SharpView Real Estate Media

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

Executive Summary

SharpView Real Estate Media is a real estate photography and media business in Colorado. We photograph homes for sale, add drone photos, 3D virtual tours, floor plans and video walkthroughs, and deliver edited images within a day or two. Our clients are real estate agents, builders and property managers who need listings to look their best online.

The problem is simple. Most buyers see a home online first, and dark, crooked or late photos cost listings attention. Agents want a photographer who shows up on time, edits quickly and delivers a consistent look.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of $92,575 in Year 1, growing to $308,310 by Year 5 as we add photographers, editors and repeat agents. We expect a loss of about $2,700 in Year 1 while we build our agent relationships, then a profit from Year 2 (about $4,800), growing to about $35,800 by Year 5.

We need $54,500 in total. That covers $29,600 in startup costs (cameras and lenses, a drone, a 3D tour camera, computers, drone certification, insurance and a website) and a cash cushion for the first months. I am putting in $22,000 of my own money, and I am asking for a $32,500 SBA loan.

I am Nadia Brooks, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

SharpView Real Estate Media will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Colorado, owned by Nadia Brooks. An LLC is a business type that generally keeps your home and savings separate from the business's debts and lawsuits, although a lender may still ask for a personal guarantee. A business attorney or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can explain how it works in our state.

What we believe. A listing photo should show the home honestly and at its best. We do not hide defects or misrepresent a property, and we respect every home we enter.

What we offer:
- Listing photo packages. Interior and exterior photos, edited and delivered within a set time.
- Drone, 3D tour and floor plan add-ons. Aerial photos, a virtual tour and a floor plan.
- Video walkthroughs and full media packages. Short property videos and bundled packages.
- Later, as we grow: twilight shoots and agent branding videos. The numbers in this plan do not include these.

The space. We work from a home office and travel to each property. The plan includes a small allowance for equipment storage and a vehicle.

Rules and insurance. Commercial drone flights require a remote pilot certificate and compliance with airspace rules, so I will earn the certificate and register the drone before flying for pay, and check airspace and local rules before each flight. We will respect privacy when flying near neighbors. We will register the LLC with the state, get a business license and an EIN (the business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov), and carry general liability insurance, equipment insurance and drone liability insurance, plus workers' compensation once we hire. Many local real estate boards have rules on photo use, so we follow them.

Where things stand today. This plan is my starting point. Before I sign a lease or buy equipment, I will talk with at least 15 agents and 3 builders about what they pay and what they dislike, shoot at least 5 practice homes to build a portfolio and line up at least 5 agents who would book. If the numbers do not match this plan, I will change the plan before I spend money.

Problem & Opportunity

Listing media is a deadline business.

1. Photos that do not do the home justice. Dark rooms, crooked lines and clutter lose attention.
2. Late delivery. Listings are time-sensitive.
3. Inconsistent quality. Agents want the same look every time.
4. Too many vendors. Agents prefer one provider for photos, drone, tour and video.
5. Rules and safety. Drones need pilots with the right certificate and care near people and property.

How we will find out if people want this before we spend money. I will talk with at least 15 agents and 3 builders, shoot at least 5 practice homes and line up at least 5 agents. Our Year 1 plan needs about 350 photo shoots, 155 add-on shoots and 19 video packages.

Products & Services

What we sell. We have three offerings, each priced simply.

1. Listing photo packages. The plan assumes an average of about $175 per shoot in Year 1, rising to about $195 by Year 5. Editing time, storage and travel cost about $14 per shoot. We expect about 350 shoots in Year 1 (about 7 a week), growing to about 930 a year by Year 5.
2. Drone, 3D tour and floor plan add-ons. The plan assumes about $150 per shoot in Year 1, rising to about $170, with about $20 per shoot in direct costs. We expect about 155 shoots in Year 1, growing to about 530.
3. Video walkthroughs and full media packages. The plan assumes about $425 per package in Year 1, rising to about $485, with about $40 per package in direct costs. We expect about 19 packages in Year 1, growing to about 76.

Our prices. A price sheet by home size and package, with discounts for agents who book regularly.

How it works for a client:
1. The agent books online with the address, access and package.
2. We arrive at the booked time, prepare the home with the agent's checklist and shoot.
3. We edit and deliver within the promised time, usually the next day.
4. The agent downloads the images and any tour links.

Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for editing time, storage and travel on the shoot. Our plan shows about 91% in Year 1. That money pays the photographers, software, insurance and other bills. Photographer pay is counted separately, under payroll.

Market Analysis

Who will use us:
- Real estate agents and teams.
- Builders and developers with new homes.
- Property managers and short-term rental owners.

Where we will work. Within about 40 miles of home.

How we sized the plan. Our Year 1 plan needs about 7 shoots a week, which one photographer and one part-time editor can handle. I will check the real numbers by talking to agents before spending money.

Season. Spring and early summer are busiest and winter is slower. The numbers show a yearly average.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices agents have:
1. Other real estate photographers, many of whom are good, so speed and consistency matter.
2. Large media companies with many photographers.
3. Agents shooting with a phone.
4. Franchise photo services with set prices.

How we will win clients: on-time arrival, quick delivery, a consistent look, one provider for every media type and honest editing. These are promises we have to keep, and any competitor could make them too, so we will measure ourselves on them every week.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How clients will find us.
- Direct outreach to agents and teams with a sample gallery and a first-shoot discount.
- Brokerage visits and local real estate events.
- A simple website with a gallery, a price sheet and online booking.
- Social media posts of finished listings, shared with the agent's permission.
- A referral thank-you for agents who refer a colleague.

Marketing budget. About $3,600 a year in Year 1 (about $300 a month), growing about 8% a year. The logo, website and portfolio are paid for from startup costs ($2,600).

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day.

The equipment. Two cameras and lenses, flash kits, a drone, a 3D tour camera, tripods and laptops.

A normal shoot:
1. Review the booking, access and package and charge batteries.
2. Arrive on time, walk the home, shoot interiors and exteriors, then fly the drone and capture the tour if booked.
3. Back up files, edit and deliver within the promised time.
4. Follow up with the agent for feedback.

Rules, honesty and safety. We fly only when allowed, follow airspace rules, keep the drone in sight, avoid people and neighbors and stop if conditions are unsafe. We do not remove permanent features, hide major defects or otherwise misrepresent a property. We follow each home's access rules, protect the property and respect privacy.

Equipment. About $22,000 to start: cameras and lenses, a drone, a 3D tour camera and computers. We set aside about $3,000 a year after that to replace equipment.

Running costs in Year 1: editing, tour hosting and scheduling software about $4,800, vehicle fuel and maintenance about $3,000, marketing about $3,600, business and equipment insurance about $2,400, equipment repairs and replacement about $1,800, and accounting, licenses and legal about $2,400. That is $18,000 in all.

Payment. Agents are invoiced after delivery or pay at closing, so some money is owed to us for a few weeks and we keep a cushion of cash to cover the wait.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Nadia Brooks, owner and lead photographer. As owner I will shoot, edit, find agents and handle the money. I plan to pay myself $38,000 a year in salary.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.
- Photographer (full-time): none in Year 1, one in Years 2 and 3 and two in Years 4 and 5, at about $36,000 a year each.
- Photo editor (part-time): one in Years 1 and 2, two in Years 3 and 4 and three in Year 5, at about $22,000 a year each.
- Scheduling coordinator (part-time): one starting in Year 3, at about $20,000 a year.

We hire people who are reliable and have a good eye, train everyone on our editing style and safety, and require drone pilots to hold the certificate the law requires.

People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent who understands photographers and drone operators, a business attorney for a one-time review of the client agreement, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (2 to 4 months ahead): earn the drone pilot certificate and register the drone, talk with at least 15 agents and 3 builders and line up at least 5 agents, shoot at least 5 practice homes, register the LLC and get an EIN, open a business bank account, get insurance quotes, buy equipment and set up the website and booking. Buy the full set of equipment only after the first agents are lined up.
- Year 1: open with the owner and one part-time editor, with about 7 shoots a week, $92,575 in sales and a loss of about $2,700.
- Year 2: add our first full-time photographer, with about 500 shoots a year, $144,485 in sales and a profit of about $4,800.
- Year 3: add a second editor and a scheduling coordinator, with about 675 shoots a year, $207,280 in sales and a profit of about $14,300.
- Year 4: add a second photographer, with about 830 shoots a year, $265,915 in sales and a profit of about $25,700.
- Year 5: grow to about 930 shoots a year with a team of seven, $308,310 in sales and a profit of about $35,800.
Growth depends on winning and keeping agents, fast delivery and a consistent look, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: shoots completed, delivery time, add-on rate, repeat agents, edits requested, reviews and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $54,500.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $29,600, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $9,500 for two professional cameras, lenses and flash kits, $3,200 for drone and spare batteries, $6,800 for 3D tour camera, tripods and gimbal, $2,500 for laptops, monitor and storage drives, $900 for drone pilot certification and registration, $300 for business license and local permits, $1,800 for legal, contract and accounting setup, $2,600 for logo, website and portfolio, and $2,000 for first insurance payment.
- A cash cushion of about $24,000: the deepest hole our cash falls into while we build our agent relationships (about $4,500) plus about 3 months of running costs (about $19,500). Lenders call this "working capital."
- Together that comes to about $53,600, rounded up to the nearest $500: $54,000.
We are raising $500 more than that, $54,500 in all, to leave extra room for loan payments in the first years and for equipment replacement.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $22,000.
- Amount requested as a loan: $32,500.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) small loan through a local bank or community lender. SBA Microloans, which go up to $50,000 through nonprofit lenders, are another place to ask; their repayment times are usually shorter, so the monthly payment would be higher. Put any agreement with a lender, family member or friend in writing.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $2,700 in Year 1 while we build our agent relationships, then a profit from Year 2 (about $4,800), growing to about $35,800 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan, and the lowest year-end balance is about $23,000, at the end of Year 2. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, so payments of about $480 a month (about $5,766 a year) are already included in our cash flow. We chose 12.75% as a cautious planning rate. Ask the lender for the real rate, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: our equipment as collateral (something the lender can claim if the loan is not repaid) and my personal guarantee (my promise to repay from my own money if the business cannot).

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 one camera and a lens you already own and shoot at a lower price for a few agents while keeping your current job. Startup can be roughly $4,000 to $8,000 for lenses, lights, editing software, insurance and a website. Get your own quotes.
- Phase 2: once you are booked three weeks ahead, add a drone and 3D camera, hire a part-time editor 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 training 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.
- Your portfolio, price sheet and client agreement.
- Proof of your drone pilot certificate and registration, or the agency's written answer.
- Proof of insurance, or quotes.
- Quotes for the equipment.
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):
- Listing Photo Packages: about $175 per shoot in Year 1, rising to $195; about $14 per shoot in direct costs, rising to $16; about 350 shoots in Year 1, growing to 930.
- Drone, 3D Tour and Floor Plan Add-Ons: about $150 per shoot in Year 1, rising to $170; about $20 per shoot in direct costs, rising to $24; about 155 shoots in Year 1, growing to 530.
- Video Walkthroughs and Full Media Packages: about $425 per package in Year 1, rising to $485; about $40 per package in direct costs, rising to $48; about 19 packages in Year 1, growing to 76.
- Pay: Owner / Lead Photographer $38,000 (1/1/1/1/1); Photographer (full-time) $36,000 (0/1/1/2/2); Photo Editor (part-time) $22,000 (1/1/2/2/3); Scheduling Coordinator (part-time) $20,000 (0/0/1/1/1). The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5. Pay figures are yearly and include payroll taxes and workers' compensation.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: editing, tour hosting and scheduling software $4,800, vehicle fuel and maintenance $3,000, marketing $3,600, business and equipment insurance $2,400, equipment repairs and replacement $1,800, and accounting, licenses & legal $2,400. These grow between 5% and 12% a year as the business grows.
- Agents are invoiced after delivery or pay at closing. At the end of Year 1 about $9,258 (10% of Year 1 sales) is owed to us by agents.
- Tax rate: 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs