Concrete Company

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Solid Ground Concrete is a concrete company serving homeowners, builders and small businesses in our county and the nearby towns. We pour and finish driveways, patios, walkways, garage floors, steps, slabs and small foundations. A concrete job lasts for decades if it is done right, and fails in a few years if it is not. Many homeowners have been burned by crews that skip prep, pour in bad weather or disappear after the deposit. We will win customers by doing careful base prep, using the right mix and joints, giving a written price and standing behind our work. Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of about $252,000 in Year 1, growing to about $1,005,200 by Year 5 as we add concrete crews and win more residential and commercial pours. We expect losses of about $42,300 in Year 1 and $1,400 in Year 2 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 3 (about $52,700), growing to about $184,700 by Year 5. We need $133,000 in total. That covers $54,800 in startup costs (a used truck and trailer, concrete tools and forms, opening supplies, license fees, insurance and advertising) and a cash cushion of about three months of bills. I am putting in $22,000 of my own money, and I am asking for $111,000. The startup costs include a used truck and a dump trailer for tools and materials. I am Diane Flores, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Solid Ground Concrete will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Maine, owned by Diane Flores. We will work from my home, with the truck and trailer parked on my property and tools stored in a locked shed. What we believe. Prep carefully, pour the right mix at the right time, tell the truth about cracks and cure times and stand behind our work. What we offer:
- Driveways, walkways and patios. - Garage floors, steps and pads. - Stamped, colored and broom-finished concrete. - Small slabs, footings and foundations. - Concrete repair, leveling and sealing. Licenses and insurance. Concrete work often requires a contractor license, a bond, permits and inspections, especially for foundations, and workers' compensation once you have a crew. Our state requires a contractor license for jobs over $2,000, so I will get my license before taking larger jobs. We will carry general liability and workers' compensation insurance before the first pour. For larger structural work, we will use an engineer's plan or work as a subcontractor. Where things stand today. I have worked on a concrete crew for five years, I have priced a used truck and trailer, and I have poured a few patios on weekends for neighbors.

Problem & Opportunity

Homeowners and builders near us want concrete that lasts, and crews that show up. 1. Poor prep. Skipping the gravel base, forms or reinforcing makes concrete crack and settle. 2. Missing crews. Many concrete crews are booked for weeks, or leave a job half done. 3. Surprise costs. Extra yards, removal and delivery fees often appear after the quote. 4. No explanation. How we know people want this. Six neighbors asked me for driveway estimates last year, and a small builder said he needs a dependable concrete sub for his next four houses.

Products & Services

What we sell. 1. Residential driveways and flatwork. Driveways, patios, walkways, garage floors and steps. Our plan assumes an average of about $4,800 per job in Year 1, rising to about $5,402 by Year 5. Concrete, forms and materials run about $1,900 per job. We expect about 35 jobs in Year 1, growing to about 119 a year by Year 5. 2. Commercial and foundation pours. Larger pours for small businesses, builders and house foundations. Our plan assumes an average of about $14,000 per pour in Year 1, rising to about $15,757. Materials and delivery cost about $6,200 per pour. We expect about 6 pours in Year 1, growing to about 23. Our prices. Driveway from $6 a square foot. Patio from $7. Garage floor from $5. Repairs from $300. How it works for the customer:
1. A free estimate, with measurements and a written price. 2. A clear plan: prep, forms, the day of the pour and when you can walk and drive on it. 3. A crew that arrives on time and a site that is protected and clean. 4. A final walk-through, cure and sealing instructions and a warranty on our work. Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for materials and direct job costs. Our plan shows about 59% in Year 1. That money pays the owner and crew, vehicle costs, insurance and other bills.

Market Analysis

Who will hire us:
- Homeowners replacing or adding a driveway, patio or walkway. - Home builders and remodelers who need a dependable concrete subcontractor. - Landlords and small businesses with pads, loading areas and parking. - Property owners with cracked or sunken concrete that needs repair. Where we will work. A service area close enough that the truck can deliver and the crew can get home, starting with our county and the two neighboring towns, within 30 minutes of my home. Season. Concrete is busiest in the warm months, and weather can delay pours. We use the slow weeks for repairs, bidding and follow-up on estimates, and we plan for rain and cold. Our plan is careful on purpose. About 35 flatwork jobs and 6 larger pours in Year 1 is a pace the owner and a small crew can handle well.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices customers have:
1. Larger concrete companies. Allied Concrete (a made-up name) charges about $6 a square foot for driveways; known for quality, but slow to schedule. 2. Small crews and day laborers. Cheaper, but quality and insurance can be poor. 3. Doing it yourself. Free, but hard to do well, and a mistake is expensive. How we will win customers: careful prep, reliable scheduling, clear written prices, insured work and a warranty on our work.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How people will find us. - A free Google business listing with photos of finished jobs, and a simple website. - Yard signs (with permission) and truck lettering. A good driveway is our best ad. - Relationships with builders, remodelers, landscapers and real estate agents. - Asking every happy customer for a review and a referral. - Bids to small commercial and builder projects, once we have a track record. Marketing budget. About $6,000 a year for marketing and bidding. Yard signs, truck lettering and the website are paid for from startup costs.

