Sample Business Plans - UK Fulham Furniture
Sample Business Plans - UK Fulham Furniture
Sample Business Plans - UK Fulham Furniture
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Table of Contents
Page 2
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Fulham Furniture Mfr. has been riding a growth spurt, having discovered the high-end direct mail
channel that gave us a push to new potential volumes through channels. Bolstered by
appearances in specialty catalogues, we were able to develop another additional channel
through distributors of office equipment that sell directly to larger enterprises.
This annual business plan calls for another three years of accelerated growth. Because our sales
growth has brought some working capital implications, we are carefully planning to manage
growth and provide for steady cash flow.
We also expect to be profitable as never before. In all, this plan is a healthy company with good
growth prospects, looking to manage its orderly growth in the near future.
Highlights
£1,100,000
£1,000,000
£900,000
£800,000
£700,000 Sales
£600,000
Gross Margin
£500,000
Net Profit
£400,000
£300,000
£200,000
£100,000
£0
2006 2007 2008
1.1 Objectives
Page 1
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
1.2 Mission
Fulham Furniture Mfr. helps create pleasant, productive office environments with well-designed
furniture that incorporates new technology into the classic office mode, in which real people can
work happily. We are sensitive to the look and feel of good wood and fine furniture as well as to
high-powered personal computing. We always provide the best possible value to our customers
who care about quality office environments, and we want every dollar spent with us to be well
spent. We also create and nurture a healthy, creative, respectful, and fun office and workshop
environment, in which our employees are fairly compensated and encouraged to respect the
customer and the quality of the product we produce. We seek fair and responsible profit, enough
to keep the company financially healthy for the long term and to fairly compensate owners and
investors for their money and risk.
• Uncompromising commitment to the quality of the end product: quality wood, quality
workmanship, quality design, quality of end result.
• Successful niche marketing: we need to find the quality-conscious customer in the right
channels, and we need to make sure that customers can find us.
• Almost-automatic assembly: we can't afford to ship fully-assembled desks, but assembly
must be so easy and automatic that it makes the customer feel better about the quality, not
worse.
Fulham Furniture Mfr. is a Limited Company specialty manufacturer of high-end office furniture
for computer users who care about elegant office space. Our customers are in all levels of
business that can afford very high quality office furniture, plus a growing portion of high-end
home offices.
Fulham Furniture Mfr. is a London, England Limited Company, owned entirely by James and Susan
Graham. It was created in 1992. At that time the product line and industrial property rights
(including trade marks) were purchased from the heirs to the Fulham Association, which was a
furniture company in South West London that had been mismanaged by the heirs of the original
founders. Fulham Association was more then happy to sell the business at a very attractive price
to James and Susan Graham.
Page 2
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Fulham Furniture Mfr. had actually existed since the 1970s as a traditional furniture
manufacturer, but its present existence began in 1992 when the furniture line was purchased by
James and Susan Graham. The Grahams moved to London from Scotland and purchased the
business as part of the move.
Sales took a big jump in 1997, when we reached more effective channels of distribution. The key
was winning a place in the Premier Executive office furniture catalogue, which led to winning the
interest of the XXX furniture distributors, and display space in several hundred stores.
Profitability and working capital were problems during our recent growth, but we believe we now
have costs and cash flow under control.
Page 3
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Balance Sheet
2003 2004 2005
Current Assets
Cash £0 £0 £1,438
Accounts Receivable £0 £0 £27,605
Stock £0 £0 £10,141
Other Current Assets £0 £0 £2,375
Total Current Assets £0 £0 £41,559
Fixed Assets
Capital Assets £0 £0 £3,210
Accumulated Depreciation £0 £0 £1,720
Total Fixed Assets £0 £0 £1,490
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable £0 £0 £11,191
Current Borrowing £0 £0 £0
Other Current Liabilities (interest free) £0 £0 £1,803
Total Current Liabilities £0 £0 £12,994
Fixed Liabilities £0 £0 £0
Total Liabilities £0 £0 £12,994
Other Inputs
Payment Days 0 0 35
Sales on Credit £0 £0 £140,434
Receivables Turnover 0.00 0.00 5.09
Page 4
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Past Performance
£210,000
£180,000
£150,000 Sales
£120,000 Gross
£90,000 Net
£60,000
£30,000
£0
2003 2004 2005
Fulham Furniture Mfr. is located in a single facility across the Thames from Fulham, in Putney
where there is more industrial office space and manufacturing space for Fulham Furniture Mfr.
The facility includes office and workshop space, access to the local bus route, and Tube stop,
and good parking.
3.0 Products
Fulham Furniture Mfr. offers very high quality office furniture designed to effectively incorporate
computer machinery into the executive office or home office. The key to the line is an
ergonomically effective desk that still looks like an executive desk, looks very good in a high-end
home office, but is intended to accommodate the personal computer.
