Resources
Dear Kid Boss,
Congratulations! If you are reading this, then you have taken the first step to become an entrepreneur. This page will help you compose a well-established business plan as you go through the journey of starting your own business.
The best part about this process is that you get to come up your own plan to sell and provide the things you love doing and making to others! It takes focus, patience, and determination to take on a task like creating a business, and someone like you is perfect for the job! A young mind like yours has big ideas that can change the world, so what’s stopping you from creating a business? NOTHING!
Feeling stuck? Have a great idea but don’t know where to start? It’s okay! This process isn’t meant to be completed alone. Every great entrepreneur needs help. Working with a parent, guardian, or trusted adult is a great idea! Our loved ones are the biggest supporters in our lives, and a situation like this is no different.
On this page you will find documents that will provide you with the help you need to bring your ideas to life. I am here for you every step of the way! Contact me through the form at the bottom of this page with any questions or concerns you have when working on your business plan and I will be happy to help you.
Don’t forget that once you officially start your business, a great way to get customers and spread the word about your product or service is attending the Young Entrepreneurs Showcase! The “events” tab has more information about how you can register and be a part of the event!
Here’s to your success!
Sincerely,
Leila Hilliard- Founder
Produced With Purpose Business Plan Template – This business plan will help you put all of the parts of starting your business plan in one place. Use the business plan as you follow along with the presentations on this page.
SAMPLE Business Plan – This business plan is a sample, to show you a visual representation of the ideas that are discussed in the presentations below. It is the business plan for a fictional business, Leila’s Lemonade.
Choosing a Business Idea – Do you really want to start a business but don’t have an idea yet? This worksheet is meant to help you create an idea based of of your hobbies and problems that could be solved in your community or your life. Use it as a guide to create an amazing idea!
Words to Remember – Here you will find a page of important words to remember when creating your business plan. These words are also highlighted in blue in each presentation on this page.
Part 1: Entrepreneurship, Business Plans, Names, and Logos
If you are reading this, then you have taken the first steps to become an entrepreneur! An entrepreneur is someone who organizes, manages and assumes the risk of a business. They also work for themselves instead of someone else. They’re very invested in their businesses and are constantly looking for new ways to expand their products or services.
A large part of business and entrepreneurship is organization. An easy way to stay organized when starting a business is to create a business plan. A Business Plan is a document that will help an entrepreneur build the foundation for their product or service and will have all of the information necessary to create and sell them. It is an important tool for planning, budgeting, and knowing what to do when issues arise. Make sure you’re using the Business Plan template as you follow along with these presentations.
In other words, business plans are like roadmaps. A plan that has a specific goal and specifies the steps that need to be taken to reach that goal. In this case, the steps needed to reach the goal of starting a business are detailed in a business plan.
Let’s get into it!
The first part of creating a business is having an idea. When you have an idea, you’ll want to ask yourself questions like, “What is my big idea?” and “How does it help others?” These questions will help you make an argument for why your business will make a difference in your community, and why you’ll be successful with your product or service. If you don’t know where to start, use the “Choosing a Business Idea” Activities Sheet to help get you started.
With this idea comes a name! The name should be relevant to your product or service. So, for example, if you wanted to have a dog walking business, you do not want the name of your business including anything that has to do with cupcakes, because then your business name does not clarify what your product or service is.
Next, you’ll want a logo. A logo is an image that depicts the main idea of what your product or service is. An effective logo is versatile, meaning that you can change the colors, and it still looks simple and clean. Logos with lots of complicated colors will end up looking cluttered, and they won’t deliver the main message or idea of your business. They should also be relevant to your business. Just as I mentioned with your business name, the same goes for logos. Lastly, you’ll want your logo to be original and different from other logos. Successful entrepreneurs form their own ideas for their business, and this includes a logo!
By this point, you should have completed the first page of your business plan and you are one step closer to launching your business. Continue reading to learn about the next step in the business plan, which is marketing plans and strategies.
