lan center business plan

MASTER SEAT

FRANCHISE NEWS

DOWNLOAD APP

Are LAN centers profitable?

David Kosir

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

LAN centers can be profitable if set up and run carefully. By joining a LAN center franchise like Friendly Fire, which has a proven track record of success, you can maximize your chances of success and have access to a network of experts and advanced software solutions that are not available to standalone LAN centers.

With the rise in the popularity of esports, opening a LAN center (also known as a gaming cafe) can be a lucrative business opportunity. However, as with any business venture, it's important to consider the financial aspects of owning a LAN center and how to turn a profit.

A LAN center is a business that provides a physical space for customers to come and play video games with friends or other customers. LAN centers typically offer high-end gaming computers, fast internet connection, and various other amenities such as food and drinks, comfortable seating and other gaming related items.

In this blog post, we'll be discussing the financial considerations of owning a LAN center and how to maximize profits. We'll also delve into the benefits of joining a LAN center franchise, specifically Friendly Fire, which has a proven track record of success with multiple LAN centers in its network. With years of experience in the industry, Friendly Fire has never had a LAN center closed due to a financial failure and can help you with financial stability and reduced risk of failure.

Financial considerations for owning a LAN center

Opening a LAN center can be a significant financial undertaking, and it's important to understand the costs associated with setting up and running the business. Before opening a LAN center, it's crucial to budget and research the costs of equipment, rent, utilities, and other expenses to ensure that the investment will be worth it in the long run.

Initial Costs: The initial costs of setting up a LAN center can include the cost of equipment, such as gaming computers, monitors, keyboards, and other peripherals, as well as furniture, sound systems, and other amenities. Additionally, there will be costs associated with leasing or purchasing a space, building out the space, and obtaining any necessary licenses and permits.

Ongoing Expenses: Once the LAN center is up and running, there will be ongoing expenses such as rent, utilities, internet and phone service, payroll, and marketing and advertising. It's important to consider these expenses when developing a financial plan and budget for the business.

Revenue Streams: LAN centers generate revenue through several streams such as hourly or daily fees, memberships, and sales of food, drinks, and other products. It's important to understand the potential revenue streams and how they will impact the overall profitability of the business.

Budgeting and Financial Planning: One of the most crucial steps in ensuring the success of a LAN center is to develop a detailed financial plan and budget. This includes forecasting expenses, revenue, and profits and taking into account the costs associated with running the business. It is important to always have a financial buffer in case of unexpected events.

By joining the Friendly Fire franchise, you will have assistance in creating a comprehensive business plan, taking into account all of the financial considerations for owning a LAN center. Friendly Fire experts have already seen a dozen of different LAN centers and you can rely on their experience and knowledge to help guide you through the process of budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning to ensure the long-term profitability and success of your LAN center.

Maximizing profits in a LAN center

Once the LAN center is up and running, it's important to implement strategies to attract and retain customers, optimize operations, and increase profitability.

Attracting and Retaining Customers: One of the most important factors in maximizing profits is having a steady stream of customers. This can be achieved through effective marketing and advertising strategies, such as online advertising, social media, and partnerships with local businesses. Additionally, offering incentives such as loyalty programs, discounts, and special events can help to attract and retain customers.

Utilizing Technology and Software: Utilizing technology and software can help to streamline operations and increase efficiency. This includes using software for managing customer data, scheduling, and accounting, as well as using technology to enhance the customer experience. For example, implementing a system for online reservations and payments can make the process more convenient for customers and reduce the workload for staff.

Collaborating with Other LAN Centers and Gaming Communities: Collaborating with other LAN centers and gaming communities can also be beneficial in increasing profits. This can include organizing joint events, sharing resources and ideas, and networking with other industry professionals. Additionally, participating in gaming tournaments and competitions can help to attract customers and generate buzz for the LAN center.

By attracting and retaining customers, utilizing technology and software, and collaborating with other LAN centers and gaming communities, LAN center owners can increase profits and optimize their operations.

It's important to note that a LAN center franchise such as Friendly Fire, has a huge experience and a lot of LAN centers in the franchise, maximizing the probability of success. Friendly Fire can provide you with the necessary strategies and resources to optimize your operations and increase profitability.

The benefits of joining a LAN center franchise

Joining a LAN center franchise can provide a number of benefits for entrepreneurs looking to open a gaming center. One of the main benefits is the support and resources provided by the franchisor, which can greatly increase the chances of success for the business.

Access to Proven Business Models: Franchisors have already established a successful business model, and by joining a franchise, entrepreneurs have access to this proven model. This includes established systems for operations, marketing, and customer service, as well as a pre-existing customer base.

Training and Support: Franchisees also receive training and support from the franchisor, which can help them to understand the business model and operate the business efficiently. This can include training on operations, marketing, and customer service, as well as ongoing support to help the franchisee navigate any challenges that may arise.

Marketing and Advertising: Franchisees also benefit from the franchisor's marketing and advertising efforts, which can help to attract and retain customers. This can include national advertising campaigns, promotions, and other marketing efforts that can help to drive business to the franchisee's location.

Purchasing Power: Franchisees also benefit from the franchisor's purchasing power, which can help to reduce costs for equipment, supplies, and other expenses. This can help to increase profitability for the business.

Advanced Software: Additionally, joining a LAN center franchise such as Friendly Fire, gives access to advanced software that can help to optimize operations and increase profitability. Friendly Fire software solution offers a variety of features that can help streamline the operations of a gaming center. This includes machine learning algorithms that analyze large amounts of data to match similar customers, create customized push notifications, automatically adjust dynamic prices, personalize offers, make short-term predictions, and much more.

With over 20 different modules working together to create a smooth experience and easy operations, Friendly Fire's software is truly exceptional. The dynamic pricing model that adjusts prices based on demand and customer loyalty points is one of the key features that can help to optimize pricing and maximize revenue. Additionally, Friendly Fire has implemented a loyalty program that rewards customers for their loyalty and helps to drive repeat business.

With the help of Friendly Fire's software, franchisees can streamline their operations, manage customer data effectively and make the most of every customer interaction.

LAN centers can be profitable if set up and run carefully. By joining a LAN center franchise like Friendly Fire, which has a proven track record of success, you can maximize your chances of success and have access to a network of experts and advanced software solutions that are not available to standalone LAN centers. With the right financial planning, budgeting and strategies for attracting and retaining customers, you can turn your LAN center into a profitable and successful business.

Friendly Fire is an international gaming cafe franchise. It is a place for gamers who like to play with others, compete, improve, win and have a great time. Friendly Fire is known for its amazing community and great atmosphere.

Master Seat

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Cookies Policy

Community Guidelines

Advertising Guidelines

Franchise Information

Franchise News

© 2024 Friendly Fire, Inc. All Rights reserved

• Business Plans Handbook
• Business Plans - Volume 10
• Network Game Centers Business Plan

Network Game Centers

BUSINESS PLAN

POWERPLAY GAMING, LLC

11007 Woodworth Avenue, Suite 101 Portland, Oregon 97209

This business proposal seeks to set up Network Game Centers, called PowerPlay Gaming, throughout the United States. By setting up networks of computers or consoles that are able to truly capture and show off the programming expertise and high quality of presentation produced by game software, gamers will be able to enjoy playing a new and exciting game without having to purchase the equipment and software associated with a high quality gaming experience.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Company summary, business description, market analysis summary, strategy & implementation summary, management summary, financial plan.

The worldwide video gaming industry generates in excess of $50 billion per year according to the "Executive Interview Series: The State of the Game Market 2001" report published by DFC Intelligence. Most of this revenue is through the sale of hardware and software associated with video games.

A new avenue of additional income connected with the video games industry that has remained largely unexplored throughout the world is that of Network Game Centers (NGC). Our NGC will be named PowerPlay Gaming.

In essence, an NGC's business model exploits the fact that gamers can enjoy playing a new and exciting game without having to purchase the equipment and software associated with a high quality gaming experience. A computer or console that is able to truly capture and show off the programming expertise and high quality of presentation produced by game software developers these days requires a high-end machine with special graphics and sound components as well as other costly hardware prerequisites. These machines are therefore prohibitively expensive and the video gaming fan is relegated to a sub-optimal gaming experience on his affordable but medium to low-end computer at home.

Another factor that is key to the success of the NGC model is the fact that all games, whether computers or otherwise, are vastly more enjoyable when played in groups. Group dynamics is a field of psychology that has been studied endlessly and will not be mentioned in detail here, but it is suffice to say the following: The "challenge" factor that is evident in group games and sports is by far one of the most powerful of driving forces. The camaraderie and sense of satisfaction and achievement that is derived from playing a team sport or group game is not comparable to any other feeling and is now a well established form of entertainment in the world. The NGC business model exploits exactly this group dynamic, resulting in a proven, profit-generating business with a low investment/low operating cost.

The huge market potential and virtually instant return on investment for these entertainment venues is evident from its phenomenal growth rate in both the United States and abroad.

This business proposal therefore seeks to set up NGCs, called PowerPlay Gaming, throughout the United States with an aim to be the best in each selected city and therefore maximizing the profits earned from it.

The main objectives of the development of these new venues are:

• Capitalize on excellent opportunity to extract maximum revenue in a competitor-less market.
• To launch the NGC with a highly targeted publicity campaign in the summer of 2003.
• To maintain tight control of costs, operations, and cash flow through diligent management and automated computer control.
• To maintain a high standard of product and service provided in the NGC.
• To exceed $150,000 in annual sales by the third year of plan implementation.

The keys to success in achieving our goals are:

• Be the first in the market to provide a new entertainment service that has broad appeal.
• Provide an exceptional service and product that leaves an impression.
• Consistent entertainment atmosphere and product quality.
• Managing our internal finances and cash flow to enable upward capital growth.
• Strict control of all costs at all times, without exception.

The key elements of PowerPlay Gaming's concept are as follows:

• "War Games" based themes—The company will focus on themes that have mass appeal. A variety of games will be available though.
• Distinctive design features—The NGC will be characterized by elaborate interior decoration that simulates a "Control Center" as can be seen in any Hollywood movie based on military or Space Travel themes.
• Location, location, location—One of the major strengths that the NGC will have is its careful choice of location in a high visibility area with plenty of parking as well as complementary businesses close by, such as restaurants.
• Variety—The NGC will provide a variety of games in its software portfolio to cater to the diverse tastes of people.
• Quality Hardware—The NGC will provide high-end hardware on which the network and its components will run, to ensure a first-class entertainment experience.
• Exceptional service—In order to reach and maintain a unique image of quality, the NGC will provide attentive and friendly service through the careful selection of service personnel, and will also invest in the training and supervision of its employees. We estimate two to three staff for an NGC unit to be sufficient and will ensure that their needs are well looked after.

Company Ownership

PowerPlay Gaming will be a privately held LLC, the details of which have not been solidified as of the date of this publication.

Start-up Summary

The company will seek a loan from either a local bank or a venture capitalist for start-up purposes for PowerPlay Gaming.

Funds needed to accomplish goal referenced above will be $50,000. The applicants will require the entire $50,000 to finish project build-out.

We will utilize the anticipated loans in the amount of $50,000 to build out the approximate 500-square-foot space and purchase and set up equipment necessary for start-up of the company. It also will pay for miscellaneous expenses associated with key personnel for the first couple of months. The following tables and charts illustrate the capital requirements.

With the emergence of new network technology and high-speed infrastructure around the world, more and more game developers are realizing the huge demand for multiplayer network-based games and have been channeling funds into developing games that can meet this unprecedented demand. These developments have brought a unique opportunity to capitalize on the nature of these games through the model of an NGC. The fact that Internet speed is largely dependent on expensive infrastructure means that a local area network will still be the fastest network available for game playing. This translates into faster and smoother game-play with no jerkiness or delays.

PowerPlay Gaming will provide an exciting environment in which people can play games competitively against each other. The challenge of going up against one's friends in the same place is a far more enjoyable experience than playing against a computer's artificial intelligence or against an anonymous player on the Internet. In the NGC environment, a customer is able to see his opponents as well as converse with them during the game, making for a much more "interactive" environment as opposed to the confines of their PC at home. The gamer also will be able to enjoy the camaraderie that goes with any group activity that usually is not available at home.

The concept and management of PowerPlay Gaming has been well received in the Portland, Oregon, area where hundreds of customers regularly come to engage in a battle of wits against their friends and other NGC customers.

The NGC phenomenon is due to the fact that the challenge factor proves to be very addictive as in any sport or game, and the fact that there are no physical limitations on the players opens up the market for players of all ages, sizes, physical and mental ability to play against one another. A ten-year-old child can easily be the best player in a match against other players much older and wiser. The same goes for players less fit and less physically active than other "sporty" competitors. PowerPlay Gaming provides a level playing field for all.

The fact that this is a new and exciting form of entertainment is especially attractive in cities that are limited in the variety of entertainment that is available for the young generation.

The demographics and entertainment market in Portland, Oregon, appear to be ripe for which PowerPlay Gaming to flourish. No doubt that with the right set-up and marketing, it will prove to be so.

Market Segmentation

We see PowerPlay Gaming as appealing to three major market segments. Fortunately, the long hours of operation help the company lend itself to multiple segment appeal. Our market segmentation scheme allows some room for estimates and nonspecific definitions.

• Childless Young Professionals —Due to the nature of the games, PowerPlay Gaming will appeal to primarily single young males that will enjoy a group activity after working hours to blow away the stresses of the day. Video games are certainly not the domain of children anymore as evident in the demographics of people who have purchased the Sony Playstation consoles (I and II) as well as more recently, Microsoft's X-Box. Up to 75% of NGC customers are single adult males between the ages of 18 and 35. This segment also spends the most amount of time (and money) in the NGCs (10 - 20 hours a week).
• College Students —Although less affluent than young professionals, college and high school students also make up a significant portion of an NGC's customer base. These are people that are just starting to enjoy social activities that were not available to them as youngsters. Their spending power may be less than our first group but makes up a significant portion of revenues since they are able to visit the NGC at earlier times than members of our first group due to their working hours. This segment makes up roughly 20% of the NGC's patronage.
• Children —Although at first glance it would seem that children would have the most significant part to play in the success of PowerPlay Gaming, the reality is that children's time in an NGC is limited largely due to the restrictions placed on them by parents as well as a lack of money available to spend on a daily basis. Parents would rather buy their child a console to play within the safety of their homes where they can "keep an eye" on them. Having said that, this segment does prove to be useful in revenue terms to fill PowerPlay Gaming for a short time after school hours when the parents allow their children some flexibility to meet with their friends for some harmless fun. A variety of games are available to meet the needs of these younger customers that make up roughly 5% of an NGC's customer base.

Target Market Segment Strategy

Our strategy is based on serving our niche markets exceptionally well. The pure gaming enthusiast, the group activity buffs, as well as children, can all enjoy the NGC experience.

The marketing strategy is essential to the main strategy:

• Emphasize exceptional service.
• Create awareness of PowerPlay Gaming's high quality hardware.
• Focus on our target markets.

We must charge appropriately for the high-end, high-quality service we offer as well as take advantage of the fact that we will be the best in the market. Our revenue structure will be higher (but not prohibitively so) than Internet Cafés (the closest comparison to this kind of business) due to the fact that our computers and network will be of a much higher quality and specification than that required in Internet Cafés.

Part of the superior experience we will offer will be the ease of use of the computers since the software we will use to manage the center will store all the customer's customized setups of the keyboard and multimedia features. Customers will not have to go through the hassle of setting up their computers to their exact requirements every time they come back to us. Logging into the system with their user name and password will set their computer back exactly to their previously stored settings. The software also will ensure that they can pick up their previously saved games exactly where they left off since most games require several hours to complete.

Special pricing structures also will exist to accommodate groups of players and "off peak" days of the week and hours of the day. This will ensure that the maximum revenue can be obtained from each working day of PowerPlay Gaming and will be an added incentive for customers to utilize the center to its fullest.

Tournaments will be held on a regular basis with sponsored prizes to appeal to the competitive streaks of groups and individuals as well as a "Top Ten Players" list that will be analyzed using specialized software. A prizes and incentives scheme will be associated with this list. These elements will further ensure that customers come back to our establishment repeatedly.

Service Business Analysis

Video games have significantly impacted young peoples' lifestyles and the economy in every developed country in the 1990s. Entrancing players with fantasy, visual effects, and addictive game play, video games are still one of the highest cash flow businesses in the world. The average gamer will spend three to four hours every day in this type of activity and will spend an average of $9 to $15 every time. As we move further into the new millennium, this trend shows no signs of declining.

The typical NGC of our style is open from 12:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. , and within this time frame, the NGC can achieve gross revenues anywhere from $500 to $1,000 daily. The primary sources of revenue in an NGC of this type are high volume traffic and regular, long-staying customers who play for 4 to 5 hours every day. In addition to gaming revenues, we also have an option to generate substantial revenues from food and beverage sales should the right environment be attained and a customer need perceived.

Additionally, the NGC industry is shifting towards a more entertainment-oriented concept. Customers of these venues are not only offered a unique gaming experience, but also a place to participate in additional exciting events through interactive contests, theme nights, and other events. We intend to heavily utilize entertainment-oriented marketing in an effort to withstand the perpetual shift in trends and cater to as large a client base as possible.

NGCs are extremely self-sufficient with little support required from outside suppliers. Aside from the occasional maintenance of computer equipment and replacement of breakables (such as keyboards, mice, and headphones), the only regular supply that is required for the normal and profitable operation of the NGC is electricity.

In Portland, Oregon, all major brands of computer equipment and peripherals are readily available at ever cheapening prices due to heavy competition. In addition, preferential pricing can be obtained for breakables from local suppliers due to the fact that our business has a higher than normal rate of peripheral damage and therefore replacement requirement.

Business Participants

The NGC will be part of the audiovisual entertainment industry, which includes several kinds of businesses:

• Cinema and Rented Movies —This genre usually appeals to the same demographic clientele as an NGC. This same client base dictates that the average price structure be comparable in order to create "regulars."
• Home-based Console and Computer Games —Although on paper a significant competitor, an NGC provides a form of entertainment not available to the home gamer. This stems from the fact that home gaming is a solitary or at best small group activity whereas in an NGC, gaming can be enjoyed with groups of up to 20 in our proposed venture.
• Internet Cafés —Primarily used for more passive activities such as E-Mail, information gathering and "chatting," an NGC's main customer base will come from those people that are already quite used to paying for their computer time and are familiar to the concept of Computer Cafés.

Main Competitors

Manhunt—Cedar Hills 30+ PCs Space Raiders—Walnut Grove 30+ PCs Rivenated—Metzger 30+ PCs

PowerPlay Gaming's competition lies mainly with other forms of audiovisual entertainment as well as group activities such as sports. We need to effectively market our concept and ensure word-of-mouth advertising by providing a first-class entertainment experience, while maintaining the idea that playing computer games in groups can be a lot of fun. Our polling has indicated that consumers think of quality, reliability, atmosphere, and price respectively. Additionally, price was frequently mentioned by pointing out that if the former concerns are present then they are willing to pay more for the experience.

The main indirect competitors of the NGC will be:

Cinema & Video Rentals

Not as regular an activity as going to an NGC since new movies are shown at a minimum of every week and therefore a customer may spend on average two to four hours every two weeks or so going to the cinema.

Home Video Games

A solitary activity and one which is easily surpassed in terms of appeal by hardware at an NGC that is far superior to that affordable by the normal gamer. Further, the group element of an NGC proves to be far more appealing than playing by oneself.

Internet Cafés

A very indirect competitor since the services offered are very different to those at a dedicated gaming establishment.

In order to place emphasis on exceptional, reliable entertainment quality, our main tactics are bi-monthly servicing of computers, including the replacement of faulty peripherals as needed. We also will upgrade computers as required according to the recommended specifications of game publishing companies.

Our second strategy is emphasizing customer satisfaction. We will ensure that the customer is never allowed to be bored with the activities available at PowerPlay Gaming. Not only will he always have the latest and most popular games available to play, but he will be able to take part in competitions. A close eye will be kept on gaming magazines and Internet sites to ensure that we are always first to market with new and exciting games that are released in the United States and Europe.

Our promise fulfillment strategy may be our most important. The necessary tactics are friendliness of staff, long-lasting relationships, ongoing maintenance, and attention to detail, especially after popularity has been established and new competitors enter the market. Through empowerment of service employees to solve problems and reward regular customers without waiting for management consultation, we create a win-win situation for the customer and the NGC.

Continuous and never-ending improvement is the order of the day through our "on the job" training sessions and regular meetings. Since value is equal to service rendered minus the price charged, it is crucial to go beyond the mere supplying of computers and games—you have to create a long-lasting impression.

• Emphasize reliability—We MUST prove to our customers that perfectly functioning computers and associated equipment should be expected as part of the gaming experience. We will differentiate ourselves from the mediocre NGCs when they surely arrive in the market.
• Emphasize an entertaining experience—By assuring that all guests will enjoy themselves every time without a lapse in reliability, we will be securing market share through repeat business.
• Focus on a variety of rewarding activities—Our marketing, promotions, group activities, and competitions will ensure that people do not get bored with our service.
• Differentiate and fulfill the above promises.

We cannot just market and sell a new entertainment concept; we must actually deliver on our promise of quality, service, and a unique gaming experience. We need to make sure we have the fun and service-intensive staff that we claim to have.

Marketing Strategy

Through friendly and courteous service, we will build relationships with our regular customers to ensure that when competition does arrive, our regulars will be reluctant to go to them due to their personal ties with us.

Advertising budgets, tournaments, and promotions are ongoing processes of management geared to promote the brand name and keep at the forefront of the NGC industry in Portland, Oregon.

We will depend on newspaper advertising as well as leaflet distribution at places of gathering of our customer base to promote our establishment. Our strategies and practices will remain constant, as will the way we promote ourselves:

• Advertising—We will be developing a core-positioning message.
• Grand Opening—We will concentrate a substantial portion of our early advertising budget towards the "Grand Opening Event."
• Direct Marketing—We will directly market in areas of high traffic for our main market segment such as cinemas and restaurants.

PowerPlay Gaming will create an identity-oriented marketing strategy with executions particularly in print media, in-store promotions at supermarkets and video stores.

A grand opening event will be held to launch PowerPlay Gaming in the summer of 2003. A newspaper advertising blitz will precede the event for two weeks, with ambiguous teasers about an "event like no other" in the city's history and the forthcoming opening date. Contests will be held through the newspaper and handouts, giving away V.I.P. passes (coupons) to the event while at the same time creating excitement about the opening. The opening date is tentative at this point and dependent upon network set-up completion. The budget for the event will be $500, and the milestone date will parallel the available opening date.

