversion in accordance with the current exchange rate.

Second option. Implement integration with:

Transfer aggregators like Airwallex or CurrencyCloud. It will give you access to the main features for transactions in different currencies.

I recommend analyzing the experience of companies that have managed to become famous at the global level.

Top 5 Money Remittance Apps

We prepared the rating of applications based on up-to-date data from CNBC .

PayPal’s peer-to-peer payment platform that allows individuals to send/receive money.

Venmo is best for : P2P transfers to family and friends in a few clicks.

Customer reviews : 

• Play Store rating: 4.2 based on 671K reviews, 10M+ downloads.
• App Store rating: 4.9 based on 15.3M ratings.

American money transfer system that has partnerships with leading banks and credit unions.

Zelle is best for : fast and secure interbank transfers.

• Play Store rating: 4.0 based on 119K reviews, 10M+ downloads.
• App Store rating: 4.8 based on 447.1K ratings.

Top system for sending/receiving money transfers, paying bills, and shopping.

PayPal is best for : personal (transfer to friends and family, making purchases) and business goals (paying bills to the contractor company).

• Play Store rating: 4.3 based on 2.88M reviews, 100M+ downloads.
• App Store rating: 4.8 based on 6.2M ratings.

A mobile payment service that allows you not only to transfer money but also to invest in stocks and trade bitcoins.

CashApp is best for : budding investors looking for an easy and cost-effective way to trade stocks and bitcoin.

• Play Store rating: 4.6 based on 2.23M reviews, 50M+ downloads.
• App Store rating: 4.8 based on 4.3M ratings.

International money transfer app with fast, transparent, and accessible processes.

Remitly is best for : sending money worldwide to more than 135 countries.

• Play Store rating: 4.8 based on 571K reviews, 5M+ downloads.
• App Store rating: 4.9 based on 231K ratings.

How to build a product that will be highly appreciated by users? Next, I consider the main stages of the process.

How to Create a Money Transfer App?

As a rule, the path from an idea to the release of a product takes 6 stages. The work does not end there: the team starts technical support and maintenance. But first things first.

Ideation and requirements development

It all starts with market research and the search for viable ideas. It is important to analyze the needs of the target audience and study competitors in the industry.

The results of the analysis help determine:

• Mobile OS : iOS, Android, or cross-platform application.
• Functionality : types of transfers (P2P, B2B) and methods (to a bank account, to a card, etc.), currencies, and more.
• Non-functional requirements: scalability, performance, security, compliance standards.
• Data types and formats that the product will process: currencies, amounts, payment methods, recipient information, transaction IDs, date and time records, transaction fees, and exchange rates.
• UI requirements : simple and intuitive design, clear and concise instructions, user-friendly forms, payment confirmation, etc.
• Integrations : third-party services that the app should be connected to.

At this stage, we recommend contacting remittance software providers. RNDpoint can make  Solution Discovery  in the shortest possible time and help you build an effective strategy.

Remittance business plan

This stage involves the creation of a remittance business plan that should become the foundation for further work.

The plan includes:

• Project objectives to be achieved.
• KPIs to track performance.
• Project duration and work schedule.
• The budget you can allocate to the project.
• Roles in the team in accordance with the tasks.
• Potential risks and ways to overcome them.
• Approximate indicators of TCO and ROI.

The plan ensures consistency and transparency of teamwork on your international money transfer app .

Digital remittance app design

The stage begins with architecture design and feature prioritization. Next comes UI/UX for all user roles: individuals, business entities, and administrators.

Product designers create a prototype, test it, and decide on the visual style of the app.

Development and Testing

The team performs the following tasks:

• Developing the app architecture : designing the overall structure of the app (the backend servers, databases, APIs, and UI).
• Coding : writing the code, including the server-side code, client-side code, and any third-party integrations.
• Testing the code : testing the code to ensure that it is functional, reliable, and free of errors or bugs (unit, integration, and system testing).
• Integrating payment gateways : connecting the app to one or more payment gateways to enable secure and seamless money transfers.
• Developing security features : implementing functions to protect user data and transactions (2FA, encryption, and fraud prevention measures).
• Implementing compliance requirements : complying with local laws and regulations, including AML and KYC checks.
• UI testing : to ensure that it works correctly on different devices and operating systems.
• Performance and load testing : testing under various conditions to ensure that it can handle high loads and perform well under stress.
• User acceptance testing : testing with end users to ensure that it meets their needs and expectations.

Development and testing are critical to ensure the reliability, functionality, and security of the product. The team uses modern Agile practices to increase the speed and flexibility of these processes.

Deployment and Release

Specialists establish infrastructure for backup and recovery. They also ensure security by setting up DDoS protection, implementing IDS/IPS, and taking other measures. When everything is ready, the product is brought to the market.

Then the app creation goes to another level. The team ensures that the product operates without errors, and maintains security and compliance. If necessary, professionals create and implement new features to meet the changing needs of the audience.

Given the specifics of the application, it is vital that the development is carried out by FinTech experts.  RNDpoint team  can conduct an in-depth industry study, create a strategy, and calculate the project’s cost.

The Cost of Money Transfer Platforms Development

The cost is formed based on many factors: project size, duration, and number or complexity of functions. The last factor is especially important for startups. RNDpoint recommends that you start by creating the main functionality to assess its viability.

Next, I will give an example of how to calculate the cost of such an app based on the hourly rate in Eastern Europe. According to current Arc data, it is $41-60 . I will take the average rate of $50 as a basis.

Take a look at the estimated prices for the creation of a mobile remittance app with basic features:

So, the MVP functionality for one OS can be developed in 1,436 hours, which will cost $71,800.  

In the case of development for both iOS and Android, the cost will double. Also, take into account the prices for other services: business analysis, project management, testing, and DevOps.

Want to get a project estimate?  Contact RNDpoint , and our experts will calculate the total cost, considering your individual requirements.

How to Start a Money Transfer Business with RNDpoint?

RNDpoint has been working in the FinTech market since 2014. Having impressive industry experience, we cope with tasks of any complexity.

RNDpoint provides its customers with a white-label solution for the rapid development of eWallets and mobile remittance apps . Our eWallet white-label payment platform has 3 prebuilt modules:

• UI design. The platform has complete screens, layouts, and the entire design. If necessary, we make changes to the interface and adapt it to the corporate style.
• Backend core. Among the main features are registration and authentication, funds transfer, currency exchange, administration, and reporting. We use our own ProcessMIX software to automate the development of decision-making logic.
• Integration layer. Integration with various third-party systems is possible: payment providers, card issuing partners, banking partners, KYC/AML services, notifications, and analytics. With ProcessMIX, we speed up the implementation of integrations by 3 times and reduce the cost by 2 times.

This approach significantly increases the speed of work. On average, we develop an MVP in 2–4 months. Our team supports your project from idea to release and provides post-release support if required.

What should a money transfer app be like to earn popularity with your audience and bring you profit? Functional, reliable, and easy to use at the same time.

Implement valuable features: quick transfers, transaction history, currency exchange, balance management, etc. Ensure security and compliance, take care of the user experience and adapt the app to all necessary devices and platforms.

It is a software product for mobile devices designed to send/receive money. Users can make transfers within the country or abroad. The common ways include: a card, a bank account, an electronic wallet, using a phone number or email address.

