Business plans are the guiding documents of both new and established businesses. Business plans quantify the business concept, the market the business will serve and the necessary finances, according to Entrepreneur magazine.
Some business plans detail the day-to-day operations of the brick-making business and are updated regularly. These plans are typically informal guidelines that are useful for company management and department leaders. Presentation business plans are formal, polished business plans to present to potential investors, grant providers or business partners.
A brick-making business plan should outline who will run the company and how, the types and quantity of bricks the company will manufacture and how it will sell them. A brick maker's business plan also defines how and where he acquires clay and other raw materials, the quantities he needs and the facilities he needs to create bricks, and then how those bricks build a profitable business.
Business plan sections such as the Company Description and Organization and Management take a high-level look at the business, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which means they describe how the business works.
Advertisement Article continues below this adWhen drafting these sections, describe the types of bricks you make and the raw materials you use, such as fly ash, clay or silicate, as well as your target market – landscapers, wholesalers, individuals or a combination of consumers. List the number of facilities you have, how many kilns you use to make bricks and the role each employee, such as a kiln operator, plays in the manufacturing process.
The business plan's Market Analysis, Marketing and Sales Management and Product Line sections analyze buying patterns in your target market, according to the SBA. These sections quantify which customers buy which types of bricks and in what quantity. Tracking consumption trends allows you to predict which bricks are likely to be in demand at certain times and then plan accordingly.
If fly ash bricks consistently sell twice as well as clay bricks, for example, then these sections of your business plan would indicate that you should buy twice as much fly ash as clay. Buying patterns also help you predict how to develop and sell new bricks, such as those made from natural stones like granite and sandstone; they also indicate which bricks are not popular with your market and are a questionable use of finances.
Advertisement Article continues below this adBusiness plans for new and established brick makers should include current financial data from balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements, according to the SBA. Balance sheets compare your business expenses to revenue to arrive at profitability; the balance sheet would reflect gross income by subtracting the cost of making bricks from the revenue generated by selling them.
Income statements describe the amount of income generated by each type of brick you make, as well as which customers make up the greatest amount of your business's income. Cash flow statements track the path revenue takes through your business by quantifying how much money you spend on operating kilns, buying raw materials, paying employees and covering other costs.
External investors, lenders and company management are all part of a potential audience for a business plan, as are grant providers, business partners and people interested in buying the brick-making operation, according to Business Link. For example, you might target landscapers who usually buy fly ash bricks and persuade them to try silicate bricks. You might target DIY homeowners who want to build an outdoor fireplace or barbecue.