Achievement of the following campaigns will be measured by the polling of customers as to how they heard of PowerPlayGaming for the first ninety days of operation. Future advertising budget adjustments will be made as the results dictate.

We will be running regular newspaper ads and direct-mail campaigns to create brand awareness. Our newspaper ads will be concentrated strongly in Portland's major newspapers. Through attractive design, a teaser campaign, and the use of catchy phrases, we hope to obtain intellectual ownership of our target market segments.

We will advertise directly to our regular customers through e-mail and normal post as well as in areas where our customers regularly gather, such as the cinema through the use of fliers and leaflets. Promos such as "introduce a new customer and get an hour free" would be relatively inexpensive from an advertising standpoint and require limited ongoing maintenance and expense. Ads also will go into the college newspapers for the local campuses.

Jessica Miller will be responsible for all advertising and promotions activities with consultation from Mark Stafford. The monthly budget for advertising and promotions activities will be set once the levels of "word-of-mouth" advertising and business levels are assessed.

Shirts, baseball caps, and bumper stickers bearing the NGC's logo also will be eventually marketed, as well as given away as prizes, in order to further spread brand awareness. All the partners will approve artistic design but Jessica Miller will negotiate the supply.

Sales Forecast

Our forecast for income for the first year of operation is based on an NGC with 20 PCs and the lowest hourly sales price of $3.00.

Competitive Pricing

The price will be brought down from a relatively high price of $5 per hour to $4.50 to $4 per hour in order to maximize revenue during the process of lowering the prices to market norms. The lowest price will be maintained at $3 per hour with any additional cut in prices by competitors battled with an aggressive marketing strategy.

The time frame for the price reductions will be decided upon after analyzing the situation at the time and will be done so with every resistance tactic including the sales of packages for bulk purchase, group discounts, and other such promotions that will keep us competitive, but maintain a higher average price for hours sold.

The company will have two managers with a common passion for this business and a firm commitment to realizing the vision, and share a common goal: to provide a unique and entertaining experience through state-of-the-art technology and exceptional service.

Management Team

Mark stafford, operations manager.

Stafford's specific responsibilities will lie primarily with the coordination of events and oversight of the operations as well as technical support and development of the NGC.

Jessica Miller, General Manager

Miller primarily will be responsible for the marketing and publicity with a view to developing the business in other areas. Specific responsibilities will be to manage the reinvestment of funds and coordinate marketing activities with Mark Stafford.

The positions of operations support staff, technical assistants, cleaners, etc. will be openly sought from the market nearer to the opening of the NGC.

Management Team Gaps

We believe we have a solid team constructed in order to cover the main points of the business plan for the first NGC. Management growth through training and exposure will be an ongoing component of PowerPlay Gaming's priorities.

However, we do realize that as we expand to other NGCs in the region (as is the long-term plan), we will require other managers and technicians to whom we can entrust the operations of this cash-based business. The candidates will be carefully chosen due to their backgrounds and personalities and through personal recommendations of their character.

The process of identifying suitable candidates for the General Manager's position will be ongoing as we expand our operations and any candidates identified will be hired as assistants and trained according to our requirements while under perpetual assessment as to their suitability for the job.

Personnel Requirements

The Personnel Requirements reflect the dual objective of providing an ample amount of service personnel to run the day-to-day operations of PowerPlay Gaming as well as to develop staff for future setups. Our headcount will remain at two to three employees (including the General Manager) at each NGC unless any unforeseen demands dictate otherwise.

The financial projections for this plan are presented in the tables and charts of the following subtopics.

Important Assumptions

The financial plan depends on important assumptions. The key underlying assumptions are:

• We assume a slow-growth economy of five percent the first year, and three percent thereafter, without major recession.
• We assume that price will be a key competitive element in the first three years of operations where competitors in the business will seek to cut into our business through price cutting.
• We assume continued popularity of NGCs and the growing demand for high-energy, high-tech entertainment venues.
• We assume that average daily customer usage of PCs is 3 hours per customer.
• We assume that the NGC will be open daily between the hours of 12:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M.

Break-even Analysis

The NGC Break-even Analysis formulas are presented in the text below.

Fixed Costs = $7,500 /month Debt Repayment = $1,000 /month (approximate)

Break Even Point = $8,500

Average Daily Revenue Required = $283.33 Minimum Daily Hours Sold Required = 283.33 / 3 = 94.44 hours Minimum Daily Hours Sold/PC Required = 94.44 / 20 = 4.72 hours Minimum Daily Customers Required = 94.44 / 3 = 31.48

Projected Profit and Loss

The table presents expected Profit and Loss figures for the coming years, based on the first year figures and a 10 percent growth in the market. The expenses have been overestimated for the table for the sake of remaining conservative and a drop in hourly price to reflect competition also has been incorporated in the calculation. We expect though, that the market will stabilize by the end of the third year of operation.

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:.

Get Your LAN Centers Business Essentials Today!

Foster growth with 250+ time-saving, business-specific templates. Swift designs, easy tools, all in one place.

Boost Your LAN Centers Business with Captivating Content

Capturing the essence of a modern LAN Centers business requires a fusion of creativity, understanding of the gaming community, and a flair for engagement. It's about crafting stories that resonate with your audience - gamers who seek not just a place to play, but an immersive experience. Create content that highlights the cutting-edge technology, comfortable gaming stations, and the vibrant community that makes your center unique. Envision blog posts, social media updates, and event announcements that reflect the excitement and camaraderie found in gaming battles and tournaments. Emphasize the array of games available and the state-of-the-art facilities that set your center apart from the rest. Remember, the goal is to create an atmosphere through your words that is as inviting as the adrenaline-pumping environment of your business.

Creating captivating content for a LAN Center can be as strategic and competitive as the games hosted within its walls. The landscape is dynamic, with gamers constantly seeking the next challenge or social gathering. Understanding the nuances of this unique industry is essential when figuring out how to create content that resonates with your audience.

Avoiding Disconnected Messages

One less common mistake in content creation for LAN Centers is the crafting of messages that don't resonate with the gaming community. It's essential to speak their language, understand trends, and relate to their experiences both virtually and in the brick-and-mortar realm of your business. Rather than just pushing promotions, engage in storytelling that reflects their passions and interests.

Not Leveraging Visual Content Effectively

Another overlooked aspect is underutilizing visual content. In a world where a picture says a thousand words--and perhaps even more in gaming circles--vibrant images, compelling videos, and live streaming can convey the atmosphere and excitement of your LAN Center far more effectively than text alone. Ensure your visuals are sharp, professional, and truly representative of the experience you offer.

Overlooking Community Collaboration

In the heart of every gamer is a sense of community. To overlook collaboration with this vibrant group when creating content would be to miss an opportunity to magnify your reach. Consider highlighting community members, shining a spotlight on local tournaments, or sharing user-generated content that showcases real people enjoying what you've built.

Failing to Update Content Regularly

Content that remains static is akin to a game that never receives updates--eventually, players will lose interest. Your online presence must be dynamic and current, reflecting the latest happenings at your center. Post tournament results promptly, announce new games or hardware acquisitions without delay, and keep your schedule of events fresh.

Ignoring SEO Practices

In the quest for how to create content that captures attention, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can sometimes fall by the wayside. This oversight is detrimental; without proper keywords, meta descriptions, and titles reflective of what gamers are searching for, your content might not reach its intended audience no matter how well-crafted it is.

Forgetting the Power of Storytelling

The power of storytelling cannot be overstated in any sector but holds particular weight in entertainment-based businesses like LAN Centers. Through narratives about epic battles fought or communities formed over shared digital adventures, potential customers can envisage themselves as part of your story--one they'll want to step into and experience firsthand.

Misunderstanding Audience Engagement Metrics

Misinterpreting data from audience engagement metrics such as time spent on page or click-through rates might lead to incorrect conclusions about what your audience enjoys. Use these metrics smartly to refine your approach continuously; if certain types of posts garner more interaction, let those insights guide future content creation endeavors.

Boost campaigns with 250+ editable templates. Save, reuse, and wield design tools for business growth.

Incorporating Brand Consistency Subtly

Your LAN Center's brand should be woven subtly yet firmly into all pieces of content you create--from website articles to social media posts. This doesn't only mean slapping logos onto everything; it means maintaining a consistent voice and message that aligns with your brand's identity across various platforms and formats.

On this note, tools like Desygner become invaluable for ensuring brand consistency while empowering you to design stunning graphics easily--even if you're not a seasoned designer. With its simple interface and library of templates tailored explicitly for gaming businesses, Desygner can help maintain visual coherence across all promotional materials.

The Heartbeat of Engagement

For a LAN Centers business, creating content is not just important, it's the lifeblood of connection and engagement with your community. Crafting informative, entertaining, and relevant content acts as a beacon, drawing players and enthusiasts into the warm embrace of your establishment. It's a dynamic way to showcase the vibrant culture that thrives within your walls. The more you churn out compelling stories, announce thrilling tournaments, and offer sneak peeks into the latest gaming technology, the more you stoke the fires of interest and excitement in your audience.

A Magnet for Loyalty and Growth

Think of content creation as a magnet with an irresistible pull. By consistently delivering value through your posts, videos, or live streams, you transform casual visitors into loyal patrons. This loyalty doesn't just keep your current clientele coming back for more; it turns them into passionate ambassadors who spread the word far and wide. And in this golden age of connectivity, a recommendation from a fellow gamer is worth its weight in gold-encrusted controllers!

The Catalyst for Digital Prosperity

Moreover, frequent content creation is a catalyst for digital prosperity. It enhances your visibility across search engines and social platforms, ensuring that when someone searches for a place to engage in epic battles or enjoy a night out with fellow gamers, your LAN Center stands out. By harnessing the power of SEO-rich articles and captivating multimedia elements, you can climb the rankings and become a dominant force in the digital realm.

Unleashing Potential with Every Post

In essence, every piece of content you create unleashes potential - potential to inform, entertain, connect, and grow. Each tutorial on gaming strategies or highlight reel from local competitions serves as proof of your commitment to providing an exceptional experience. This dedication to excellence is contagious; it inspires others to excel and promises an ever-evolving adventure within your domain. So embrace the art of content creation with fervor; it's one investment that pays dividends in community spirit and business vitality.

Mastering Content Creation for Your LAN Center Business

In conclusion, the journey of creating engaging and effective content for a LAN Center business is multifaceted and requires a strategic approach. It's not just about promoting the latest games or boasting high-end equipment; it involves cultivating a community and providing value that resonates with your audience. At the core of this endeavor lies the understanding of your customers' needs and interests, and tailoring your content to meet those while staying authentic to the brand you are building.

Digital storytelling is key in capturing the vibrant atmosphere of a LAN Center. It's about sharing player achievements, showcasing events, and highlighting the social experiences that occur within your venue. Compelling visual content often speaks louder than words alone; hence, incorporating photos and videos can significantly enhance your narrative. Moreover, consistency in posting schedules helps maintain engagement and keeps your audience looking forward to more content.

Collaboration with gamers, influencers, and other LAN Centers can extend your reach beyond your immediate circle. Networking within the gaming community opens up opportunities for co-hosted events or cross-promotions that benefit all parties involved. Embracing user-generated content also serves as an endorsement of your business and encourages further participation from customers who take pride in being part of your community.

As we dissect the essence of impactful content strategy, certain tools can provide an edge in creating polished and appealing content easily. Among these tools, Desygner stands out with its user-friendly interface designed for crafting professional-looking graphics that can capture the dynamic essence of a LAN Center effortlessly.

