How to make business plan.

Experts maintain that the business plan is one of the most critical tools of any enterprise, whether it's in its infancy or expanding. For the entrepreneur or manager, the business plan establishes strategies and goals. For potential lenders, it provides information about a company, including its track record and future plans.

A business plan should highlight the following information for investors:

1. Summary. A crisp overview will help investors decide whether reading the whole plan is worthwhile. Potential investors spend an average of five minutes screening a plan. If you don't grab their interest at the beginning, your plan will probably disappear into the wastebasket. It should include:

• A brief description of your product and market.

• A brief description of your business team.

• A summary of your financial projections.

• The amount of money you now seek, in what form, and for what purpose.

2. Company and industry. Give full background information.

3. Products. Give a complete but concise description.

4. Market. The objective here is to persuade the investor that you understand your market and can achieve your sales goals.

5. Marketing. Provide projections of sales and market share, and outline strategy for identifying and contacting customers, setting prices, servicing customers, advertising, and so on.

6. Management. Provide complete résumés of principals, directors, and advisers.

7. Overall schedule. Show development of the company in terms of completion dates for major aspects of the business plan.

8. Critical risks and problems. Identify all negative factors, and discuss them forthrightly.

9. Financial information. The amount you provide will depend on the stage of your financing. Aim for completeness, with three-year projections.

GRAMMAR Passive Voice. Sequence of Tenses.

The Passive Voice

In the Passive the action is done to the subject.

Memos were sent to all departments.

Each Tense Group has its Passive structure and the semantic verb is used in the form of Past Participle.

Verbs be and have are used as auxiluary.

Simple Tenses

be + Past Participle

1. I am sent to the business trip.

2. He was refused in visa without any explanations.

3. The enterprises will be given new instructions for further work.

4. He was told he would be introduced to the Board of Directors soon.

Continuous Tenses

be + being + Past Participle

1. The applicant is in the office now, he is being interviewed by the Personnel Manager.

2. The development of input-output method was being investigated by Wassily Leontief for more then 20 years.

There is no Future forms in Continuous Passive.

Perfect Tenses

have + been + Past Participle

1. The report has been discussed for two hours.

2. When he came all mistakes had already been corrected.

3. The discussion will have been completed by 4 p.m.

4. The clerk promised that the documents would have been certified by the 10^th of June.

Sequence of Tenses

The main sphere where the sequence of tenses is applied is object clauses.

1. If the verb of the principle clause is in one of the present tenses, any tense may be used in the subordinate clause.

The manager reminds (that)

employees work well. employees are working well. employees worked well. employees will work well.

2. If the verb in the principle clause is in one of the past tenses, a past tense (or future in the past) must be used in the subordinate clause.

Remember the following THREE rules!

1. If the past action expressed in the subordinate clause is simultaneous with that expressed in the principle clause, the Past Simple (Indefinite) or the Past Continuous is used in the subordinate clause and it is translated into Ukrainian by verbs in present tense.

The auditor said that she was planning the checking of records. Jim felt he was cheated.

Аудитор сказала, що вона планує перевірку звітності. Джим відчув, що його пошивають у дурні.

2. If the action expressed in the subordinate clause took place before the action expressed in the principle clause the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous is used in the subordinate clause and it is translated into Ukrainian by verbs in past tense.

He thought his firm had won the competition. The manager knew Tom had been working for their company for 20 years.

Він думав, що його фірма перемогла в конкуренції. Управляючий знав, що Том працював в їх компанії 20 років.

3. If the action expressed in the subordinate clause is posterior to that of the principle clause, the Future-in-the-Past is used and it is translated by verbs in future tense.

Stockholders hoped the Board of Directors would change their policy.	Акціонери сподівалися, що Рада директорів змінить свою політику.
ATTENTION! be going to, modal verbs
Mr. Waisman said he was going to conference. Diana considered she couldn’t afford to buy such a nice cottage.	Містер Вейсман сказав, що він збирається на конференцію. Діана вважала, що вона не може дозволити собі купувати такий гарний котедж.

Sequence of Tenses is not applied:

1. if the object clause expresses a general truth:

Students knew that balance of payment includes current account and capital account etc.

Студенти знали, що платіжний баланс включає в себе поточний платіжний баланс і баланс руху капіталів тощо.

2. if there is exact time of the action in object clause:

The accountant said that he checked the balance 2 days ago.

Бухгалтер сказав, що перевірив баланс два дні тому.

3. in the clauses with modal verbs:

The head of the department said she must consult with the lawyer.

Начальник відділу сказала, що вона має проконсультуватися з юристом.

4. in the clause with Subjunctive Mood:

He said that if he had time he would go to that seminar.

Він сказав, що якби у нього був вільний час, він би пішов на цей семінар.

Exercise 7. Choose the right verb form.

1. After my talk I will be asked/was asked/is asked to explain a point I had made. 2. The agreement has to be signed/had to be signed/would have to be signed/ in the presence of both parties. 3. He was being interviewed/ is being interviewed/has been interviewed now. 4. The old rules have been done away with/has been done away with/will have been done away with. 5. The enterprise was founded/is founded/ has been founded in 2006. 6. The business plan is finished/will have been finished/will be finished/by March, 25. 7. The service in this restaurant is always admired/has always admired/has always been admired. 8. The members of Trade Union will usually be invited/are usually invited/were usually invited to talks. 9. He promised that the secretary will be sent for/is sent for/would be sent for. 10. He was awarded /is awarded/has been awarded the Nobel Prize for this research in 2002.

Exercise 8. Put the right verb form.

1. Everybody knows that IBM (be) the giant office-equipment manufacturer.

2. In 2007 the Board of Directors reported that its annual sales (exceed) $ 80 billion.

3. Thomas Watson founded IBM in 1914 and he said that he (start) to introduce into life a code of behaviour he (develop) earlier.

4. He said the individual (modal verb + respect), the customer (modal verb + give) the best possible service, excellence and superiour performance (model verb + pursue).

5. He demanded these principles (follow) by since the very first days of the IBM.

6. I think that anyone who (study) the development of IBM (agree) that Thomas Watson’s philosophy (have) more to do with IBM’s success than its technological innovations, marketing skills or financial resources.

7. Buck Rodgers, present consultant to IBM, said that during past five years IBM (initiate) some innovative programs.

8. He stressed that the unit of three engineers (create) a new venture for IBM, which (generate) sales of $ 5 billion for IBM since then.

9. So, everybody agrees that introduction of code of behaviour into enterprise life (promote) its success and prosperity.