Oyster Farm business plan for starting your own business

If there is a business that can never go out of business, it is that of food. That’s why we have brought this oyster farming business plan for you. If you want to know how to start oyster farming, this business plan details all aspects of that. This business is a lucrative due to the relatively less investment needed and the high profit margin.

If you want to start your own oyster farm, you need to start by writing a strategic business plan for the business and only then can it be a successful one. The basics of this business plan will be same as those of a fish farming business plan as both of the businesses are more or less the same.

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Oyster Farm Business Plan Summary

2.1 The Business

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Jennifer’s Oysters will be a registered, licensed oyster farm located in Detroit, Michigan. The farm will provide all species of oyster and some of the sea fish that can be farmed with oyster. All the products will be supplied all over the state. As there was no oyster farm business for sale in the area, a farm will be started from scratch.

2.2 Management of Oyster Farm

Jennifer Freeman will be the owner of the oyster farm. She will hire 3 managers to run the farm. The managers will be responsible for operations, sourcing, and sales. All matters of the farm will be decided by the managers and the important financial matters will be brough under the notice of Jennifer.

Note

To start an oyster farm that can be profitable, it is important to have the people that can run it efficiently, and Jennifer will not spare any expense to make her oyster aquaculture business plan successful.

2.3 Customers of Oyster Farm

If you want to know how to write a business plan for bank loan for starting an oyster farm, you need to have a clear picture of the customers you will be serving. This aspect of this business plan will be the same as that for an agriculture fruit farm business plan.

The customers of Jennifer’s Oysters will be:

  • Individual/Domestic Customers

People looking to buy fresh oysters for personal/domestic use will fall into this category. These customers will be large in number but will buy small amounts.

  • Restaurants

These will be the repeat and regular customers of the business and will bring most of the sales.

  • Retailers

Retail stores in the area will also be among the list of customers of the oyster farm.

  • Frozen Food Providers

Processed frozen food providers in the area will also be among the leading customers of the business.

2.4 Business Target

The targets of Jennifer’s Oysters will be:

  • To become number 1 suppliers of oysters in the area.
  • To start making $23.7k per month in profits by the end of year 2.
  • To expand to at least three cities
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Oyster Farm Business Plan - 3 Years Profit Forecast

 Company Summary

3.1 Company Owner

The owner of the oyster farm will be Jennifer Freeman. She has a 10-year experience of marine farming and knows how to oyster farm more than anyone else. She is thinking of shifting to her own business from the job and knows quite well how do oyster farms work making her the perfect owner of the business.

3.2 Why the Oyster Farm is being started?

The next important thing in this oyster farm business plan is discussing why this business is being started. The reason behind this has two parts. For one, Jennifer has incredible experience in this field and has recently got her inheritance, meaning she has the money and the experience to start this business.

Secondly, there is no oyster farm in the vicinity and the oyster farm profit will be pretty high if the business is done right.

3.3 How the Oyster Farm will be started?

Step1: Planning

The first thing to do, for starting an oyster farm is planning. In this step, everything from the location of the farm to the customers and services will be finalized. It is this step where all the expenses and other aspects will be determined and a strong strategy for opening and running the farm will be made.

Step2: Making a Brand

The next thing to do, after the plan is finalized and before the farm is made, is to establish a brand for our business. This is one of the most important steps. Having an established, reputable brand that people trust is cardinally important in making any business successful.

Step3: Establish Physical & Web Store

We need to sell the product and in order to get to the most customers, it is important to have a physical outlet as well as an online store for the customers to buy the product from us.

Step4: Promotion and Marketing

Last, but not the least, promoting and marketing the farm is one of the most important things to make the business successful.

