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15 July 2010

Creating a Car Wash Business Plan

Prior to writing a business plan to start a carwash, a definition of what a business plan. A business plan is a document for an opportunity, research why this opportunity is profitable and necessary steps to exploit the possibility to identify. The business plan is a formal document or it can be written on the back of a napkin but the mere writing forces you to tank shell out of your head and on paper which helps find hidden business problem and get you to think carefully about each step in your business.

Creating a business plan is something anyone can do, even if you know nothing about business or finance. Although the business plan is crucial to get the idea off the ground, many entrepreneurs defer when it comes to preparing a written plan. If you do not know anything about business or finances, it is the best time to start learning as the chances of your business success will be limited without this knowledge. As a builder will not begin construction without a plan, entrepreneurs should not rush into new ventures without a plan. The old adage that "those who do not plan, plan to fail" is very relevant when we talk about starting a business. SBA's statistics claim over half of new businesses not within the first three years and the common factor is poor planning or under-capitalization (which is also poor planning).

Getting Started

The first step in creating a business plan is just starting. Writing the business plan may seem overwhelming at first, but if you plan to break into bite sized pieces and work on one section at a time will not seem so daunting. Start with what you know first and describe your business and your product or service. Work on the more difficult topics such as marketing, operations and finance. Do not worry about his now perfect, just the concepts on paper - expand and refine later. If you get stuck at a point in the plan, skip it for now and come back later to see more details.

Who is your audience?

When you write your business plan car wash, you should consider who your audience is and why you write the plan. Why? A plan for the bank will be less interested in the exit strategy and return on investment than one for equity investors. Moreover, a plan written for internal use will be different than looking for a financing of a bank is not necessarily interested in the detailed operations of the company.

Structure

Business plans tend to have many elements in common. Although no one format that all business plans follow, there are generally accepted guidelines that most follow the order in which the subjects flow are not random. Business Description of a business plan aims to paint a picture of your business and why this business will be a success. Marketing, Management and Operations departments reviewed and a strategy on how your company will compete and operate is developed. Last financial projections show in numbers what you explained in the business plan and marketing costs.

Breaking these three major points further down, a business plan consists of six main components:

Summary

Business Description

Marketing

Executives & Employees

Operations & Place

Financial forecasts

Beyond these areas, a business plan should also include title page and index.

How long should your business plan?

The answer is that nobody at the school for a business which is "as long as it should." The more complex a business or the more sophisticated investors or funds requested will be the length of a plan to enlarge. An average car wash business plan narrative should be 4-15 pages plus financials and additional items.

Business Plan Outline

Summary

The summary is the first part of the business, but the last to be written. It gives the reader a quick look at what your business proposal is about and what you ask for. This part is crucial, since most readers will scan this section before deciding whether to continue to read.

The summary should generally be about half a page in length and is what you would cover in an elevator pitch such as:

Place the short version of business concept

Description of product or service proposition

This section should emphasize any unique features or benefits that what is currently in the industry or area, aka why would someone buy your product over competitors.

Demographics of your market

Management team

When the anticipated start date is

Your equity position

How much would you

Exact is the key in the summary. You will later in more detail in the company.

Business Description

The aim of the company description to describe objectively the carwash business data and future potential include:

Mission

What it does

Description of products / services

Industry Information

Business Organization

Status firms (start-up, expansion or purchase)

Current and future goals

All facts and figures to be noted and sources in the industry. This information is important if you have your data and assumptions to defend. The business description is where you try to a picture of the potential of your paint company with facts to support it. Try to inject energy and excitement to the reader enthusiastic about the idea, without going overboard, obviously.

After the description of the company, it is time to document and additional products or services your carwash seller. Remember, it is important to show how your products and services are better than competitors. If you do not have a good answer then you need to revise your strategy. What about washing cars is changing the customer to do business with the competition to get?

Marketing

A very important part of your business is marketing department. Notwithstanding the quality of your products and services, your company will be lost in the clutter of advertising. If you do not know your customers how they ever found? All this begins with some research.

Customers: Who is your market

The first step is to decide who you want to sell by identifying common characteristics of your market, such as age, income, race, religion, education, interests and / or geographical areas. While everyone wants their car wash product How to effectively advertise to everyone and still make a profit? What you should do instead is to identify the person or groups of people most likely to car washing services and marketing to use them. After all you are trying to achieve a positive return on your marketing dollars to create, use them wisely.

Competition

In the ultra-competitive market of today, there will be competition, no matter how creative your business concept. Trying to be a part of your car wash business to run better than the competition can be a difficult challenge, so it's often better to focus on planning for the various and competing with them less directly. Can you give a specific niche market to serve as the elderly who do not look at? One can clearly identify / marketing / distribution strategy, a mobile approach? Although no direct competition in your area, meaning a person who sells the same or similar products / services you have indirect competition for replacement products / services. If you indicate in your plan, no competition can be seen that there is no market for your product or you have not done your research.

Optimally you want information on at least three but not more than five competitors. List details of who they are, how long they have been in business, location, products or services offered, perception on pricing and quality, etc., and compare your advantages and disadvantages. If the information you requested is not available online, you can do if you were a customer for some of this information.

Distribution - How do you get the product to customers: By looking at who your market and competition, you will have an idea of how a product to offer. Maybe through your research you will find a strategic advantage for customers that competition is not functioning.

Promotional Strategy

The above analysis steps, the promotional strategy follows. The promotional strategy is where most entrepreneurs as they use the blanket statement that they will advertise in the newspaper, radio or television, without thinking about the process or customer. The promotional strategy offers a map of how you will reach your market in the most efficient manner. Advertising is expensive, so use it wisely.

