Development of a business plan for a mobile application & WVTF. Development and creation of mobile applications: where to start? Project plan for developing a mobile application examples

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Developing a business plan of mobile applications & WVTF

Zhdanova Ksenia Denisovna

Faculty of Mathematical Economics, Statistics and Informatics Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Moscow, Russia

Abstract: The purpose of the project - to create a unique mobile application to aggregate messages from different messengers. "Have you ever faced such a problem: your parents use Viber, WhatsApp and friends Telegramm, and colleagues are extremely Facebook? If your answer is" yes ", then our application" & WVTF "especially for you!" The value of this idea is that a person using multiple software products, such as Viber, WhatsApp, Telegramm and Facebook, will be able to chat with all your contacts from a single application, without the need to switch between multiple programs.

Keywords: The business plan, business model of A. Ostervalder, mobile application, investment, innovation model

1. SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

The business idea is to create an application that aggregates the most popular instant messengers.

Our company will be engaged in the production, implementation and maintenance of the & WVTF mobile application, which will aggregate several popular instant messengers at once, such as:

1) WHATSAPP,

2) VIBER,

3) Facebook,

4) TELEGRAM

The goal of this project is to create a unique mobile application for aggregating messages from different messengers.

Our customers will be people who use several messengers at once, because the interlocutors use different programs (due to the peculiarities of the phone's operating system and preferences). Thus, people will be able to communicate without having to switch between different programs and windows. The buyers will be both IOS and Android users. The age segment of buyers is from 7 to 99 years old.

We will deliver information to customers via the Internet, namely through the AppStore and GooglePlay applications. Advertising using the Vkontakte group and Yandex.Direct

Our competitors are Nimbuzz and Snowball apps. The main difference is the messengers included in our application. These are the most popular messengers.

The long term prospects are:

Increase in the number of clients
Adding the most popular and demanded instant messengers to our application, i.e. development of a mobile application.

Start-up funding requirements and income after project implementation:

Starting capital = 300,000 rubles

For the first MONTH of work, it is planned to sell 5000 paid versions of the application at a price of $ 1 / version. Thus, the sales income for the first month will be 300,000 rubles.

When selling free versions, in which pop-up ads appear, an income for the first month is planned in the amount of 100,000 rubles.

Suppose that starting from the 2nd month from the start of sales, it is planned to sell 2,500 applications per month, the income will be 150,000 rubles + sales income of 100,000 rubles = 250,000 rubles per month. TOTAL = 400,000 + 11 * 250,000 = 400,000 + 2,750,000 = 3,150,000 rubles

Organizational and legal form of the enterprise - Individual entrepreneur

For the implementation of the project, it is planned to attract 5 employees:

1. Chief programmer,

2. Programmer,

3. Technical support specialist (2 employees),

4. Manager.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

The type of our investment project is the creation of a project "from scratch", because the project is innovative and has no previous versions.

At the moment, the project is at the stage of "Gathering a team" and "Creating a concept".

At the time of launch, it is planned to implement the project throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, and after a successful launch, we plan to expand the area of action and allow using our application all over the world.

The goal of this project is to create a unique mobile application for aggregating messages from different messengers.

How our business idea was born: “Have you ever faced such a problem: your parents use Viber, friends of WhatsApp and Telegramm, and colleagues at work exclusively use Facebook? If your answer is “yes”, then our application “& WVTF" especially for you!"

The value of this idea lies in the fact that a person using several software products at once, such as Viber, WhatsApp, Telegramm and Facebook, will be able to communicate with all contacts from one application, without having to switch between several programs.

To achieve the goal of our project, it is necessary to sign contracts for the provision of servers from Viber, WhatsApp, Telegramm and Facebook. This will be done through the API (Application Programming Interface). The API defines the functionality that the program (module, library) provides, while the API allows you to abstract from how exactly this functionality is implemented.

The term for achieving the goal of the project - from the beginning of creating an application to publishing applications in the AppStore and GooglePlay - will not exceed 2 months.

3. INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAIN PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

History:

There is no story about the borrower, because this is the first startup.

The main participants in the project:

Chief programmer
Programmer

The order of interaction in the project- the founder of the business (he is also a manager) concludes a contract with the above specialists, specifying their job responsibilities.

The manager is obliged to write the TK in accordance with GOST No. 34 and transfer it to the chief programmer, as well as conclude contracts for access to the WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, FaceBook servers. In turn, the chief programmer brings the programmer up to date to start building the application. After the allotted time, the programmers are obliged to show the preliminary version to the manager for approval and further work.

Organizational plan:

A start-up capital of 300,000 rubles is required, which will be financed by the founder of the business.

The first 2 months will be a waste of start-up capital, then the startup starts to make a profit.

Table 1. Calculation of the required investments

Staff costs
	Position	Amount of wages per month, rub
	Chief programmer
	Programmer
	Technical support specialist (2 people)
	Sales / Contracting Manager
Total staff costs
Equipment costs (not included)
Rental expenses (not included)
Contracting costs (server access)
	Whatsapp
	Telegram

	FaceBook
Expenses TOTAL

4. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Product program:

We offer you a new messenger & WVTF:

1) Convenient intuitive interface

2) Ability to purchase a free version

3) Save battery power and memory in your smartphone by using one messenger instead of 4!

4) Our app is available for Android and IOS smartphones

5) Ability to use one application instead of 4 without losing the functionality of all programs

We will provide 2 view of our application:

a. Website iphones.ru is free(under testing)

b. Website appleinsider.ru/obzory-prilozhenij - paid

c. Website appstudio.org/ios-apps - paid (7000 rubles)

2) For Android users:

a. Website androidinsider.ru - paid

b. Website ferra.ru/ru/apps/ - paid

c. Website android4all.ru/soft - is free

1. Gathering the team

2. Payment for the services of a programmer

3. Writing applications for IOS and Android operating systems

4. Obtaining a patent for the application

6. Implementation of applications in Google Play and AppStore

7. Development of a marketing strategy to attract new customers

8. Technical support for users

9. FINANCIAL PLAN (FORECAST STATEMENTS, INDICATORS)

Project performance indicators:

1) DPBP (DISCOUNTED PAYBACK PERIOD). This is the time for which the current (discounted) net cash flow of the project will exceed the initial investment. This indicator reflects the period after which all the money invested in the project is returned, provided that the discount rate is correctly selected. The indicator should not exceed the duration of the project, otherwise the project will be considered unprofitable.

2) NPV (NET PRESENT INCOME). One of the key indicators of the project, which is the current (discounted) amount of net cash flows from the project (the difference between all cash inflows and outflows), calculated taking into account the expected change in the value of money. Shows the absolute amount of money (income) that the bank or investor will receive from investing money in your project. Allows you to compare projects of equal duration and takes into account their scale. For a project to be considered profitable, this indicator must be at least greater than zero.

3) IRR (INTERNAL RATE OF PROFITABILITY). Along with NPV, it is one of the key indicators of the project and characterizes the degree of profitability of the invested money, taking into account the time factor and subject to full coverage of all project costs from income. It is calculated as a barrier rate - the discount rate at which the NPV of the project is 0. IRR allows you to compare the efficiency of investments in the project with alternative options for financial investments (for example, in other, more profitable projects) and shows the relative profitability of the project per unit of invested funds. This figure should be higher than the discount rate.

4) PI (PROJECT PROFITABILITY INDEX). It is also one of the key indicators of the project and is calculated as the ratio of NPV to initial investment. Shows the relative profitability of a project compared to other projects with a comparable initial investment. If the index value is equal to one or less, it loses to other projects and investments and actually makes the project of little interest to the bank or investor.

Investment size:

In 2016, consumers spent $ 61.8 billion on mobile apps, up to $ 75.7 billion in 2017. This market is constantly growing, but not all applications are successful, justifying the money spent on them.

In order to differentiate your app from a large number of competitors, it is important to make it technically high-quality and one that really helps solve the problems of your consumers.

To create a quality app, you need to have a good development team. How many days the work will take, how the application is created and how much it costs, you will find out in this article.

Factors that affect the cost of creating an application

Two criteria are important here: the performer (the price depends on the country in which the developer is located) and the functional complexity of the application.

Naturally, the price depends on the amount of work that needs to be done by the team. It directly depends on the number of screens, controls, device type, screen orientation modes, security, the number of languages supported in the application, and much more. The more functionality the customer wants, the more time and money will be required for development. Although there is a way to spend less time and money on for your website.

The process of developing an application is really quite difficult. Sometimes a team of at least 6-7 specialists may be required.

The development plan looks something like this:

First, you need to think over for whom and for what purpose the application is being created, how the user can enter it, what problems will he face? All of this is described in the User Story.
Then the design stage and design development begins, the navigation is thought out, a layout is made and a guideline is drawn up - this is an instruction for developers: how design elements should look for different mobile devices.
Next, graphics are sliced so as not to overload the application by weight, but at the same time leave everything you need. Please note that when developing not an ordinary web application, but the weight of the application will be no more than 200 KB.
Further, all these materials are transferred to development. Often in the process of work, new ideas appear that make adjustments to the initial plan.
After that comes the testing phase. The tester checks the operation of the application on different devices, and also uses special services to test the application on different operating systems.
After testing, the application is uploaded to the App Store and the monitoring phase begins. To track download statistics and reviews, you can use the Distimo or Flurry services. Google Analytics is also used for this purpose.
After the release of the application, you need to work hard to attract users, collect all the metrics and analyze user behavior. If you use push-mailing technology, it is easier to “learn” the habits and requests of customers with the service. Having made the necessary conclusions, improve the application.

Before ordering development, make sure that the team will work on prototyping the application. This is very important, as it will help you avoid mistakes and oversights, as well as clearly understand what the end result awaits you.

Many teams are engaged in the creation of mobile games to order, this is the category of applications that users spend the most on. The development process and the cost of the application are very different in this case.

How to calculate the cost of developing a mobile application

Usually, developers make a preliminary estimate of the cost of the order. You can get it in a couple of days, usually for free.

If the cost suits the customer, he signs a contract, which calculates the exact price of the application development, the deadline for the completion of the work, and a description of the final result. Sometimes the price can change if during the development process it was decided to add additional functionality. But this is agreed with the customer.

The average cost of developing a mobile application depends on the complexity of the application:

A simple application costs about $ 3,000 (the term of work is 1-2 months);
Medium application - $ 4000-5000 (3-4 months);
Hard - $ 6,000 (over 4 months).

How much does it cost to develop a mobile app for a freelancer

In Russia and Ukraine, many freelance developers “write” applications with sufficient quality. Their prices are 2-3 times lower than, for example, freelance developers in the United States. Therefore, many customers from other countries turn to Ukrainian and Russian specialists.

Application development price in different countries

A high price does not always indicate a high quality of performance, it only indicates that the salaries of programmers in different countries are very different.

It takes about 2 months of work to create a simple application, that is, 300 hours. It turns out that the minimum cost of an application from Indian developers will cost $ 3,000, from Eastern European developers - about $ 7,500.

How long does it take to create a mobile application?

The process of creating an application for Android, iOS, Windows Phone operating systems consists of several stages.

Free cost estimate (takes about 2 days);
Study of the problem, market and competition (about 5 days);
Writing a technical assignment depending on the complexity of the application (10-15 days);
Design development (from 5 to 15 days);
Programming takes 20 days to 4 months;
Testing and monitoring of the application is carried out within 5 - 10 days.

If the application being developed is very complex, then parallel programming is carried out to speed up the delivery of work.

How to create a mobile app for free

To create a simple application on the Internet, there are many services and programs for creating mobile applications for iPhone, Android and even WP. Each service provides step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

Then publish the application in the iTunes and Google Play directories.

App builders make it possible to develop one app for Android, iPhone and tablets. Services software allows you to create applications in minutes.

Of course, the quality of such an application is very inferior to that created by professionals, both in design and in functionality. The likelihood that you will be able to make money on such an application is minimal.

How to develop a mobile application for adequate money?

For your app to be popular and generate income for you, you need to meet the needs of your audience. If the app doesn't solve any of the user problems, it is doomed to fail.
Before deciding on one of the development teams, make a price comparison, as well as study the portfolios of the companies you have selected. A high price is not always a sign of high quality.
Before ordering, be sure to ask for a rough estimate of the project.
Discuss all the details of the project with the team, and also insist on creating a prototype of the application. Decide on the design and functionality of the application. You must be clear about what you need and what you don’t need. Then the cost of the work can be significantly reduced if you understand that you will calculate it as superfluous.
And only after discussing all the issues, you can sign an agreement.

The development of mobile applications is a difficult and very laborious process, which is a full-fledged software development. To make it easier for you to understand how we create mobile applications, we will briefly tell you about each stage of our work.

Product idea and business expertise

People come to our company to realize their idea of a mobile application, web resource or to automate business processes. We conduct a free business examination, advise the client and refine the conceptual component of the project, taking into account the needs of users.

Interviewing and preliminary market analysis

Interviewing. The purpose and value of the application? The target audience? Basic functionality? Platforms? Requirements for the application development process? Criteria for choosing an executor? Review of similar solutions: functionality, number of users, ratings, reviews, monetization. User analysis.

Repeated contact with the client

Additional questions. Connection of technical specialists. Statement of requirements for the implementation of the application.

Project evaluation and proposal

The project is evaluated by the development team. After that, the client receives a preliminary commercial offer for the application development: stages of application development; terms and cost; specialists; guarantees.

Signing a contract

We conclude a contract in which we describe in detail the stages of work and our obligations. You will be legally protected. Each stage of the work is absolutely transparent, all the main points are discussed with you in as much detail as possible.

Prototyping

Understanding what users expect from the application, we proceed to the prototyping process. A well-built interface is a guarantee that the user will quickly find out how the application will help solve his problem. You get the opportunity to see the functionality of the future application without the software part.

Product design

We draw the design of all screens and element states. We use the recommendations of Google and Apple for the design of the application. We make sure that graphic solutions are clear and convenient. You get a design that sets you apart from the competition.

Development of technical specifications

Terms of Reference - a document developed on the basis of an approved interactive prototype and product design required by developers, test engineers to develop and test a project.

Application programming and testing

Programming of a web resource or a mobile application is carried out according to the SCRUM methodology - step-by-step task scheduling and breakdown of their execution into sprints.

Retrospective

Demonstration of the results to the customer in 2 weeks. The team analyzes the risks and problems, completes the sprint, and optimizes the further application development process.

Publishing a mobile application
Accompaniment and achievement of the result

The difference between our work is that we not only develop applications, but also take them for promotion. Our clients get a company that is responsible for all stages of work: from the first button to downloading the application and grateful feedback from users.

Interview

We conduct interviews in person or via Skype. An interview can take several hours. This stage of application development is important. How accurately and fully the client answers the questions, the product will be released.

The main questions we ask are: project objectives, existing business process, target audience, competitors. At this stage, future functionality is discussed.

MindMap

We create MindMap - a smart map that allows you to structure all the information received from the client. This is a visual project diagram, thanks to which all the data about the application is in one place.

Analysis

Hand sketching

We study competitors' applications. We analyze where users may feel uncomfortable or where they stumble while performing their tasks. We do this in order to determine how the new application will differ from the existing analogues.

Development of a prototype

Based on the sketches, we create wireframes - a structural diagram of the application pages. This is the skeleton of the design, where every detail of the future product is depicted.

A UX specialist works on page layouts. The process of creating wireframes is discussed with the art director.

After its approval, a clickable prototype is made, which is sent for approval to the technical department.

User interviews

We test the finished prototype on users - employees of our office or groups of volunteers. We show a prototype and ask questions: "What do you think this button is?", "How would you add a product to the cart?" etc.

This helps to detect incomprehensible moments for users and correct errors at this stage of the development of a mobile application.

Presentation of the prototype to the client

We make a presentation: show the prototype to the client, explain what will work and how. If necessary, we make changes, finalize. We agree on all the details and approve.

Development of the design concept

At this stage of developing mobile applications, we are making several options for design concepts. The concept chosen by the customer will form the basis for the design of the entire application.

Design of all screens and states

At this stage, all screens and element states are drawn. On average, 120-150 screens are obtained. This helps to take into account all the scenarios and not increase the programming time.

TK and client-server architecture

When we have the design ready, we proceed to the development of the Terms of Reference. It describes all scenarios, screen transitions and screen states. At this stage, the specialist works out the hi-level architecture of the project and the data storage model.

This is an important step. It determines how the software part will be built, the speed of the application, the configuration of "client-server" requests. Where do we get the data, where do we write it, how do we write it, etc. The TK includes all systems with which it is necessary to synchronize.

Programming and Testing

The work goes into the hands of programmers. The development process is based on the Scrum agile development methodology. A complete list of tasks is formed (the so-called "back-log") and divided into small sections (called "sprints").

We program it step by step and demonstrate the result after each sprint. When the software part is ready, we send the application for testing. Test technicians check the product for possible errors. If necessary, the application is returned to the programmers for revision.

Publishing an application

The main stages of developing mobile applications have been passed, it remains to prepare the application for publication. To do this, we make a description of the product and graphics that comply with the rules of Google Play and AppStore stores. If you do not follow them, the application will not pass moderation.

In stores, the user sees the application icon first, so it is important to make it attractive.

When creating graphics for app descriptions, we check whether the authors have permission to use certain images, whether there are celebrity faces in the photo, as well as compliance with other store requirements.

Product technical support

After delivery, projects go to the stage of technical support.