2023-07-24 07:48:00
Followed within a structure of accompaniment to the self-creation of employment (SAACE), he was often slapped on the fingers on this subject: “This is the aspect on which I was bothered the most, he smiles. But the guide was there to guide me.
Manage your activity
In a very down-to-earth way, the business plan is an essential step in obtaining financing. A bank will never grant credit without a coherent business plan. It is also a must to test your project in an incubator, for example. “But more fundamentally, the business plan allows the independent to manage his activity. It freezes what he has in mind at a given moment”, explains David Sobrie, regional manager at Partena Professional. This business counter does not offer support for writing a business plan but accompanies the self-employed in their professional development.
In this plan, the future boss must explain why he is launching and how he imagines the course of his activity. “It’s also an opportunity to determine your ambitions, continues David Sobrie. After six months of activity, you can come back to your business plan and say to yourself: “At this stage, I should be there. If I’m not there, what have I missed?
Look for the “wow” effect
Business plan templates can vary, but always have several parts (see infographic). A distinction is generally made between the qualitative part and the quantitative part, that is to say the quantified part.
The first axis focuses on the project leader. It’s just regarding showing up. “We ask ourselves the following questions: who am I? What is my background? What are my experiences and my motivations? If I reorient myself, for what reasons? All of this must appear in black and white at the very beginning of its business plan”, details Élodie Piroton, human resources manager at Job’In, a SAACE which offers this type of service.
Then comes the presentation of the project as such. “Here, the project leader will be interested in his value proposition. What will he bring to the client? What will distinguish him from the competition? The candidate should also try to define his clientele, and ask himself how he can convince them to join his project. “We are not asking to answer in 2-3 lines, we must dig into these aspects. That said, we have tools that can help the independent to determine all of this.”
Future freelancers must also carry out a market study, which is essential to find out if their project meets a demand. “It’s really fundamental to know if there is a real demand for the products or services that the project leader intends to offer, explain Marjorie Corman and Justine Genten, from Créa-job, another SAACE. This allows the project to be adapted to reality.”
Carrying out market research requires you to roll up your sleeves and take action, in particular by talking to entrepreneurs active in this field of activity. “These contacts are valuable for obtaining advice, referrals and feedback.”
Market research may also include a survey of potential customers. “It’s an important step, and often very beneficial,” say the two guides.
Project leaders still have to think regarding a marketing strategy, a real guarantee of success. What communication tools to use? What actions should be organized on the basis of these tools, and how often? “As young entrepreneurs, they must ask themselves these questions and work on their marketing strategy upstream. This aspect must also be refined according to each customer segment.”
Take out the calculator
The second major part of the business plan – quantitative this time – is the financial plan. Enough to give a hard time to future independents. “We have to imagine what we will have in terms of turnover, what our expenses will be, make a precise list of household expenses. It takes time!”, remembers Valérie Diez, who launched FOODiez, her culinary workshops.
“You have to make three-year forecasts, calculate all your expenses. But obviously, we do this without knowing them, since we haven’t started yet, says Tom Evrard. Everything is a question of estimation, and you have to take everything into account. As far as I’m concerned, I had to think regarding insurance, memberships in diving federations, the cost of the swimming pool, gasoline, interviews, equipment. It was very vast!”
Once the expenses have been assessed, it is then necessary to determine its financial income. “I had to know how many students I would have per month, knowing that there is a range of possible training, and that I did not yet know which ones I was going to give. […] What is certain is that in this phase of the business plan, you have to be honest with yourself!”
Élodie Piroton has a very specific outline for this part relating to the financial plan. “At Job’In, the financial plan is divided into two parts. First, you need to know what you need, and how you finance the project.” This is where the candidate can bring in the question of the bank loan and the various financial aids.
The second part of the financial plan is the forecast: “It allows you to know if the project is viable. The independent indicates how many clients he will have, what the client is willing to pay for his products or services. With us, in the first box of the forecast, the independent must indicate his potential turnover, then come all his expenses and lastly, his remuneration. For us, the remuneration aspect matters a lot, because we want the project to be viable for the person.”
“It is better to get involved than to delegate everything”
The future independent can finally detail the more legal part of his activity. “That said, these are questions that we already ask at the very beginning of the course, in an interview”, specifies Élodie Piroton. The self-employed person must then ask himself if he has access to management, if he is in a regulated profession, if he is subject to various authorizations, such as that of the Afsca for example.
“That said, the independent can perfectly delegate the financial aspect of his business plan to his accountant, but personally, I would really advise him to get involved in this step, concludes David Sobrie. It will be really useful for him to have thought regarding it for the rest of his entrepreneurial adventure. “
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