Market toolbox

The aim of this market toolbox is to provide you with resources to help you adequately address the "market" section of your business plan. Included in the toolbox is a worksheet on creating a customer profile, a template to help you determine sales projections in various scenarios, as well as samples of a market size statement, competitive analysis, and estimated sales summary. The toolbox also includes a glossary on how to research your industry and competition.

Worksheet *

• Create a customer profile: This worksheet can help you identify common characteristics for your customer base.

Template *

• Sales projections: This downloadable spreadsheet is designed to help you determine your numbers for various sales scenarios.

Samples

• Sample market size statement: Here's the market size/trends statement for an office designer targeting home-based workers in the Philadelphia area.
• Sample competitive analysis: East End Camera, a photography store, has a wide range of different competitors. See their analysis.
• Sample estimated sales summary: See how Acme Public Relations, a high-tech PR start-up, summarizes its projected sales.

Glossary

• How to research your industry and the competition: Tips, hints, and sources for tracking down up-to-date, reliable information about your market, your industry, and your competitors.

*Note on downloading: Worksheets are RTF (Rich Text Format) files which are compatible with most word processing programs. Templates are Microsoft Excel files. PDF (Portable Document File) versions of worksheet and template are also available. PDF documents can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which can be downloaded from the Adobe site.