> Business Plans

Business Plan Outline (14)

The Business Plan: Not just a blueprint
Business planning is a vital component of starting and growing a successful enterprise. Many different templates and variations of business plans exist, so you must choose the right one for your purpose and your enterprise. Having a business and knowing what to do with it are very separate issues and creating a well-executed business plan for the right reasons will enhance the odds that your venture will be one of the ones to succeed.

Why Business Plans Don't Get Funded
There are plenty of business plan resources available on the Web. Most of them focus on what to do, but many times the best lessons are learned from mistakes and seeing how to avoid them. Guest author Akira Hirai takes a look at the most common, easily avoidable mistakes that will keep investors from funding your project.

The Ten-Step, One-Day Strategic Plan
The Ten-Step, One-Day Strategic Plan

SWOT Analysis - A Peek Behind the Curtain
Nearly any company or individual can benefit from utilizing a SWOT analysis. If nothing else, you will likely come away with some newfound insights and valuable data that should help in solidifying your next step. And in many cases, a look behind the curtain may fundamentally alter how you perceive the situation.

How to Do a Breakeven Analysis
If you can accurately forecast your costs and sales, conducting a breakeven analysis is a matter of simple math. A company has broken even when its total sales or revenues equal its total expenses. At the breakeven point, no profit has been made, nor have any losses been incurred. This calculation is critical for any business owner, because the breakeven point is the lower limit of profit when determining margins.

The "Defendable Swag" -- How to Realistically Estimate Your Market Potential
There is a fundamental flaw in the thinking process of many entrepreneurs out there in the midst of building their companies and seeking angel or venture capitalist investment: simply put, their market projections cannot be defended. The total available market (TAM), around which the typical entrepreneur plans to build their pro forma business model, is often defined by figures pulled from some random analyst report off the Internet.

Business Plan FAQ
Our Small Business Information Guide answers common questions about business plans, from whether or not you really need one to the most common mistakes people make when writing them.

Critical Steps to Writing a Business Plan
Writing a business plan can be an overwhelming task. These feelings often translate into immobilization or confusion as to how to start the business plan. Learn the critical steps to start your plan on the right foot.

Interactive Business Planner
This exceptional online software will guide you through the creation of a 3 year business plan--for free!

Business Plan Outline
The SBA steps you through the elements of a business plan in an easy-to-follow format and provides you a template.

Business Plan for Home-based Business
This in-depth guide to creating a business plan for home-based business was created at the University of Central Arkansas' Small Business Advancement National Center, which appears to no longer be online. Fortunately, archive.org has a copy still.