According to CNBC, the app ranking looks like this: Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, CashApp, and Remitly.

First, decide on the type of product. It may be an application with targeted functionality, for example, only for P2P transfers. In the long run, it is more profitable to create a universal product that allows users to provide transfers in different ways, track transactions, and manage their accounts.

The work begins with the formation of an idea, the collection of requirements, and planning. Next, the team creates a design, develops functionality, and connects the product to third-party systems and services. QA engineers are responsible for maintaining quality at different stages. After release, experts monitor issues and feature updates.

An app with key features for one OS can cost about $70,000. However, the amount increases for large and complex projects created for Android and iOS with many integrations. 

Contact RNDpoint for an individual cost estimate.

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Money Transfer Business Plan Sample PDF Example | Free Download Presented by BizMove

Watch This Video Before Starting Your Money Transfer Business Plan PDF!

Checklist for Starting a Money Transfer Business: Essential Ingredients for Success

If you are thinking about going into business, it is imperative that you watch this video first! it will take you by the hand and walk you through each and every phase of starting a business. It features all the essential aspects you must consider BEFORE you start a Money Transfer business. This will allow you to predict problems before they happen and keep you from losing your shirt on dog business ideas. Ignore it at your own peril!

For more insightful videos visit our Small Business and Management Skills YouTube Chanel .

Here’s Your Free Money Transfer Business Plan DOC

Free book for you: how to start a business from scratch (pdf).

Copy the following link to your browser and save the file to your PC:

https://www.bizmove.com/free-pdf-download/how-to-start-a-business.pdf

A Box Full of Kisses

Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man became embarrassed by his overreaction earlier, but his rage continue when he saw that the box was empty. He yelled at her; “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside?”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried;

“Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. Her father kept the gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

Moral of the story: Love is the most precious gift in the world.

Puppies for Sale

A shop owner placed a sign above his door that said: “Puppies For Sale.”

Signs like this always have a way of attracting young children, and to no surprise, a boy saw the sign and approached the owner; “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.

The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”

The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I only have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”

The shop owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came a Lady, who ran down the aisle of his shop followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”

The shop owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame.

The little boy became excited. “That is the puppy that I want to buy.”

The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said;

 “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”

The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

Who's Counting?

Napoleon was involved in conversation with a colonel of a Hungarian battalion who had been taken prisoner in Italy. The colonel mentioned he had fought in the army of Maria Theresa. "You must have a few years under your belt!" exclaimed Napoleon. "I'm sure I've lived sixty or seventy years," replied the colonel. "You mean to say," Napoleon continued, "you have not kept track of the years you have lived?"

To that the colonel promptly replied, "Sir, I always count my money, my shirts, and my horses - but as for my years, I know nobody who wants to steal them, and I shall surely never lose them."

Manage a Business successfully, manage a company, is the key to the establishment and expansion of the business. The key to successful management is to inspect the market environment and create employment and profit opportunities that provide the possible growth and financial viability of the business. Regardless of the Significance of management, this region can be misunderstood and poorly executed, primarily because people concentrate on the output in place of the procedure for management. Toward the end Of the 1980s, company managers became absorbed in improving product quality, sometimes ignoring their function vis-a-vis personnel. The focus has been on reducing costs and increasing output, while ignoring the long-term advantages of motivating personnel. This shortsighted perspective tended to increase profits in the brief term, but made a dysfunctional long-term small business atmosphere. Simultaneously With the growth in concern about quality, entrepreneurship brought the interest of company. A sudden wave of successful entrepreneurs appeared to render sooner direction theories obsolete. The press focused on the new cult heroes Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack (creators and developers of the Apple Computer) while ignoring the marketing and organizing talents of Mike Markula, the executive responsible for Apple's business plan. The story of two men selling their Volkswagen bus to build the first Apple computer was more romantic than that of their organizational genius that enabled Apple to develop, market and send its goods while quickly becoming a major corporation. In large Companies, effective manage business abilities requires preparation. Planning is vital for developing a firm's potential. However, many small businesses do not recognize the demand for long-term aims, because the few of people involved with operating the business implies equivalent responsibility in the planning and decision-making processes. Nevertheless, the need for planning is as vital in a small business as it is in a large one. This guide Focuses on the value of good management practices. Specifically, it addresses the responsibilities of handling the external and internal environments. Running A Business Effectively: The External Environment. Five decades ago, Alvin Toffler suggested that the vision of the citizen in the tight grasp of an omnipotent bureaucracy would be replaced through an organizational structure of ad-hocracy. The conventional company organization implied a social contract between employees and employers. By adhering to some predetermined set of duties and sharply defined functions and responsibilities, workers received a predefined set of benefits.The Organizational structure that Toffler predicted in 1970 became the standard 20 decades later, and with it came altered concepts of authority. As organizations became more transitory, the authority of the company and firm has been replaced with the jurisdiction of the individual supervisor. This entrepreneurial management version is now being replicated throughout society. Consequently, the individual business operator must internalize ever increasing organizational purposes. Another Shift In the present business environment is dealing with government agencies. Their influence on the behavior of company most recently seems to have increased. As businesses don't attain high levels of moral behaviour or individual companies exhibit specific lapses, the government rushes in to fill the breach with its regulations. Powerful Communications play an integral role in managing and operating any successful small business. With open communications modifications and their effects on the organization are rapidly shared. Your company then has the time and skills required to react to changes and take advantage of evolving opportunities. The following Checklist addressing how you'd respond to a worker's suggestion offers an assessment of the communication process in your company. Place a check beside the statements that are commonly heard in your business. Balancing Schedules Stress and Personnel. With no organization and decent management the compressed time schedules associated with contemporary business can cause stress and make extraordinary demands on people. A successful management structure can lessen stress and channel the effective capacity of employees into business growth and profits. Setting Duties Tasks and Responsibilities. An organization is characterized by the nature and determination of workers' responsibilities tasks and responsibilities. While many organizations use different procedures for discovering these it is essential that they be clearly defined. The center of any Business is its people and their own functions. Duties responsibilities and tasks often evolve in an ad hoc manner. A typical company starts with a few individuals often one doing all duties. As the company develops others are hired to fulfill specific roles often on a functional basis. Roles which were managed by consultants and experts outside the firm now are managed internally. As new demands emerge new roles have been developed. Another crucial to Successful management is located in controlling battle. Conflict cannot be eliminated from the company or the interpersonal actions of the enterprise. A measure of the business's success is that the degree to which conflict may be exposed and the energies related to it channeled to build up the firm. Though establishing policies and procedures represents the tangible aspect of organization and management the mechanisms to endure and embody barriers to the established operation serve as the actual gist of a firm which will survive and prosper. Even though you May find that certain events are affecting your company be careful not to alter the organizational structure of your firm without discussing it with your management staff. Employees generally can accomplish goals despite organizational structures imposed by management. Since restructuring involves spending a lot of time studying new rules implementing a new organizational structure is pricey. The essence of A successful organization can be simply outlined than employed. The Following checklist can help you determine steps to make sure your direction Structure is sufficient. Check the entries that apply to your firm and also find Out what measures your company needs to take to enhance its management Structure.

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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)

Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.