Within our niche we have two significant competitors, Devonbrooke Computer Furniture and
ZedNadir Manufacturing. Devonbrooke is a bigger company but like us, operating mainly in our
same niche, whose marketing is better than its product quality. ZedNadir is a subsidiary of XXX
Furniture, a major furniture manufacturer, which has recently targeted our niche.
In general, however, our competition is not in our niche. We compete against generalised
furniture manufacturers, cheaper computer-related furniture, and the mainstream merchandise in
the major furniture channels and office supply stores. It isn't that people choose our competitors
instead of our product, it is that they choose lesser quality, mainstream materials instead of the
higher quality furniture we offer.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
1. Our main line is the Fulham computer desk in several versions. This is an elegant piece of
office furniture designed to look good in executive office or home office, and at the same
time be ideal for real use of the computer. The two critical elements of ergonomics--
keyboard height and angle and monitor height and angle--are completely adjustable. Cable
runs and shelving add to the utility of the executive computer, without sacrificing elegance.
2. We also make complementary pieces to fill out the office suite, including file cabinets, printer
stands, and bookcases.
3. We also make custom designs to fit exact measurements.
For 2006 we plan to develop a company catalogue, which would include some other products for
the same target customers. The focus will be the executive office catalogue, with furniture,
lamps, other accessories.
3.4 Sourcing
Our Putney location is a distinct advantage for manufacturing. We also have an established
relationship with a high quality lumbar yard to supply the high quality wood we use to
manufacture Fulham Furniture. We can buy higher quality oak and cherry than either of our
competitors. Since our sales increased over the last two years, we have been able to buy at
better prices, because of higher volumes.
We work with one wood supplier. Bambridge supplies most of our oak, and a bit of cherry and
some other specialty woods. Bambridge has been in business for as long as we have, and has
given us good service and good prices. This is a good, stable supplier. Bambridge works with
Duffin Wood Products as a good second source, particularly for cherry and specialty woods.
We also work with a number of specialty manufacturers for furniture fittings, drawer accessories,
glass, shelving accessories, and related purchases.
Although we aren't a major player compared to the major furniture manufacturers, we are one of
the biggest buyers of the custom materials we need. Most of our suppliers are selling through
channels to hobbyists and carpenters, so they treat us as a major account.
3.5 Technology
We depend on our dominance of the latest in technology of ergonomics, combined with classic
design elements of fine furniture. We must remain on top of new technologies in display, input
and output, and communications. For example, our latest models are already assuming the
desktop digital scanner as a frequent accessory, and audio for use in creating presentations,
email attachments, etc.
Our assembly patents are an important competitive edge. No competitor can match the way we
turn a drawback--having to assemble the product--into a feature. Our customer surveys confirm
that customers take the interlocking assembly system as an enhancement to the sense of
quality.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
In 2006 we will introduce the new line based on the executive laptop computer, with docking
station to connect to a network. The new furniture has a different configuration to assume easy
access to the docking station, and better use of the space that doesn't have to be dedicated
the CPU case.
We are also going to accommodate larger monitors, the 17 inch and 21 inch sizes that are
becoming much more common, particularly in our high-end market. As we do, we will also be
watching for the new technology providing wall-mounted flat screens, the liquid plasma and
similar technologies.
Our target market is a person who wants to have very fine furniture with the latest in
technology, combined with an old fashioned sense of fine woods and fine woodworking. This
person can be in the corporate towers, small or medium business, or in a home office. The
common bond is the appreciation of quality, and the lack of price constraints.
• Corporate executives: our market research indicates about 250,000 potential customers
who are managers in companies of more than 100 employees. The target customer is going
to be at a high executive level, in most cases, because the purchase price is relatively steep
compared to standard office furniture.
• Small business owners: our customer surveys indicate a strong market among the owners
of businesses with fewer than 100 employees. There are 3 million such businesses in this
country, most of them with concentrated ownership that makes the owners potential
customers.
• Home offices: the home office business has proliferated during the 1990s, and we also have
home offices for people employed outside the home. This is a big market, some 3 million home
offices, growing faster than other markets. A home office does not necessarily imply a home
business--just that a homeowner has designated a room in their home as an office.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Corporate executives
Home offices
Other
Our segment definition is of itself strategic. We are not intending to satisfy all users of office
furniture intended for use with personal computers, but, rather, only those who are most
demanding. We are definitely out to address the needs of the high-end buyer, who is willing to
pay more for quality.
In our particular market, we also seek the buyer who appreciates two attributes: the quality of
furniture workmanship and the excellence of design, with an understanding of technology and
ergonomics built in.
Our market has finally grown to recognise the disparity between most of the standard office
furniture sold through channels, and our own products.
