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TwitterI have to admit, for years I was a sloppy student. I never learned to write beautifully by hand and it seems that with every passing year my hand writing is becoming uglier. Lucky for me there are the computers (I never used a type writer) so when I was in college professors didn’t have [...]
Archive for the ‘Writing a Business Plan - Step by Step Guide’ Category
The 6 Cs of a Winning Business Plan
March 11th, 2010 
admin My manager at work David, is also my mentor. I have learned a great deal from David and I would like to share with you what he calls “The 6 Cs of a Winning Business Plan”.
Complete – No missing sections.
Clear – Concept of your product/service, its market, and business model are explained completely during the [...]
Financial Plan – Part I
March 4th, 2010 admin This article features the financial plan, which requires reviewing and considering all the other data presented elsewhere in the business plan. The financial plan serves two purposes: It guides the management team into making a decision and it informs investors of your company’s financial picture; past, present, and future. Projections are normally made three to [...]
Posted in Writing a Business Plan - Step by Step Guide 
Tags: balance sheet, break-even analysis, cash flow statement, direct cost schedule, Financial Plan, financial projections, financial projections template, income statement, IRR, NPV, payroll expenses, project evaluators, revenue projections, uses and sources of funds, venture valuation 
No Comments »Management Team
March 1st, 2010 admin The strength of the management team is critical to the business success and bankers and venture capitalists know it! In fact a strong management team is a key determining factor whether to invest in a business. Most businesses fail in the first five years because of two reasons: ineffective management or insufficient capital. The management [...]
Gaps in your management team are not necessarily a turn off. Don’t let your ego stand in the way.
February 26th, 2010 admin A few months ago I was invited to be a judge at a local venture pitch and business plan competition, where local entrepreneurs had the opportunity to present either a 2 minute pitch or a 10 minute business plan presentation in front of panel of judges as well as a group of investors. As start-ups [...]
Operations Plan
February 8th, 2010 admin I constantly come up with business ideas. In fact, I have so many of them that it is difficult to keep track and their number grows by the day. Here are just a few examples: selling ultra comfy hybrid mopeds at a very low price (of course), selling imitation designers’ wedding dresses, buying a boat [...]
Marketing Plan – Part III -The Marketing Mix
February 4th, 2010 admin In this article I give you detailed explanations of the essential points that you need to cover in the fourth section of your business plan, called Marketing Plan or Marketing Strategy. Marketing Plan is usually the fourth section of the business plan following the section called ‘Company Profile’ (not counting the ‘Executive Summary‘, which is [...]
Posted in Writing a Business Plan - Step by Step Guide Tags: 4Ps, business model, distribution strategy, estimating sales projections, four Ps, marketing objectives, marketing plan, marketing promotional strategy, pricing strategy, Product Price Place Promotion, sales projections, sales revenue, sales strategy, strategic alliances, target market 6 Comments »Writing the Product/Services Section of Your Business Plan
February 1st, 2010 admin Product/Services section of the business plan is usually the second section written after the Company Profile section. I sometimes like to incorporate this section into the Company Profile section, but only if the product is simple and doesn’t require much explanation. However for more complex products or services, especially when there is technology, IP, or [...]
Marketing Plan – Part II: Target Market & Objectives
January 28th, 2010 admin In this article I give you detailed explanations of the essential points that you need to cover in the third section of your business plan, called MARKETING PLAN or MARKETING STRATEGY. Marketing Plan is usually the third section of the business plan following the sections called ‘Company Profile‘ and ‘Market Analysis‘ (not counting the ‘Executive [...]
Posted in Writing a Business Plan - Step by Step Guide Tags: aggressive advertising, business plan, business profile, business to business, buying habits, Company Profile, competition strategy, demographics, disposable income, Executive Summary, geographics, lifestyle preferences, Market Analysis, marketing mix, marketing money, marketing plan, marketing strategies, pricing strategy, psychographics, target audience, target market, uniques features 8 Comments »Marketing Plan – Part I
January 25th, 2010 admin The MARKETING PLAN or sometimes called ‘Marketing Strategy” section is usually the fourth section of a business plan, after ‘Company Overview’, ‘Product/Service Description‘, and ‘Market Analysis’. The section on ‘Market Analysis’ and your ‘Marketing Plan’ are of critical importance. Probably the most common single error is to assume that you can validly predict what you [...]
