There are numerous formats for a business plan, but most contain an executive summary, business description and objective, market situational analysis, business proposition, action plan, financial analysis, legal and liability issues, and evaluation.  After reading each section, you may click on the topic to go directly to the business plan worksheet and begin writing.  Or if you prefer, read this entire section before filling out the plan.

Executive Summary - The executive summary sums up the entire business plan.  It should be short and concise providing the reader with a quick but complete picture of your wildlife enterprise.  The summary should adequately address all of the components within the plan, but should be limited to one or two pages.  The summary should be brief because interested parties may perform an initial evaluation of your project within a short-time frame.  By providing a quick snapshot of your proposed project, you allow interested parties to easily assess the merits of your wildlife enterprise.

Business Description - The first component of the business plan is the business description.  This portion describes the history of the business, location, products, services, and organizational structure.  It provides a detailed overview of your proposed venture.  Also provide a summary of your enterprise’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, or SWOT.  The SWOT analysis can be based on your resource inventory. 

Business Organization - Detail the organization and management structure of your wildlife enterprise.  Organization refers to the type of business and its workers.  Is the business a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation?  Describe not only the workers, but also lending arrangements and other hired consultants (accountants, lawyers, etc.).  The section includes a listing of individuals and their requisite skills and specialties.

Business Proposition – This section describes the purpose of your wildlife enterprise and its future direction.  Consider developing a mission statement for your wildlife enterprise.  A mission statement outlines the business’s purpose and is the basis for business goals and objectives.  An example of a mission statement is:

Mission:  The mission of XYZ Wildlife Enterprise is to improve the local economy through providing quality hunting experiences to hunters throughout the United States. 

Following the mission statement are goals.  Objectives are an outcome that supports the mission state, but provides more detail about how it will be accomplished.  Continuing with this example, a goal would be:

Goal:  The XYZ Wildlife Enterprise will provide a quality deer hunting experience to satisfied customers.

The objective provides even more detail as to how this is achieved.

Objective:  The XYZ Wildlife Enterprise will book no more than 1 hunter per 50 acres to reduce dissatisfactions from crowding.

Many publications are available from bookstores or local libraries that address this portion of the business plan.  An often referenced approach is SMART goals.  This acronym refers to goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, rewarding, and time-specific.  The diagram below illustrates the relationship between goals and objectives, highlighting that the foundation of the process is a firm’s mission statement.

The diagram provides an entrepreneur with the framework to take a vision/mission and break it down into specific action steps.  At the top of the pyramid is the strategies and tactics which are used to achieve the business’ goals and objective.  Once goals are determined, it will be easier to outline specific strategies to accomplish those goals.  Tactics are the specific processes and programs that you will utilize to execute a strategy.

Market Situation and Analysis - This section on market situation and analysis is usually quite extensive.  Information in the marketing and promotion section of this module will help you with writing a market analysis.  Provide a complete examination of the existing market and market potential for your enterprise.  Emphasize the specific advantages of your wildlife enterprise that will ensure its success in the market. 

An entrepreneur should look at resources that are both inside and outside of their business.  For the internal assessment, the focus examines only your resources for the wildlife enterprise and factors that are controllable by you.  Refer to your resource inventory [link] and report in terms of assets and liabilities to the proposed venture.  Specific areas examined include organizational structure, management experience and expertise, technology, access to inputs/resources and marketing skills/networks.  The external assessment examines factors that are beyond the control of the wildlife enterprise.  These factors have the potential to significantly impact your activities.  Areas to examine include the current outlook for your enterprise area, is the market growing or declining, the number of similar businesses in your marketing area, and any regulatory or permitting requirements.

Action/Market Plan - Typically the areas addressed include the four P’s- product, pricing, place, and promotion.  Refer to marketing and promotion to complete this section of your business plan.

Financial Analysis - Illustrate the financial well-being of the wildlife enterprise using financial records.  Typically these include a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow.  The balance sheet lists enterprise assets, liabilities, and owner equity.  It indicates what the enterprise owns and the debt of the business.  The records describe past performance (if available) and predict how the enterprise will perform over a specific time period.  The analysis typically includes 2 years of past financial performance and 3 years of projected (pro forma) statements.  This information allows estimation of cash-flow, profitability and solvency.

Now we’ve arrived at the BIG question:  will the enterprise be financially feasible?   In order to access the feasibility of your enterprise, you need to develop an estimate of start-up costs and operating expenses for maintaining the business.  Start-up costs are the initial upfront costs to get the business up and running.  They include costs for asset acquisition, license/permit fees, price of sign(s), etc.  Operating costs on the other hand are on-going and continue and vary throughout the operation of the business.  Operating costs include labor, shipping, advertising, insurance, and other on-going expenses. Examples of enterprise budgets can be found within agricultural economics or farm management departments at universities.  Another resource is the U.S. Small business Administration.

Legal and Liability Issues – This section is where you address the issues found in the legal aspects portion of this module.  USDA’s Risk Management Agency categorizes risk into five main areas: production, marketing, financial, legal and human resources.  The plan should also address insurance needs, legal liability and the succession of the operation (i.e., how the operation will continue if you or other leaders are no longer part of the wildlife enterprise for whatever reason, including death).  In addition, this section should address any regulatory or compliance issues.  For example, many state wildlife agencies require that bobwhite preserves be licensed.

Evaluation - How do you gauge whether the venture is successful?  Describe how the wildlife enterprise’s performance will be measured and monitored.  What criteria will be used to evaluate the firm’s performance?  Once you have selected the criteria (using your business goals and objectives), determine a standard to define what is “acceptable.”  One possible method is to conduct a customer survey [link to exit survey found in the marketing and promotion section].  It is very important to have an evaluation process in your business plan.  It is also important to coordinate your evaluation criteria with the enterprise’s short and long term goals and objectives.