Business Plans
From Mizahar Lore
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This article is about basic info in the game. |
Business Plans are written documents used in Mizahar to lay out a complete plan for using a location or job to create an income in the form of a business. These plans discuss location, costs, allocate resources, focus on primary finances of a business. Business plans are all stored in the Business Plans Forum.
Mizahar wants to encourage pc's to own businesses and have fun roleplaying their parts in commerce and growth in a budding new world. Businesses are fun, exciting and often times challenging to make successful. Businesses are great backdrops that can spawn multiple roleplays and provide endless opportunities to explore a diversity of themes and situations. Many storytellers have given the nod to pcs or even opened pathways to business loans or financing to get people started. The financing part of a business is always up to the storyteller if people can't pay up front for their initial investments (buildings, stock, employees). Business plans can be difficult to generate, however, so Gillar has provided templates and samples in the Small Business Forum that allows a user to utilize sample business plans to write one of their own.
All business plans need to be posted in the Business Plans Forum and receive a stamp of approval from Gillar to be acknowledged as valid. DS's can and need to approve financing, but the ultimate plans MUST be posted in Small Business Plans and approved. This goes for new businesses and businesses already in existence. This standardizes businesses throughout Mizahar so that no one is given an advantage or disadvantage based on where they are located, who approved their plans, or what they are selling. If one person approves all the plans in game, it creates uniformity and lightens storyteller load.
While Gillar may approve all business plans, it is entirely up to a domain storyteller whether to allow that business into their domain. So in essence, Gillar approves the plans but no DS has to allow them into their domain. That arrangement is up to the DS and player respectively. DS's, however, cannot approve businesses for their domains that do not have a business plan posted openly for others to see along with Gillar's stamp of approval.
Remember, we don't want any corporations, franchises, or absentee business owners. All businesses need to be run hands on by the PCs that start them. Those PC's need to be active and engaging, not creating a business and then ignoring it. And if you want to own a business but have NO CLUE how to get started developing one, look at sample businesses, businesses that are in operation currently or simply ask Gillar for help. He'll be glad to fix anyone up with a business plan that needs one, though remember, its totally up to a DS whether or not they allow one into their domain.
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How would you suggest I go about owning a business?
There are seven simple steps to owning a business on Mizahar.
- Talk to a local Storyteller about the feasibility of a business in their domain.
- Find out if there is a thread where your pc can talk about acquiring financing in the form of loans and how they would acquire a building, if needed, and post in that thread getting the ball rolling for acquisition of funds and facility.
- Write a business plan and post it in the Business Plans Forum
- Get your plan approved by Gillar
- Finish any final touches with the acquisition of funds/lands.
- Get final storyteller permission to post up your new business (Ie. Make sure the business plan meets with their approval)
- Post up your new business location (after the writeup has been approved by the local storyteller).
Sample Business Plans
All Business Plans need to include the following items.
- Title of Shop/Business
- Business Type
- Items Sold
- Base Income
- Skill Bonus
- Sales Bonus
- Total Income
- Assets
- Debts
Goods Shop
Below is a sample business sheet for a sample business that you can use as a model for your own creations. In creating your own business sheet it is suggested that you try to keep things as simple as possible and avoid confusing details. This business sheet is an example of a business that specializes primarily in the sale of goods.
Johan's Tent of Tools and Trinkets
Business Type: Goods
Items Sold:
Cosmetics, common 1 cm/oz. Rugs and tapestries, common 1–5 gm/5-15lb Lamp, Common 1 sm Torch 2 cm Rucksack 1 gm Pouch, Belt 1 gm Case, Map Or Scroll 1 gm Earrings, Copper 2 sm Necklace, Copper 5 sm Dice Set, Bone 5 cm Axe, Carpenter's 1 gm Shovel 2 gm
Base Income: Shopkeeper 4 gm/day This is based on the shopkeeper's skill level regardless of what is sold. The idea is that the more skilled the shopkeeper, the more mizas they can keep from a sale after covering expenses. For the sake of this example, we will use Johan, a simple man with a knack for getting people to want to buy from him. Johan is a non-specialized shopkeeper meaning that his shop does not specialize in any particular item. So we look at the Income section of the Price List and see that a shopkeeper makes a base of 4 gm per day.