Oyster Farm Business Plan - Startup Cost
Start-up Expenses 
Legal$244,000
Consultants$0
Insurance$32,000
Rent$40,000
Research and Development$29,000
Expensed Equipment$55,000
Signs$4,000
TOTAL START-UP EXPENSES$404,000
Start-up Assets$322,000
Cash Required$360,000
Start-up Inventory$50,000
Other Current Assets$207,000
Long-term Assets$231,000
TOTAL ASSETS$1,170,000
Total Requirements$1,574,000
START-UP FUNDING 
Start-up Expenses to Fund$404,000
Start-up Assets to Fund$1,170,000
TOTAL FUNDING REQUIRED$1,574,000
Assets 
Non-cash Assets from Start-up$1,542,000
Cash Requirements from Start-up$340,000
Additional Cash Raised$55,000
Cash Balance on Starting Date$40,000
TOTAL ASSETS$1,977,000
Liabilities and Capital 
Liabilities$30,000
Current Borrowing$0
Long-term Liabilities$0
Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills)$47,000
Other Current Liabilities (interest-free)$0
TOTAL LIABILITIES$77,000
Capital 
Planned Investment$1,574,000
Investor 1$0
Investor 2$0
Other$0
Additional Investment Requirement$0
TOTAL PLANNED INVESTMENT$1,574,000
Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses)$326,000
TOTAL CAPITAL$1,900,000
TOTAL CAPITAL AND LIABILITIES$1,977,000
Total Funding$1,574,000
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    Services of Oyster Farm

    Just like a liquor store business plan template, we need to define the services we will be providing before we can move forward with this business plan. This is not necessary in a business plan for oyster farm  so we need to define the services in detail.

    • Fresh Sea Food Provision

    We will offer fresh sea food as one of our major services from the oyster farm.

    • Fishing Pools

    We will rent out the ponds in the season for people to come and fish. This will be one of the side businesses for the farm.

    • Marine Life Research

    We will establish a lab and offer it for use to PhD scholars to do research on the most modern equipment.

    • Water Sports

    In the summers, part of the farm can be offered to people as a water sports arena.

     Marketing Analysis of an Oyster Far

    Business plan for investors

    Marketing analysis is one of the most important things to be done before starting any business and that’s why it is the most important part of this oyster farming business plan. This is the part where we analyze various aspects of the market with respect to the business in order to devise such a strategy as can make the business successful.

    If we need to open an oyster business, we need to do the marketing analysis the first thing before starting an oyster farm.

    Just like an organic fertilizers business plan it is cardinally important to know all the forces at play before we learn how to farm oysters at home.

    5.1 Market Trends

    Before you learn how to become an oyster farmer, it is important to have a look at the market trends of the industry you are about to enter. According to the latest stats, there are 2,807 oyster farms in the US which employ above 10,000 people and have a collective turnover of a whopping $1 billion.

    The promising thing is that the popularity of seafood is increasing in the country and the market for oyster farms is going to get bigger with the passage of time. Now is the right time to enter this market.

    5.2 Marketing Segmentation

    Market trends are not the only thing to consider when starting a business. You need to know the subdivisions of the market that you are about to enter. In case of an oyster farm, the market segmentation will be the following:

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Marketing Segmentation

    5.2.1 Domestic Consumers

    People who like oyster and want to buy it for their own use will make up the set of customers with the largest number. We will offer special prices and discounts for these customers at the start.

    5.2.2 Restaurants

    Surveys have revealed that the local restaurants serve oysters as a premium dish and are always in the need of fresh oysters. We will make long-term agreements with these customers to supply them the product.

    5.2.3 Retailers

    Local retail stores and supermarkets will also be a major market segment that we will be focusing.

    Market Analysis       
    Potential CustomersGrowthYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5CAGR
    Domestic Consumers44%48,00049,00051,00053,00054,00010.00%
    Restaurants35%37,00039,00040,00041,00042,00010.00%
    Retailers21%19,00022,00024,00026,00027,00011.00%
    Total100%104,000110,000115,000120,000123,00010%

    5.3 Business Target

    The targets of this oyster farming business are to:

    • Eventually become the leading supplier of seafood in the area.
    • Expand to other states and gradually the whole US.
    • Provide grade A oysters and other seafood.
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    5.4 Product Pricing

    We will keep the prices of our product at a level above the competition. This is because there is no one supplying fresh oysters in the area and the demand is high. This will earn us good customers even if we have a price higher than the existing market.

