choose a business you’d like to use for your future course assignments. Throughout this course, you will develop assignments that you will later combine into a complete business plan for your chosen company. That final assignment is due in Week 10.
Read the guidelines for each option. Once you select an option, you will work on that company during this entire course.
All discussions and assignments in this class will focus on the company you select here.
Your faculty member will approve your selection in a reply to this discussion post.
For this week’s discussion, please respond to the following:
If you are focusing on the snack food company, clarify the key ingredients and any flavors you plan to offer.
If you choose your own company, and it is a service company, clarify the service options you plan to offer.
If you choose your own company and product, specify the options (flavors, versions of the product, et cetera) you will offer to consumers.
Enclose your mission statement within quotation marks.
Reminder: After submitting your post, watch for your faculty member’s approval in a reply to your post. You must have this approval to proceed.
Post at least one substantive comment to another student’s post.
Important: A substantive comment is at least 4-6 substantive sentences in length, sharing examples, your perspective, resources, your experience, making connections, asking questions, etc.
• You must build your business plan using the information included within these guidelines.You can add to this information as needed.
• You will create a business plan for a company operating in the snack food industry.
• The instructor will approve your company in a reply to yourWeek
1
discussion post in which you will describe this business.You will revise your
work based on feedback provided.
• You will be the CEO of the new business.
• You will develop the business plan with the intention to raise funds and increase sales.
Key
Parameter Explanation
Business Size You are a startup not yet in operation. You have the recipe for the snack, and you have been operating from your home, but sales
are small. You were selling the product for $
3
per item at a cost of $1. You will develop the business plan with the intention to raise
funds and increase sales. Your sales must be over $1 million by the end of the second year.
Product You must focus on a snack. You decide what the snack will be and whether it will be sold in individual sizes or wholesale. The
Snack Food industry produces snack foods, such as potato and corn chips, pretzels, roasted and salted nuts, nut butters, popcorn
and other similar snacks.
Market Size You will start marketing and selling the product in your geographical area within a 100-mile radius from your home.
Existing Funds You received $50,000 from your grandmother as a gift, and you borrowed $30,000 from your family and friends.
Intention to Raise
Money
To grow the business further, you will need funds from outside investors, either angels, venture capitalists, a group of individual
investors on Kickstarter.
Facility You will rent.
Employees You will have employees, and you will develop your own organizational hierarchy.
Annual CEO
Salary
As CEO your salary will be $60,000 the first year, $120,000 the second year, and finally adjusted to $160,000 for all remaining years
in the position.
1
This table identifies specific details you must use for your snack company business plan. Reflect any costs in your business plan narrative and in the
Business Plan Financials Excel Template. The f inal column specifies the specific worksheet within the Business Plan Financials Excel Template
where you need to input data.
Item Worksheet Within the Business Plan
Financials Excel Template
EQUIPMENT PURCHASES AT THE START OF THE BUSINESS
AND AS THE BUSINESS GROWS
•
2
machines to produce and package the product @ $10,000 each; about
50 bags per minute each
• 2 vans for distribution @ $15,000 each
• 3 computers @ $1,400 each
• Software for inventory, payments, and customer accounts management
• Printer
Capital Expenditures Worksheet
PERSONNEL
Current Personnel
• CEO (you)
• 1 part-time production worker @ $15.00/hour (20 hours/week)
• 1 IT support person @ $25.00/hour (20 hours/week)
• 1 paid consultant (your neighbor); retired executive in the snack food
industry
Considerations:
Your goal is to reach sales of over $1 million by the end of the second year. You
will need to hire additional personnel to meet this goal. Potential additional hires
include:
• 2 production line foremen
• Production employees (more than one shift)
o Business size of business will determine number
• Maintenance staff
o Business size will determine number
• Additional employees according to your preferences
Staf f Budget Worksheet
2
Item Worksheet Within he Business Plan
Financials Excel Template
BUSINESS EXPENSES
Marketing Expenses
Professional Services
• Consultant (your neighbor); 1st year only
• Attorney
• Accountant
• Industry specialist
Inventory Purchases (as needed)
Additional Expenses
• Telephone/fax
• Business insurance
• Off ice supplies
• Mailings and postage
• Building maintenance
• Utilities, including
o Water/sewer
o Gas
o Electricity
o Trash removal
Marketing Budget Worksheet
Professional Services Worksheet
Inventory Worksheet
Income Statement Worksheet
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Available Funds
• Balance in the bank
• Gif t from grandmother
• Loan f rom relatives and friends
o This is to be paid by the end of the second year of operation with
5% interest.