If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.

Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.

You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.

Let’s get started.

What Do You Need A Business Plan For?

Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.

1. Secure Funds

One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.

For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.

A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.

Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.

2. Monitor Business Growth

A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:

• The business goals
• Methods to achieve the goals
• Time-frame for attaining those goals

A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.

You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.

3. Measure Business Success

A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.

Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.

You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.

4. Document Your Marketing Strategies

You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.

Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.

In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:

• How do you want to reach your target audience?
• How do you plan to retain your customers?
• What is/are your pricing plans?
• What is your budget for marketing?

How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step

1. create your executive summary.

The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.

Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.

A good executive summary should do the following:

• A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
• Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
• Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
• The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
• Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
• Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
• Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
• Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
• Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.

The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.

Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.

View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What sector or industry are you in?
• What are your products and services?
• What is the future of your industry?
• Is your company scaleable?
• Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
• What is the motivation for starting your company?
• What are the next steps?

Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.

The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.

If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.

2. Add Your Company Overview

The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.

Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.

Your company overview should contain the following:

• What products and services you will provide
• Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
• What you need to run your business
• Who your target audience or customers are
• Who will service your customers
• Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
• Information about your company’s founders
• Who the founders are
• Notable achievements of your company so far

When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.

If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.

• Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
• What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
• How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
• Where is the location of your business?
• What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
• How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
• How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?

After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.

The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.

Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”

When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:

• Founding Date
• Major Milestones
• Location(s)
• Flagship Products or Services
• Number of Employees
• Executive Leadership Roles

When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.

Business Objectives

Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.

3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity

The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.

Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.

This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.

Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?

You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.

Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?

Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?

Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.

Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.

Market Analysis

Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.

The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.

A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.

• Market Research

To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.

• Your target market’s needs or pain points
• The existing solutions for their pain points
• Geographic Location
• Demographics

The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.

Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.

You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.

How to Quantify Your Target Market

One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:

• Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
• Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
• Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
• Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.

What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?

Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.

You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:

• Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
• Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
• Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
• Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
• Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
• Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
• Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
• Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.

The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.

Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.

• Is your product or service of superior quality?
• What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
• Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?

Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.

Competitive Analysis

In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.

Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.

Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.

The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.

Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.

When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.

Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.

• What are your successful competitors doing?
• Why is what they are doing working?
• Can your business do it better?
• What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
• What are they not doing well?
• Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
• How good is your competitors’ customer service?
• Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
• What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
• What marketing strategies are they using?
• What kind of press coverage do they get?
• What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?

If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.

If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.

Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.

The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.

Direct vs Indirect Competition

You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.

There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.

If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.

In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.

For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.

There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.

Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.

1. Cost Leadership

A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.

A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.

2. Product Differentiation

Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.

Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.

3. Market Segmentation

As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.

If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.

4. Define Your Business and Management Structure

The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.

Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.

If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.

Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.

The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.

Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.

Management Team

The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.

Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.

A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.

Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.

Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.

If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.

Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team

• Who are the key leaders?
• What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
• Do your key leaders have industry experience?
• What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
• What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
• What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?

Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section

1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team

There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.

Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.

2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles

Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.

While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.

Organizational Chart

Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.

If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.

An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.

You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.

5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering

In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.

Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.

The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.

If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”

Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:

• A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
• The pricing model for your product or service.
• Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
• The ideal customers that want your product or service.
• The benefits of your products and services.
• Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
• Plans for filling the orders you receive
• If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.

What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services

In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.

When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Unique features
• Translating the unique features into benefits
• The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
• Intellectual property rights or any patents

When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
• Time between purchases
• Plans for research and development.

When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:

• The creation of new or existing products and services.
• The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
• Assembling the products
• Maintaining quality control
• Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
• The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.

Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan

1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords

The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.

A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.

2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors

When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.

If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.

For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.

3. Long or Short Products or Services Section

Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?

There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.

If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.

Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.

The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.

If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.

A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.

4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers

Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.

Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.

5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers

The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.

When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.

While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.

Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section

Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.

• Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
• What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
• What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
• Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
• Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
• How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
• What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
• What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
• What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
• Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
• Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
• How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?

You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.

6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan

Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.

The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.

There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.

In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.

Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).

Target Market and Target Audience

Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.

Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.

Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.

Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.

Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.

Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.

Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?

Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market

• What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
• What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
• Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
• How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?

After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.

All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.

Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.

For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].

For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.

“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”

You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.

After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.

Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.

You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.

Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering

Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.

• Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
• Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
• Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.

• Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
• Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
• Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.

After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.

As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.

There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.

Advertising

Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.

Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.

Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.

A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.

Public Relations

A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.

Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,

Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.

Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.

If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.

Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.

When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.

• Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
• What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
• How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?

Social Media

Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.

You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.

Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.

Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.

You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.

Strategic Alliances

If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.

Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.

The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.

Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.

Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan

1. Focus on Your Target Market

Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.

You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.

These questions can help you know your competition.

• What makes your competition successful?
• What are their weaknesses?
• What are customers saying about your competition?

3. Consider Your Brand

Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.

4. Focus on Benefits

The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.

Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.

5. Focus on Differentiation

Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan

• What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
• What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
• What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
• Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
• What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
• Where will you sell your products?

You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.

The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.

7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request

If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’

A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.

Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.

In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.

Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.

If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.

Funding Request: Debt or Equity?

When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.

Case for Equity

If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.

Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.

Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.

Case for Debt

You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.

When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.

Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.

Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.

You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.

Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan

The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.

If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.

You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.

If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .

Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.

8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections

If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.

The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.

If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.

If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.

When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.

Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.

Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.

Use Graphs and Charts

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.

Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.

Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections

Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.

You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.

What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.

A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.

Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.

1. Sales Forecast

Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.

One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.

For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.

Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.

Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.

For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.

2. Personnel Plan

The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.

However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.

The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.

3. Income Statement

The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.

Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.

The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.

• Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
• Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
• Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
• Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
• Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
• Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
• Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.

4. Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.

5. Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.

You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.

6. Exit Strategy

The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.

Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.

Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.

Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection

Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.

You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.

Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.

• What is your sales forecast for the next year?
• When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
• What are the core expenses you need to operate?
• How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
• How will you use the loans or investments?

9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan

Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.

The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.

When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.

Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.

You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.

If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.

A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.

The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.

People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.

Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan

The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:

• Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
• Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
• Additional financial documents or projections
• Articles of incorporation and status
• Backup for market research or competitive analysis
• Bank statements
• Business registries
• Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
• Copies of insurances
• Credit histories (personal or/and business)
• Deeds and permits
• Equipment leases
• Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
• Industry associations and memberships
• Images of product
• Intellectual property
• Key customer contracts
• Legal documents and other contracts
• Letters of reference
• Links to references
• Market research data
• Organizational charts
• Photographs of potential facilities
• Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
• Purchase orders
• Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
• State and federal identification numbers or codes
• Trademarks or patents’ registrations

Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.

Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan

To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.

The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.

Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.

• A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
• A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
• A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.

2. Get Inspiration from People

Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.

To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.

When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.

3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic

Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.

The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.

In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.

The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.

To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.

4. Keep it Simple and Short

When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.

One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.

Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.

You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.

To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.

5. Make an Outline and Follow Through

A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.

For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.

To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.

This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Product or service description
• Target audience
• Market size
• Competition analysis
• Financial projections

Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.

6. Ask a Professional to Proofread

When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.

You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.

In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.

Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.

Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time

1. hubspot's one-page business plan.

The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.

Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:

• Business opportunity
• Company description
• Industry analysis
• Target market
• Implementation timeline
• Marketing plan
• Financial summary
• Funding required

2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template

Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.

The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.

3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.

The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.

There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.

4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute

My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.

The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.

• The Business Profile
• The Vision and the People
• Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
• Organization
• Licenses and Permits
• Business Insurance
• Communication Tools
• Acquisitions
• Location and Leasing
• Accounting and Cash Flow
• Opening and Marketing
• Managing Employees
• Expanding and Handling Problems

There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.

5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.

The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.

There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.

The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.

6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage

The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .

There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.

7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.

There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Service Line
• Marketing and Sales

8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.

There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.

9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template

The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.

There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Products and services
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion / Call to action
• Confidentiality statement

You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)

PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.

10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.

Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.

Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan

A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.

Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.

The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.

Segments of the Business Model Canvas

The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.

• Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
• Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
• The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
• Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
• Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
• Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
• Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
• Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
• Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?

Lean Canvas

The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.

Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:

• Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
• Solution: The solutions to each problem.
• Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
• Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.

Startup Pitch Deck

While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.

Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.

Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.

Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.

Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.

• Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
• Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
• Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
• Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
• Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
• Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
• Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
• Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
• Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
• Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
• Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
• Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.

It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.

Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.

Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan

• Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
• Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
• Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
• Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.

Business Plan FAQ

Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time.  They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.

Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans.  A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.

A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs.  Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.

The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.

A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.

Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.

Exlore Further

• 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
• 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
• 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
• How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

Remittance Company Marketing Plan Template

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Main Elements of Remittance Company Marketing Plan Template

ClickUp's Remittance Company Marketing Plan template is the perfect tool to streamline your marketing efforts and keep track of important tasks. Here are the main elements of this List template:

• Custom Statuses: Easily manage tasks with 6 different statuses, including Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, Needs Input, Planned, and To Do, to track the progress of your marketing plan and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
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How to Use Marketing Plan for Remittance Company

If you're looking to create a marketing plan for your remittance company, follow these steps to get started:

1. Define your target market

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Use custom fields in ClickUp to track key demographic information and characteristics of your target market.

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Establish clear objectives for your marketing plan. What do you want to achieve? It could be increasing brand awareness, acquiring new customers, or expanding into new markets. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals will help guide your marketing efforts and measure success.

Create Goals in ClickUp to outline your marketing objectives and track progress towards achieving them.

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Use the Board view in ClickUp to brainstorm and organize your marketing strategies, assigning tasks to team members responsible for each strategy.

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Allocate a budget for your marketing plan. Consider how much you are willing to invest in various marketing channels and activities. This will help you prioritize your marketing efforts and ensure you have the necessary resources to execute your strategies effectively.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to create a budget spreadsheet, tracking expenses for each marketing channel and activity.

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Utilize Automations in ClickUp to automate tracking and reporting of key marketing metrics, saving you time and effort.

6. Review, analyze, and optimize

Regularly review and analyze the results of your marketing activities. Identify areas of success and areas for improvement. Adjust your strategies and tactics accordingly to optimize your marketing plan. Continuously test and iterate to find the most effective approaches for reaching your target market and achieving your marketing objectives.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to gather and visualize data from various sources, allowing you to easily analyze and optimize your marketing efforts.

By following these steps and utilizing ClickUp's features, you can develop a comprehensive and effective marketing plan for your remittance company.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Remittance Company Marketing Plan Template

Remittance companies can use this Marketing Plan Template to streamline their marketing efforts and effectively reach their target audience.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a comprehensive marketing plan:

• Utilize the Key Results View to set measurable goals and track the success of your marketing campaigns
• The Timeline View will help you visualize the timing and duration of your marketing activities
• Use the Getting Started Guide View to outline the steps and resources needed to execute your marketing plan
• The Objectives View will allow you to define the specific objectives and targets for your marketing initiatives
• Organize tasks into six different statuses: Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, Needs Input, Planned, To Do, to keep track of progress
• Update statuses as you move through tasks to ensure everyone is aware of the current state of each activity
• Monitor and analyze progress using the Progress Board View to identify areas of improvement and optimize your marketing efforts.

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I. Executive Summary

Company description.

GlobalLink Transfers is a fintech startup that specializes in providing affordable and reliable international remittance services in the United States. The company's name reflects its mission to establish a global network of trusted financial partners and empower immigrants and expatriates to seamlessly transfer funds to their home countries. Operating in the highly competitive remittance industry, GlobalLink Transfers aims to differentiate itself through user-friendly technology, transparent pricing, and exceptional customer service .

GlobalLink Transfers offers a secure online platform and mobile application that enables customers to initiate cross-border money transfers with ease . By continuously expanding its network of partner financial institutions, the company ensures that customers can reliably send funds to a wide range of destinations. In the coming years, GlobalLink Transfers plans to introduce additional features such as recurring transfers, multi-currency wallets, and peer-to-peer payments to further enhance the user experience and maintain its competitive edge in the market.

The existing international remittance services in the United States are plagued by high transfer fees , slow transaction times , and limited accessibility , particularly in smaller or rural areas of the recipient countries. These issues create significant financial and logistical burdens for immigrant and expatriate communities, undermining their ability to effectively support their families, pay bills, or make investments in their countries of origin. The high fees, lengthy transaction times, and lack of accessible services contribute to a sense of frustration and disempowerment among the target customers, as they struggle to maintain meaningful ties with their home countries and support their loved ones effectively. The existing solutions in the market fail to adequately address these pain points, leaving a significant gap that GlobalLink Transfers aims to fill.

GlobalLink Transfers provides a comprehensive suite of innovative remittance services to address the needs of immigrants and expatriates in the United States. Our user-friendly online platform and mobile app , diverse transfer options , competitive pricing and fast transactions , and comprehensive customer support enable our customers to manage their global financial connections with confidence and ease.

Mission Statement

GlobalLink Transfers is committed to empowering immigrant and expatriate communities by providing affordable, secure, and transparent international remittance services . Driven by a passion for financial inclusion and customer-centric innovation, we strive to build a trusted brand that simplifies the process of sending money across borders and strengthens global connections.

Key Success Factors

The key success factors that will drive the growth and profitability of GlobalLink Transfers include:

• Innovative Digital Platform - A user-friendly and secure online platform and mobile app that provides a seamless international money transfer experience.
• Extensive Partner Network - A continuously expanding network of partner financial institutions to facilitate transactions in various countries and regions.
• Tailored Customer Experience - Exceptional customer service and additional features such as recurring transfers, multi-currency wallets, and peer-to-peer payments to meet the diverse needs of the immigrant and expatriate communities.
• Targeted Marketing Approach - Effective digital marketing campaigns and strategic partnerships with community organizations to reach and engage the target market.
• Experienced Management Team - A diverse and seasoned management team with expertise in fintech, international finance, and regulatory compliance.

Financial Summary

GlobalLink Transfers has established a strong financial foundation for its remittance services business. The company's projected financial performance and expected return on investment (ROI) demonstrate its potential to become a leading provider of affordable and reliable international money transfer solutions.

GlobalLink Transfers is seeking $5 million in seed funding to support the initial development and launch of its remittance platform. The projected financial performance and expected ROI of over 45% by 2026 make GlobalLink Transfers an attractive investment opportunity for potential investors.