• Understand your audience's gaming interests.
• Embrace digital storytelling for an immersive experience.
• Incorporate visually compelling media elements.
• Maintain consistency in content posting schedules.
• Leverage collaboration for expanded reach.
• Encourage and share user-generated content.
• Utilize professional graphic design tools like Desygner.
• Create a narrative that aligns with brand values.

To elevate your LAN Centre's presence and captivate your audience with stellar content, consider signing up at Desygner today. Enhance your visual storytelling, engage with patrons on a new level, and watch as your LAN Center becomes a hub for not only gamers but also thrilling narratives waiting to unfold!

Unleash the Potential of Your LAN Center with Expert Marketing Strategies

Embark on the Journey of Creating a Hub for Gamers

UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS POTENTIAL!

Get every material you need for your business in just a few clicks

The iGames LAN Center initiative has officially launched!

After much anticipation and preparation, our suite of services is now live and ready to make an impact.  our launch includes a roster of in-person events you can discover on igames.gg, all designed to reinvigorate and celebrate the world of lan gaming. we've also established a specialized discord community tailor-made for lan centers, where you can connect, share insights, and collaborate to elevate your operations. this newly unveiled lancenters.com website is just getting started, and we're committed to constant improvements and updates to better serve your needs. we understand the toll the covid pandemic has taken on our industry. that's why our services are designed not just to help lan centers get back on their feet, but also to support their growth and expansion in these challenging times. we're excited to embark on this journey with you. thank you for being part of the igames lan center initiative., our services.

Our primary aim with this event is to offer you, as a LAN center owner, a weekly opportunity to attract gamers by featuring new or updated games at your establishment. We partner with game developers to elevate the experience at your location by integrating and showcasing their games to your local community. This supplementary value can consist of game licenses, in-game rewards, promotional backing, and a range of additional benefits.

Our Discord server is dedicated to LAN center owners designed to bring together the community, share valuable insights, and foster collaboration in the gaming industry. This server offers a platform for exchanging best practices, discussing emerging trends, and providing support on operational challenges. Additionally, members can benefit from exclusive resources, including a forum to enhance their LAN center's efficiency. Become a part of our flourishing community and remain at the forefront of this constantly changing industry.

We have initiated www.iGames.gg, a dedicated platform for gamers to discover and engage in various activities at LAN centers. This website serves as a comprehensive resource for the gaming community, providing easy access to information about events that take place at local LAN centers, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared passion among gamers.

Simple Business Plan Template (2024)

Updated: Nov 30, 2023, 4:49pm

Table of Contents

Why business plans are vital, get your free simple business plan template, how to write an effective business plan in 6 steps, frequently asked questions.

While taking many forms and serving many purposes, they all have one thing in common: business plans help you establish your goals and define the means for achieving them. Our simple business plan template covers everything you need to consider when launching a side gig, solo operation or small business. By following this step-by-step process, you might even uncover a few alternate routes to success.

Featured Partners

ZenBusiness

$0 + State Fees

Varies By State & Package

On ZenBusiness' Website

Northwest Registered Agent

$39 + State Fees

On Northwest Registered Agent's Website

On LegalZoom's Website

Whether you’re a first-time solopreneur or a seasoned business owner, the planning process challenges you to examine the costs and tasks involved in bringing a product or service to market. The process can also help you spot new income opportunities and hone in on the most profitable business models.

Though vital, business planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Business plans for lean startups and solopreneurs can simply outline the business concept, sales proposition, target customers and sketch out a plan of action to bring the product or service to market. However, if you’re seeking startup funding or partnership opportunities, you’ll need a write a business plan that details market research, operating costs and revenue forecasting.

Whichever startup category you fall into, if you’re at square one, our simple business plan template will point you down the right path.

Copy our free simple business plan template so you can fill in the blanks as we explore each element of your business plan. Need help getting your ideas flowing? You’ll also find several startup scenario examples below.

Download free template as .docx

Whether you need a quick-launch overview or an in-depth plan for investors, any business plan should cover the six key elements outlined in our free template and explained below. The main difference in starting a small business versus an investor-funded business is the market research and operational and financial details needed to support the concept.

1. Your Mission or Vision

Start by declaring a “dream statement” for your business. You can call this your executive summary, vision statement or mission. Whatever the name, the first part of your business plan summarizes your idea by answering five questions. Keep it brief, such as an elevator pitch. You’ll expand these answers in the following sections of the simple business plan template.

• What does your business do? Are you selling products, services, information or a combination?
• Where does this happen? Will you conduct business online, in-store, via mobile means or in a specific location or environment?
• Who does your business benefit? Who is your target market and ideal customer for your concept?
• Why would potential customers care? What would make your ideal customers take notice of your business?
• How do your products and/or services outshine the competition? What would make your ideal customers choose you over a competitor?

These answers come easily if you have a solid concept for your business, but don’t worry if you get stuck. Use the rest of your plan template to brainstorm ideas and tactics. You’ll quickly find these answers and possibly new directions as you explore your ideas and options.

2. Offer and Value Proposition

This is where you detail your offer, such as selling products, providing services or both, and why anyone would care. That’s the value proposition. Specifically, you’ll expand on your answers to the first and fourth bullets from your mission/vision.

As you complete this section, you might find that exploring value propositions uncovers marketable business opportunities that you hadn’t yet considered. So spend some time brainstorming the possibilities in this section.

For example, a cottage baker startup specializing in gluten-free or keto-friendly products might be a value proposition that certain audiences care deeply about. Plus, you could expand on that value proposition by offering wedding and other special-occasion cakes that incorporate gluten-free, keto-friendly and traditional cake elements that all guests can enjoy.

3. Audience and Ideal Customer

Here is where you explore bullet point number three, who your business will benefit. Identifying your ideal customer and exploring a broader audience for your goods or services is essential in defining your sales and marketing strategies, plus it helps fine-tune what you offer.

There are many ways to research potential audiences, but a shortcut is to simply identify a problem that people have that your product or service can solve. If you start from the position of being a problem solver, it’s easy to define your audience and describe the wants and needs of your ideal customer for marketing efforts.

Using the cottage baker startup example, a problem people might have is finding fresh-baked gluten-free or keto-friendly sweets. Examining the wants and needs of these people might reveal a target audience that is health-conscious or possibly dealing with health issues and willing to spend more for hard-to-find items.

However, it’s essential to have a customer base that can support your business. You can be too specialized. For example, our baker startup can attract a broader audience and boost revenue by offering a wider selection of traditional baked goods alongside its gluten-free and keto-focused specialties.

4. Revenue Streams, Sales Channels and Marketing

Thanks to our internet-driven economy, startups have many revenue opportunities and can connect with target audiences through various channels. Revenue streams and sales channels also serve as marketing vehicles, so you can cover all three in this section.

Revenue Streams

Revenue streams are the many ways you can make money in your business. In your plan template, list how you’ll make money upon launch, plus include ideas for future expansion. The income possibilities just might surprise you.

For example, our cottage baker startup might consider these revenue streams:

• Product sales : Online, pop-up shops , wholesale and (future) in-store sales
• Affiliate income : Monetize blog and social media posts with affiliate links
• Advertising income : Reserve website space for advertising
• E-book sales : (future) Publish recipe e-books targeting gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Video income : (future) Monetize a YouTube channel featuring how-to videos for the gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Webinars and online classes : (future) Monetize coaching-style webinars and online classes covering specialty baking tips and techniques
• Members-only content : (future) Monetize a members-only section of the website for specialty content to complement webinars and online classes
• Franchise : (future) Monetize a specialty cottage bakery concept and sell to franchise entrepreneurs

Sales Channels

Sales channels put your revenue streams into action. This section also answers the “where will this happen” question in the second bullet of your vision.

The product sales channels for our cottage bakery example can include:

• Mobile point-of-sale (POS) : A mobile platform such as Shopify or Square POS for managing in-person sales at local farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals
• E-commerce platform : An online store such as Shopify, Square or WooCommerce for online retail sales and wholesale sales orders
• Social media channels : Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest shoppable posts and pins for online sales via social media channels
• Brick-and-mortar location : For in-store sales , once the business has grown to a point that it can support a physical location

Channels that support other income streams might include:

• Affiliate income : Blog section on the e-commerce website and affiliate partner accounts
• Advertising income : Reserved advertising spaces on the e-commerce website
• E-book sales : Amazon e-book sales via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
• Video income : YouTube channel with ad monetization
• Webinars and online classes : Online class and webinar platforms that support member accounts, recordings and playback
• Members-only content : Password-protected website content using membership apps such as MemberPress

Nowadays, the line between marketing and sales channels is blurred. Social media outlets, e-books, websites, blogs and videos serve as both marketing tools and income opportunities. Since most are free and those with advertising options are extremely economical, these are ideal marketing outlets for lean startups.

However, many businesses still find value in traditional advertising such as local radio, television, direct mail, newspapers and magazines. You can include these advertising costs in your simple business plan template to help build a marketing plan and budget.

5. Structure, Suppliers and Operations

This section of your simple business plan template explores how to structure and operate your business. Details include the type of business organization your startup will take, roles and responsibilities, supplier logistics and day-to-day operations. Also, include any certifications or permits needed to launch your enterprise in this section.

Our cottage baker example might use a structure and startup plan such as this:

• Business structure : Sole proprietorship with a “doing business as” (DBA) .
• Permits and certifications : County-issued food handling permit and state cottage food certification for home-based food production. Option, check into certified commercial kitchen rentals.
• Roles and responsibilities : Solopreneur, all roles and responsibilities with the owner.
• Supply chain : Bulk ingredients and food packaging via Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon Prime with annual membership costs. Uline for shipping supplies; no membership needed.
• Day-to-day operations : Source ingredients and bake three days per week to fulfill local and online orders. Reserve time for specialty sales, wholesale partner orders and market events as needed. Ship online orders on alternating days. Update website and create marketing and affiliate blog posts on non-shipping days.

Start A Limited Liability Company Online Today with ZenBusiness

Click to get started.

6. Financial Forecasts

Your final task is to list forecasted business startup and ongoing costs and profit projections in your simple business plan template. Thanks to free business tools such as Square and free marketing on social media, lean startups can launch with few upfront costs. In many cases, cost of goods, shipping and packaging, business permits and printing for business cards are your only out-of-pocket expenses.

Cost Forecast

Our cottage baker’s forecasted lean startup costs might include:

Gross Profit Projections

This helps you determine the retail prices and sales volume required to keep your business running and, hopefully, earn income for yourself. Use product research to spot target retail prices for your goods, then subtract your cost of goods, such as hourly rate, raw goods and supplier costs. The total amount is your gross profit per item or service.

Here are some examples of projected gross profits for our cottage baker:

Bottom Line

Putting careful thought and detail in a business plan is always beneficial, but don’t get so bogged down in planning that you never hit the start button to launch your business . Also, remember that business plans aren’t set in stone. Markets, audiences and technologies change, and so will your goals and means of achieving them. Think of your business plan as a living document and regularly revisit, expand and restructure it as market opportunities and business growth demand.

Is there a template for a business plan?

You can copy our free business plan template and fill in the blanks or customize it in Google Docs, Microsoft Word or another word processing app. This free business plan template includes the six key elements that any entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a new business.

What does a simple business plan include?

A simple business plan is a one- to two-page overview covering six key elements that any budding entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a startup. These include your vision or mission, product or service offering, target audience, revenue streams and sales channels, structure and operations, and financial forecasts.

