Business Plan Examples, For Snippets Of Inspiration

There is one thing that business plan examples won't do:  They won't show you how to write a business plan. 

In fact, most of the sample business plans that you see floating around the internet are pretty lousy.  No, let me re-phrase that.  The business plan examples that you see floating around the internet may have been just dandy for a certain business back when it was written, but it probably won't do a silly thing for your business now.

Business Plans Have Changed

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Yes, something even as venerable as a basic business plan has simply changed.  The ones that you see floating around were created when long paragraphs were groovy and an outline format was just dandy.  Those features were great 20 years ago when entrepreneurs didn't know how to create a business plan with pizzazz, one with readability and structured to fit the business.

But this is the 21st century.  This is the era when the economic dynamic changes before you can even tie it down and measure it.  Our attention spans are shorter.  Our demands are greater. 

Here are a few of the things that lenders will look for that you won't find in business plan examples:

• Use of short paragraphs with bulleted points for easy reading.
• Use of headlines to allow for rapid scanning.
• An emphasis on the ability of the management team to steer through very rough waters.
• An awareness of how to handle the business in the event that Plan A doesn't work.
• An ability to use the power of the internet to enhance your sales and service.
• The ability to recognize the limitations on research that was done only three or four years ago.
• The ability to work with people and companies to create a success.
• Formatting and style to accentuate your strengths.
• An awareness of your weaknesses, and a plan to deal with them.

In short, lenders are looking for real entrepreneurs.  Savvy entrepreneurs.  They are not looking for someone who copied from business plan examples.

Have You Had Trouble Financing Your Business?

Go back and analyze the business plan.  How effectively does your business plan demonstrate the qualities noted above?   mmmmm.  We thought so.

A simple outline cannot show you off to your best advantage, and that is what you need in this market.  You need room to strut, room to ponder, room to negotiate.

Yes, We Do Include Business Plan Examples With Our Business Plan Series

Honestly, I feel hypocritical doing it, but we do include samples of business plan in every single one of our business plans for financing.   We include them only because so many people assume that that is what they need to write a successful business plan.  But we don't want you to use them. Ever.

But you can look at them.  Look for specific things.  How is the business plan laid out?  What does it emphasize?  What makes it good, or bad?

Then incorporate as much of the "good" stuff into your own plan as possible.  You may pick up some language from one business plan, and maybe a financial tip from another.

But write your own business plan.  Lenders can tell if you've got a canned one, and they just don't fly.  Not any more.

I remember when I wrote my first business plan, a long time ago.  I worked for a venture capital firm and one of the partners told me to write a business plan for a particular venture they wanted to present to other firms.  My mind drew a blank.  A what?  So I got hold of a few that had come through the office that were successful, took a look at what was in them, and set out to put the same kind of information into this new business plan.

That's the approach that you need.  See what's in a few business plan examples.  Then make your business plan even stronger.

Take a look at some of the articles below.  They will set you on the right path.

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