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TwitterIn 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 the very first section) ‘Product/Service Description’… Continue reading
Business Plan Checklist
The most difficult part about writing a business plan is compiling the most essential information about your business. As tedious as this job may be, it will help you a great deal and will not only save you time but will help you to organize your thoughts. I have created a list of questions that I like to answer before I begin to write a business plan. You may use my list as it is or adjust it in any way that fits your business.
Funding Options from Investment Sources
As anything else business plans are intended for a specific audience. Preparing your business plan with your audience in mind is one of the keys to getting the funds that you need. Here is a list of your funding options. Keep in mind that these are some of the major funding options available, but of course, if you are creative you may find other sources as well. Chances are, no matter what the funding source is, you will need a business plan, so read on
Funding Options from Loan Sources
Considering that there are more than 25 million small businesses in the U.S. one would think that a business loan should not be hard to get. And it isn’t as long as you cover the bank’s 5 major requirements:
Good Credit – 700 and above
Experience – The loan officer reviewing your application wants to [...]
Before You Begin to Write Your Business Plan…
Writing a business plan can be stressful especially if you have never done it before. Where to start, how to organize it, where to begin your research, what is the most essential information that you need, and many more questions tend to confuse and overwhelm even an experienced entrepreneur. With a bit of planning creating a business plan doesn’t have to be that difficult, knowing who is your audience, what information you need, and developing an outline which covers the information that investors are looking for will help you to create a winning business plan and get the funding that you need.
Why You Need a Business Plan
You have a great business idea; you can visualize it and see it happen…you know in your heart that although there are risks entailed, you want to do this, you are an entrepreneur. You tell your family and close friends passionately about your business idea in the hopes that they will also see its great potential and will invest some money, enough to get you off the ground until you are ready to pitch your idea to bigger investors. Then the reality hits…Everybody agrees that your idea is genius, but…they are not sure if they want to give you their money, not yet.Whether you are looking for venture capital funding, a small bank loan, or you just want to put some structure around your great idea, you need a Business Plan.
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 patents involved it makes more sense to write it as a separate… Continue reading
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 Summary‘, which is the very first section). In… Continue reading
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 can sell by gathering some general numbers on the size… Continue reading
Market Analysis – Part II
January 21st, 2010 admin In this article I give you detailed explanations of the essential points that you need to include in the section of your business plan, called Market Analysis. Market Analysis is usually the third section of the business plan following the section called ‘Company Profile‘ (not counting the executive summary, which is the very first section). In my article Market Analysis – Part I I gave you a… Continue reading
Market Analysis – Part I
January 18th, 2010 admin A business plan is divided into six to eight different sections. In my article Company Overview I went over the basic points that you need to cover regarding your business, product, goals and objectives, the market pain and how your product/service will solve this pain. Then comes the Product/Service Description section . Although there is no rule which says which section should be first, second, third, or… Continue reading
Company Profile
January 12th, 2010 admin COMPANY PROFILE is usually the first section of the business plan, after the executive summary. This section can be entitled a number of ways to pattern itself to your particular plan. It is often called “Business History”, “Company Overview”, or “Business Description”. Of course if you think of something more creative that conveys the same meaning, fell free to use it. If the plan… Continue reading
Sample Executive Summaries
January 4th, 2010 admin Writing an EXECUTIVE SUMMARY is easy once you have written your business plan. Your executive summary should simply summarize your business plan in a concise and clear manner. In this article I will provide you with a few SAMPLE EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES. To see what investors are looking for in an executive summary read my article “Executive Summary – What is the Critical
Executive Summary – What is the Critical Information that Investors are Looking for?
January 4th, 2010 admin The executive summary is the most important part of your business plan and as such it deserves much of your attention. This is the document that will sell your business idea to a potential investor. Although there is no standard way of writing an executive summary there are certain information that every savvy investor is looking for in an executive summary, which will help her/him decide if your business plan is worth reading. Continue reading to see a sample EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OUTLINE. Continue reading
Executive Summary – What You Should Know
January 4th, 2010 admin The executive summary is the cornerstone of your business plan. It is generally the first part of your plan reviewed by the audience. Its goal is to convince your audience that your business plan is worth reading. If the executive summary is poorly written or provides insufficient or misleading facts, the audience may not read any further. Although some suggest that the executive summary should be five pages or less in length, from my experience investors rarely like to read more than two pages. My advice is to try to keep is as short as possible, not more then two pages without compromising the content, of course. Continue reading
