Business Plan In A Day. Rhonda Abrams

       Is your management team capable of guiding your business to success?

       What is the long-range future of your business?

       What is your company’s financial picture? How much money will it cost to run your business and how much money will you make?

       Anatomy of a Business Plan

      The basic parts of a complete business plan are:

       Executive Summary: Highlights the most important aspects of your business, summarizing key points of your business plan.

       Company Description: Features the basic, factual details about your business.

       Target Market Description: Identifies the types of people or businesses most likely to be your customers, and explains their needs and wants.

       Competitive Analysis: Evaluates other companies offering a similar product or service or filling a similar market need.

       Marketing and Sales Plan: Outlines how you will reach your customers and secure orders or make sales.

       Operations Plan: Explains how you run your business and the operational factors that may give you an edge over your competition.

       Management Team: Describes the key people running your business.

       Development Plan and Milestones: Shows where your business will be in several years’ time, how you will get there, and the milestones you plan to reach along the way.

       Financials: A set of financial statements showing the current financial status and future financial goals of your company.

      Although the Executive Summary appears first in your plan, prepare it last. You’ll find it much easier to put together when you can draw from the highlights of each previously completed section.

      Business Plan In A Day guides you quickly and efficiently through the process of developing a business plan. It’s a roadmap to your success.

       Time-Saving Tools

      You probably already have a number of documents that will enable you to complete your plan faster. These include:

       Industry information, statistics, and data

       Surveys and other research about your target customers

       Information about your competition, including research from their websites

       Marketing brochures and other marketing materials

       Any past internal company planning papers

       Past tax returns (for existing companies)

       Organizational charts

       Charts depicting operational procedures

       Product data sheets

      At the beginning of each step in this book, you’ll find checklists showing the kinds of documents and other materials likely to provide helpful information for each section.

       Contents

       Praise for Books from PlanningShop

       About the Author

       The In A Day Promise

       Need a Business Plan Fast? This Book Is for You!

       Overview: What’s a Business Plan?

       Step 1 Executive Summary

       Prepare your summary

       Step 2 Company Description

       Give your company name(s) and location(s)

       Provide information about your company’s ownership and legal status

       Describe your company’s history, development stage, and milestones

       Identify your product(s) or service(s)

       Describe your industry

       Explain your company’s funding

       Pulling it all together: Company Description

       Step 3 Target Market

       Specify the geographic location and reach of your target market

       Describe the demographic characteristics of your target customers

       Explain customer motivations and purchasing patterns

       Determine your market size

       Evaluate market trends

       Pulling it all together: Target Market

       Step 4