Sales Forecasts

One of the more difficult areas of the business plan with sales projections. This number is probably wrong, and that is ok. What you want is a figure with a backup data to justify. Just grab a series of sky will say you make $ 300,000 will not work. There are many sources to help with this issue:

Industry journals

Trade Groups

Car wash in similar demographic areas

Industry experts

Census Data

Price

The effects of prices play a large role in how your product is perceived in the market. Price too low compared to the competition and your product will be perceived as cheap and unreliable. Price too high with the features and benefits of your product and get customers coming through the door. Although this is a complicated question, here are a few things in mind.

Make sure you can make money at what price you sell.

If you want to lower costs and "get your foot in the door," it might be better to offer discounts or coupons initially until your business is known for offering.

Do not be afraid of your product or service than its competitors, if something costs more value.

Pricing is the easiest of the marketing mix to change. You may find that a competitor would undervalue, sure you cannot make money and wash your car goes out of business.

Management & Staff

This section will describe who you going to manage the company on a daily basis and provide strategic direction (if these positions are separate). Each of these people need to have included a brief biography and a summary in the annex. Try to show how the experience and training of these people will be able to implement the strategy of the business plan and succeed. Many times the owner may not have specific experience in this industry, so it is very important to their other professional experience to draw and explain how it will make for a successful surgery. Then a brief explanation of the employees of policy, including:

What positions must be filled

If they must be completed (This is important in developing financial projections, you might have some employees come on after start)

How much they get paid (Be sure to calculate payroll taxes and to estimate 15% if not sure)

It is also recommended that the professional consultants and add to your business. These people include:

Board

Consultants

Accountants

Lawyers

Banks

Mentors

Operations & Place

The activities and location of the plan shows how you will make your product and information about the location of your business to acquire.

Operations - Explain how and where your products or services are made. A few points to your plan

How your car wash operation, which steps in your service?

Who are your suppliers?

What are the conditions and time to market for this product?

Location - Location is where you do business outside. List what features you're looking for in a building together with the average prices or rents and the path to a small case. A few things to add:

Department of Transportation traffic counts - most countries have this information online to show how many vehicles pass each day your site.

Building description

What is the size

Where is it located

Specific causes for this property

Proximity to suppliers, roads, airports, railways and shipping, etc.

Zone Classification

Average Utilities - Make sure you get the last 12 months of the Electric Company, whose building was occupied. This can be an expensive lesson for a landlord to be harmful. If you open a new location, try to talk to other car wash operators in a non-competitive area to get an estimate

Adding pictures to supplement

Add a map of the appendix

The purchase price or the monthly rental / lease

Including sales / rental / lease agreement in Annex

If construction or renovation you need quotes, as they cover an area is often underestimated costs.

Financial forecasts

Financial projections are placed at the end of your business plan in the appendix, but a very important part of the plan. The three must-have annual cash flow statement, income statement and balance sheet. The information already provided in the narrative part of the business plan to match the financial projections. Most financial projections are three years long. It is a good idea for a financial forecast assumptions & Notes page to both help to ensure that all your numbers come through and give a detailed list to provide clarity for the reader.

Observations and assumptions for financial projections

Loans

Break each loan (building, equipment, furniture)

Amount

Interest

Length

And monthly costs not discussed in business plan narrative

Cost of goods / inventory

Advertise

Employee wages

Insurance

Permits & Fees

Miscellaneous

Fees

Rental / property

Repairs and maintenance

Supplies

Telephone

Utilities

Vehicle expense

Etc..

Something else that must be explained in financials, which are not in history

Financial departments projection

Startup costs - these are all costs that you will do before you open your car washed. It is recommended that quotations are available or in the annex to the larger issues. It also recommended that you pad your numbers will always be some unexpected expenses that were not justified.

Sources and uses of funds - This section explains how the loan money will be used (inventory, car wash installations, repairs and improvements, working capital etc.) and who is (bank, investor or owner). You will probably be necessary to inject 20% of your money and maybe more, depending on the risk of the company and your personal finances.

Cash flow - cash flow statement is one of the most important parts of your business plan. It shows an overview of the money is in business and the costs to be paid and whether you have enough money to support the company to have won in the hot months costs during the winter months to cover. Each part of your business plan is important, but no: one thing if you do not have any money. If this number is negative, you need to increase sales, reduce costs and more money. Your cash flow statement is usually three years of the first year analyzing the monthly figures and later years quarter. Do not be intimidated with the cash flow statement because it merely a glimpse into the future, your bank account.

Profit & Loss - This statement, while similar to cash flow statement shows, but each looks at the effects of non-cash depreciation and amortization to load as an accounting report on the activities of your business.

Balance - The balance sheet is a summary of the value of all assets, liabilities and equity for an organization at the end of each year. A balance sheet is often described as a "snapshot" of the financial situation in a company and the value of the business over some time.

Personal Financial Statement - If you are looking at bank financing each person a 20% or greater ownership position need a personal financial statement to issue to show how effective they are to handle your money. This statement will show your assets (checking & savings accounts, CDs, IRA, 401k, valuables, home, car, etc.) and assets (mortgages, credit card bills, installment accounts, etc.)

Appendix

Additional items are various pieces of information that can help your case. Include details and studies used in your business plan, for example:

Quotes for items over $ 500

Resumes of management team

Industry Research

Demographic data and trends

Map / maps / blueprints of location

Leases and contracts

Letters support

There is much to do your business plan, but will certainly make your business stronger. Although it may seem easier for others to write your plan, there is no substitute for writing it yourself. This is your business and by writing it yourself, you have a better understanding of your business and strategies for success. There are also many free business plan templates and workbooks available on the website to help you get started. You can use it to help you get started creating your business plan and then modify your car wash business.

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