Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach: A Guide for Entrepreneurs

New Revised Printing Now Available! Oftentimes it makes sense for a firm's leaders to bring in someone from the outside to pull together all the information needed for a business plan. But using outside help can be an expensive proposition. Thus, many more entrepreneurs develop their own business plans. Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach helps those entrepreneurs who wish to write their own business plans. This book describes a generally accepted format and the content of a business plan. All plans need to have sections describing their businesses, detailing a marketing plan, and forecasting a set of financials. Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach:  it is intended for entrepreneurs at all stages of their business development, as well as for students in entrepreneurship classes in colleges and universities. describes the multiple uses of business plans: be a guide throughout the planning period, used to make decisions about direction and allocation of resources, to distinguish between a good and less attractive opportunity, and to be used for raising outside financing. features four parts: How to Start a Business Plan, Preparing to Plan, Writing the Business Plan, and Presenting the Business Plan.    After reading Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach, not only will the reader be able to create a successful business plan, but will become more effective in running their business!

Table of Contents:
Part 1: How Do We Start? Chapter 1: Why Should I Write a Plan? What Will Your Audience Look For? Guiding Principles Chapter Summary Review Questions Part 2: Preparing to Plan Chapter 2: Developing and Screening Ideas Developing Ideas Screening Your Idea Product/Service Feasibility Industry/Market Feasibility Organizational Feasibility Financial Feasibility Types of Research Endnotes Chapter Summary Review Questions Chapter 3: More Things to Do First Choosing a Name Legal Forms of Business Founders’ Agreement Endnote Chapter Summary Review Questions Part 3: Writing the Business Plan Chapter 4: The Front of the Plan Cover Sheet Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Order of Material Chapter Summary Review Questions Chapter 5: Marketing Plan Marketing Strategy Industry and Market Analysis Competitive Analysis Pricing Strategy and Pricing Model Marketing Action Plan Sales and Distribution Endnote Chapter Summary Review Questions Chapter 6: Product Development and Operations Product Design and Development Intellectual Property (IP) Operations Endnotes Chapter Summary Review Questions Chapter 7: Management Team Management Team Board of Directors Board of Advisors Key Hires What Not to Do Chapter Summary Review Questions Chapter 8: Financials Sources and Uses of Funds Assumptions Pro Forma Financial Statements Putting It All Together Final Considerations Chapter Summary Review Questions Part 4: Presenting the Business Plan Chapter 9: Investor Presentations Questions to Answer Formal Presentation Informal Opportunities Other Considerations Chapter Summary Review Questions Appendix: Sample Business Plan