The development of the high-end office worker, office owners, and baby-boomer executive is an
important trend for us. We now have people who are using computers who also appreciate the
old-fashioned workmanship of good furniture.
Page 8
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
According to [source omitted], the market for office furniture is growing at XX percent per year,
and is projected to increase. The market for PC-related office furniture is growing even faster, at
YY percent per year, and is projected to top £XX billion by the year 2008.
Most important is the growth in home offices with personal computer equipment. As the cost of
the computer goes down, steadily, the number of home offices goes up. According to [omitted],
this is about 36 million right now, growing at 15 percent per year. Households spent £XX hundred
million last year to equip home offices, and 15 percent of that was spent on furniture.
We understand that our target market needs more than just office furniture. The need grew out
of the special needs of personal computing, when combined with office furniture--keyboards at
correct height, monitors at correct height, proper channels for cables, and other amenities. Our
target customer wants to have all of that plus fine furniture. There is a need for quality,
reassurance of wood and good workmanship. We don't just sell office furniture, we sell office
environment and design, plus workmanship.
The office furniture industry has undergone a great deal of change in this decade. The growth of
the office superstores made a few large brands dominant. They produce relatively inexpensive
furniture that makes compromises in order to stay at the low price level.
Makers of higher quality furniture are in general shuffling for niches to hide in. Although Fulham
Furniture Mfr. was essentially developed around a niche, many of the more traditional furniture
makers are looking for niches, trying to deal with declining sales as the main volume goes
elsewhere.
In the mainstream business, channels are critical to volume. The manufacturers with impact in
the national sales are going to win display space in the store, and most buyers seem content to
pick their product off the store floor. Price is critical, because the channels take significant
margins. Buyers are willing to settle for laminated quality and serviceable design.
In direct sales to companies, price and volume is critical. The corporate buyer wants trouble-free
buying in volume, at a great price. Reliable delivery is as important as reliable quality.
In the high-end specialty market, particularly in our niche, features are very important. Our
target customer is not making selections based on price. The ergonomics, design,
accommodation of the computer features within the high-quality feel of good wood, is much
more important than mere price. We are also seeing that assembly is critical to shipping and
packing, but our customer doesn't accept any assembly problems. We need to make sure that
the piece comes together almost like magic, and as it does, it presents a greater feel of quality
than if it hadn't required assembly at all.
Page 9
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Strengths: good marketing, strong advertising budget, relationships with distributors, strong
direct sales.
Weaknesses: the product is more standardised, and of lesser quality, with less sense of design
and materials and workmanship.
ZedNadir Manufacturing
ZedNadir Manufacturing is a division of Haines Furniture, the second largest manufacturer of
mainstream home furnishings. Haines bought ZedNadir three years ago and is focusing on our
niche. We see very good quality product, and an excellent sense of design, but little movement
in channels or catalogues.
The main volume in the industry is now concentrated in four main brands, all of which compete
for retail sales through major retail chain stores: Staples, PC World, Dixons, and others. These
same four are also concentrating efforts as well in the other discount furniture catalogues.
The growth of the office superstores made a few large brands dominant. Designs are similar and
quite competitive, costs and cost control is critical, and channel management and channel
marketing are the keys to these business' continued success.
In mainstream office furniture, the rise of the office store channel has siphoned a lot of volume
from the older and more traditional manufacturers. The channels that sold the more traditional
lines are also suffering. What are left are smaller brands, smaller companies, and divisions of
more traditional furniture companies.
There are also some traditional manufacturers still making desks as part of furniture lines focused
mainly on home furnishings. Some of these have looked at times at our niche, and are competing
for the same sales.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
The four main manufacturers are selling direct to the office superstores and buying discount
clubs. This accounts for the main volume of distribution. The office furniture customer seems to
be growing steadily more comfortable with the retail buy in the chain store.
The major corporate purchases are still made directly with manufacturers. Although this is still a
major channel for some of the more traditional manufacturers, it is essentially closed to new
competition. The direct channel is dominated by two manufacturers and two distributors. The
distributors will occasionally take on a new line--happily, this has helped Fulham Furniture Mfr.--
but the main growth is in retail.
Published research indicates that 51% of the total sales volume in the market goes through the
retail channel, most of that major national chains. Another 23% goes through the direct sales
channel, although in this case direct sales includes sales by distributors who are buying from
multiple manufacturers. Most of the remainder, 18%, is sold directly to buyers by catalogues.
We focus on a special kind of customer, the person who wants very high quality office furniture
customised to work beautifully with modern technology including personal computers, scanners,
internet connections, and other high-tech items. Our customer might be in larger comanies, small
or medium business, or in a home office with or without a home-office business. What is
important to the customer is elegance, fine workmanship, ease of use, ergonomics, and
practicality.
Our marketing strategy assumes that we need to go into specialty channels to address our
target customer's needs. The tie-in with the high-end quality catalogues like XXX is perfect,
because these catalogues cater to our kind of customers. We position as the highest quality,
offering status and prestige levels of purchase.
The product strategy is also based on quality, in this case the intersection of technical
understanding with very high quality woodworking and professional materials, and workmanship.
Our most important competitive edge is our assembly strategy, which is based on interlocking
wood pieces of such high quality that assembly is not only a pleasure for our customers, it is
actually a feature that enhances the sense of quality.
Our main strategy at Fulham Furniture Mfr. is to position ourselves at the top of the quality
scale, featuring our combination of superb technology and fine old-fashioned woodworking, for
the buyer who wants the best quality regardless of price. Tactics underneath that strategy
include research and development related to new designs and new technology, choosing the
right channels of distribution, and communicating our quality position to the market. Programmes
are mainly those listed in the milestones table, including new design programmes, new equipment
to keep up with design, channel development, channel marketing programmes, our direct sales,
and our continued presence in high-end catalogue channels and new presence in the web.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Fulham Furniture Mfr. gives the discriminating personal computer user, who cares about design
and quality furniture and quality of working environment, a combination of highest quality
furniture and latest technology, at a relatively high price.
Our competitive edge is our dominance of high-technology ergonomics and traditional high-
quality furniture workmanship. Although there are many computer furniture manufacturers, and
many computer lovers, few have brought the two crafts together as we have.
Our product is positioned very carefully: this is high-quality office furniture combining
workmanship and ergonomics for the customer who understands quality, is a user of high
technology equipment, and is willing to spend money on the best. Unlike the mainstream
products, we do not use laminates or cheap manufacturing technology.
Our marketing strategy is based mainly on making the right information available to the right
target customer. We can't afford to sell people on our expensive products, because most don't
have the budget. What we really do is make sure that those who have the budget and
appreciate the product know that it exists, and know where to find it.
The marketing has to convey the sense of quality in every picture, every promotion, and every
publication. We can't afford to appear in second-rate catalogues with poor illustrations that
make the product look less than it is. We also need to leverage our presence using high-quality
catalogues and specialty distributors.
We will maintain our pricing position as a premier provider. We are the best product available, for
the most discriminating consumer. We intend to maintain our separation from the price
competition at the lower end of the business. Our plan calls for no significant changes in pricing.
Our most important vehicle for sales promotion is the direct mail catalogue published by the
specialty retailer such as Sharper Image and its competitors. Our advertising budget goes mainly
for space in the specialty catalogue.
We also participate in major industry events, including both the Spring and Fall national computer
furniture shows and the fall computer show. Our total budget for events is £XX,000 plus about
half of the travel budget.
This year we will also promote our products with an in-house catalogue including our own
products plus related merchandise of interest to the same target market.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Our most important marketing programme is [specifics omitted]. Ivy Bells will be responsible, with
budget of £XX,000 and milestone date of the 15th of July. This programme is intended to
[objectives omitted]. Achievement should be measured by [specific concrete measurement].
Another key marketing programme is [specifics omitted]. [Name] will be responsible, with budget
of £XX,000 and milestone date of [date]. This programme is intended to [objectives omitted].
Achievement should be measured by [specific concrete measurement].
For discriminating personal computer users who want to integrate their PCs with fine furniture,
the Fulham line offers exquisite workmanship and design combined with state-of-the-arts
ergonomics and technology. Unlike the Devonbrooke line, Fulham Furniture makes no design
compromises for standardisation.
Our strategy focuses first on maintaining the identity with the high-end buyer who appreciates
the best available quality, but is also very demanding regarding computer systems and
technology. We've been able to find these customers using a combination of direct mail
catalogues and direct sales to distributors.
For the next year we continue to focus on growing presence in the high-end direct mail
catalogue that finds our specialty customer. We will work with XXX and YYY more than ever, and
we expect to gain position in the major airline catalogues as well. Specialty retail is a new
channel that could become important for us.
Our work with distributors has been promising. We hope to continue the relationship with
distributors selling directly to larger comanies, even though this takes working capital to support
receivables.
Our sales forecast assumes no change in costs or prices, which is a reasonable assumption for
the last few years.
We are expecting to increase sales vigorously in the next year, about doubling in size. The
growth forecast is in line with our last year, and is relatively high for our industry because we
are developing new channels. In 2007 and 2008 we expect growth closer to 50% per year, to a
projected record total in 2008.
We are projecting significant change in the product line, or in the proportion between different
lines. The key to our growth is the growth of the new channels, with the main desk.
Our seasonality, as shown in the chart, is still a factor in the business. We tend to sell much
better in Spring and Fall, and sales drop in the summer.
Page 13
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Sales by Year
£1,100,000
£1,000,000
£900,000
Executive desk oak
£800,000
Executive desk cherry
£700,000
£600,000 Other furniture oak
£500,000 Other furniture cherry
£400,000
Other
£300,000
£200,000
£100,000
£0
2006 2007 2008
Page 14
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Sales
Executive desk oak £334,400 £560,000 £960,000
Executive desk cherry £54,250 £52,500 £52,500
Other furniture oak £40,500 £45,000 £45,000
Other furniture cherry £7,000 £10,000 £10,000
Other £15,000 £25,000 £25,000
Total Sales £451,150 £692,500 £1,092,500
Page 15
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Sales Monthly
£60,000
£50,000
£10,000
£0
1. Catalogue sales: develop placement with one additional catalogue catering to the high-end
office executive, paying of course for space and positioning. The budget is £10,000 for this
programme, due March 15, with Jan responsible.
2. Distributor sales: we need to develop at least new distributor, spending for co-promotion
as required, and making direct sales calls. The specific responsibility is Jan's, and due date is
May 15, with a budget of £15,000.
3. Direct sales: we will do a mailing of a new in-house catalogue, developed by the marketing
department, to add to our direct telephone sales. Jan will be responsible, without a budget
or a deadline because the catalogue is a marketing programme.
The accompanying table shows specific milestones, with responsibilities assigned, dates, and (in
most cases) budgets. We are focusing in this plan on a few key milestones that should be
accomplished.
Page 16
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Table: Milestones
Milestones
Milestones
Fall trade show
New distributor
Second catalogue
Jan `98 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
We are a small company owned and operated by James and Susan Graham, husband and wife, as
a Limited Company. James is the developer and designer of the products, and Susan manages
the company as president.
Management style reflects the participation of the owners. The company respects its community
of co-workers and treats all workers well. We attempt to develop and nurture the company as
community. We are not very hierarchical.
Page 17
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Susan Graham, President, is responsible for overall business management. Our managers of
finance, marketing, and sales report directly to Susan.
James Graham, designer, is responsible for product design and development, assembly, and
manufacturing. Our workshop manager reports directly to James.
As co-owners, James and Susan jointly develop business strategy and long-term plans. James is
strong on product know-how and technology, and Susan is strong on management and business
know-how.
Susan Graham, 43, president, had a successful career in retail before becoming half owner of
Fulham Furniture Mfr. She was an area manager of Marks and Spencer, a buyer for John Lewis's,
and merchandising assistant for Next. She has a degree in literature from the University of
Manchester.
James Graham, 44, workshop manager, designed furniture for Haines Manufacturing before
becoming half owner of Fulham Furniture Mfr. He was responsible for one of the first executive
desks designed to include customised fittings for personal computers, and was one of the first to
design the monitor inside the desk under glass. He has an B.S. and M.S. in industrial design, from
University of Edinburgh and the University of York, respectively.
Terry Hatcher, 34, is marketing manager. Terry joined Fulham Furniture Mfr. from the marketing
department of the Markleville Furniture chain, having been in charge of national catalogue
production and catalogue advertising. Terry also managed direct sales at one of the furniture
distributors that has since died to industry consolidation. Terry has a degree in literature from
Oxford.
We depend on our professionals, our accountant and our solicitor, for some key management
help. We don't have a strong background in finance or business management.
As we grow we will need to develop more manufacturing technique, more mass production.
James grew up with the hand-made and custom furniture business, knows fine woodworking well,
but admits a weakness in establishing standardised assembly.
The personnel table assumes slow growth in employees, and 10% per annum pay raises. We
already have a strong benefits policy with profit sharing and additional health care benefits and
very low turnover.
Salaries are generally in line with market pay for the London area in our industry, although our
benefits are above standard market level, so we ultimately pay a bit more for our people than
what might be considered standard in our market. London, however, is on average a higher wage
location than most of the more developed industry areas.
As we grow, we expect to see steady increases in our personnel to match the increases in sales.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Table: Personnel
Personnel Plan
2006 2007 2008
Production Personnel
Workshop manager £30,000 £50,000 £75,000
Assembly £21,600 £30,000 £60,000
Other £0 £0 £50,000
Other £0 £0 £0
Other £0 £0 £0
Subtotal £51,600 £80,000 £185,000
Other Personnel
Design £3,000 £15,000 £25,000
Name or title £0 £0 £0
Name or title £0 £0 £0
Other £0 £0 £0
Subtotal £3,000 £15,000 £25,000
Total People 0 0 0
The financial picture is quite encouraging. We have been slow to take on debt, but with our
increase in sales we do expect to apply for a credit line with the bank, to a limit of £150,000.
The credit line is easily supported by assets.
We do expect to be able to take some money out as dividends. The owners don't take overly
generous salaries, so some draw is appropriate.
The accompanying table lists our main assumptions for developing our financial projections. The
most sensitive assumption is the collection days. We would like to improve collection days to
take pressure off of our working capital, but our increasing sales through channels makes the
collection time a cost of doing business.
We also expect to see a decline in our stock turnover ratio, another unfortunate side effect of
increasing sales through channel. We find ourselves having to buy earlier and hold more finished
goods in order to deal with sales through the channel.
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Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
The following chart shows changes in key financial indicators: sales, gross margin, operating
expenses, collection days, and stock turnover. The growth in sales will be very hard to manage.
We expect our gross margin to be a bit lower than before, because our projections show a slight
decline as we go into new product areas and face new competition.
The projections for collection days and stock turnover show that we are already expecting a
decline in these indicators, because of increasing sales through channels.
Benchmarks
5.0
4.0 2003
2004
3.0
2005
2006
2.0
2007
2008
1.0
0.0
Sales Operating Expenses Stock Turnover
Gross Margin% Collection Days
Page 20
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Our break-even analysis is based on running costs, the "burn-rate" costs we incur to keep the
business running, not on theoretical fixed costs that would be relevant only if we were closing.
Between payroll, rent, utilities, and basic marketing costs, we think we have a good estimate of
fixed costs.
Our assumptions on average unit sales and average per-unit costs depend on averaging. We
don't really need to calculate an exact average, this is close enough to help us understand what
a real break-even point might be.
The essential insight here is that our sales level seems to be running comfortably above break-
even.
Break-even Analysis
£9,000
£6,000
£3,000
£0
(£3,000)
(£6,000)
(£9,000)
(£12,000)
(£15,000)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Assumptions:
Average Per-Unit Revenue £1,513.93
Average Per-Unit Variable Cost £381.96
Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost £16,420
Page 21
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
We do expect a significant increase in profitability this year, and in the future, because we have
learned how to deal with the increasing sales levels of selling through channels. Despite the
lower profitability levels of recent years, we expect Net Profit/Sales to improve yearly through
2008.
Our higher sales volume has lowered our cost of goods and increased our gross margin. This
increase in gross margin is important to profitability.
Profit Monthly
£14,000
£12,000
£10,000
£8,000
£6,000
£4,000
£2,000
£0
(£2,000)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Page 22
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Profit Yearly
£200,000
£180,000
£160,000
£140,000
£120,000
£100,000
£80,000
£60,000
£40,000
£20,000
£0
2006 2007 2008
Page 23
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Operating Expenses
Other Expenses:
Other Payroll £3,000 £15,000 £25,000
Consultants £0 £0 £0
Contract/Consultants £0 £0 £0
Total Other Expenses £3,000 £15,000 £25,000
Other % 0.66% 2.17% 2.29%
Page 24
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
£36,000
£32,000
£28,000
£24,000
£20,000
£16,000
£12,000
£8,000
£4,000
£0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
£600,000
£500,000
£400,000
£300,000
£200,000
£100,000
£0
2006 2007 2008
Page 25
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Although we expect to be more profitable in 2006, we still have drains on the cash flow. We
need to invest in new assembly and manufacturing equipment, plus new computer equipment,
and in miscellaneous current assets, including office equipment. Because of our increased sales
through channels, and necessary increase in stock levels, we need to increase working capital.
We plan to extend our credit line to cover as much as £150,000 in current credit, backed by
receivables and stock. Our maximum extension at the end of the year is covered by receivables
and stock that same month.
Cash
£200,000
£180,000
£160,000
£140,000
£120,000
Net Cash Flow
£100,000
Cash Balance
£80,000
£60,000
£40,000
£20,000
£0
May
Mar
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan
Feb
Jun
Aug
Sep
Nov
Dec
Page 26
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Page 27
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Our projected balance sheet shows an increase in net worth in 2008, at which point we expect
to be making a comfortable profit on projected sales. With the present financial projections we
will be careful in supporting our working capital credit line, and we are growing assets both
because we want to--new equipment--and because we have to grow receivables and stock to
support growth in sales through channels.
Current Assets
Cash £198,213 £307,567 £546,749
Accounts Receivable £25,667 £39,398 £62,155
Stock £12,070 £18,451 £29,055
Other Current Assets £2,375 £2,375 £2,375
Total Current Assets £238,325 £367,791 £640,334
Fixed Assets
Fixed Assets £53,210 £73,210 £103,210
Accumulated Depreciation £2,720 £3,820 £5,020
Total Fixed Assets £50,490 £69,390 £98,190
Total Assets £288,815 £437,181 £738,524
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable £18,267 £29,576 £43,790
Current Borrowing £115,000 £165,000 £265,000
Other Current Liabilities £34,040 £99,448 £210,017
Subtotal Current Liabilities £167,307 £294,024 £518,807
Fixed Liabilities £0 £0 £0
Total Liabilities £167,307 £294,024 £518,807
Our ratios look healthy and solid. Gross margin is projected to decline, return on assets
increasing, and return on equity to improve as well. Debt and liquidity ratios also look tough, with
debt to net worth running at more than 1.4 to one. The projections, if we make them, are
manageable. The standard comparisons are based on standard financials for manufacturers of
wood office furniture.
