How to Create a Waste Management Business Plan [Free Templates]

It is no wonder that many individuals want to enter the waste management industry worth nearly $890 billion as it is pretty ripe for the taking. Though before getting started on your business journey, you may need a proper business plan.

Just one look at the business plan for a waste management company will make the head spin for any average person. Though making such a waste management business plan is essential if you are looking to start a business in the industry.

Worry not, we will look at how you can make a business plan for your own waste management business with ease. While these business plans look confusing at first, learning how to make them is as simple as understanding what the headings mean.

1. Give an Industry Overview 

Before starting your business plan it is a good idea to introduce the reader to the subject using an Industry overview. With an industry overview, your goal is to provide a detailed introduction to the waste management industry and how it functions.

You must not only provide the definition of your industry but also provide data that can refine the reader’s understanding of the industry. Your industry overview must provide the following data:

Goal and objectives

This signifies what you aim to do in your waste disposal businesses and clarifies what your business needs to achieve the set goals. It gives the reader greater assurance of your vision and makes them feel more confident about your products and services.

Key competitors and their market share

Let’s say that you own an organic waste management business, in this case, you will have to provide details on the competitors in the market. This means you will have to show the other organic waste management companies and their effects on the market. 

Industry size and growth projections

To the potential that your business could hold for the investors, it is a good idea to include information about the industry size in the introduction. It also validates your goals and targets to the reader because of the contextualization.

Industry definition

You must also define what your business industry does to set the ground for differentiation. When you let the reader know more about the industry and its standards, it can allow you to make your products and services stand out.

Current and future industry trends

Showing what the current trends in the waste management industry are, lets you showcase the ways in which your company can capture the market. It helps readers make connections between your company and the current trends in the industry.

2. Create an Executive Summary 

The executive summary basically delivers a brief understanding of your business structure and operations. It contains a small explanation of the sections that lie ahead. The main advantage of the executive summary is that it allows you to quickly read key data without having to browse. 

It is typically written after the completion of other sections to easily brief the contents in the most effective manner. This is so that you can hook the readers with the key bits of information as fast as possible without making them search around for it. 

Though creating this executive summary first might allow you to better structure the other sections in your business plan. The sections after the executive summary cover the information in the summary in greater depth for better understanding. 

3. Define Your Mission Statement and Values

This step is crucial because your mission statement acts like a pole star – it always keeps you going in the right direction by helping you figure out:

• What do you want your business to achieve? 
• What’s your ultimate organizational goal? 

Either you want to help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills or you are passionate about recycling and want to make it easier for people to do so. In any case, make sure it is clear and concise.

In addition to that, your values are significant things to keep in mind while moving toward your goal. For instance, it can be excellent customer service, environmental sustainability, or business goals.

4. Research the Market for Your Market Analysis Section

In the market analysis section, you must specify your target market and the related information about it. You must denote your target audience and how the competition has been gaining control of the market. Writing about market trends is also important for the following reasons. 

• Allows you to target the potential customers better
• Shows how your services can penetrate the market
• Gives the reader more insights into your business
• Allows you to estimate costs to capture the market

Mentioning who the key players are and how they capture the market in the industry is also crucial for this section as it allows for quick business plan evaluation. With the competitor’s information, the reader can quickly compare how your business plan scales up.

Conducting market research is perhaps the best thing you can do for your own waste management company as it can prepare you for upcoming waste management challenges. You can also find additional ways to generate revenue when you have accurate market-related data.

5. Evaluate the Services and Products You Will Offer

To justify your confidence in capturing the market, you must specify the products and services that you will offer to the target audience.  Add details about what your products and services are in detail and how they will evolve over time to satisfy the demands of customers. 

This step should be quite simple if you have conducted a proper market analysis and understood what products and services are sought after by customers. This allows the reader to understand your plans and motivations for the business as they are able to judge your offerings.

Make sure that you also stay within a given field and don’t end up offering too many services that can dilute your company’s value. Your services have to be as specialized as possible so that you can differentiate yourself in the market. 

6. Define Your Operational Plans

Now that you have listed down the products/services you will provide, the next important thing to figure out is how you are going to operate your day-to-day activities.

This is important because higher efficiency in running your business means: – 

• More money saved
• More time saved
• Better customer service

So, in your case, you must think of what your regular waste management operations consist of and how you will manage them for peak efficiency.

First things first, figure out each step you need to take right from acquiring a client to serving his needs in the best way possible.

Then, you need to ensure that your flow of activities provides you with maximum productivity throughout the day. Ask yourself: –

• Are there any steps I need to add or remove from my flow?
• Is there any software that I can use to make the tasks easier for my waste management business?

