Unternehmensplan

GOOD PRACTICE

Business Plan

This article sets out the 7 main sections of a good incubator Business Plan - from the executive summary to the financial pages - and the core contents of each section.

OBJECTIVES

Preparing a Business Plan is an essential stage for incubators. It is useful for seeking funds, and also for systematizing ideas, processes and techniques. The Business Plan provides answers to questions about the Incubator before it is established.

KEY ISSUES

Executive summary. This the main section of the Incubator Business Plan (ICB) and is the last part to be drafted; its contents depend on the general plan definitions. The executive summary offers an overview of the enterprise, abbreviating the ICB content to the main points. (See attachment How to Draft the Executive Summary).
General Characterization/Concept of the Incubator. A brief overview of the incubator organization is given along with its track record and current status. The unique characteristics of the incubator are stressed, highlighting its benefits and advantages.
Business Model. The business model presents the type of incubator, its area of action, the target markets etc. The feasibility study information is central to the general model adopted by the incubator. The legal framework of the incubator may depend on its managing organization and partners, or established with its own legal status, or run as a program by one of the affiliated institutes. The Business Model should state:
1. What the enterprise intends to do
2. Who/what market or segment it intends to reach
3. Which competences/experiences/technologies it is based on
4. What market trends encourage it.
Marketing Plan. The Marketing Plan is an essential part of the Business Plan. It sets out how the target market will be defined and reached. In addition it documents the incubator’s comparative advantages over the competition, and the ways of steadily bringing in clients/ incubated enterprises. The incubator should be familiar with the market where it operates/intends to operate and in this section the market and its potential is analyzed and defined. The target market, the segmentation strategies, trends, competition, and competitive advantages of the incubator are also defined, in addition to the marketing mix.
Operational Plan. This defines the procedures for reaching the incubator’s objectives. This prevents lack of coordination and makes the incubator’s function coherent and avoids unnecessary expenditures. The Operational Plan provides detailed descriptions of tasks required to render the incubator services, their flow diagrams, the names of the people in charge, etc. Decisions are made about which technologies should be adopted to implement the procedures and processes of the incubator.
Administration/Organization Plan. This defines the resources required by the incubator (equipment, furniture etc.), and its control systems. This includes the legal documentation and standards for the incubator (statute, internal regulations, access rules etc.). The administration plan also charts the organizational staff requirements, their duties and responsibilities. It defines the Board of Directors structure and the role of each member, in addition to relationship links
Financial and Investment Plan. This allows the anticipation of short and medium-term financial modelling and action. The initial investments required can be defined, as well as costs and expenditures, cash flow etc.

RESPONSIBLE PARTIES

Managers/technical staff from the organization which wish to set up the incubator. The overall manager should be involved in the business plan from the start.

INDICATORS

Time and costs for the development of the strategic plan
Funds and political support built up through the incubator planning.

RESULTS

To have a well defined plan of Business Model procedures, market analysis and the operation’s financial plan.

Defined incubator model
Clear administrative structure/organizational chart
Completed financial spreadsheets
Definite service portfolio and price strategies