Page 28
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Table: Ratios
Ratio Analysis
2006 2007 2008 Industry Profile
Sales Growth 99.81% 53.50% 57.76% 4.60%
Percent of Sales
Sales 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Gross Margin 62.64% 63.32% 57.99% 32.40%
Selling, General & Administrative Expenses 54.30% 51.00% 41.94% 18.90%
Advertising Expenses 0.60% 0.41% 0.28% 1.40%
Profit Before Interest and Taxes 18.97% 21.84% 24.93% 1.80%
Main Ratios
Current 1.42 1.25 1.23 2.14
Quick 1.35 1.19 1.18 1.02
Total Debt to Total Assets 57.93% 67.25% 70.25% 54.30%
Pre-tax Return on Net Worth 63.23% 95.87% 114.19% 5.10%
Pre-tax Return on Assets 26.60% 31.39% 33.97% 11.10%
Activity Ratios
Accounts Receivable Turnover 4.39 4.39 4.39 n.a
Collection Days 60 69 68 n.a
Stock Turnover 12.00 11.40 11.54 n.a
Accounts Payable Turnover 13.94 12.17 12.17 n.a
Payment Days 28 24 25 n.a
Total Asset Turnover 1.56 1.58 1.48 n.a
Debt Ratios
Debt to Net Worth 1.38 2.05 2.36 n.a
Current Liab. to Liab. 1.00 1.00 1.00 n.a
Liquidity Ratios
Net Working Capital £71,018 £73,767 £121,527 n.a
Interest Coverage 9.78 10.80 12.67 n.a
Additional Ratios
Assets to Sales 0.64 0.63 0.68 n.a
Current Debt/Total Assets 58% 67% 70% n.a
Acid Test 1.20 1.05 1.06 n.a
Sales/Net Worth 3.71 4.84 4.97 n.a
Page 29
Fulham Furniture Mfr. Business Plan
Dividend Payout 0.00 0.00 0.00 n.a
Page 30
Appendix
Table: Sales Forecast
Sales Forecast
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Unit Sales
Executive desk oak 15% 14 16 16 16 15 12 12 15 15 26 27 25
Executive desk cherry 5% 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 4 3 2
Other furniture oak 5% 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 4
Other furniture cherry 5% 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
Other 20% 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0
Total Unit Sales 20 24 23 24 21 18 18 22 23 36 37 32
Unit Prices Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Executive desk oak £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00 £1,600.00
Executive desk cherry £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00 £1,750.00
Other furniture oak £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00 £900.00
Other furniture cherry £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00
Other £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00
Direct Unit Costs Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Executive desk oak 0.00% £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00 £400.00
Executive desk cherry 0.00% £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00 £525.00
Other furniture oak 0.00% £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00 £180.00
Other furniture cherry 0.00% £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00
Other 0.00% £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00 £625.00
Page 1
Appendix
Table: Personnel
Personnel Plan
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Production Personnel
Workshop manager 5% £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500 £2,500
Assembly 5% £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800 £1,800
Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Subtotal £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300 £4,300
Other Personnel
Design 5% £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250
Name or title £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Name or title £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Subtotal £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250
Total People 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total Payroll £12,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550 £11,550
Page 2
Appendix
Table: General Assumptions
General Assumptions
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Plan Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Current Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% 10.00%
Long-term Interest Rate 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00% 9.00%
Tax Rate 30.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00%
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Page 3