How can I create a free business plan template?

Start with our free business plan template that covers the six essential elements of a startup. Once downloaded, you can edit this document in Google Docs or another word processing app and add new sections or subsections to your plan template to meet your specific business plan needs.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

• Best LLC Services
• Best Registered Agent Services
• Best Trademark Registration Services
• Top LegalZoom Competitors
• Best Business Loans
• Best Business Plan Software
• ZenBusiness Review
• LegalZoom LLC Review
• Northwest Registered Agent Review
• Rocket Lawyer Review
• Inc. Authority Review
• Rocket Lawyer vs. LegalZoom
• Bizee Review (Formerly Incfile)
• Swyft Filings Review
• Harbor Compliance Review
• Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC
• LLC vs. Corporation
• LLC vs. S Corp
• LLP vs. LLC
• DBA vs. LLC
• LegalZoom vs. Incfile
• LegalZoom vs. ZenBusiness
• LegalZoom vs. Rocket Lawyer
• ZenBusiness vs. Incfile
• How To Start A Business
• How to Set Up an LLC
• How to Get a Business License
• LLC Operating Agreement Template
• 501(c)(3) Application Guide
• What is a Business License?
• What is an LLC?
• What is an S Corp?
• What is a C Corp?
• What is a DBA?
• What is a Sole Proprietorship?
• What is a Registered Agent?
• How to Dissolve an LLC
• How to File a DBA
• What Are Articles Of Incorporation?
• Types Of Business Ownership

Next Up In Company Formation

• Best Online Legal Services
• How To Write A Business Plan
• Member-Managed LLC Vs. Manager-Managed LLC
• Starting An S-Corp
• LLC Vs. C-Corp
• How Much Does It Cost To Start An LLC?

How To Get A Business License In North Dakota (2024)

How To Write An Effective Business Proposal

Best New Hampshire Registered Agent Services Of 2024

Employer Staffing Solutions Group Review 2024: Features, Pricing & More

How To Sell Clothes Online In 2024

2024 SEO Checklist

Krista Fabregas is a seasoned eCommerce and online content pro sharing more than 20 years of hands-on know-how with those looking to launch and grow tech-forward businesses. Her expertise includes eCommerce startups and growth, SMB operations and logistics, website platforms, payment systems, side-gig and affiliate income, and multichannel marketing. Krista holds a bachelor's degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin and held senior positions at NASA, a Fortune 100 company, and several online startups.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Simple Business Plan

By Joe Weller | October 11, 2021

• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

A business plan is the cornerstone of any successful company, regardless of size or industry. This step-by-step guide provides information on writing a business plan for organizations at any stage, complete with free templates and expert advice. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to writing a business plan and a chart to identify which type of business plan you should write . Plus, find information on how a business plan can help grow a business and expert tips on writing one .

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a document that communicates a company’s goals and ambitions, along with the timeline, finances, and methods needed to achieve them. Additionally, it may include a mission statement and details about the specific products or services offered.

A business plan can highlight varying time periods, depending on the stage of your company and its goals. That said, a typical business plan will include the following benchmarks:

• Product goals and deadlines for each month
• Monthly financials for the first two years
• Profit and loss statements for the first three to five years
• Balance sheet projections for the first three to five years

Startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses all create business plans to use as a guide as their new company progresses. Larger organizations may also create (and update) a business plan to keep high-level goals, financials, and timelines in check.

While you certainly need to have a formalized outline of your business’s goals and finances, creating a business plan can also help you determine a company’s viability, its profitability (including when it will first turn a profit), and how much money you will need from investors. In turn, a business plan has functional value as well: Not only does outlining goals help keep you accountable on a timeline, it can also attract investors in and of itself and, therefore, act as an effective strategy for growth.

For more information, visit our comprehensive guide to writing a strategic plan or download free strategic plan templates . This page focuses on for-profit business plans, but you can read our article with nonprofit business plan templates .

Business Plan Steps

The specific information in your business plan will vary, depending on the needs and goals of your venture, but a typical plan includes the following ordered elements:

• Executive summary
• Description of business
• Market analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Description of organizational management
• Description of product or services
• Marketing plan
• Sales strategy
• Funding details (or request for funding)
• Financial projections

If your plan is particularly long or complicated, consider adding a table of contents or an appendix for reference. For an in-depth description of each step listed above, read “ How to Write a Business Plan Step by Step ” below.

Broadly speaking, your audience includes anyone with a vested interest in your organization. They can include potential and existing investors, as well as customers, internal team members, suppliers, and vendors.

Do I Need a Simple or Detailed Plan?

Your business’s stage and intended audience dictates the level of detail your plan needs. Corporations require a thorough business plan — up to 100 pages. Small businesses or startups should have a concise plan focusing on financials and strategy.

How to Choose the Right Plan for Your Business

In order to identify which type of business plan you need to create, ask: “What do we want the plan to do?” Identify function first, and form will follow.

Use the chart below as a guide for what type of business plan to create:

Is the Order of Your Business Plan Important?

There is no set order for a business plan, with the exception of the executive summary, which should always come first. Beyond that, simply ensure that you organize the plan in a way that makes sense and flows naturally.

The Difference Between Traditional and Lean Business Plans

A traditional business plan follows the standard structure — because these plans encourage detail, they tend to require more work upfront and can run dozens of pages. A Lean business plan is less common and focuses on summarizing critical points for each section. These plans take much less work and typically run one page in length.

In general, you should use a traditional model for a legacy company, a large company, or any business that does not adhere to Lean (or another Agile method ). Use Lean if you expect the company to pivot quickly or if you already employ a Lean strategy with other business operations. Additionally, a Lean business plan can suffice if the document is for internal use only. Stick to a traditional version for investors, as they may be more sensitive to sudden changes or a high degree of built-in flexibility in the plan.

How to Write a Business Plan Step by Step

Writing a strong business plan requires research and attention to detail for each section. Below, you’ll find a 10-step guide to researching and defining each element in the plan.

Step 1: Executive Summary

The executive summary will always be the first section of your business plan. The goal is to answer the following questions:

• What is the vision and mission of the company?
• What are the company’s short- and long-term goals?

See our  roundup of executive summary examples and templates for samples. Read our executive summary guide to learn more about writing one.

Step 2: Description of Business

The goal of this section is to define the realm, scope, and intent of your venture. To do so, answer the following questions as clearly and concisely as possible:

• What business are we in?
• What does our business do?

Step 3: Market Analysis

In this section, provide evidence that you have surveyed and understand the current marketplace, and that your product or service satisfies a niche in the market. To do so, answer these questions:

• Who is our customer? 
• What does that customer value?

Step 4: Competitive Analysis

In many cases, a business plan proposes not a brand-new (or even market-disrupting) venture, but a more competitive version — whether via features, pricing, integrations, etc. — than what is currently available. In this section, answer the following questions to show that your product or service stands to outpace competitors:

• Who is the competition? 
• What do they do best? 
• What is our unique value proposition?

Step 5: Description of Organizational Management

In this section, write an overview of the team members and other key personnel who are integral to success. List roles and responsibilities, and if possible, note the hierarchy or team structure.

Step 6: Description of Products or Services

In this section, clearly define your product or service, as well as all the effort and resources that go into producing it. The strength of your product largely defines the success of your business, so it’s imperative that you take time to test and refine the product before launching into marketing, sales, or funding details.

Questions to answer in this section are as follows:

• What is the product or service?
• How do we produce it, and what resources are necessary for production?

Step 7: Marketing Plan

In this section, define the marketing strategy for your product or service. This doesn’t need to be as fleshed out as a full marketing plan , but it should answer basic questions, such as the following:

• Who is the target market (if different from existing customer base)?
• What channels will you use to reach your target market?
• What resources does your marketing strategy require, and do you have access to them?
• If possible, do you have a rough estimate of timeline and budget?
• How will you measure success?

Step 8: Sales Plan

Write an overview of the sales strategy, including the priorities of each cycle, steps to achieve these goals, and metrics for success. For the purposes of a business plan, this section does not need to be a comprehensive, in-depth sales plan , but can simply outline the high-level objectives and strategies of your sales efforts. 

Start by answering the following questions:

• What is the sales strategy?
• What are the tools and tactics you will use to achieve your goals?
• What are the potential obstacles, and how will you overcome them?
• What is the timeline for sales and turning a profit?
• What are the metrics of success?

Step 9: Funding Details (or Request for Funding)

This section is one of the most critical parts of your business plan, particularly if you are sharing it with investors. You do not need to provide a full financial plan, but you should be able to answer the following questions:

• How much capital do you currently have? How much capital do you need?
• How will you grow the team (onboarding, team structure, training and development)?
• What are your physical needs and constraints (space, equipment, etc.)?

Step 10: Financial Projections

Apart from the fundraising analysis, investors like to see thought-out financial projections for the future. As discussed earlier, depending on the scope and stage of your business, this could be anywhere from one to five years. 

While these projections won’t be exact — and will need to be somewhat flexible — you should be able to gauge the following:

• How and when will the company first generate a profit?
• How will the company maintain profit thereafter?

Business Plan Template

Download Business Plan Template

Microsoft Excel | Smartsheet

This basic business plan template has space for all the traditional elements: an executive summary, product or service details, target audience, marketing and sales strategies, etc. In the finances sections, input your baseline numbers, and the template will automatically calculate projections for sales forecasting, financial statements, and more.

For templates tailored to more specific needs, visit this business plan template roundup or download a fill-in-the-blank business plan template to make things easy. 

If you are looking for a particular template by file type, visit our pages dedicated exclusively to Microsoft Excel , Microsoft Word , and Adobe PDF business plan templates.

How to Write a Simple Business Plan

A simple business plan is a streamlined, lightweight version of the large, traditional model. As opposed to a one-page business plan , which communicates high-level information for quick overviews (such as a stakeholder presentation), a simple business plan can exceed one page.

Below are the steps for creating a generic simple business plan, which are reflected in the template below .

• Write the Executive Summary This section is the same as in the traditional business plan — simply offer an overview of what’s in the business plan, the prospect or core offering, and the short- and long-term goals of the company. 
• Add a Company Overview Document the larger company mission and vision. 
• Provide the Problem and Solution In straightforward terms, define the problem you are attempting to solve with your product or service and how your company will attempt to do it. Think of this section as the gap in the market you are attempting to close.
• Identify the Target Market Who is your company (and its products or services) attempting to reach? If possible, briefly define your buyer personas .
• Write About the Competition In this section, demonstrate your knowledge of the market by listing the current competitors and outlining your competitive advantage.
• Describe Your Product or Service Offerings Get down to brass tacks and define your product or service. What exactly are you selling?
• Outline Your Marketing Tactics Without getting into too much detail, describe your planned marketing initiatives.
• Add a Timeline and the Metrics You Will Use to Measure Success Offer a rough timeline, including milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) that you will use to measure your progress.
• Include Your Financial Forecasts Write an overview of your financial plan that demonstrates you have done your research and adequate modeling. You can also list key assumptions that go into this forecasting. 
• Identify Your Financing Needs This section is where you will make your funding request. Based on everything in the business plan, list your proposed sources of funding, as well as how you will use it.

Simple Business Plan Template

Download Simple Business Plan Template

Microsoft Excel |  Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF  | Smartsheet

Use this simple business plan template to outline each aspect of your organization, including information about financing and opportunities to seek out further funding. This template is completely customizable to fit the needs of any business, whether it’s a startup or large company.

Read our article offering free simple business plan templates or free 30-60-90-day business plan templates to find more tailored options. You can also explore our collection of one page business templates . 

How to Write a Business Plan for a Lean Startup

A Lean startup business plan is a more Agile approach to a traditional version. The plan focuses more on activities, processes, and relationships (and maintains flexibility in all aspects), rather than on concrete deliverables and timelines.

While there is some overlap between a traditional and a Lean business plan, you can write a Lean plan by following the steps below:

• Add Your Value Proposition Take a streamlined approach to describing your product or service. What is the unique value your startup aims to deliver to customers? Make sure the team is aligned on the core offering and that you can state it in clear, simple language.
• List Your Key Partners List any other businesses you will work with to realize your vision, including external vendors, suppliers, and partners. This section demonstrates that you have thoughtfully considered the resources you can provide internally, identified areas for external assistance, and conducted research to find alternatives.
• Note the Key Activities Describe the key activities of your business, including sourcing, production, marketing, distribution channels, and customer relationships.
• Include Your Key Resources List the critical resources — including personnel, equipment, space, and intellectual property — that will enable you to deliver your unique value.
• Identify Your Customer Relationships and Channels In this section, document how you will reach and build relationships with customers. Provide a high-level map of the customer experience from start to finish, including the spaces in which you will interact with the customer (online, retail, etc.). 
• Detail Your Marketing Channels Describe the marketing methods and communication platforms you will use to identify and nurture your relationships with customers. These could be email, advertising, social media, etc.
• Explain the Cost Structure This section is especially necessary in the early stages of a business. Will you prioritize maximizing value or keeping costs low? List the foundational startup costs and how you will move toward profit over time.
• Share Your Revenue Streams Over time, how will the company make money? Include both the direct product or service purchase, as well as secondary sources of revenue, such as subscriptions, selling advertising space, fundraising, etc.

Lean Business Plan Template for Startups

Download Lean Business Plan Template for Startups

Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Startup leaders can use this Lean business plan template to relay the most critical information from a traditional plan. You’ll find all the sections listed above, including spaces for industry and product overviews, cost structure and sources of revenue, and key metrics, and a timeline. The template is completely customizable, so you can edit it to suit the objectives of your Lean startups.

See our wide variety of  startup business plan templates for more options.

How to Write a Business Plan for a Loan

A business plan for a loan, often called a loan proposal , includes many of the same aspects of a traditional business plan, as well as additional financial documents, such as a credit history, a loan request, and a loan repayment plan.

In addition, you may be asked to include personal and business financial statements, a form of collateral, and equity investment information.

Download free financial templates to support your business plan.

Tips for Writing a Business Plan

Outside of including all the key details in your business plan, you have several options to elevate the document for the highest chance of winning funding and other resources. Follow these tips from experts:.

• Keep It Simple: Avner Brodsky , the Co-Founder and CEO of Lezgo Limited, an online marketing company, uses the acronym KISS (keep it short and simple) as a variation on this idea. “The business plan is not a college thesis,” he says. “Just focus on providing the essential information.”
• Do Adequate Research: Michael Dean, the Co-Founder of Pool Research , encourages business leaders to “invest time in research, both internal and external (market, finance, legal etc.). Avoid being overly ambitious or presumptive. Instead, keep everything objective, balanced, and accurate.” Your plan needs to stand on its own, and you must have the data to back up any claims or forecasting you make. As Brodsky explains, “Your business needs to be grounded on the realities of the market in your chosen location. Get the most recent data from authoritative sources so that the figures are vetted by experts and are reliable.”
• Set Clear Goals: Make sure your plan includes clear, time-based goals. “Short-term goals are key to momentum growth and are especially important to identify for new businesses,” advises Dean.
• Know (and Address) Your Weaknesses: “This awareness sets you up to overcome your weak points much quicker than waiting for them to arise,” shares Dean. Brodsky recommends performing a full SWOT analysis to identify your weaknesses, too. “Your business will fare better with self-knowledge, which will help you better define the mission of your business, as well as the strategies you will choose to achieve your objectives,” he adds.
• Seek Peer or Mentor Review: “Ask for feedback on your drafts and for areas to improve,” advises Brodsky. “When your mind is filled with dreams for your business, sometimes it is an outsider who can tell you what you’re missing and will save your business from being a product of whimsy.”

Outside of these more practical tips, the language you use is also important and may make or break your business plan.

Shaun Heng, VP of Operations at Coin Market Cap , gives the following advice on the writing, “Your business plan is your sales pitch to an investor. And as with any sales pitch, you need to strike the right tone and hit a few emotional chords. This is a little tricky in a business plan, because you also need to be formal and matter-of-fact. But you can still impress by weaving in descriptive language and saying things in a more elegant way.

“A great way to do this is by expanding your vocabulary, avoiding word repetition, and using business language. Instead of saying that something ‘will bring in as many customers as possible,’ try saying ‘will garner the largest possible market segment.’ Elevate your writing with precise descriptive words and you'll impress even the busiest investor.”

Additionally, Dean recommends that you “stay consistent and concise by keeping your tone and style steady throughout, and your language clear and precise. Include only what is 100 percent necessary.”

Resources for Writing a Business Plan

While a template provides a great outline of what to include in a business plan, a live document or more robust program can provide additional functionality, visibility, and real-time updates. The U.S. Small Business Association also curates resources for writing a business plan.

Additionally, you can use business plan software to house data, attach documentation, and share information with stakeholders. Popular options include LivePlan, Enloop, BizPlanner, PlanGuru, and iPlanner.

How a Business Plan Helps to Grow Your Business

A business plan — both the exercise of creating one and the document — can grow your business by helping you to refine your product, target audience, sales plan, identify opportunities, secure funding, and build new partnerships. 

Outside of these immediate returns, writing a business plan is a useful exercise in that it forces you to research the market, which prompts you to forge your unique value proposition and identify ways to beat the competition. Doing so will also help you build (and keep you accountable to) attainable financial and product milestones. And down the line, it will serve as a welcome guide as hurdles inevitably arise.

Streamline Your Business Planning Activities with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover why over 90% of Fortune 100 companies trust Smartsheet to get work done.

Learn to Build a Better Business Plan

Sample Business Plan Gallery

Browse our library of over 550 free business plan examples to kickstart your own plan.

Browse our library of over 550 free business plan examples.

How to Write a Business Plan

Step-by-step guide to establish the foundation of your business quickly and efficiently.

Step-by-step guide to establish the foundation of your business.

Business Plan Template

Build your business using the proven planning template designed by the experts at Bplans.

Use the planning template designed by the experts at Bplans.

Subscribe to Bplans business insights

Stay up to date with the latest business planning, management, growth, and funding trends from bplans..

We care about your privacy. See our Privacy Policy .

Popular Downloads

SWOT Analysis

Easily evaluate your competitive position and develop effective growth strategies.

Refine your competitive strategy using a SWOT analysis.

Cash Flow Forecast

Improve the health of your business by easily estimating your business’s financial future.

Estimate and improve the financial health of your business.

Lean Business Plan Template

Fast, simple, and shareable. Start with a one-page plan to grow alongside your business.

Start with a simple one-page plan to grow alongside your business…

Start Your Business

Business Startup Guide

Get everything in order to start your business and write your business plan.

Get everything in order to start your business.

How to start a business with no money

Is it possible to start a business with no money? Check out this proven process to get your business…

Is it possible to start a business with no money? Check out this�…

Startup Checklist

Break down the startup process and check all the necessary boxes.

Estimating Startup Costs

What will it cost to start your business? These are the expenses you will need to consider.

Do you know what it will cost to start your business?

Write Your Business Plan

Business Planning in Under an Hour

Learn how to write your business plan in under an hour.

1-Page Business Plan Template

A faster, more efficient way to develop your business strategy.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

Pitch Guide

Learn how to create a winning elevator pitch deck and speech that will impress investors.

Impress investors with a winning pitch deck and elevator pitch.

Elements of the Elevator Pitch

If you're pitching to investors or building a pitch deck, here are the 7 things you need.

Here are the 7 things you need to include in your elevator pitch.

Components of a Pitch Deck

Here are the 11 slides you must have in your pitch deck.

Investor Pitch Template

Start your pitch off right with a proven pitch deck template.

Get Your Business Funded

Funding Guide

Learn how to prepare your business plan and pitch to secure funding for your business.

Prepare your plan and pitch to secure funding for your business.

Ways to Fund Your Business

When it comes to funding, there isn't a one-size-fits-all method. Here are your options.

Find out what funding options are available for your business.

Grow Your Business

How to Grow Your Business

Growing your business can be just as difficult as starting. Here are proven ways to grow.

Try these proven methods to continue growing your business.

Grow Using Your Business Plan

Turn your business plan into a growth-oriented business strategy.

Set Clear and Actionable Goals

Grow your business by setting clear goals and establishing key metrics for success.

Learn to set clear and actionable goals to grow your business.

How to Forecast Cash Flow

Create a cash flow forecast to help keep your business healthy and plan for the future.

Keep your business healthy using a cash flow forecast.

Tim Berry Blog

Learn from renowned business planning expert and founder of Bplans, Tim Berry.

Business Glossary

Definitions for common terminology and acronyms that every small business owner should know.

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

Nissan News Alerts

* Required Field

Nissan launches The Arc business plan to drive value and enhance competitiveness and profitability

March 25, 2024

• Nissan targets additional 1-million-unit sales compared to fiscal year 2023 and operating profit margin of more than 6% by end of fiscal year 2026
• 30 new models to be launched by fiscal year 2026, of which 16 will be electrified
• 60% of internal combustion engine (ICE) passenger-vehicle models to be refreshed by fiscal year 2026
• EV competitiveness to be enhanced by reducing cost of next-generation EVs by 30% and achieving EV and ICE vehicle cost parity by fiscal year 2030
• Significant next-generation EV cost reduction to be achieved through grouped “family” development, with vehicle production under the approach starting in fiscal year 2027
• Strategic partnerships expanded into technology, product portfolio and software services
• Dividends and buybacks to target total shareholder return of more than 30%
• New business ventures to unlock a potential 2.5 trillion yen in additional revenues by fiscal year 2030
• Significant next-generation EV cost reduction to be achieved through grouped “family” development, with vehicle production under the approach starting in fiscal year 2027

YOKOHAMA, Japan: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, today launched The Arc, its new business plan to drive value and strengthen competitiveness. The plan is focused on a broad-based product offensive, increased electrification, new approaches to engineering and manufacturing, the adoption of new technologies, and the use of strategic partnerships to increase global unit sales and improve profitability.

The plan is positioned as a bridge between the Nissan NEXT business transformation plan running from fiscal* 2020 through fiscal 2023 and Nissan Ambition 2030 , the company’s long-term vision. The new plan is split into mid-term imperatives for fiscal years 2024 through 2026, and mid-long-term actions to be carried out through 2030.

Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida said: “The Arc plan shows our path to the future. It illustrates our continuous progression and ability to navigate changing market conditions. This plan will enable us to go further and faster in driving value and competitiveness. Faced with extreme market volatility, Nissan is taking decisive actions guided by the new plan to ensure sustainable growth and profitability.”

Under the two-part plan, Nissan will first take actions to ensure volume growth through a tailored regional strategy and prepare for an accelerated transition to EVs, supported by a balanced electrified/ICE product portfolio, volume growth in major markets and financial discipline. Through these initiatives Nissan aims to lift annual sales by 1 million units and increase its operating profit margin to more than 6%, both by the end of fiscal year 2026. This will pave the way for the second part of the plan aimed to enable the EV transition and realize long-term profitable growth, supported by smart partnerships, enhanced EV competitiveness, differentiated innovations and new revenue streams. By fiscal year 2030, Nissan sees a revenue potential of 2.5 trillion yen from new business opportunities.

Balanced product portfolio

Nissan plans to launch 30 new models over the next three years, of which 16 will be electrified, and 14 will be ICE models, to meet the diversified customer needs in markets where the pace of electrification differs. Nissan plans to launch a total of 34 electrified models from fiscal year 2024 and 2030 to cover all segments, with the model mix of electrified vehicles expected to account for 40% globally by fiscal year 2026 and rise to 60% by the end of the decade.

Ensuring market growth through a tailored regional strategy

In key regions and markets, Nissan’s actions by fiscal year 2026 (unless otherwise indicated) include:

• Increase across-region sales by 330,000 units (in fiscal year 2026 and compared to fiscal year 2023) and invest 200 million USD in integrated customer experience in the U.S.
• In the U.S. and Canada: Launch seven all-new models
• In the U.S.: Refresh 78% of passenger vehicle line-up for Nissan brand and launch e-POWER and plug-in hybrid models
• Refresh 73% of Nissan-brand models and launch eight new-energy vehicles (NEVs), including four Nissan-branded models
• Target 1-million-unit sales in fiscal year 2026, representing an increase of 200,000 units
• Start vehicle exports in 2025; Aim for 100,000 unit level
• Continue to optimize production capacity with local partners
• Refresh 80% of passenger model line-up, launching five all-new models
• Achieve a 70% electrified level in passenger vehicle line-up
• Increase sales by 90,000 units (compared to fiscal year 2023) to 600,000 units in fiscal year 2026

Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania:

• Increase across-region sales units by 300,000 units (in fiscal year 2026 and compared to fiscal year 2023)
• In Europe: Launch six all-new models; achieve 40% EV passenger-vehicle sales mix
• In the Middle East: Launch five all-new SUVs
• In India: Launch three all-new models and become a hub for exports, at a level of 100,000 units
• In Oceania: Launch a 1-ton pickup and introduce a C crossover EV
• In Africa: Launch two all-new SUVs and expand A-segment ICE vehicle

EV competitiveness

The product offensive will be supported by new development and manufacturing approaches aimed to make EVs more affordable and increase profitability. By developing EVs in families, integrating powertrains, utilizing next-generation modular manufacturing, group sourcing, and battery innovations, Nissan aims to reduce the cost of next-generation EVs by 30% (when compared to the current model Ariya crossover) and achieve cost-parity between EVs and ICE models by fiscal year 2030.

In the area of family development alone, the cost of subsequent vehicles – those developed based on the main vehicle in the family – can be reduced by 50%, the variation of trim parts reduced by 70% and development lead time shortened by four months. By adopting modular manufacturing, the vehicle production line will be shortened, reducing the production time per vehicle by 20%.

Under the Arc plan, more plants in Japan and overseas will adopt the Nissan Intelligent Factory concept, with the Oppama and Nissan Motor Kyushu plants in Japan, the Sunderland Plant in the UK and Canton and Smyrna plants in the U.S. starting the adoption from fiscal year 2026 through 2030. Meanwhile the EV36Zero production approach will be extended from Sunderland in the UK to plants including Canton, Decherd and Smyrna in the U.S., and Tochigi and Kyushu in Japan from fiscal year 2025 through 2028.

New technologies

The plan includes proposals to accelerate the evolution of vehicle intelligence technologies such as next-generation ProPILOT driver-assistance system, which realize door-to-door autonomous driving technology from on-highway to off-highway, private premises, and parking.

Nissan will offer enhanced NCM li-ion, LFP and all solid-state batteries to provide diversified EVs to meet different customer needs. Nissan will significantly enhance NCM li-ion batteries, reducing quick-charging time by 50% and increasing energy density by 50% compared to the Ariya. LFP batteries, to be developed and produced in Japan, will be launched that will reduce cost by 30% compared to the Sakura EV minivehicle. New EVs with enhanced NCM li-ion, LFP and all-solid-state batteries will be launched in fiscal year 2028.

Strategic partnerships

Nissan will harness strategic partnerships to stay competitive and offer a global portfolio of products and technology. Nissan will continue to leverage the alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors in Europe, LATAM, ASEAN and India. In China, Nissan will fully utilize its local assets to meet the needs of China and beyond; and explore new partnerships in Japan and the U.S. Batteries will be developed and sourced with partners to bring 135 gigawatt hours of global capacity.

Financial discipline to deliver resilient, profitable performance

Underpinning the plan is firm financial discipline, enabling stable CAPEX and R&D investment ratio versus net revenue of between 7% to 8% excluding battery capacity investment. Additionally, Nissan plans to invest more than 400 billion yen in battery capacity. Meanwhile, investment in electrification will increase progressively, becoming more than 70% by fiscal year 2026.

Managing these investments is aimed to allow delivering benefits to all stakeholders, with Nissan maintaining positive free cash flow before M&A – even after electrification investments. This is to secure total shareholder return at more than 30%. Nissan aims to maintain net cash at a healthy level of 1 trillion yen throughout the Arc plan period.

“Under this comprehensive plan we will enhance Nissan’s competitiveness and achieve sustainable profitability,” added Uchida. “Nissan is confident that it has what it takes to properly execute this plan, which will provide us with the firm foundation we need to bridge to our Nissan Ambition 2030 vision.”

*Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. fiscal years run from April 1 through March 31

Contact [email protected]

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com . You can also follow us on Facebook , Instagram , X and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube .

• Press release - Nissan launches The Arc business plan to drive value and enhance competitiveness and profitability.pdf (116 KB)
• 2024 03 25 Nissan launches The Arc business plan - Presentation Slides_EN.pdf (79.26 MB)

Related Links

• The Arc：日産経営計画
• The Arc: Nissan Business Plan

Related News

Subscribe for nissan media alerts.

Microsoft, OpenAI Plan $100 Billion Data-Center Project, Media Report Says

FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, March 11, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) -Microsoft and OpenAI are working on plans for a data center project that could cost as much as $100 billion and include an artificial intelligence supercomputer called "Stargate" set to launch in 2028, The Information reported on Friday.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence technology has led to sky-rocketing demand for AI data centers capable of handling more advanced tasks than traditional data centers.

The Information reported that Microsoft would likely finance the project, which is expected to be 100 times more costly than some of the biggest existing data centers, citing people involved in private conversations about the proposal.

The proposed U.S.-based supercomputer would be the biggest in a series the companies are looking to build over the next six years, the report added.

The Information attributed the tentative cost of $100 billion to a person who spoke to Altman about it and a person who has viewed some of Microsoft's initial cost estimates. It did not identify those sources.

Altman and Microsoft have spread the supercomputers across five phases, with Stargate as the fifth phase. Microsoft is working on a smaller, fourth-phase supercomputer for OpenAI to be launched around 2026, according to the report.

Microsoft and OpenAI are in the middle of the third phase of the five-phase plan, with a significant portion of the cost for the next two phases involving acquiring the needed AI chips, the report said.

AI chips are often sold at high prices. Chip company Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC earlier in March that the latest "Blackwell" B200 artificial intelligence chip will be priced between $30,000 and $40,000.

Microsoft had also announced a duo of custom-designed computing chips in November last year.

The report said the new project would be designed to work with chips from different suppliers.

"We are always planning for the next generation of infrastructure innovations needed to continue pushing the frontier of AI capability," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The spokesperson did not comment directly on the report about the planned launch of the Stargate supercomputer.

Expenses for the plan could exceed $115 billion, more than triple Microsoft's expenditure last year on capital spending for servers, buildings and other equipment, the report stated.

(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Paul Simao and David Gregorio)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: artificial intelligence , United States

The Best Financial Tools for You

Credit Cards

Personal Loans

Comparative assessments and other editorial opinions are those of U.S. News and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed by any other entities, such as banks, credit card issuers or travel companies. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get investing advice, rankings and stock market news.

See a newsletter example .

You May Also Like

Best reit etfs to buy and hold for 2024.

Glenn Fydenkevez March 29, 2024

9 Highest Dividend Stocks in the S&P 500

Jeff Reeves March 29, 2024

5 of the Best Stocks to Buy Now

Ian Bezek March 29, 2024

Handling Extra Portfolio Risk

Kate Stalter March 29, 2024

7 Best Copper Stocks to Buy

Glenn Fydenkevez March 28, 2024

11 New Spot Bitcoin ETFs to Buy in 2024

Tony Dong March 28, 2024

Is M&A Activity Set to Spike in 2024?

Scott Ward March 28, 2024

7 Oversold Tech Stocks to Buy

Wayne Duggan March 28, 2024

7 Top Gene-Editing Stocks to Buy

Wayne Duggan March 27, 2024

7 Best Preferred Stock ETFs to Buy Now

Tony Dong March 27, 2024

Fixed Index Annuity Is Making a Comeback

Marguerita Cheng March 27, 2024

9 Growth Stocks for the Next 10 Years

Jeff Reeves March 27, 2024

5 Best Short-Term Investments for Income

Tony Dong March 26, 2024

10 Best Health Care Stocks to Buy

Wayne Duggan March 26, 2024

Vanguard Funds for Beginners

Best Semiconductor Stocks

Brian O'Connell March 25, 2024

Best Long Term Stocks to Buy and Hold

Glenn Fydenkevez March 25, 2024

Best Investing Apps for Beginners

Kate Stalter March 25, 2024

10 Best Growth Stocks to Buy for 2024

Wayne Duggan March 25, 2024

Best Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy

Matt Whittaker March 22, 2024

• New Terms of Use
• New Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices
• Closed Captioning Policy

Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by  Factset . Powered and implemented by  FactSet Digital Solutions .  Legal Statement .

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy

Biden cancels another $6 billion in student loans, this time for public service workers

Borrowers looking for forgiveness have until the end of april to consolidate loans.

78,000 public service workers qualify for this new round of forgiveness.  ( iStock )

More student loan forgiveness is here, this time for 78,000 public service workers. Nurses, teachers, firefighters and a large array of other workers qualify for President Biden’s $6 billion in forgiveness, the White House recently announced . 

Due to fixes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, workers that never received forgiveness are now having their debts partially forgiven or canceled. Only about 7,000 public service borrowers received forgiveness prior to the Biden Administration, now that total hovers closer to 870,000, the announcement said.

This forgiveness comes on the tail of other educational fixes the Biden Administration says it has implemented.

"Today’s announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve achieved for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years," the announcement stated. "This includes: providing the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than roughly $60,000 a year; fixing Income-Driven Repayment plans so borrowers in repayment for years get the relief they earned; and creating the most generous Income-Driven Repayment plan in history – the SAVE plan."

If you have private student loans, this federal relief doesn't apply to you, unfortunately. If you want to lower your monthly payments and ease the burden of student loan debt, consider refinancing. You can easily check your loan rate options via the online marketplace Credible .

THESE 10 STATES HAVE GOTTEN THE MOST STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS UNDER BIDEN’S SAVE PLAN

Older generations still paying student loans risk losing Social Security

A recent group of representatives wrote a letter to Congress, hoping to address the issue of seniors still paying down student loans. Currently, under the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) , the government can collect funds, such as tax refunds and Social Security, to pay outstanding student loan balances.