Regarding that, it turns out that there is ideal route planning software for waste management businesses that will ease your daily business operation—Upper. It saves you time and slashes your gas bill by providing you with the most optimum route for your drivers. Sounds exciting?

7. Specify the Projected Finances for Your Business

Projected finances are vital if you are looking to secure investment as it allows investors to understand how their funds will be used precisely. Your projected finances should cover all your expenses, revenue, and profits.

It should provide previous financial statements that show your assets, costs, current revenue, and projected earnings over several years. If your business mainly deals with products such as dumpster rentals for construction sites, then things like the MOQ formula could be useful.

 Once you have calculated all the given finances, you can review them again to see if you have missed any costs or income. Accounting for even the smallest transitions shows that you own a business that is highly responsible when it comes to financial responsibility. 

8. Introduce Your Team With Their Designations

The leadership team in your company should have the names and designations of all the key employees that manage operations. This includes everyone from the fleet manager to the lead human resources manager. This section will differ wildly with varying company sizes. 

Along with the names and designations it should also mention the specializations and experiences of the employees. A well-experienced leadership team will show how you can surpass the best waste management companies in the market.

Remember that such sections are only supposed to highlight employees who have a higher level of responsibility and accountability regarding business operations. So refrain from adding all of your business’s employees. 

9. Showcase Your Marketing Strategy

Writing about your marketing strategy to capture customers’ attention will go a long way toward building confidence in your company. Developing a good marketing strategy for promoting something like sustainable waste management can help you gain new customers.

You can always consult a good blog that talks about waste management marketing strategies to get a new perspective on the subject. Using tactics targeting a particular demographic or geographical area is considered the best way to market your business.

In this section, you must write about the tactics you will implement in your marketing strategy. You must also specify the methods of marketing that your company will use so that the reader can better judge when analyzing your marketing plan.  

10. Perform a SWOT Assessment 

SWOT stands for Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O), and Threats (T). The purpose of the SWOT assessment is to go over and understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that your business faces in its current state. 

This is a vital part of the business plan, as without it, there is no clear and concise way to measure business potential. Because it highlights the entirety of your business’s condition, some readers choose to skip directly to this part. 

The SWOT assessment is very beneficial as it allows you to consolidate your goals and refine your operations to meet said goals. It can help investors and employees understand your business needs in the most efficient manner possible. 

Free Waste Management Business Plan Template

Sometimes it is best not to bother with overly complicated processes to achieve the end result. This is why we have made for your company a preset template for any waste management business to use free of charge.

All you have to do is modify the document and the information to your liking, Viola! You have a flawless business plan ready for use. Click below to get the document for yourself.

Why is a Business Plan Necessary?

Seeing all the complex steps and details in a business plan, it is natural for new entrepreneurs to question its utility and function. Upon reading the top three reasons for making a business plan, you will have a much better idea of its usefulness for any given business.

1. Acquire investment

The biggest reason for businesses to create a business plan is to attract investors and make it easy for them to evaluate business value. Sending in a business plan is the easiest way to explain what your business does and why it is a great idea to invest in it.

Even a new business could potentially secure funding if it is able clearly to lay out its business plan in a way that is satisfactory to the investor. The less ambiguous and more direct your business plan, the better your chances of having investors on board. 

2. Easier employee onboarding

When you hire high-priority talent, it can take weeks to make them understand the functions, vision, and challenges of your business. This is why it is better to go over the business plan as it gives a clear and concise insight into business operations. 

With this newfound clarity, employees can quickly get to work to remedy the challenges faced by your business and give you the fastest results. They can consult the business plan at a whim and resolve any queries they may have by themselves. 

3. Opportunity to refine business operations

When you have a waste management business plan right in front of you, you are able to inspect all current processes and see if they are working to meet your goals. The waste management industry is notorious for having inefficient processes that hamper your profits and revenue. 

Having the business plan at hand will not only allow you to access these inefficiencies but also help you look for the best solutions for them. For example, a simple evaluation of your business operations will make you understand how a route planning software solution can perfect your waste collection process.

Conclusion

The benefits of creating a business plan for any waste management business is quite obvious and usually need no introduction. Though creating a business plan is the difficult part. It is surely time-consuming, but it is not difficult once you understand its objectives and structure. 

Every business must have a business plan in this day and age if they want to progress in their given industry. This is all because of the biggest advantage of business plans, which is the ability to identify ways to perfect the business processes for peak efficiency.

Though there is one solution that can help you perfect your waste collection operations and that is using Upper route planner. The efficiency delivered by Upper’s key features is best experienced first-hand, which is why you must try our 7 days FREE TRIAL.