Part 2: Marketing, Customers, and Pitches
Marketing is extremely important in order to have a successful business. This is because marketing, or advertising, gets the word out about your products and services to hopeful customers. A customer is someone who will purchase your product or service. Questions to ask yourself when determining who you’re going to advertise to are, “Who will be my customers? How old are they? Where do they live?” These questions are important because finding people who will be most interested in buying the goods or services you’re offering will boost your business.
When gaining these customers, you’ll have to win them over! Not everyone will be immediately on board with your business. Sometimes it’ll take some convincing! That being said, a pitch is very important! A pitch is a small speech that tells others about the focus and goal of your product or service, and why yours is the best or most unique. What will you tell others about your product or service in 30 seconds or less? Now, it doesn’t have to be exactly 30 seconds, it could be a little bit more or a little less, but the goal is to get people on your side really quickly! Support is also a major factor in a successful business.
Finally, getting the word out is important! How else will you market your business. Remember, there’s no right way to advertise! Emails, fliers, signs, word of mouth, social media pages, and radio advertisements are a few great examples that can help you to spread the word and boost your business.
By this point, you should have completed the second page of your business plan and you are another step closer to launching your business. Continue reading to learn about the next step in the business plan, which is finances.
Part 3: Startup Costs, Expenses, Pricing, and Profit
The first financial decision you’ll have to make for your business is where you’re going to receive your startup funds from. The amount of money you need to launch your business is called the “startup cost”. Where will this money come from? A savings account? A family member? A sponsor? That’s something to think about.
Once you decide where you’ll get your starting money from, you have to budget! How much will the materials that you need for your business cost? Additionally, what will you need? Will you need fliers and business cards? Equipment and tools?
Once these materials are acquired, what is the cost per unit? In other words, what is the cost of making EACH product or providing EACH service? For products, cost per unit can be found by dividing total expenses by the number of products that can be produced with whatever number of materials you have. For services, cost per unit can be found by dividing total expenses by number of hours spent working. Some math is involved, but this step is important for determining the pricing of your goods and services.
After squaring away cost of materials and cost per unit, you’ll want to think about pricing, because that’s where you’ll make money from your product or service. Choose a price that is reasonable to your product or service, and make sure to compare it to the prices of competitors! A competitor is a business or an entrepreneur that sells the same product or provides the same service as you. Remember, the price has to be set above the cost per unit in order to guarantee that you’re generating profit!
Finally, once you subtract total expenses, how much will you be earning? Some more math is involved here, but this is your final step to calculating how much you’ll make from your product or service.
By this point, you should have completed the third page of your business plan and you are another step closer to launching your business. Continue reading to learn about the next step in the business plan, which is long-term business planning.
Part 4: Long-Term Profit and Giving Plans
When thinking about long-business planning, there are two important factors to consider. A profits plan and giving plan. When earning, it’s important to save and budget, but also to give back.
In terms of planning out what you’ll do with your profits, ask yourself, “what will I do with the money?” You should make a plan for spending, saving, and sharing. Will you use your money to buy more supply? Reinvest in your business? Save for your future?
Second, giving! Will you support a charity that’s near and dear to you? Maybe you won’t donate money, but how will your business make a difference in your community? Never forget that giving back is a really important and rewarding part of doing business with others.
Congratulations! You have completed the final page of your business plan! This means that you’re ready to execute your plan and become the successful entrepreneur you’re aspiring to be!
Congrats Kid Boss! You’ve officially planned out your business and are all set to get started with your launch. If you want an incredible opportunity to showcase your business to the community, sign up for Produced With Purpose’s Annual Young Entrepreneurs Showcase! There you will be able to connect with entrepreneurs who are looking to sell their products and services just like you!
Best of luck with your business! As an organization looking to provide kid bosses like you with all the tools to succeed in business, we want to make sure that you have your questions answered so that you can take your ideas to the next level! Contact us below if you have any questions or comments about the information we have provided you so that we can assist you in launching your business.