     Marketing Strategy of Oyster Farm

    Marketing strategy is also one of the most important parts of any oyster farm business plan and needs to be taken seriously. This oyster farm business plan covers this aspect too. Just like a garden nursery business plan, we will focus on providing fresh food.

    6.1 Competitive Analysis

    We have conducted thorough competitive analysis and have determined that:

    • No competitor in the area is offering fresh oysters in the area.
    • The oyster available in the area is imported and is often out of stock.
    • Oyster rates are too high for people to afford.
    • People are not happy with the oyster dishes in the local restaurants due to the unavailability of fresh oyster.
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    6.2 Sales Strategy

    Our sales strategy will be to

    • Keep the prices low at the start to attract more customers.
    • Ask prominent local figures and some celebrities to endorse out product.
    • Offer discounts to bulk customers like restaurants and retailers to make our name known to the people of the area.

    6.3 Sales Monthly

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Sales Monthly

    6.4 Sales Yearly

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Sales Yearly

    6.5 Sales Forecast

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Unit Sales
    Sales Forecast   
    Unit SalesYear 1Year 2Year 3
    Fresh Sea Food Provision59,00062,54066,292
    Fishing Pools39,00041,34043,820
    Marine Life Research12,00012,72013,483
    Water Sports44,00046,64049,438
    TOTAL UNIT SALES154,000163,240173,034
    Unit PricesYear 1Year 2Year 3
    Fresh Sea Food Provision$55.00$63.80$74.01
    Fishing Pools$58.00$67.28$78.04
    Marine Life Research$40.00$46.40$53.82
    Water Sports$41.00$47.56$55.17
    Sales   
    Fresh Sea Food Provision$3,245,000.00 $3,990,052.00 $4,906,167.94
    Fishing Pools $2,262,000.00 $2,781,355.20 $3,419,954.35
    Marine Life Research $480,000.00 $590,208.00 $725,719.76
    Water Sports $1,804,000.00 $2,218,198.40 $2,727,496.75
    TOTAL SALES$7,791,000.00 $9,579,813.60 $11,779,338.80
    Direct Unit CostsYear 1Year 2Year 3
    Fresh Sea Food Provision$53.00$59.00$69.00
    Fishing Pools$56.00$64.00$74.00
    Marine Life Research$38.00$43.00$48.00
    Water Sports$38.00$43.00$50.00
    Direct Cost of Sales   
    Fresh Sea Food Provision$3,127,000.00 $3,689,860.00 $4,574,175.60
    Fishing Pools $2,184,000.00 $2,645,760.00 $3,242,709.60
    Marine Life Research $456,000.00 $546,960.00 $647,193.60
    Water Sports $1,672,000.00 $2,005,520.00 $2,471,920.00
    Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales$7,439,000.00 $8,888,100.00 $10,935,998.80

    Personnel plan

    The next thing this oyster farming business plan needs to talk about is the people needed to run the business. Just like a mushroom farming business plan, this is a labor-intensive business and will need a considerable workforce to run.

    7.1 Company Staff

    Jennifer Freeman will be the owner and CEO of the farm. She will hire the following staff:

    • 3 Managers for procurement, operations, and sales.
    • 1 Accountant.
    • 7 Farm workers.
    • 1 Security guard.
    • 2 Shopkeepers.
    • 1 Social media marketer.

    7.2 Average Salary of Employees

    Personnel Plan   
     Year 1Year 2Year 3
    Operations Manager$14,000$15,400$16,940
    Procurement Manager$9,000$9,900$10,890
    Sales Manager$8,000$8,800$9,680
    Accountant$8,000$8,800$9,680
    Farm Workers$53,000$58,300$64,130
    Security Guard$17,000$18,700$20,570
    Shopkeepers$9,000$9,900$10,890
    Social Media Marketer$17,000$18,700$20,570
    Total Salaries$135,000 $148,500 $163,350

    Financial Plan

    We know that oyster farming profitability mainly depends on the financial plan that we make for the business. This financial plan needs to cover everything from the starting expenses of the farm to the running costs and other costs of business involved in running this business. Just like a pig farming business plan, the investment here is relatively higher than other businesses.