Skill Bonus: Competent Persuasion 2 gm/day Since Johan's shop does not specialized in a specific type of good or service, we will rely on his Persuasion skill to determine his income bonus. Usually, a shop without a specialty will rely on Leadership for its skill. Persuasion however can be used in place of Leadership in some instances.
Johan has a Competent level of Persuasion which gives him half again as many mizas per day. So we take 4 gm base and half of that (2 gm) to it for a total of 6 gm per day income from Johan's shop. Sale's Bonus 1 gm/day A Storyteller may also approve a bonus from sales based on especially creative business set-up and initial thread work or even further down the road from equally creative and well-deserved thread work involving the business. This bonus may also be granted based on how many mizas are invested in the initial shop set-up. This bonus does not exceed 20% per skill level, rounded down. So for the sake of Johan, we will say that because of the history of how he came to operate his shop, he gets a 20% bonus to his sales 20% of 6 gm rounded down is 1 gm for a total of 7 gm per day income.
Total Income: 7 gm/day (Base 4 GM + Skill Bonus 2 GM + Sales Bonus 1 GM)
Assets: While we do not need to number crunch all of the expenses for this shop, we do need to list all of the assets required to operate the business. Assets include the structure, furniture, transportation (if necessary), items to be sold (may refer back to the Items Sold section) and any potential employees. Items to be sold must be purchased only once at the start of the business. Replenishment of sold items is already figured as part of the income. So for Johan, he would have to purchase, once, all of the items he wishes to sell in his shop. Johan would have assets such as a pavilion tent, average table, average shelf set and all of the items he has for sale. If he were to have an employee, Johan would have to pay the employee their standard wage out of the shop’s daily income.
Debt:This would be where one puts what is owed after full purchase of assets. Most often, this is what is owed to those who have loaned the mizas for the business start-up. Who gave you the mizas?
Service Shop
Below is a sample business sheet for a sample business that you can use as a model for your own creations. In creating your own business sheet it is suggested that you try to keep things as simple as possible and avoid confusing details. This business sheet is an example of a business that specializes primarily in the sale of services.
Yano’s Bathhouse
Business Type: Service
Services Offered: Bathing Chamber, Self-Service: 1 gm Bathing Chamber, Full-Service: 2 gm Massage Beds: 3 gm Meditation Training: Novice 50 gm
Base Income: Groomer 5 gm/day This is based on the individual’s skill level regardless of what is offered. The idea is that the more skilled the individual, the more mizas they can keep from selling their services after covering expenses. For the sake of this example, we will use Yano, a young woman with a special touch and the ability to make one feel exquisite. Yano is skilled in grooming; massage therapy and meditation. So we look at the Income section of the Price List and see that a groomer makes a base of 5 gm per day.
Skill Bonus: Competent Grooming 2 gm/day While Yano is Competent in Grooming, she also possesses a Competent level of Meditation. For the sake of this business which deals mainly in grooming techniques, we will use that as a basis for determining skill bonus. Yano has a Competent level of Grooming which gives her half again as many mizas per day. So we take 5 gm base and half of that (2.5 gm) to it for a total of 7.5 gm per day income from Yano’s Bathhouse.
Sale's Bonus: 1 gm/day A Storyteller may also approve a bonus from sales based on especially creative business set-up and initial thread work or even further down the road from equally creative and well-deserved thread work involving the business. This bonus may also be granted based on how many mizas are invested in the initial shop set-up. This bonus does not exceed 20% per skill level, rounded down. So for the sake of Yano, we will say that because of her unique flavor she adds to her business tempered by the low cost of starting the business, she gets a 20% bonus from her Competent Grooming. 20% of 7.5 gm rounded down is 1 gm for a total of 8.5 gm per day income.
