BUREAU DE CHANGE BUSINESS PLAN SAMPLE
Bureau de Change businesses form an important part of the financial sector of the economy of many countries. They are legally empowered to operate businesses involved in the exchange of one currency for another.
You will usually find Bureaus de Change at international transit points or places where there could be a need for the conversion of currency. Such places include airports, border posts, seaports, holiday resort centers, travel agencies as well as banking institutions.
Bureau de Change operates a business structure that is in keen competition with other similar ventures. It makes a profit by the difference in margins; in other words, it sells a currency (ices) at a higher rate than at what it bought the same currency. This is addition to any commissions or fees it charges for the transaction.
However, you will notice that the Bureau de Change must keep an eye on the prevailing dollar exchange rates as well as the rates offered by its competitors.
Because of the sensitive nature of their business, Bureau de Changes are firmly regulated by the Central Bank of the country they operate in. The Central financial institutions of each host country issue policy guidelines and a structural framework by which Bureau de Change must adhere to.
These guidelines usually conform to international best practices and are as follows:
1. The intending individual/corporate body seeking to operate a Bureau de Change must apply for a license from the governing financial institution in the host country.
2. The intending individual/corporate body must offer currency exchange services as a stand-alone service.
3. You will be required to make a refundable or non-refundable (varies from one country to another) application fee for the license
4. A detailed feasibility report showing items such as the composition of the board and management personnel, financial projections, organizational structure of the Bureau as well as other stipulations.
5. Evidence of the ability to pay minimum startup capital which varies from country to country.
6. A due diligence of the members of the board of directors as well as management staff as people of unimpeachable character, with no criminal records.
7. Adhering to the money laundering laws of the host country.
Here is a sample business plan for starting a Bureau de Change.
a. Carry out a Detailed Feasibility Report
You cannot venture into this business blindly. It is a capital intensive business; hence you have to determine your target markets, your potential business structure, prevailing guidelines/stipulations regarding registration/operation as well as other pertinent information.
With information comes the wherewithal for you to determine if you possess the resources: mental, human and financial, to successfully run a Bureau de Change.
b. Intern at an Existing Bureau de Change
Remember the saying that experience is the best teacher? It could not be more apt for you to garner some experience working at an existing Bureau de Change, in order to have a total grasp of the workings of the business.
Your time as an intern will expose you to the daily operations in a Bureau de Change such as sourcing for foreign currencies, interacting with customers and regulators, staff engagement, interpretation of foreign exchange rates as well as other issues pertinent to the successful running of the business.
c. Have a Business Plan
The importance of a Bureau de Change business plan cannot be over-emphasized. This document must be drawn up before you even apply for a license.
A detailed business plan will help you make financial projections and how you intend to meet your objectives, your target market, the role of the competition, future/anticipated trends that may affect your business as well as other relevant parameters.
A thorough business plan not only singles you out as a serious minded entrepreneur but you could also use it to obtain financing from banks and angel investors.
d. Find a strategic Location
A Bureau de Change is only as viable and as successful as how easy it is for your customers to reach you for their needs.
You must understand that currency conversion is an on-the spot requirement, hence you must be easily reachable for transactions. Plausible locations for your physical premises include airports, seaports, travel agencies, banks and other strategic places.
You take your Bureau de Change business up a notch by offering your customers an online platform to place their orders; depending on the regulatory stipulations that guide your operations
e. Obtain the Necessary Equipment and Engage the Appropriate Staff
Your bureau de change business will need to possess necessary gadgets such as currency counting machines, cash registers/tills, calculators, computers, safe deposit boxes and reinforced cabinets amongst others.
You will also have to engage the services of competent and people-friendly staff, who serve as the first point of contact with your customers.
Your business will also have to comply with other non-financial stipulations such as the availability of fire extinguishers and safety gear.
f. Choose an Appropriate Business Structure
Will you run the bureau de Change as a sole proprietor? Or will you constitute a board of directors, backed up by a management staff? You will have to choose the business structure that conforms to the minimum stipulations guiding the licensing of the Bureau de Change business model in your home country.
A Bureau de Change business is a very lucrative venture that guarantees a handsome ROI on your investment.
However, Bureau De Change is also a business that you must administer diligently, due to the volatility of the currency market and the dynamic nature of financial/fiscal regulations.
BUREAU DE CHANGE BUSINESS PLAN EXAMPLE
Do you want to write a bureau de change business plan, and are looking for a sample business plan to help you write one? Chances are, you are like most people and you need to write a business plan because you need that loan from the bank.
Or maybe, you are among the few business owners that take out time to write a good business plan not just because they need a loan from the bank, but because they realize how important a business plan is to the success of their business.
Now, you must have made enormous preparation for that business, and you are well aware of the requirements needed to start the business. I have taken out the time to draft out a bureau de change sample business plan that will help you write in writing a bureau de change business plan.
So without ado, here is a bureau de change sample business plan.
BUSINESS NAME: Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC
- Executive Summary
- Vision Statement
- Mission Statement
- Business Structure
- Products and Services
- Market Analysis
- Target Market
- Sales and Marketing Strategy
- Sales Forecast
- Exit Strategy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC is a fully registered and licensed bureau de change company that will be situated in New York. We are a well-trained and certified bureau de change company that will focus on buying and selling currencies from top countries all over the world.
We will offer sophisticated foreign exchange services to our customers at a very reasonable fee that they will not get anywhere else. Because we are interested in our clients’ satisfaction, this is why we will do well to hire professionals who are especially experienced in the bureau de change services.
Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC will be a sole proprietorship company that will be owned by Johnny Jones and the members of his family. The startup capital will be partly contributed by the family and relatives, and soft loans will be secured from the bank to cover the remainder.
VISION STATEMENT
Integrity, security, excellence, commitment, and teamwork: these are our core values that we will seek to abide by.
Our vision at Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC will transparently portray all of our core values.
Our vision is to become the leading bureau de change company in all of New York, where individuals, small businesses and corporate clients will come to us for outstanding bureau de change services they cannot get anywhere else.
We will achieve this vision by:
– Providing outstanding bureau de change services to all our clients, whether individuals, small businesses or big corporate clients.
– Applying the right market strategy to grow our company into the number one bureau de change brand in New York.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to deliver an outstanding, reliable, and sure bureau de change services to our customers. We will provide services that will enable our customers – whether individuals, startup businesses, corporate businesses and organizations – to deal with their foreign exchange needs as well as other financial needs they have.
We will achieve this goal by steadfastly sticking to our core values that differentiates us from other bureau de change companies.
BUSINESS STRUCTURE
We expect to start Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC as a small-scale bureau de change business, but over the years, we will grow it big into one of the strongest and leading bureau de change businesses in New York.
In order for us to become the big bureau de change company that our vision states, we will be ready to hire nothing shut of the very best employees. We will hire professionals who share our vision and are dedicated and committed to growing our company to the desired level. We will hire professionals to fill the following positions:
– The Chief Executive Officer
– Consultants
– Human Relations (HR) Manager
– Accountant
– Sales and Marketing Executive
– Customer Care Service Executive
– Receptionist
We will put in considerable efforts to ensure all of the positions above are filled by the right professionals that will help us achieve our vision and our mission.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC will focus on offering all kinds of services within the range of the Bureau De Change services industry both in the United States and international.
Basically, we will be focusing on the following areas:
– Trading of foreign exchange on behalf of our individual customers, small business corporations, and corporate clients.
– Buying and selling of currencies from top countries of the world.
– Delivering other foreign exchange and financial consulting services to our esteemed customers.
MARKET ANALYSIS
The bureau de change industry is a very large one as one could observe. This industry offers services to other businesses in almost all industries as well as to individuals.
Today, a lot of businesses have become much more active in international trades than they used to be a few years ago. Also, students all over the world are also travelling to other countries across the globe for education. One could easily see the demand for the services of the bureau de change industry as these businesses cannot operate, and these students cannot blend into a foreign country, without having access to the currency of the foreign country.
One trend that is very obvious in the bureau de change industry is that, in recent years, the industry had experienced a massive growth due to the decrease in unemployment. Moreover, the industry will even grow further over the years as product penetration increases, and customer base expands.
TARGET MARKET
The people who need the bureau de change services vary; from the individual, the small businesses to the large business corporations. Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC will focus on delivering a broad range of services to customers.
We will offer our services to individuals as well as businesses of various sizes, they include but not limited to:
– Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
– Corporate Organizations
– Production Companies
– International Students
– International Tourists
SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
For us to be able to achieve our goal as becoming one of the leading bureau de change companies in New York, we will ensure our sales and marketing strategy clearly heads us in the direction of this goal.
We will ensure first and foremost, that we hire top professionals with years of experience in the bureau de change industry to fill the positions of our business.
We will make our business known by sending our business brochure and introductory letters to companies and organizations, importers and exporters, international businessmen, schools that have international students and a host of others who fall into the category of those who need our services.
We will also advertise our business in reputable business magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations all over New York. We will not hesitate to create a website for our business as well as connecting on social media platforms.
SALES FORECAST
The sales projections of Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC are shown below. We hope to expect these sales projections over the next 3 years. These sales projections are based on a number of factors which have been analyzed.
Year 1 $300,000
Year 2 $500,000
Year 3 $950,000
EXIT STRATEGY
Should Johnny Jones & Sons Bureau De Change, LLC head towards the exit door; we have put in place a good exit path for it to go. We will sell the company off to competitors and invest the buy-out money into another channel.
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