    We need to have money for the following at the time of starting the business:

    • The cost of establishing the farm.
    • The cost of setting up the retails outlet.
    • Marketing and promotion costs of the business.
    • Salaries of the staff until the farm starts breaking even.
    • Cost of the farm equipment needed to run the farm.

    8.1 Important Assumptions

    General Assumptions   
     Year 1Year 2Year 3
    Plan Month123
    Current Interest Rate8.07%8.14%8.21%
    Long-term Interest Rate8.27%8.42%8.45%
    Tax Rate23.88%24.60%25.34%
    Other000

    8.2 Break-even Analysis

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Break-even Analysis
    Break-Even Analysis 
    Monthly Units Break-even5345
    Monthly Revenue Break-even$132,400
    Assumptions: 
    Average Per-Unit Revenue$234.00
    Average Per-Unit Variable Cost$0.68
    Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost$163,010

    8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

    Pro Forma Profit And Loss   
     Year 1Year 2Year 3
    Sales$7,791,000 $9,579,814 $11,779,339
    Direct Cost of Sales$7,439,000 $8,888,100 $10,935,999
    Other$0$0$0
    TOTAL COST OF SALES$7,439,000 $8,888,100 $10,935,999
    Gross Margin$352,000 $691,714 $843,340
    Gross Margin %4.52%7.22%7.16%
    Expenses   
    Payroll$135,000$148,500$163,350
    Sales and Marketing and Other Expenses$135,000$145,000$155,000
    Depreciation$2,540$2,400$2,300
    Leased Equipment$0$0$0
    Utilities$3,000$3,100$3,200
    Insurance$2,000$2,100$2,130
    Rent$3,700$4,000$4,300
    Payroll Taxes$28,000$30,000$32,000
    Other$0$0$0
    Total Operating Expenses$309,240 $335,100 $362,280
    Profit Before Interest and Taxes$42,760$356,614$481,060
    EBITDA$42,760$356,614$481,060
    Interest Expense$0$0$0
    Taxes Incurred$8,552$71,323$96,212
    Net Profit$34,208$285,291$384,848
    Net Profit/Sales0.44%2.98%3.27%

    8.3.1 Profit Monthly

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Profit Monthly

    8.3.2 Profit Yearly

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Profit Yearly

    8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Gross Margin Monthly

    8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Gross Margin Yearly

    8.4 Projected Cash Flow

    Oyster Farm Business Plan - Projected Cash Flow
    Pro Forma Cash Flow   
    Cash ReceivedYear 1Year 2Year 3
    Cash from Operations   
    Cash Sales$55,000$59,400$64,152
    Cash from Receivables$19,000$20,520$22,162
    SUBTOTAL CASH FROM OPERATIONS$74,000 $80,660 $87,113
    Additional Cash Received   
    Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received$0$0$0
    New Current Borrowing$0$0$0
    New Other Liabilities (interest-free)$0$0$0
    New Long-term Liabilities$0$0$0
    Sales of Other Current Assets$0$0$0
    Sales of Long-term Assets$0$0$0
    New Investment Received$0$0$0
    SUBTOTAL CASH RECEIVED$74,000 $81,000 $88,000
    ExpendituresYear 1Year 2Year 3
    Expenditures from Operations   
    Cash Spending$40,000$42,000$43,000
    Bill Payments$23,000$24,000$26,000
    SUBTOTAL SPENT ON OPERATIONS$63,000 $66,000 $69,000
    Additional Cash Spent   
    Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out$0$0$0
    Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing$0$0$0
    Other Liabilities Principal Repayment$0$0$0
    Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment$0$0$0
    Purchase Other Current Assets$0$0$0
    Purchase Long-term Assets$0$0$0
    Dividends$0$0$0
    SUBTOTAL CASH SPENT$63,000 $68,040 $73,483
    Net Cash Flow$15,400$17,000$18,000
    Cash Balance$28,900$30,000$31,000

