Writing Your Business Plan and Fundraising
The SFC Team
Tuesday, 1 March 2022
This is part three of What To Do Before You Launch Your Business: Writing Your Business Plan and Fundraising. We are uncovering the Foundations Of A Healthy Business, but before you are ready to grow and thrive, you need to launch successfully!
All businesses should have a business plan. It is used to secure investment, and often convinces customers, suppliers and potential employees to support you. As an entrepreneur, it is also useful to help stay on track of your objectives, strategies, sales, marketing and financial forecasts. So in this Lesson, we guide you through the necessary steps to writing your own business plan: what you need to include, what it should look like, and what parts you maybe would not have thought were relevant - like your strengths and weaknesses.
A business plan isn't all about financial metrics, but they do help when it comes to fundraising, and this is something most businesses will look to at some point. So in this Lesson we also guide you through fundraising options, including crowdfunding and angel investment. Even if you don't think you need it now, becoming savvy to all of this business speak is beneficial to keeping your confidence up, and you never know who you'll meet or inspire.
As always, we are joined by industry professionals for expert input and guidance, including Indre Butkevicute, Nick Howe, Raimonda Jankunaite, Jeroen van der Heide and Elizabeth Pirrie.
Firstly, watch the introduction video from Charlie Bradley Ross, where she explains why a business plan is important, and why fundraising is integral to launching a sustainable business. Then head into each segment below. Have your What To Do Before You Launch Your Business Checklist handy to make notes and check off what elements of your business you have already completed.
In this Lesson you will learn:
- What a business plan is
- What you should include in a business plan
- How to write a business plan
- Why you should include weaknesses and collaborations in your business plan
- About funding options for ethical businesses, including crowdfunding and angel investment
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Branding Your Business: Purpose and Storytelling
with The SFC TeamRead More...Summary
This is part four of What To Do Before You Launch Your Business: Branding Your Business: Purpose and Storytelling. We are uncovering the Foundations Of A Healthy Business, but before you are ready to grow and thrive, you need to launch successfully!
We hear time and again from established fashion brands that it was their purpose that drove them through difficult periods. Either they were struggling with sourcing, had issues in production, weren't seeing the sales they wanted, or simply didn't have the funds or time to focus on their endeavour. However, they saw a need for their product or service, and with a defined brand purpose they were able to hold on to their objective. In this Lesson we address what a "brand purpose" is, how to identify yours, and then how to tell this story to your customers and others across your production and retail teams. We also guide you in what you can do to stand out, especially in a crowded market or when "sustainability" is a buzzword.
As always, we are joined by industry professionals for expert input and guidance, including Andrew Holder Ross, Sabine Harnau, Simona Campli, Jennifer Hakim and Indie Foolheea.
Firstly, watch the introduction video from Charlie Bradley Ross, where she explains the importance of branding for the longevity and trust-building of your sustainable business. Then head into each segment below. Have your What To Do Before You Launch Your Business Checklist handy to make notes and check off what elements of your business you have already completed.