Funding Requirements

To ensure the successful launch and growth of GlobalLink Transfers, the startup requires a comprehensive funding plan of $5,000,000 .

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Frequently Asked Questions

18 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

Published: July 01, 2024

I believe that reading sample business plans is essential when writing your own.

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As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it’s easier for you to learn how to write a good one.

So what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that’s both viable and convincing? I’ll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started.

Table of Contents

Business Plan Types

Business plan format, sample business plan: section by section, sample business plan templates, top business plan examples.

Ultimately, the format of your business plan will vary based on your goals for that plan. I’ve added this quick review of different business plan types that achieve differing goals.

For a more detailed exploration of business plan types, you can check out this post .

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1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas. If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business.

You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business's product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. In my opinion, internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

A strategic business plan is another business plan that's often shared internally. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company's acquisition or repositioning strategy.

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

I’m going to focus on a startup business plan that needs to be detailed and research-backed as well as compelling enough to convince investors to offer funding. In my experience, the most comprehensive and convincing business plans contain the following sections.

Executive Summary

This all-important introduction to your business plan sets the tone and includes the company description as well as what you will be exchanging for money — whether that’s product lines, services, or product-service hybrids.

Market Opportunity

Information about gaps in your industry’s market and how you plan to fill them, focused on demand and potential for growth.

Competitive Landscape Analysis

An overview of your competitors that includes consideration of their strengths and how you’ll manage them, their weaknesses and how you’ll capitalize on them, and how you can differentiate your offerings in the industry.

Target Audience

Descriptions of your ideal customers, their various problems that you can solve, and your customer acquisition strategy.

Marketing Strategy

This section details how you will market your brand to achieve specific goals, the channels and tactics you’ll utilize to reach those goals, and the metrics you’ll be using to measure your progress.

Key Features and Benefits

This is where you’ll use plain language to emphasize the value of your product/service, how it solves the problems of your target audiences, and how you’ll scale up over time.

Pricing and Revenue

This section describes your pricing strategy and plans for building revenue streams that fit your audiences while achieving your business goals.

This is the final section, communicating with investors that your business idea is worth investing in via profit/loss statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets to prove viability.

Okay, so now that we have a format established, I’ll give you more specific details about each section along with examples. Truthfully, I wish I’d had this resource to help me flesh out those first business plans long ago.

1. Executive Summary

I’d say the executive summary is the most important section of the entire business plan. It is essentially an overview of and introduction to your entire project.

Write this in such a way that it grabs your readers' attention and guides them through the rest of the business plan. This is important because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

There are two main elements I’d recommend including in your executive summary: your company description and your products and services.

Company Description

This is the perfect space to highlight your company’s mission statement and goals, a brief overview of your history and leadership, and your top accomplishments as a business.

Tell potential investors who you are and why what you do matters. Naturally, they’re going to want to know who they’re getting into business with up front. This is a great opportunity to showcase your impact.

Need some extra help firming up your business goals? I’d recommend HubSpot Academy’s free course to help you set meaningful goals that matter most for your business.

Products and Services

Here, you will incorporate an overview of your offerings. This doesn’t have to be extensive, as it is just a chance to introduce your industry and overall purpose as a business. I recommend including snippets of information about your financial projections and competitive advantage here as well.

Keep in mind that you'll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. The executive summary should be clear and brief, only including the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template . What makes this executive summary good is that it tells potential investors a short story while still covering all of the most important details.

Our Mission

Maria’s Gluten Free Bagels offers gluten-free bagels, along with various toppings, other gluten-free breakfast sandwich items, and coffee. The facility is entirely gluten free. Our team expects to catch the interest of gluten-free, celiac, or health-conscious community members who are seeking an enjoyable cafe to socialize. Due to a lack of gluten-free bagel products in the food industry currently, we expect mild competition and are confident we will be able to build a strong market position.

The Company and Management

Maria’s Gluten Free Bagels was founded in 2010 by Maria Jones, who first began selling her gluten-free bagels online from her home, using social media to spread the word. In 2012 she bought a retail location in Hamilton, MA, which now employs four full-time employees and six part-time employees. Prior to her bagel shop, Maria was a chef in New York and has extensive experience in the food industry.

Along with Maria Jones, Gluten Free Bagel Shop has a board of advisors. The advisors are:

• Jeni King, partner at Winding Communications, Ltd.
• Henry Wilson, president of Blue Robin, LLP.

Our Product

We offer gluten-free products ranging from bagels and cream cheese to blueberry muffins, coffee, and pastries. Our customers are health-conscious, community-oriented people who enjoy gluten-free products. We will create a welcoming, warm environment with opportunities for open mic nights, poetry readings, and other community functions. We will focus on creating an environment in which someone feels comfortable meeting a friend for lunch, or working remotely.

Our Competitive Advantages

While there are other coffee shops and cafes in the North Shore region, there are none that offer purely gluten-free options. This restricts those suffering from gluten-free illnesses or simply those with a gluten-free preference. This will be our primary selling point. Additionally, our market research [see Section 3] has shown a demand for a community-oriented coffee and bagel shop in the town of Hamilton, MA.

Financial Considerations

Our sales projections for the first year are $400,000. We project a 15% growth rate over the next two years. By year three, we project 61% gross margins.

We will have four full-time employees. The salary for each employee will be $50,000.

Start-up Financing Requirements

We are seeking to raise $125,000 in startup to finance year one. The owner has invested $50,000 to meet working capital requirements, and will use a loan of $100,000 to supplement the rest.

Example 2 :

Marianne and Keith Bean have been involved with the food industry for several years. They opened their first restaurant in Antlers, Oklahoma in 1981, and their second in Hugo in 1988. Although praised for the quality of many of the items on their menu, they have attained a special notoriety for their desserts. After years of requests for their flavored whipped cream toppings, they have decided to pursue marketing these products separately from the restaurants.

Marianne and Keith Bean have developed several recipes for flavored whipped cream topping. They include chocolate, raspberry, cinnamon almond, and strawberry. These flavored dessert toppings have been used in the setting of their two restaurants over the past 18 years, and have been produced in large quantities. The estimated shelf life of the product is 21 days at refrigeration temperatures and up to six months when frozen. The Beans intend to market this product in its frozen state in 8 and 12-ounce plastic tubs. They also intend to have the products available in six ounce pressurized cans. Special attention has been given to developing an attractive label that will stress the gourmet/specialty nature of the products.

Distribution of Fancy's Foods Whipped Dream product will begin in the local southeastern Oklahoma area. The Beans have an established name and reputation in this area, and product introduction should encounter little resistance.

Financial analyses show that the company will have both a positive cash flow and profit in the first year. The expected return on equity in the first year is 10.88%

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

• Start with a strong introduction of your company that showcases your mission and impact, then outline the products and services you provide.
• Clearly define a problem, explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
• Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
• Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
• Customize your summary to your audience. For example, you might emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists, whereas you might emphasize community benefits and minimal environmental impact for progressive nonprofits.

For more guidance, check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary .

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market. Ask and answer: Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will my product fill that gap?

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, SOM analysis , a SWOT analysis , and perform market research on your industry to get some insights for this section. More specifically, here’s what I’d include.

