7 Step Business Plan for SBA Funding


Writing a Business Plan

"I'm very glad," said Pooh happily, "that I thought of giving you a Useful Pot to put things in."
"I'm very glad," said Piglet happily, "that I thought of giving you Something to put in a Useful Pot."
But Eeyore wasn't listening.  He was taking the balloon out, and putting it back again, as happy as could be ..."
from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
 


WRITING A BUSINESS PLAN

Writing a business plan is indeed rather like having a Useful Pot and having Something to put in it.

 

The Useful Pot is the structure of the business plan.  All business plans have essentially the same structure.  Fortunately, they all look different, and read differently, and present different ideas.

Imagine someone writing a business proposal to open a day care center to serve the employees working in a few very targeted buildings.  That proposal would encompass all the elements of a typical business plan, such as marketing, financial projections, biographical summaries, etc.  But, more importantly, this business plan would focus on the demographics of the employees in the targeted buildings.  Most importantly, it would focus on the ages and family status of those employees.

Now suppose a day care center that had been in business for a few years wanted to expand, with six additional facilities in neighboring towns.  The dynamic of the proposal immediately shifts.  Now it becomes an issue of (1) prior success, (2) expansion strategy and (3) management ability to expand that dramatically.

Start out with a 7-Step Business Plan template.  It's all in MS Word and Excel, so it's fast and easy.  Add your personal pizzazz, and you've got a winning proposal.  Click on the book covers for more information.

That is the kind of dynamic that your business plan will create.

The very hardest part about writing a business plan is establishing that initial focus.

What kind of business is this? 

Describe it in one sentence.

It's not a bakery.  It is a natural foods bakery.  It is a gourmet French bakery. 

Who are the target clients? 

Not everybody.  Probably not everybody in a certain age bracket even.  Really focus it down.  It may well be that everyone within a ten mile radius is a potential client, but they are not are in your core target market. 

Knowing that core market is essential to success.

From the lender's perspective ...

What would you think if a total stranger came to you with an idea for a business?   What would you want to know before lending that person money?

That is exactly the issue that all lenders and investors are faced with every single day.

Your job is to make their job as easy as possible.

As we look at the various aspects of writing a business plan, keep in mind the perspective of a total stranger.

This perspective is important even if you are going to a banker that is familiar with you and your business.  Few bank managers make many decisions any more.  It all goes "down town".  Who knows what is "down town"?  It could be someone who knows you and your industry.  Or it could be a total stranger.

Err on the side of caution.  Assume that it is a stranger.

By the time this person finishes reading your business plan, he should feel comfortable with your business and with your goals for it.  He should also feel comfortable with the fact that you are the best person to tackle this business.

If you have accomplished that, you have accomplished more than 99% of the business plans out there. 

So let's go discover what to put into that Useful Pot ...

See

Definition of a Business Plan.  This is not a "document to raise money."  No, it's a great deal more.

Parts of a Business Plan.  Pull these components together, and you've got a strong business plan.

Business Plan Layout.  It's a whole new world in business plan writing.  Give yourself the writing edge.

 

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You CAN Get The Funding Your Business Needs --
And
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Your 7-Step Business Plan, with ...


Dozens and dozens of businesses
Templates in MS Word and Excel, two programs you already know
Templates and examples for all sections, INCLUDING FINANCIALS!
Over 100 pages in all, with loads of step by step directions
...  And Lots, Lots More.

Click on Book Cover TO FIND OUT MORE!


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