Future Funds
You will need to raise funds from investors. You will determine this based on how
much you plan to grow the business.
Reminder:
• You will need to pay taxes.
• You will determine sales projections.
Capital Investments Worksheet
Cash Flow Statement Worksheet
Sales Projections Worksheet
3
The Business Plan Financials Excel Template is the base pro-forma financial statement for your business. Complete the worksheets in order.
Worksheet Data Entry
Worksheet #1: Set Up and Assumptions Line 9–Enter the month the academic quarter starts.
Line 12—Enter the year the academic quarter starts.
Line 15–Enter 2; you choose the number of product lines you will have up to 10 lines.
Line 21—Standard default is 30 days; you may adjust this for your business.
Line 43—Enter $15,000; this is the money you currently have in the bank.
Worksheet #2: Sales Projections Speculate how much your company will grow and how much you will sell.
Ref lect this information in the Operations Section of your Business Plan (Week
5
Discussion and Week 8 Assignment).
You need to reach sales of over $1 million by the end of the second year.
Worksheet #3: Inventory (Adjust These Figures Line 7– Enter the cost of ingredients.
As Needed) Line 8—Enter the cost of bags.
Line 9—Enter the cost of cartons to package the products.
Repeat these three lines for each product line.
Worksheet #4: Capital Expenditures (applies to
purchased NOT leased equipment)
Insert the cost of the equipment, vehicles, computers, et cetera, you decide to purchase.
Worksheet #5: Staffing Budget Account for every paid employee using the appropriate lines for the six categories of
employees
1. Management
2. Administrative/Support
3. Sales/Marketing
4. Operations/Production
5. Other
6. Part-Time/Hourly
Indicate when their employment will start according to the Operations and Management and
Organization sections of your business plan.
Worksheet #6: Marketing Budget Enter the cost for the marketing vehicles you plan to use. (Discussion
4
and Assignments 2
and 3).
Worksheet #7: Professional Services Line 6—Enter $3,000.00.
Line 7–Enter $2,500.00.
Line 9—Enter $2,000.00
Line 11—Enter $10,000.00 (f irst year only)
4
Worksheet Data Entry
Worksheet #8 Capital Investments Worksheet Equity Capital Investments
Line 6—Gif t—Enter $50,000.00.
Loans (Friends and Family)
Line 24–$30,000
Note: The loan period = 24 months; interest rate = 5%
Worksheet #9: Income Statement Enter the cost of your expenses; see Business Expenses in the table that appears under
the Specific Business Details section of these guidelines.
Worksheet #10: Cash Flow Statement Pay off taxes.
Worksheet #11: Balance Sheet This will automatically populate from the other completed worksheets.
5
These resources are a good starting point for you as being researching the snack food industry.
C. Barnes. 2020. 2020 U.S. industry & market report–NAICS 31191: Snack food manufacturing, 1–196.
Jan Conway. 2018. U.S. Snack Foods Industry—Statistics & Facts. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/1496/snack-
foods/
Patrick Limdico. 2019. 47 Snack Food Industry Trends and Consumption Statistics. Foodtruck Empire.
Douglas J. Peckenpaugh. 2019. State of the Industry 2019: Defining the Future of Snacking. SF&WB.
https://www.snackandbakery.com/articles/93232-state-of-the-industry-2019-defining-the-future-of-snacking
L. Petrak. 2019. Mindful Munching: The Evolution of Mealtime Is Fueling the Trend Toward New Kinds of Nibbles.
Progressive Grocer, 98(5), 50–54.
Statisa. No date. Consumer Market Outlook: Snack Food; United States.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/40110000/109/snack-food/united-states
Mordor Intelligence. No date. Snack Food Market—Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020–2025).
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/snack-food-market
6
https://search-ebscohost-com.libdatab.strayer.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=141148050&site=ehost-live&scope=site
https://www.snackandbakery.com/articles/93232-state-of-the-industry-2019-defining-the-future-of-snacking
http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=136410914&site=eds-live&scope=site
https://www.statista.com/outlook/40110000/109/snack-food/united-states
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/snack-food-market
Key Business Plan Parameters
Specific Business Details
Guide to Complete the Business Plan Financials Excel Template
Resources on the Snack Food Industry
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