• The size of the market
• Current or potential market share
• Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
• Where the gap is
• What caused the gap
• How you intend to fill it

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

I like this example because it uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

Example: The market for Doggie Pause is all of the dog owners in the metropolitan area and surrounding areas of the city. We believe that this is going to be 2/3 of the population, and we have a goal of gaining a 50% market share. We have a target of a 20% yearly profit increase as the business continues.

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

• Focus on demand and potential for growth.
• Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
• Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
• Refer to reliable sources.
• Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape Analysis

Since we’re already speaking of market share, you‘ll also need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are. After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you’ll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another.

My favorite part of performing a competitive analysis is that it can help you uncover the following:

• Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing.
• Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle.
• Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points.
• The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers.

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

I like how the competitive landscape section of this business plan shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are. It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location. This demonstrates useful experience in the industry, helping to build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Competitive Environment

Currently, there are four primary competitors in the Greater Omaha Area: Pinot’s Palette Lakeside (franchise partner), Village Canvas and Cabernet, The Corky Canvas, and Twisted Vine Collective. The first three competitors are in Omaha and the fourth is located in Papillion.

Despite the competition, all locations have both public and private events. Each location has a few sold-out painting events each month. The Omaha locations are in new, popular retail locations, while the existing Papillion location is in a downtown business district.

There is an opportunity to take advantage of the environment and open a studio in a well-traveled or growing area. Pinot’s Palette La Vista will differentiate itself from its competitors by offering a premium experience in a high-growth, influential location.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

• Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
• Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
• Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
• Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
• Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
• Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

Use this section to describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience? I’d recommend building a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear about why you're targeting them. Here are some questions I’d ask myself:

• What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
• What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
• Why are your offerings valuable to them?

Target Audience Business Plan Example

I like the example below because it uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

The Audience

Recognize that audiences are often already aware of important issues. Outreach materials should:

• Emphasize a pollution-prevention practice
• Tell audience a little about how to prevent pollution
• Tell audience where they can obtain information about prevention.

Message Content

• Focus the content for outreach materials on cost savings, such as when and where pollution prevention is as cheap as or cheaper than traditional techniques. Include facts and figures.
• Emphasize how easy it is to do the right thing and the impacts of not engaging in pollution prevention.
• Stress benefits such as efficiency or better relations with government, for businesses not primarily concerned with public image.

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

• Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
• Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience , then show why your product is a useful solution.
• Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
• Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
• Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
• Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you‘ll discuss how you’ll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. I think it’s helpful to have a marketing plan built out in advance to make this part of your business plan easier. I’d suggest including these details:

• Your brand positioning vision and how you'll cultivate it.
• The goal targets you aim to achieve.
• The metrics you'll use to measure success.
• The channels and distribution tactics you'll use.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler. In my opinion, it works because it offers a comprehensive picture of how they plan to use digital marketing to promote the community.

You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of my favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

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9 Business Plan Examples to Inspire Your Own (2024)

Need support creating your business plan? Check out these business plan examples for inspiration and guidance.

Any aspiring entrepreneur researching how to start a business will likely be advised to write a business plan. But few resources provide business plan examples to really guide you through writing one of your own.

Here are some real-world and illustrative business plan examples to help you craft your business plan .

Business plan format: 9 examples

The business plan examples in this article follow this template:

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Market analysis
• Products and services
• Marketing plan
• Logistics and operations plan
• Financial plan
• Customer segmentation

1. Executive summary

Your executive summary is a page that gives a high-level overview of the rest of your business plan. While it appears at the beginning, it’s easiest to write this section last, as there are details further in the report you’ll need to include here.

In this free business plan template , the executive summary is four paragraphs and takes a little over half a page. It clearly and efficiently communicates what the business does and what it plans to do, including its business model and target customers.

2. Company description

You might repurpose your company description elsewhere, like on your About page , social media profile pages, or other properties that require a boilerplate description of your small business.

Soap brand ORRIS has a blurb on its About page that could easily be repurposed for the company description section of its business plan.

You can also go more in-depth with your company overview and include the following sections, like in this business plan example for Paw Print Post:

Business structure

This section outlines how you registered your business —as an LLC , sole proprietorship, corporation, or other business type : “Paw Print Post will operate as a sole proprietorship run by the owner, Jane Matthews.”

Nature of the business

“Paw Print Post sells unique, one-of-a-kind digitally printed cards that are customized with a pet’s unique paw prints.”

“Paw Print Post operates primarily in the pet industry and sells goods that could also be categorized as part of the greeting card industry.”

Background information

“Jane Matthews, the founder of Paw Print Post, has a long history in the pet industry and working with animals, and was recently trained as a graphic designer. She’s combining those two loves to capture a niche in the market: unique greeting cards customized with a pet’s paw prints, without needing to resort to the traditional (and messy) options of casting your pet’s prints in plaster or using pet-safe ink to have them stamp their ’signature.’”

Business objectives

“Jane will have Paw Print Post ready to launch at the Big Important Pet Expo in Toronto to get the word out among industry players and consumers alike. After two years in business, Jane aims to drive $150,000 in annual revenue from the sale of Paw Print Post’s signature greeting cards and to have expanded into two new product categories.”

“Jane Matthews is the sole full-time employee of Paw Print Post but hires contractors as needed to support her workflow and fill gaps in her skill set. Notably, Paw Print Post has a standing contract for five hours a week of virtual assistant support with Virtual Assistants Pro.”

Your mission statement may also make an appearance here. Passionfruit shares its mission statement on its company website, and it would also work well in its example business plan.

3. Market analysis

The market analysis consists of research about supply and demand , your target demographics, industry trends, and the competitive landscape. You might run a SWOT analysis and include that in your business plan. 

Here’s an example SWOT analysis for an online tailored-shirt business:

You’ll also want to do a competitive analysis as part of the market research component of your business plan. This will tell you which businesses you’re up against and give you ideas on how to differentiate your brand. A broad competitive analysis might include:

• Target customers
• Unique value proposition , or what sets the products apart
• Sales pitch
• Price points for products
• Shipping policy

4. Products and services

This section of your business plan describes your offerings—which products and services do you sell to your customers? Here’s an example for Paw Print Post that explains its line of custom greeting cards, along with details on what makes its products unique.

5. Marketing plan

It’s always a good idea to develop a marketing plan before you launch your business. Your marketing plan shows how you’ll get the word out about your business, and it’s an essential component of your business plan as well.

The Paw Print Post focuses on four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place. However, you can take a different approach with your marketing plan. Maybe you can pull from your existing marketing strategy , or maybe you break it down by the different marketing channels. Whatever approach you take, your marketing plan should describe how you intend to promote your business and offerings to potential customers.

6. Logistics and operations plan

The Paw Print Post example considered suppliers, production, facilities, equipment, shipping and fulfillment, and inventory. This includes any raw materials needed to produce the products.

7. Financial plan

The financial plan provides a breakdown of sales, revenue, profit, expenses, and other relevant financial metrics related to funding and profiting from your business.

Ecommerce brand Nature’s Candy’s financial plan breaks down predicted revenue, expenses, and net profit in graphs.

It then dives deeper into the financials to include:

• Funding needs
• Projected profit-and-loss statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Projected cash-flow statement

You can use a financial plan spreadsheet to build your own financial statements, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement.

