Entrepreneurs often need business plans - fast. Investors, banks, and planning departments regularly request them, and corporate employees often need to present such plans to their managers. What these people need is a guide to developing a high-quality business plan quickly. Enter Business Plan in a Day, an easy-to-use, easy-to-understand resource that offers solid advice.
Contents:
The In a Day Promise
Need a Business Plan Fast? This Book Is For You!
Overview: What's a Business Plan?
How to Use This Book
Step 1: Executive Summary
Step 2: Company Description
Step 3: Target Market
Step 4: The Competition
Step 5: Marketing and Sales Plan
Step 6: Operations
Step 7: Management Structure
Step 8: Future Development
Step 9: Financials
Presentation pointers
Following up
Nine Sure-Fire Ways to Ruin Your Business Plan
The Experts Talk
Business Terms Glossary and Resources
From The Planning Shop website www.theplanningshop.com:
At the Planning Shop, we have one goal: helping you develop a successful business plan for a successful business.
Our mission is to be the number one provider of business planning resources for the serious entrepreneur. Our books and products are based on years of real-world experience, sharing insight and advice-secrets and strategies-from entrepreneurs, funding sources, CEOs, strategic partners and more-with our readers.
In the US, hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs have used The Successful Business Plan to develop their business plans. It's widely adopted by business schools; tens of thousands of MBA students have used it to create business plans and to enter business plan competitions.
Entrepreneurs throughout the world have turned to The Successful Business Plan to guide their business development. USAID programs (United States Agency for International Development) adopted it to assist novice entrepreneurs emerging from Communist rule; entrepreneurs and students in places as far apart as Thailand, Ghana, Greece, Uruguay and even Afghanistan use it.
Table of Contents:
About the Authors. The In A Day promise.
Need a Business Plan Fast? This Book Is For You!
Overview: What’s a Business Plan?
How to Use This Book.
Step 1: Executiv e Summary.
1. Prepare your summary.
Step 2: Company Description.
1. Give your company name(s) and location(s).
2. Provide information about your company’s ownership and legal status.
3. Describe your company’s history, development stage and milestones.
4. Identify your product(s) or service(s).
5. Describe your industry.
6. Explain your company’s funding.
Pulling It All Together: Company Description.
Step 3: Target Market.
1. Specify the geographic location of your target market.
2. Describe the demographic characteristics of your target customers.
3. Explain customer motivations and purchasing patterns.
4. Determine your market size.
5. Evaluate market trends.
Pulling It All Together: Target Market.
Business Plan In A Day.
Step 4: The Competition.
1. Identify types of competition.
2. Identify your specific competitors.
3. Determine your competitors’ market share.
4. Determine competitive positions.
5. Highlight your competitive edge.
6. Evaluate barriers to entry and potential future competition.
Pulling It All Together: The Competition.
Step 5: Marketing and Sales Plan.
1. Summarise your marketing message.
2. Describe your marketing vehicles.
3. Identify any additional marketing and sales strategies.
4. Describe your sales team.
Pulling It All Together: Marketing and Sales Plan.
Step 6: Operations.
1. Determine key operations elements.
2. Highlight your operational advantages.
3. Address current—or potential—operational challenges.
Pulling It All Together: Operations.
Step 7: Management Structure.
1. Highlight your key team members.
2. Predict future management needs.
3. Describe your staffing structure.
4. Identify your board members, advisors and consultants.
Pulling It All Together: Management Structure.
Step 8: Future Developmen.
1. Define your long-term goals.
2. Establish future milestones.
3. Assess the risks.
4. Explore exit strategies.
Pulling It All Together: Future Development.
Step 9: Financials.
The Most Important Financial Statements.
Additional Financials.
1. Produce your Income Statement.
2. Develop your Cash-Flow Projection.
3. Generate your Balance Sheet.
4. Show your Sources and Use of Funds.
5. Consider preparing additional supporting financial statements.
Presentation Pointers.
Following Up.
Nine Sure-Fire Ways to Ruin Your Business Plan.
The Experts Speak.
Business Terms Glossary.
Business Resources.
Index.
Acknowledgments.