    8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

    Pro Forma Balance Sheet   
    AssetsYear 1Year 2Year 3
    Current Assets   
    Cash$288,000$322,560$354,816
    Accounts Receivable$25,000$28,000$31,472
    Inventory$4,000$4,480$4,900
    Other Current Assets$1,000$1,000$1,000
    TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS$302,000 $338,240 $380,182
    Long-term Assets   
    Long-term Assets$10,000$10,000$10,000
    Accumulated Depreciation$20,400$22,848$25,704
    TOTAL LONG-TERM ASSETS$22,400 $25,088 $28,224
    TOTAL ASSETS$304,000 $340,480 $383,040
    Liabilities and CapitalYear 4Year 5Year 6
    Current Liabilities   
    Accounts Payable$22,100$24,752$27,821
    Current Borrowing$0$0$0
    Other Current Liabilities$0$0$0
    SUBTOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES$15,400 $17,248 $19,387
    Long-term Liabilities$0$0$0
    TOTAL LIABILITIES$15,000 $16,800 $18,883
    Paid-in Capital$33,000$32,000$33,000
    Retained Earnings$54,000$58,860$64,746
    Earnings$230,000$250,700$275,770
    TOTAL CAPITAL$285,000 $310,650 $341,715
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL$300,000 $340,480 $383,040
    Net Worth$291,000$317,190$348,909

    8.6 Business Ratios

    Ratio Analysis    
     Year 1Year 2Year 3INDUSTRY PROFILE
    Sales Growth7.06%7.82%8.67%3.00%
    Percent of Total Assets    
    Accounts Receivable9.24%10.24%11.34%9.80%
    Inventory5.40%5.98%6.63%9.90%
    Other Current Assets2.10%2.33%2.58%2.40%
    Total Current Assets148.00%151.00%152.00%158.00%
    Long-term Assets11.45%11,89%11.93%12.00%
    TOTAL ASSETS100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
    Current Liabilities4.61%4.65%4.69%4.34%
    Long-term Liabilities0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
    Total Liabilities7.36%7.42%7.49%7.38%
    NET WORTH100.80%101.61%102.54%110.00%
    Percent of Sales    
    Sales100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
    Gross Margin94.05%96.59%99.29%99.00%
    Selling, General & Administrative Expenses93.44%95.96%98.65%97.80%
    Advertising Expenses1.60%1.64%1.69%1.40%
    Profit Before Interest and Taxes40.77%41.87%43.04%33.90%
    Main Ratios    
    Current37383832
    Quick323333.82533
    Total Debt to Total Assets0.22%0.19%0.18%0.40%
    Pre-tax Return on Net Worth75.02%75.64%76.20%75.00%
    Pre-tax Return on Assets93.46%98.13%103.04%111.30%
    Additional RatiosYear 1Year 2Year 3 
    Net Profit Margin32.34%33.34%34.38%N.A.
    Return on Equity56.01%57.75%59.54%N.A.
    Activity Ratios    
    Accounts Receivable Turnover7.77.87.9N.A.
    Collection Days100100100N.A.
    Inventory Turnover32.434.0234.01N.A.
    Accounts Payable Turnover16.2216.416.54N.A.
    Payment Days272727N.A.
    Total Asset Turnover2.42.52.6N.A.
    Debt Ratios    
    Debt to Net Worth-0.03-0.03-0.04N.A.
    Current Liab. to Liab.111N.A.
    Liquidity Ratios    
    Net Working Capital$245,000$258,720$273,208N.A.
    Interest Coverage000N.A.
    Additional Ratios    
    Assets to Sales0.810.830.87N.A.
    Current Debt/Total Assets1%0%0%N.A.
    Acid Test27.728.1229N.A.
    Sales/Net Worth2.12.12.2N.A.
    Dividend Payout000N.A.

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