8. Customer segmentation

Customer segmentation means dividing your target market into groups based on specific characteristics. These characteristics can be demographics, psychographics, behavior, or geography. Your business plan will provide detailed information on each segment, like its size and growth potential, so you can show why they are valuable to your business. 

Airsign , an eco-friendly vacuum cleaner company, faced the challenge of building a sustainable business model in the competitive home appliance market. They identified three key customer personas to target:

• Design-oriented urban dwellers
• Millennials moving to suburbs
• Older consumers seeking high-quality appliances

The company utilized Shopify’s customer segmentation tools to gain insights and take action to target them. Airsign created targeted segments for specific marketing initiatives.

Put your customer data to work with Shopify’s customer segmentation

Shopify’s built-in segmentation tools help you discover insights about your customers, build segments as targeted as your marketing plans with filters based on your customers’ demographic and behavioral data, and drive sales with timely and personalized emails.

9. Appendix

The appendix provides in-depth data, research, or documentation that supports the claims and projections made in the main business plan. It includes things like market research, finance, résumés, product specs, and legal documents. 

Readers can access detailed info in the appendix, but the main plan stays focused and easy to read. Here’s an example from a fictional clothing brand called Bloom:

Appendix: Bloom Business Plan

Types of business plans, and what to include for each

This lean business plan is meant to be high level and easy to understand at a glance. You’ll want to include all of the same sections in one-page business plan, but make sure they’re truncated and summarized:

• Executive summary: truncated
• Market analysis: summarized
• Products and services: summarized
• Marketing plan: summarized
• Logistics and operations plan: summarized
• Financials: summarized

A startup business plan is for a new business. Typically, these plans are developed and shared to secure funding . As such, there’s a bigger focus on the financials, as well as on other sections that determine viability of your business idea—market research, for example:

• Market analysis: in-depth
• Financials: in-depth

Your internal business plan is meant to keep your team on the same page and aligned toward the same goal:

A strategic, or growth, business plan is a big-picture, long-term look at your business. As such, the forecasts tend to look further into the future, and growth and revenue goals may be higher. Essentially, you want to use all the sections you would in a normal business plan and build upon each:

• Market analysis: comprehensive outlook
• Products and services: for launch and expansion
• Marketing plan: comprehensive outlook
• Logistics and operations plan: comprehensive outlook
• Financials: comprehensive outlook

Feasibility

Your feasibility business plan is sort of a pre-business plan—many refer to it as simply a feasibility study. This plan essentially lays the groundwork and validates that it’s worth the effort to make a full business plan for your idea. As such, it’s mostly centered around research:

Nonprofit business plans are used to attract donors, grants, and partnerships. They focus on what their mission is, how they measure success, and how they get funded. You’ll want to include the following sections in addition to a traditional business plan:

• Organization description
• Need statement
• Programs and services
• Fundraising plan
• Partnerships and collaborations
• Impact measurement

Set yourself up for success as a business owner

Building a good business plan serves as a roadmap you can use for your ecommerce business at launch and as you reach each of your business goals. Business plans create accountability for entrepreneurs and synergy among teams, regardless of your business model .

Kickstart your ecommerce business and set yourself up for success with an intentional business planning process—and with the sample business plans above to guide your own path.

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Business plan examples FAQ

How do i write a simple business plan.

To write a simple business plan, begin with an executive summary that outlines your business and your plans. Follow this with sections detailing your company description, market analysis, organization and management structure, product or service, marketing and sales strategy, and financial projections. Each section should be concise and clearly illustrate your strategies and goals.

What is the best format to write a business plan?

The best business plan format presents your plan in a clear, organized manner, making it easier for potential investors to understand your business model and goals. Always begin with the executive summary and end with financial information or appendices for any additional data.

What are the 4 key elements of a business plan?

• Executive summary: A concise overview of the company’s mission, goals, target audience, and financial objectives.
• Business description: A description of the company’s purpose, operations, products and services, target markets, and competitive landscape.
• Market analysis: An analysis of the industry, market trends, potential customers, and competitors.
• Financial plan: A detailed description of the company’s financial forecasts and strategies.

What are the 3 main points of a business plan?

• Concept: Your concept should explain the purpose of your business and provide an overall summary of what you intend to accomplish.
• Contents: Your content should include details about the products and services you provide, your target market, and your competition.
• Cash flow: Your cash flow section should include information about your expected cash inflows and outflows, such as capital investments, operating costs, and revenue projections.

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Sep 4, 2024

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Business plan templates

From competitive analysis to financial projections, business plans give your new business a roadmap for success. Download one of our free business plan templates and take your company to the next level.

Big Data Startup Business Plan Template

Create a professional Big Data Startup business plan with our customizable Startup Business Plan Template.

Virtual Assistant Business Plan

Strategize your way to success with this customizable AI virtual assistant business plan template.

Virtual Reality (VR) Business Plan

Our free virtual reality (VR) business plan helps you customize your document and create a winning strategy to land investors.

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Laundromat Business Plan

Create your success roadmap with a laundromat business plan template, designed to arrange the essentials of the laundry business.

5-Year Business Plan Template

Empower your path to long-term success with our 5-year business plan template.

Car Wash Business Plan Template

Launch and grow your car wash business with our customizable plan template.

Airbnb Business Plan Template

Unlock your path to success with our Airbnb business plan template, made to guide you in structuring the fundamental aspects of your Airbnb business.

Clothing Line Business Plan

Use this free and customizable clothing line business plan to appeal to investors and set up your fashion brand.

Gym Business Plan Template 

The Panda tips in this gym business plan template guide you through the process of researching and presenting information necessary to secure funding and partners for your business.

Handyman Business Plan Template

Start a new handyman business using a well-researched handyman business plan template to meet your goals faster.

Vending Machine Business Plan Template

If you’re starting a new vending machine business, a well-rounded vending machine business plan can improve your chances of success.

Bar Business Plan Template

Create your path to success with our bar business plan template, designed as a valuable tool to help entrepreneurs organize the bar business.

Massage Therapy Business Plan

This massage therapy business plan template helps you cover the basics of starting or expanding a massage business.

Bed and Breakfast Business Plan Template

Use a complete bed and breakfast business plan template to set up your business for growth and success.

Catering Business Plan

Chart your path to success with our catering business plan template designed to help entrepreneurs organize their catering business.

Event Venue Business Plan Template

Launch and grow your event venue with our customizable business plan template.

Event Planning Business Plan 

Prepare your event planning business for success with our ready-to-fill and easily downloadable event planning business plan template.

Rental Property Business Plan

Develop a rental property business plan tailored to serve as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs to organize their rental business.

Coaching Business Plan Template

If you want to grow your new or existing coaching business, use our free coaching business plan template as a roadmap to success.

Lawn Care Business Plan

Use a comprehensive lawn care business plan template that includes guidance and all critical information.

T-shirt Business Plan Template 

Craft a winning T-shirt business plan in a structured business format that attracts investors and funding.

Candle-Making Business Plan Template

Use a candle-making business plan template to get together all of the information you need to ensure that your candle business succeeds.

SBA Business Plan Template

Use our free and fully customizable SBA business plan template to get started when writing a successful proposal for an SBA loan.

Cleaning Business Plan Template

Discover a hassle-free way to document a roadmap for your cleaning business with this free business plan template.