Appendix
Table: Profit and Loss
Gross Margin £15,875 £22,155 £21,455 £23,330 £20,185 £15,410 £16,585 £19,730 £20,955 £37,255 £37,950 £31,730
Gross Margin % 51.05% 62.50% 62.28% 63.14% 61.73% 58.37% 59.44% 61.46% 61.91% 66.89% 67.23% 65.97%
Operating Expenses
Page 4
Appendix
Contract/Consultants 17.50% £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total Other Expenses £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250
Other % 0.80% 0.71% 0.73% 0.68% 0.76% 0.95% 0.90% 0.78% 0.74% 0.45% 0.44% 0.52%
Total Operating Expenses VAT Rate £19,058 £19,408 £9,908 £17,908 £23,408 £9,908 £18,408 £17,908 £9,908 £21,908 £17,908 £11,408
Profit Before Interest and Taxes (£3,183) £2,748 £11,548 £5,423 (£3,223) £5,503 (£1,823) £1,823 £11,048 £15,348 £20,043 £20,323
EBITDA (£3,183) £2,748 £11,548 £5,423 (£3,223) £5,503 (£1,823) £1,823 £11,048 £15,348 £20,043 £21,323
Interest Expense £625 £667 £667 £708 £667 £625 £625 £667 £708 £875 £958 £958
Taxes Incurred (£1,142) £520 £2,720 £1,179 (£972) £1,219 (£612) £289 £2,585 £3,618 £4,771 £4,841
Net Profit (£2,665) £1,561 £8,161 £3,536 (£2,917) £3,658 (£1,836) £867 £7,754 £10,854 £14,313 £14,523
Net Profit/Sales -8.57% 4.40% 23.69% 9.57% -8.92% 13.86% -6.58% 2.70% 22.91% 19.49% 25.36% 30.19%
Page 5
Appendix
Table: Cash Flow
Expenditures Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Net Cash Flow £89,945 £13,114 £3,114 £13,829 (£4,108) (£6,678) £1,143 £7,846 £4,924 £42,573 £16,517 £14,557
Cash Balance £91,383 £104,496 £107,611 £121,440 £117,332 £110,654 £111,797 £119,643 £124,567 £167,140 £183,656 £198,213
Page 6
Appendix
Table: Balance Sheet
Current Assets
Cash £1,438 £91,383 £104,496 £107,611 £121,440 £117,332 £110,654 £111,797 £119,643 £124,567 £167,140 £183,656 £198,213
Accounts Receivable £27,605 £21,578 £16,378 £17,180 £17,563 £17,105 £14,503 £13,355 £14,768 £16,220 £22,105 £27,573 £25,667
Stock £10,141 £7,815 £8,995 £8,695 £9,320 £8,215 £6,690 £7,015 £8,070 £8,595 £14,145 £14,200 £12,070
Other Current Assets £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375 £2,375
Total Current Assets £41,559 £123,150 £132,245 £135,860 £150,698 £145,026 £134,221 £134,542 £144,855 £151,757 £205,765 £227,805 £238,325
Fixed Assets
Fixed Assets £3,210 £3,210 £28,210 £28,210 £28,210 £28,210 £28,210 £28,210 £28,210 £53,210 £53,210 £53,210 £53,210
Accumulated Depreciation £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £1,720 £2,720
Total Fixed Assets £1,490 £1,490 £26,490 £26,490 £26,490 £26,490 £26,490 £26,490 £26,490 £51,490 £51,490 £51,490 £50,490
Total Assets £43,049 £124,640 £158,735 £162,350 £177,188 £171,516 £160,711 £161,032 £171,345 £203,247 £257,255 £279,295 £288,815
Liabilities and Capital Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable £11,191 £18,260 £22,735 £13,958 £21,740 £22,196 £9,345 £17,894 £20,047 £14,568 £37,551 £29,620 £18,267
Current Borrowing £0 £75,000 £80,000 £80,000 £85,000 £80,000 £75,000 £75,000 £80,000 £85,000 £105,000 £115,000 £115,000
Other Current Liabilities £1,803 £3,991 £2,049 £6,281 £9,280 £11,068 £14,457 £16,240 £18,533 £18,159 £22,032 £27,689 £34,040
Subtotal Current Liabilities £12,994 £97,250 £104,784 £100,239 £116,020 £113,265 £98,802 £109,134 £118,580 £117,727 £164,583 £172,309 £167,307
Fixed Liabilities £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total Liabilities £12,994 £97,250 £104,784 £100,239 £116,020 £113,265 £98,802 £109,134 £118,580 £117,727 £164,583 £172,309 £167,307
Paid-in Capital £4,500 £4,500 £29,500 £29,500 £29,500 £29,500 £29,500 £29,500 £29,500 £54,500 £54,500 £54,500 £54,500
Retained Earnings £13,100 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555 £25,555
Earnings £12,455 (£2,665) (£1,105) £7,056 £10,592 £7,675 £11,333 £9,497 £10,364 £18,119 £28,973 £43,286 £57,809
Total Capital £30,055 £27,390 £53,950 £62,111 £65,647 £62,730 £66,388 £64,552 £65,419 £98,174 £109,028 £123,341 £137,864
Total Liabilities and Capital £43,049 £124,640 £158,735 £162,350 £181,666 £175,994 £165,189 £173,686 £183,999 £215,900 £273,611 £295,650 £305,171
Net Worth £30,055 £27,390 £53,950 £62,111 £61,168 £58,251 £61,910 £51,898 £52,765 £85,520 £92,672 £106,985 £121,508
Page 7