Total Income: 8.5 gm/day
Assets: While we do not need to number crunch all of the expenses for this bathhouse, we do need to list all of the assets required to operate the business. Assets include the structure, furniture, transportation (if necessary), and any potential employees. For the sake of this business, it is primarily service oriented so initial costs may be less than those of a business specializing in the sale of the goods which reflects upon the lower sales bonus percentage. Yano’s assets include two simple baths, a simple common area and two average massage benches plus a collection of simple oils, soaps and perfumes. Yano performs all of the services herself so she does not require an employee.
Debt: This would be where one puts what is owed after full purchase of assets. Most often, this is what is owed to those who have loaned the mizas for the business start-up. Who gave you the mizas?
Goods & Services Shop
Below is a sample business sheet for a sample business that you can use as a model for your own creations. In creating your own business sheet it is suggested that you try to keep things as simple as possible and avoid confusing details. This business sheet is an example of a business that specializes in both goods and services and includes employees.
The Darkest Corner
Business Type: Goods and Service
Goods and Services Offered: Bloodroot (4-dose tiny vial) 50 gm Blue Whinnis (4-dose tiny vial) 175 gm Close Call (4-dose tiny jar) 75 gm Corona (4-dose tiny vial) 75 gm Dark Tongue (4-dose tiny vial) 25 gm Greenblood oil (4-dose tiny vial) 25 gm Lazy Gel (4-dose tiny jar) 10 gm Lost Tongue (4-dose tiny vial) 15 gm Blade spring 4 gm Bolt, glass-bulb 1 gm Portable Poisoncrafting kit 150 gm Treating Poisons 45-100 gm
Base Income: Poison Crafter 7 gm/day This is based on the individual’s skill level regardless of what is offered. The idea is that the more skilled the individual, the more mizas they can keep from selling their goods and services after covering expenses. For the sake of this example, we will use Vice, the nuit poisoncrafter who makes a "living" dealing in poisons and poisoning services. Vice is an Expert Poisoncrafter So we look at the Income section of the Price List and see that a poisoncrafter makes a base of 7 gm per day.
Skill Bonus: Expert Poisoncrafting 21 gm/day Vice is an Expert Poisoncrafter who sells poisons and offers treatment for those who suffer from the effects of poisons. So we take 7 gm base and half of that (3.5 gm) to it for a total of 10.5 gm per day income. That is for the Competent level but Vice is an Expert so we will double what he gets from Competent. Thus 10.5 gm becomes 21 gm per day from Vice's goods and services.
Sale's Bonus: 4 gm/day A Storyteller may also approve a bonus from sales based on especially creative business set-up and initial thread work or even further down the road from equally creative and well-deserved thread work involving the business. This bonus may also be granted based on how many mizas are invested in the initial shop set-up. This bonus does not exceed 20% per skill level, rounded down. So for the sake of Vice, we will say that because of the nature of his business; he offers poisons but also treats poison victims, a rare set of goods and services, he gets a 20% bonus based on his skill and rarity of goods and services. 20% of 21 gm rounded down is 4 gm for a total of 25 gm per day income.
Total Income: 25 gm/day - 7 gm/day for 1 employee = 18 gm/day
Assets: While we do not need to number crunch all of the expenses for this entrepreneur, we do need to list all of the assets required to operate the business. For Vice, he operates out of a small laboratory in a dark corner of a major city. Assets include the structure, furniture, transportation (if necessary), and any potential employees. For the sake of this business, Vice has his simple laboratory, poisoncrafter's lab and the poisons he sells. He also employs an apprentice who aids him in brewing poisons. His apprentice is a Novice and thus makes 7 gm a day. This must be noted and subtracted from Vice's income per day. Thus 25-7=18. So Vice's Total income is adjusted to 18 gm per day.
Debt:This would be where one puts what is owed after full purchase of assets. Most often, this is what is owed to those who have loaned the mizas for the business start-up. Who gave you the mizas?