Real Estate Business Plan Template

Start off your new real estate business on the right foot by using a real estate business plan template to ensure your goals, visions, and finances are sorted.

Trucking Business Plan Template

Empower your journey to success with our trucking business plan template, designed as a valuable tool to organize the essentials of your trucking business.

Food Truck Business Plan Template

Find a fully customizable, free food truck business plan template that helps you create an effective proposal for interested investors.

Simple Business Plan Template

This simple business plan template walks you through the stages of establishing a successful business or seeking funding.

Solar Farm Business Plan

Give your solar farm business the best start by creating a professional business plan to keep your company on the right track.

Ecommerce Business Plan Template

This Ecommerce Business Plan Template is tailored particularly to e-commerce companies, and all you require to do is add the elements related to your business.

Accounting Firm Business Plan

Use this Accounting Firm Business Plan to achieve your goals. Accounting firms are comparable to other industries and need the Business Plan to help their development.

Campground Business Plan Template

This PandaDoc Campground Business Plan Template has all the essential information to help you develop a successful business strategy.

Firewood Business Plan

This Firewood Business Plan Template perfectly outlines the company structure of a probable firewood venture. It highlights the budgets needed to start and manage the unique business.

Funeral Home Business Plan

A Funeral Home Business Plan covers detailed data on the courtesies offered by the company, market analysis, administration strategies, personnel procedures, budget and financing plans, and other applicable topics.

Community Center Business Plan

You can use this Community Center Business Plan Template, it is perfect for anyone desiring to open and run a society center. It gives the center’s owner an outline of areas that must be disseminated with the investors to earn an acquisition.

Gas Station Business Plan

Take the first step towards success in the fuel industry with our professionally crafted Gas Station Business Plan template.

Beauty Supply Store Business Plan

This Beauty Supply Store Business Plan Template covers all the appropriate sections needed to invest in a beauty supply store. The template will help you to raise money for your business.

Flower Shop Business Plan Template

The Flower Shop Business Plan Template is organized to help you achieve the awareness of various investors to invest in your company.

Electrical Contractor Business Plan

This Electrical Contractor Business Plan template include information about the services you offer, who your target consumers are, why they should prefer you over your opponents and how much capital you require to get started.

Car Dealership Business Plan

A Car Dealership Business Plan is a detailed plan that will help you take your business to the next level. Use this template to create your plan.

Farm Business Plan

Farm Business Plan gives an overview of the company, including corporation history, owner backgrounds, creations and more. Use this template to quickly develop your farm company plan.

Consultant Business Plan Template

An example of a document outlining your strategy for launching or expanding your consulting firm is a Consultant Business Plan Template. The essential elements include a summary of the company, team, sector, rivals, target audience, and an operations and marketing strategy.

Construction Company Business Plan

The objectives and tactics of a construction company are described in a business plan for a construction company. For the creation of your business plan, use this Construction Company Business Plan Template.

Fashion Business Plan Template

Structural and action plans for a fashion firm are laid out in the fashion business plan template.

Daycare Business Plan

The creation of a business strategy is the first step in starting a daycare. Use this Daycare Business Plan Template to describe your company’s objectives, as well as your target market, potential rivals, and your financing strategy.

Convenience Store Business Plan

Do you need a Convenience Store Business Plan Template? This plan includes all the details and information needed to secure funding for a convenience store.

Startup Business Plan Template

We offer you the steps and the tools to create a fantastic business plan. Attract investors with this sleek and free startup business plan template.

Business Plan Template

This business plan template is a great tool for your startup to customize to reflect your strong qualifications, experienced team, and marketable business idea.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document that helps small business owners determine the viability of their business idea. Combining market research and financial analysis, a professional business plan helps startup CEOs and potential investors determine if the company can compete in the target market.

Typically, a good business plan consists of the following:

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Mission statement
• Product and services
• Marketing plan
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion & appendix

Every section involved in a business plan is designed to help startup businesses reach their target market.

A business plan asks founders and entrepreneurs to detail their business strategy in a step-by-step process that makes sense from an operational perspective. This is essential if a startup is seeking a business loan or an investment from a venture capital firm.

However, even small businesses that are already economically viable can benefit from creating a business plan, since it encourages business owners and their management teams to examine their business model and reevaluate the best ways to reach their target customers.

Should I use a business plan template?

Yes.  If you’ve never written one, a business plan can be challenging to write.

Creating a successful plan that you can use to grow your small business can require weeks of market analysis and financial preparation. You may spend time using Microsoft Excel or Powerpoint in order to create documentation which better supports our operational decisions.

However, almost every professional business plan is structured in the same way and most ask for the same information. Because of this, using a business plan template is advisable to save time, money, and effort.

Business plan templates for free

Rather than spending time trying to figure out how to write a business plan , use a free template as a guide to completion.

Business plan templates from PandaDoc can help you reach an effective go-to-market strategy even faster by asking you to provide all the relevant information you need when creating an effective business plan.

Grab a free template to get started!

Frequently asked questions

How many pages should my business plan be.

This depends on the kind of business plan you need to write and how you intend to use the plan that you create.

For example, a plan for a small business seeking potential investors or a business loan will need to provide income statements, cash flow statements, and a balance sheet (usually for a three-year or five-year forecast period).

These financial statements can be omitted if a small business owner isn’t seeking funding and is instead planning to use their business plan as a guiding document for themselves and their management team members.

Some business plans may only run a few pages. Fully-developed business plans can be as long as 50 pages. Much of this depends on the type of business, the operational strategy, and the level of detail that goes into developing the business plan.

Who needs a business plan?

Every business should have a business plan. This is an essential guidance document for any founder or CEO.

Good business plans help a company determine the viability of its place in the market and can help the business develop better strategies for differentiating itself from its competitors.

Business planning also forces business owners to evaluate their marketing strategy, the cost of customer acquisition and retention, and how they plan to grow their business over time.

What is the best business plan template?

Business plans come in all shapes and sizes. The best business plan template for your business is one that you understand and that matches the size and legal structure of your operation.

If you’re a sole proprietor, a business plan template designed for a big corporation probably doesn’t make sense. However, a business plan that helps you build an effective roadmap to grow your business while protecting your intellectual property is a good starting point.

PandaDoc offers specialized business plan templates for common industries along with tips to help you get started with business planning.

Should I hire someone to write my business plan for me?

No. You’ll find freelance writers and business strategy companies out there who are happy to write your business plan for a fee.  These resources can guide you through the process, but you should write (or be heavily involved in) the creation of your business plan.

The reason for this is simple: You know the most about your business, and your business needs you to succeed.

A writer can work with you to make your business plan sound better to investors, and a consultant can help you fill in knowledge gaps — like how to conduct a SWOT analysis — and point out weaknesses in your plan. But, at the end of the day, you need to use the business plan to pitch investors and run your business.

Those ideas and guiding principles aren’t something you can outsource.

Should I use business planning software?

Software isn’t required when creating an effective business plan. Most business planning software is designed to help you navigate the outlining and writing process more effectively.

You don’t need software to write a professional business plan, but a solid template can help you get started. Download a free template from PandaDoc today and take your business to the next level.

Get started with PandaDoc today