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day. Estimates and pours. The owner measures jobs, writes quotes, orders ready-mix concrete and schedules pours. In Year 1 the owner works with two crew members, and we grow to six by Year 5. For larger pours, we order delivered concrete rather than mixing it ourselves, and we schedule around the weather. Equipment. About $42,000 to start: used truck and dump trailer; concrete mixer, wheelbarrows and hand tools; forms, stakes and rebar tools; power trowel and concrete vibrator; concrete saw; plate compactor; laser level and screed tools; safety gear, dust masks and boots. We set aside about $5,000 to $6,000 a year for repairs and replacements. Upkeep. Forms and tools cleaned after every pour, the mixer and saw serviced on schedule, and the truck and trailer inspected before each job. Safety. Concrete is heavy and caustic. Crews wear gloves, boots and eye protection, and cut concrete with water or dust control to limit silica dust. Trenches and forms are checked, and the site is marked and protected. Running costs in Year 1: equipment and forms about $14,000, licensing and insurance about $10,000, marketing and bidding about $6,000. Scheduling and billing. A simple scheduling and invoicing app on my phone, with customers billed a deposit at booking and the rest at completion.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Diane Flores, owner. As owner I will finish concrete, write estimates, order concrete, schedule pours and handle the money side of the business. I plan to pay myself $58,000 a year in salary in Year 1. Crew. Concrete crew members at about $40,000 a year each (or part-time pay): two in Year 1, three in Year 2, four in Year 3, five in Year 4 and six in Year 5. People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Frank Brooks serves as a key volunteer advisor.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them. - Before starting: get the license, insurance and bond, register the business, buy the truck, trailer and tools, and put out yard signs. Target start: March 2027, before the pouring season. - First year: complete about 35 flatwork jobs and 6 larger pours, for about $252,000 in sales. - Year 2: add crew members, about $391,800 in sales, and a loss of about $1,400. - Years 3 to 5: grow to six concrete crew members and about $1,005,200 in sales by Year 5. Growth depends on hiring good people and winning the work, so treat the later years as goals, not promises. What we check every week: estimates given, jobs booked and finished, callbacks, concrete and fuel costs, and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total needed: $133,000. This number comes from the Funding Need Calculator in this plan. It adds up: - Startup costs of $54,800, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section (about $42,000 for the truck, trailer, mixer, forms, trowel, saw and tools, $2,500 for opening rebar, lumber and supplies, $1,200 for license, bond and permit fees, $6,000 for the first insurance payments, $900 for business setup and bookkeeping software, and $2,200 for truck lettering, yard signs and a website). - A cash cushion of about $78,200: the deepest cash dip in the early months plus about three months of bills, so slow weeks do not put the business at risk. Lenders call this "working capital." - Together that comes to about $133,000 (rounded up to the nearest $500), which is the total we are planning for. Where the money comes from: - My own money: $22,000. - Amount requested: $111,000. Kind of funding we are looking for: an SBA 7(a) loan through a local bank or community lender. How we will pay it back. We expect losses of about $42,300 in Year 1 and $1,400 in Year 2 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 3 (about $52,700), growing to about $184,700 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank every year of the plan. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, the most the SBA allows for a loan this size, so payments of about $1,641 a month are already included in our cash flow. What we are offering the lender: our truck, trailer and tools as collateral and my personal guarantee A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan: - Phase 1: start with small patios, steps and repairs on weekends using rented equipment, while keeping your current job. Startup can be under $3,000. - Phase 2: once you have more jobs than you can handle part-time, buy the truck, trailer and finishing tools and follow this plan. To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match. All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or certificates. - A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form). - Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov). - Proof of insurance, or a quote. - Quotes for the truck, trailer and tools. - Your price list and a sample written estimate. - Photos of past work and references, if you have them. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue. The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Residential Driveways & Flatwork: about $4,800 per job in Year 1, rising to $5,402; about $1,900 per job in direct costs; about 35 jobs in Year 1, growing to 119. - Commercial & Foundation Pours: about $14,000 per pour in Year 1, rising to $15,757; about $6,200 per pour in direct costs; about 6 pours in Year 1, growing to 23. - Owner salary: $58,000 a year. Crew: $40,000 a year each, from two in Year 1 to six in Year 5. - Other yearly costs in Year 1: equipment and forms about $14,000, licensing and insurance about $10,000, marketing and bidding about $6,000. - Tax rate: 21%. - Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs