The people who invest in a business or lend money are looking basically at two factors: First, at whether or not, within a reasonable period, the business will earn more money than its costs to run. Second, whether the business will enable it to meet each demand for payment as it arrives. In other words, they are looking for profitability and cash flow.
Those who will manage the business on a day to day basis will need to be assured of its financial viability, the same basic data as that required by investors and lenders. They will also need to know from the plan, what are the key indicators of performance, which expenditure figure to monitor closely, how to judge sales performance, which target are crucial to success, how sensitive the business is to fluctuation in the business environ, etc.

This Business Plan Workshop will include;

• Lecture on the process of planning, the elements of a successful plan and presentation that can attract funders.
• It will equally deliberate on key successful factors that can be used as tools to implement a business plan.
• Selected entrepreneurs will present their business plans to a panel of judges (funders, angel investors and individual donors) and receive real time feed-back on how to improve their businesses.
• Business Plan Competition will be held during The African Network Entrepreneurship Conference (TANCon Africa) in Lagos between Oct 17-18, 2014
• This Competition could attract between $10,000 and $15,000 cash by the winners. More information about the prizes will be announced in Oct 2014

If you are an entrepreneur with an existing business idea that qualifies for this great opportunity, what are you waiting for?

Submit on-line an outline of your Business Plan on OR before the 10th of September, 2014 for consideration.

Criteria for selection as presenting entrepreneur:

• Clarity of business model. How does the business make money?
• Clear market or impact qualified by market research.
• Quality of the founders & the management team.
• Proof of market traction. Entrepreneurs who can show successful proof of concept or business growth will be preferred.

The workshop does not, provide direct access to funding sources or guarantee funding.

• The workshop will provide a mentorship session in which entrepreneurs just starting their businesses and those who are already in business will meet with seasoned and accomplished mentors who will offer advice and proffer solutions to challenges facing them.

• The mentor-mentee relationship may continue after the conference and will be monitored by TAN Nigeria.

• The participants are expected to:
  o Communicate their business ideas with their mentors.
  o Discuss both goals and strategies with their mentors.
  o Explore the possibility of a long term mentor-mentee relationship.

Business Mentors

The Mentors for the Workshop will be announced sometime in Oct, 2014.