"Under the TOP, the federal government can withhold up to 15 percent of monthly Social Security or disability benefits for defaulted student loans," the lawmakers explained in their letter.

This program leaves millions of older Americans at risk of losing vital income. Democratic representatives urged the Biden administration to act. The letter had 30 total signatures from other Democratic leaders.

"Given alarming reports exposing the crushing impact of offsets on older Americans dependent on Social Security, we urge you to consider seeking an end to administrative offset of student loan debts for all Social Security benefits," the letter said.

To see if you can qualify for lower interest rates, an online tool like Credible can help you compare student loan refinancing rates from multiple lenders .

STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS HINDER RETIREMENT SAVINGS – HERE'S HOW EMPLOYERS ARE HELPING

Time is running out for borrowers to apply for forgiveness

For students who want to take advantage of student loan forgiveness, the expanded timeline is coming to an end on April 30.

To earn forgiveness, the following loan types must be consolidated into a Federal Direct Loan :

• Commercially held Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)
• Parent PLUS loans
• Perkins loans
• Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program loans

Once consolidated, borrowers with Direct Loans will receive at least three years of credit towards loan forgiveness. Some may see their loans forgiven automatically if they’ve been making payments long enough. This adjustment is intended to help borrowers who were due to receive forgiveness in the past, but never did. The adjustment is set to take place through the end of July, so borrowers should see the credit reflected by then.

If you can qualify for a student loan refinance at a lower rate than you're currently paying, there are few downsides to refinancing. You can use Credible to compare student loan refinancing rates without affecting your credit score .

SOME STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS ARE SET TO END THIS YEAR – HERE’S WHAT TO DO IF THIS AFFECTS YOU

Have a finance-related question, but don't know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at [email protected] and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column.

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Eastern Europe
• Moscow Oblast

Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Area, Altitude, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

Information

Find all the information of Elektrostal or click on the section of your choice in the left menu.

• Update data

Elektrostal Demography

Information on the people and the population of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Geography

Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal .

Elektrostal Distance

Distance (in kilometers) between Elektrostal and the biggest cities of Russia.

Elektrostal Map

Locate simply the city of Elektrostal through the card, map and satellite image of the city.

Elektrostal Nearby cities and villages

Elektrostal weather.

Weather forecast for the next coming days and current time of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Sunrise and sunset

Find below the times of sunrise and sunset calculated 7 days to Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Hotel

Our team has selected for you a list of hotel in Elektrostal classified by value for money. Book your hotel room at the best price.

Elektrostal Nearby

Below is a list of activities and point of interest in Elektrostal and its surroundings.

Elektrostal Page

• Information /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#info
• Demography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#demo
• Geography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#geo
• Distance /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist1
• Map /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#map
• Nearby cities and villages /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist2
• Weather /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#weather
• Sunrise and sunset /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#sun
• Hotel /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#hotel
• Nearby /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#around
• Page /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#page
• Terms of Use
• Copyright © 2024 DB-City - All rights reserved
• Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

• Phone: +90 (212) 875 19 08
• E-Mail: [email protected]

• Company Profile
• Company Policy
• Mission and Vision
• Certificates
• Aluminium Windows
• Aluminium Doors
• Aluminium Sliding Elements
• Aluminium Curtain Walls
• Aluminium Skylight Elements
• Aluminium Frames for Safety and Security
• Aluminium Conservatories
• Metal Panel Sheet Claddings
• Aluminium Entrance Frames
• Glass Structures
• Complementary Items
• Lightweight Steel Structures
• Human Resources OPEN

Project Description

Project name:, year of construction:, completed work items:.

• Share full article

In France, the Future Is Arriving on a Barge

The Seine is becoming a test case for a European plan to cut carbon emissions by turning rivers into the new highways.

A barge filled with items for Franprix supermarkets in Paris made its way along the Seine, not far from the Eiffel Tower. Credit...

Supported by

By Liz Alderman

Photographs and Video by James Hill

Reported and photographed along the Seine, between Le Havre and Paris.

• March 26, 2024

As pale morning light flickered across the Seine, Capt. Freddy Badar steered his hulking river barge, Le Bosphore, past picturesque Normandy villages and snow-fringed woodlands, setting a course for Paris.

Onboard were containers packed with furniture, electronics and clothing loaded the night before from a cargo ship that had docked in Le Havre, the seaport in northern France. Had the cargo continued by road, 120 trucks would have clogged the highways. Using Le Bosphore and its crew of four prevented tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.

“The river is part of a wider solution for cleaner transport and the environment,” Captain Badar said, his eyes scanning other vessels carrying wares up and down the Seine. “But there’s much more that we could be doing.”

As the European Union steps up its battle against climate change, it needs to decarbonize freight transport , responsible for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

To get there, it is turning back to a centuries-old solution: its rivers. With 23,000 miles of waterways spanning the European Union, officials see a huge potential to help take trucks — the biggest source of freight emissions — off roads. The European Green Deal , the European Union’s decarbonization blueprint, would turn rivers into highways and double barge traffic by 2050.

There’s a lot of room for improvement. Today, rivers carry less than 2 percent of Europe’s freight. By comparison, around 6.5 million trucks crisscross Europe’s roads, accounting for 80 percent of freight transport. Rail accounts for around 5 percent.

If rivers are to handle more traffic, much of Europe’s decades-old waterway infrastructure, including ports and locks, will need upgrading. A warming planet adds to the challenge: Droughts in recent years have grounded some transport on the Rhine, and pose risks to the Seine.

While the Seine isn’t the most heavily trafficked river in Europe — that is the Rhine, which flows through Germany and the Netherlands — the ambition is to turn it into one of the main experimental hubs for the climate transition.

“We are working on a transformation to get businesses to massively shift their logistics routes,” said Stéphane Raison, the president of France’s main port operator, Haropa, which is investing over 1 billion euros (or $1.1 billion) in the Seine effort.

Turning Toward the River

Before leaving Le Havre for Paris, as a heavy snow fell in the dark, Le Bosphore’s crew packed containers tightly into the cargo hold, checking a manifest as a gantry crane swung overhead.

Le Bosphore, part of a 110-barge fleet run by Sogestran, France’s largest river transport company, will head to Gennevilliers, a port five miles outside Paris that is a distribution hub for the capital region’s 12 million consumers. The trip will take around 30 hours.

The Seine could carry many more barges like Le Bosphore, which is longer than a soccer field and saves 18,000 truck trips a year between Le Havre and Paris. The government hopes to draw four times as much freight to the river as the 20 million metric tons it handles now each year.

To achieve that, Haropa has been accelerating an expansion of Le Havre port, which sits at the mouth of the Seine, in a bid to attract ships from the larger ports of Rotterdam in the Netherlands or Antwerp, Belgium. Cargo deposited at those ports is then driven to France on trucks.

At its five other port terminals on the Seine, Haropa is adding electrical stations that allow ships to plug in while docked, rather than running engines.

While much of Europe’s barge fleet is still powered by diesel, a small but growing portion is being adapted for biofuels. Electric boats are coming onto the market. Hydrogen-powered prototype barges are also being developed.

Companies like Ikea and river transport start-ups are helping to propel the movement. They are developing carbon-free last-mile delivery services to appeal to consumers — and to get ahead of strict environmental rules that European cities are imposing to limit heavy, polluting vehicles.

A Chain of ‘Cleaner Transport’

Eight hours after sailing from Le Havre, Le Bosphore pulled into Rouen, a major stop for river cargo to and from Paris. Around 10 a.m. a fresh four-person crew, led by Captain Badar, boarded for a weeklong shift, and the trip toward Paris resumed.

Barge traffic on the Seine has increased just 5 percent from a decade ago. While the government is trying to engineer an acceleration, “rivers have been neglected for too long,” said Captain Badar, the third generation of riverboat captains in his family. He is among a rare breed. Many riverboat captains in Europe are nearing retirement age, and there’s a shortage of qualified personnel, a problem that risks curbing the hoped-for growth in river traffic.

For centuries, Captain Badar noted, rivers were practically the only way to ferry goods through France: The ancient symbol of Paris is a boat. But waterways fell out of favor as trucks and trains dominated transport in the 20th century, especially after World War II, when highways and rail tracks expanded across the continent.

Governments support those industries “because they have powerful lobbies and unions,” Captain Badar said, navigating past a medieval castle built by Richard the Lionheart as the sun brightened the afternoon sky.

“Now we’re starting to talk about the environment, and it would be best to see the river as part of a wider chain of cleaner transport.”

France’s largest supermarket chain, Franprix, is ahead of the game. It has transported goods by barge for a decade to its 300 Parisian stores. Workers unload 42 containers each morning near the Eiffel Tower. That saves 3,600 truck trips a year on highways and has cut Franprix’s carbon emissions 20 percent, the company said.

Kitchen Cabinets and Coffee Beans

Le Bosphore pulled into Gennevilliers port the next morning before dawn, docking alongside other barges laden with wares for Parisian businesses. A crane unloaded three layers of containers from the hold, placing them on the pier, where forklifts stacked them to the side. Despite the voluminous cargo, Le Bosphore had consumed the fuel of only about four trucks on its entire trip.

Across the port, an experiment was underway to make the last mile of delivery more environmentally friendly: a hulking warehouse, set up in a 2022 deal between Haropa and Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, to create a carbon-neutral way to deliver goods using the Seine.

Pallets packed with Ikea kitchen cabinets and couches, ordered online less than 48 hours earlier, were loaded onto a barge that would take them to central Paris. There, they would be put onto electric trucks and delivered to customers.

The process isn’t completely decarbonized — the barge to central Paris burns fuel, as do the trucks from Ikea’s factories in Poland and Romania — but the arrangement allowed Ikea to take the equivalent of 6,000 trucks off Paris streets last year, said Emilie Carpels, director of Ikea’s river project.

Other ventures are aiming to be more cutting edge.

Europe’s first hydrogen-fueled river barge, the Zulu, is expected to start operating in the spring. Designed by Sogestran, it can carry up to 320 metric tons, or the contents of around 15 trucks. “We are moving toward a future of increasingly clean transport,” said Florian Levarey, the project director.

For Fludis, a French start-up, that future is already at hand. Its president, Gilles Manuelle, founded the company around two boats that run on electric batteries, and a fleet of electric delivery bikes.

Around 7 on a recent morning, a dozen crew members loaded one of the small barges with boxes of coffee beans, copier paper, kitchen towels and other goods to be delivered to French bistros and businesses. As the boat sped silently past the Louvre for its first drop-off, workers onboard loaded their bikes with orders, and sped onto the streets as soon as the captain docked.

“We’re starting off small,” Mr. Manuelle said. “But it’s little solutions like this that can grow much bigger, and help play a role in reversing global warming.”

Back in Gennevilliers, the crew of Le Bosphore filled the now-empty hold with French goods for export: flour, lumber, luxury handbags and Champagne. By 2 p.m. it would begin a cruise back to Le Havre, where the crew would unload and then start all over again.

“I’ve known for a long time that the river was the most ecological means of transport,” Captain Badar said, easing back into the helm. “Now we need for policymakers to really make it happen,” he added. “The potential is huge.”

Liz Alderman is the chief European business correspondent, writing about economic, social and policy developments around Europe. More about Liz Alderman

James Hill is a photographer working on a regular basis for The Times since 1993. He is currently based in Paris. More about James Hill

Advertisement