Are you about starting a money transfer agency? If YES, here is a complete sample money transfer agency business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a money transfer agency. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample money transfer agency marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for money transfer agencies. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.
Have you ever dreamt of becoming your own boss? Did you per chance study Banking and Finance, Accountancy or any related course and are finding it difficult to get your ideal job? You don’t need to worry because your dream of becoming your own boss and still work as a professional can be fulfilled.
One of the business opportunities that you can leverage on is to start a money transfer agency business. Although you would need ample experience with good track record to be able to attract well – paying clients, but that does not stop you from still making headway in this line of business.
The truth is that the business has pretty low entry capital and you can start the business from your home, shared offices space or from a kiosk with one or two staff members.
You can be sure that your services would always be in demand by people who want to send money to other parts of the world especially migrants who want to send money back home. If you are interested in starting a money transfer agency, then you should be ready to conduct thorough feasibility studies and market survey before committing your money and other resources to it.
Aside from a thorough and detailed feasibility studies and market survey, one of the important documents that will aid the success of the business is a good and workable business plan. Below is a sample money transfer business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own.
A Sample Mobile Money Transfer Agency Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
The money transfer industry comprises of firms that act as third-party agents that facilitate money transfers and payments among parties in different locations. Please note that this industry does not include organizations that are involved in bank wire services and card-based services.
Research conducted by IBISWorld shows that the Money Transfer Agencies industry has recorded robust growth over the past five years.
This growth is largely due to the increasing globalization and rising mobility of labor. Industry revenue is closely linked to the number of overseas workers employed in the united states, with many sending money back to their respective countries to support their families.
The resilience of the US economy relative to other developed economies and its skill shortages make the US an attractive place for overseas workers to seek employment. As a result, industry revenue is expected to increase at an annualized 7.2 percent over the five years through 2017-18, to $299.9 million. Industry revenue is anticipated to grow by 3.7 percent.
The Money Transfer industry is indeed a thriving industry and pretty much active in all parts of the world and the industry is responsible for employing several people.
The Money Transfer industry is in the growth phase of its life cycle. Industry value added, which measures an industry’s contribution to the overall economy, is forecast to grow at an annualized 4.5 percent over the 10 years through 2022-23.
This represents an outperformance compared with real GDP, which is projected to grow at an annualized 2.5 percent over the same period. This outperformance is a key characteristic of an industry in the growth phase of its economic life cycle. Increasing labor mobility and globalization will underpin demand for money transfer services over the next five years.
Any aspiring entrepreneur or investor that is considering starting this type of business whether on a small scale or in a large scale should ensure that he or she conducts thorough market survey and feasibility studies so as to get it right.
The truth is that, this type of business does pretty well when it is strategically positioned. Places like campus, school board / districts, passport office, immigration centers, licensing offices and migrant communities are ideal for this type of business.
Over and above, the money transfer business is profitable and it is open for any aspiring entrepreneur to come into the industry; you can choose to start on a small scale in one or two public facilities and operate on a local and national level. If you have the capital and business exposure, then you can choose to start on a large scale with several outlets in key cities.
2. Executive Summary
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is a registered and licensed international money transfer agency. We have been able to secure all the required documentation and a standard office facility that is highly suitable for the kind of business we are into.
Our head office is situated in Los Angeles – California and we hope to sometime in the nearest future have branches scattered all across major cities in the United States of America.
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. will be involved in all aspect of money transfer, we will act as third-party agents that facilitate money transfers and payments among parties in different locations. Our business goal is to become one of the leading money transfer agencies in Los Angeles – California and we will make sure that every service we handle compete favorably with the best in the industry in terms of time.
We are aware that there are several money transfer agencies all around Los Angeles – California which is why we spent time and resources to conduct a thorough feasibility studies and market survey so as to position our business in strategic locations in Los Angeles – California.
Much more than prompt money transfer, our customer care is going to be second to none in the whole of Los Angeles – California. We know that our customers are the reason why we are in business which is why we will go the extra mile to get them satisfied when they patronize our services.
At Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. our client’s best interest come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by delivering excellent jobs and also meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is a family business that is owned and managed by Jude Adamson and his immediate family members.
Jude Adamson is a graduate of Business Administration and has extensive experience working with one of the leading global money transfer agencies in the United States of America. He will bring his experience and expertise to help grow Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc.
3. Our Products and Services
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is in the industry for the purpose of making profits and we will ensure we position our business to favorably compete for the available market in the industry. We are going to do all that is permitted by the laws in the United States of America to achieve our business goals.
Here are some of our service offerings;
- In-store money transfers operations
- Retail money transfer
- Online money transfer
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to build a money transfer agency that will have active presence all over the United States of America and the globe.
- Our mission is to establish a standard money transfer agency that will make available a wide range of services in the money transfer industry at affordable prices to residents of Los Angeles – California, and other locations in the United States of America where we intend operating from.
Our Business Structure
Our intention of starting a money transfer agency is to build a standard business with active presence in major cities in the United States of America and the globe. We will ensure that we put the right structures in place that will support the kind of growth that we have in mind while setting up the business.
In putting in place a good business structure, we will ensure that we hire only people that are qualified, honest, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;
- Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
- Admin and Human Resources Manager
- Sales and Marketing Manager
- Money Transfer Agents
- Accountant
- Client Services Executive
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer – CEO:
- Intensifies management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, appraising job results and developing incentives
- Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Accountable for fixing prices and signing business deals
- Responsible for providing direction for the business
- Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Evaluates the success of the organization
- Reports to the board
Admin and HR Manager
- Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
- Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carries out induction for new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
- Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Sales and Marketing Manager
- Manages external research and coordinates all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
- Models demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer purchases
- Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
- Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of the business
- Documents all customer contact and information
- Represents the company in strategic meetings
- Helps to increase sales and growth for the company
Money Transfer Agents
- Handle in-store money transfer operations
- Handle retail money transfer
- Handle online money transfer
- Responsible for operating IT systems for the organization
- In charge of planning for and negotiating technical difficulties
- Responsible for monitoring exchange rates
- In charge of negotiating service charges.
- Responsible for dealing with the effects of network congestion.
Accountant
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Responsible for administering payrolls
- Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the organization
- Serves as internal auditor for the organization
Client Service Executive
- Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Assist in helping clients track their transfer and provide helpful information as required
- Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
- Manages administrative duties assigned by the human resources and admin manager in an effective and timely manner
- Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information are supplied to clients when they make enquiries.
6. SWOT Analysis
Our intention of starting our money transfer business in Los Angeles – California is to test run the business for a period of 3 to 6 months to know if we will invest more money, expand the business and then open transfer centers all around key cities in the United States.
We are quite aware that there are several money transfer agencies in the United States and even in the same locations where we intend locating ours, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business.
We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be equipped to confront our threats.
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in startups to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives. This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc.;
- Strength:
The strategic locations we intend positioning our business, the business model we will be operating on, ease of transfer, wide range of services and our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc.
So also we have a team that can go all the way to give our clients value for their money; a team that are trained and equipped to pay attention to details and swiftly and safely transfer money both locally, nationally and internationally.
- Weakness:
A major weakness that may count against us is the fact that we are a new money transfer agency and we don’t have the financial capacity to compete with multi – million dollar money transfer agencies in this industry.
- Opportunities:
Rising globalization and labor mobility continues to benefit the industry’s revenue performance and online operators have benefited from their lower cost base and the rise of online transfers. The fact that people and businesses are always sending money from one location to another provides us with unlimited opportunities.
We have been able to conduct thorough feasibility studies and market survey and we know what our potential clients will be looking for when they patronize our services; we are well positioned to take on the opportunities that will come our way.
- Threat:
Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power; in essence, if the economy is under stress, people will find it difficult to transfer money.
Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new money transfer agency in same location where ours is located. unfavorable government policies and technology can also pose a threat to businesses such as ours.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
Rising globalization and labor mobility continues to benefit industry’s revenue performance and online operators have benefited from their lower cost base and the rise of online transfers.
Although the fact that the industry is divided in the two categories makes it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to choose to start on a small scale by servicing local communities and small to medium scale businesses or to start big by offering all the services.
A common trend in this industry is that money transfer agencies usually position their offices close to colleges and migrant communities. This is so because statistics shows that international students and of course working class migrants/expatriates are known to be top on the list when it comes to transferring monies from the United States to other countries of the world.
8. Our Target Market
The target market for those who need the services of money transfer businesses are all encompassing. In view of that, we have positioned our transfer centers in strategic locations to service residents and businesses in Los Angeles – California and other towns in key cities in the United States of America. We are in the money transfer industry to attract the following clients;
- Expatriates
- Students
- Migrants
- Business men and women
- Small scale businesses
- Clearing and forwarding agents
- Corporate Executives
Our competitive advantage
The competitions that exist in the industry is stiff because anyone that has the finance and business expertise can decide to start this type of business howbeit on a small scale servicing a city or more. Although, the money transfer industry requires some form of trainings and expertise, but that does not in any way stop any serious minded entrepreneur from starting the business and still make good profit out of it.
The business model we will be operating on, having a good reputation, proximity to key markets, unlimited access to the latest available and most efficient technology and techniques, ease of money transfer, wide range of services and our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a competitive advantage for Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc.
So also, we have a team that can go give our clients value for their money; a team that is trained and equipped to pay attention to details and deliver parcels on time both locally, nationally and internationally.
Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the money transfer industry and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to offer our services and products to a wide range of customers. Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. will generate income by offering the following services;
- In-store money transfers operations
- Retail money transfer
- Online money transfer
10. Sales Forecast
One thing is certain; there would always be individuals, businesses or corporate organizations in Los Angeles – California and in the United States of America who would always need the services of money transfer agencies.
We are well positioned to take on the available market in Los Angeles – California and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income from the first six months of operation and grow the business and our clientele base.
We have been able to examine the money transfer agencies industry, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below are the sales projections for Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc., it is based on the location of our business and the wide range of services that we will be offering;
- First Fiscal Year: $240,000
- Second Fiscal Year: $450,000
- Third Fiscal Year: $750,000
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
Before choosing a location for our business, we conducted a thorough market survey and feasibility studies in order for us to penetrate the available market and become the preferred choice for businesses and residents of Los Angeles – California.
We have detailed information and data that we were able to utilize to structure our business to attract the number of customers we want to attract per time.
We hired experts who have good understanding of the money transfer agency industry to help us develop marketing strategies that will help us achieve our business goal of winning a larger percentage of the available market in Los Angeles – California.
In summary, Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. will adopt the following sales and marketing approach to win customers over;
- Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, households and key stakeholders in Los Angeles and other cities in California.
- Print handbills about our business and its locations
- Advertise on the internet on blogs and forums, and also on social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn to get our message across.
- Create a basic website for our business so as to give our business an online presence (list the locations of our transfer centers)
- Directly market our business
- Join local business center associations for industry trends and tips
- Provide discount days for our customers
- Advertise our business in community based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
- List our business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
- Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
Despite the fact that our office facility and transfer centers will be well located, we will still go ahead to intensify publicity for the business. We are going to explore all available means to promote our business.
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. has a long term plan of opening our transfer centers in various locations in key cities all around the United States of America which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted in Los Angeles – California before venturing out.
As a matter of fact, our publicity and advertising strategy is not solely for winning customers over but to effectively communicate our brand. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc.;
- Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community programs
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, et al to promote our brand
- Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Los Angeles – California
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
- Position our Flexi Banners at strategic positions in the location where our money transfer centers are located.
- Ensure that all our workers wear our branded shirts and all our delivery vehicles are well branded with our company’s logo.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
At Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. we will keep the prices of our money transfer service charges below the average market rate for all of our customers by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from corporate organizations who would hire our services. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. will make available to her clients;
- Payment via bank transfer
- Payment with cash
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
- Payment via Point of Sale Machines (POS Machine)
- Payment via bank draft
- Payment via mobile money
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients make payment for our services without any stress on their part.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
When it comes to starting a money transfer agency, the major areas that you should look towards spending the bulk of your cash is in the renting or leasing of well – located facilities. Aside from that, you are not expected to spend much except for paying of your employees and the purchase of supplies. These are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital;
- The total fee for registering the Business in the United States – $750.
- Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $1,300.
- Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of the business in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
- The cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500.
- The amount needed for the purchase of insurance policy cover (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
- The cost for payment of rent for 12 months at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $35,600.
- The cost for the facility and remodeling – $10,000.
- Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500).
- Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $100,000
- The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
- The cost of purchase and installation of CCTVs and car tracker devices – $10,000
- The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets for the office (computers, internet device, photocopy machine, computers, fax machine, phone box, printing machines, laminating machines and scanning machine, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al) – $20,000
- The cost of launching a website – $600
- Miscellaneous – $10,000
We would need an estimate of $150,000 to successfully set up our money transfer agency in Los Angeles – California.
Generating Startup Capital for Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc.
No matter how fantastic your business idea might be, if you don’t have the required money to finance the business, the business might not become a reality. Finance is a very important factor when it comes to starting a money transfer agency.
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is a family business that is solely owned and financed by Jude Adamson and his immediate family members. They do not intend to welcome any external business partners which is why he has decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital to 3 major sources.
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
- Source for soft loans from family members and friends
- Apply for loan from the bank
N.B: We have been able to generate about $50,000 (Personal savings $30,000 and soft loan from family members $20,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $100,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.
One of our major goals of starting Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.
We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our money transfer services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and also to ensure timely and safe deliveries. We are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.
Swiftness© Money Transfer Agency, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Registration: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Securing standard photo booths: In Progress
- Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Leasing of facility for positioning and remodeling the facility: In Progress
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating capital from family members: Completed
- Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
- Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
- Printing of Promotional Materials: In Progress
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of furniture, racks, shelves, computers, electronic appliances, office appliances and CCTV: In progress
- Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
- Establishing business relationship with third party services providers – banks, technology companies and other financial institutions et al: In Progress