- Interactive Business Planner
Introduction to the IBP
What is the IBP?
How will the IBP assist you in preparing a business plan?
What are the key features in the IBP?
How do I navigate through the IBP
What browsers does the IBP work with best?
How do I prepare to use the IBP?
What is the IBP?
The Interactive Business Planner (the IBP) is a computer software program that uses the capabilities of the Internet to assist you in preparing a 3 year business plan for a new or existing business.
How will the IBP assist you in preparing a business plan?
- The IBP will show you what to include in your business plan. The first step in preparing a business plan is to figure out what questions you have to answer. The IBP has 11 sections and each section has several topics. Through this series of sections and topics, the IBP will walk you through what should be included in your business plan.
- The IBP will help you identify where you can get the information you need to write your business plan. You will likely already be in a position to address many of the topics in your business plan. For example, you may be able to describe your company, your products and services, and your employees. However, there will be issues that require further research. The next step, therefore, is to find where you can get the information you need to answer these topics. For example, you may ask where can I get market information or where can I get help on how to figure out my costs? For each section and topic, we have developed a list of information sources that may be able to help you.
- The IBP can help you collect the information. It is one thing to figure out where you can get information, it is another to collect it. Unlike traditional business planning software programs, the IBP operates on the World Wide Web. This means that it can actually help you collect some of the information by linking you directly with key sources of information on the Internet.
- The IBP will help you write your business plan. The IBP provides a format for writing your business plan. In addition, it will take the information you enter and prepare financial projections for you.
What are the key features in the IBP?
- The IBP is structured into sections and each section has a number of topics, corresponding to the parts of a business plan. You can complete the sections in any order you want and you can complete the topics within each section in any order you want. You do not have to complete each topic; if you have not completed a topic, it will simply be left out when you print your business plan.
- A business plan consists of text (such as sentences and paragraphs) where you describe your plans and numerical tables which contain your financial projections.
- You enter the text part of your business plan through text screens. Each text screen includes a question, a sample answer, and a box for you to type your answer. The sample answer is taken from a plan prepared for a business in your sector (for example, a manufacturing, retail, service, primary, or other business) and, if available, from the region of Canada where your business will operate.
- You will enter the financial figures for your business plan through numerical screens. Each numerical screen includes a question, a comments section which may be helpful to you in filling in your figures, and boxes for you to type your numbers. Based upon the figures you provide, the IBP will produce a net income statement, a monthly and an annual cash flow statement, and a balance sheet for you.
- Your business plan is automatically saved on our system. You may want to visit the IBP a number of times before you finish your business plan. To facilitate this, your business plan will be saved on our computer using a password you enter and only you will know. Your business plan will be waiting there for you the next time you visit the IBP. However, because of space limitations, be warned that your business plan will be deleted from the system after 60 days if you haven't updated it during that time. If you do not want your business plan to be kept in our system, you can delete it at any time.
- The IBP is linked to other Internet sites which could be useful to you. To obtain a list of links when you are in the IBP, simply click on the Tips & Links button. You will get a different set of links depending upon what topic you are working on and what sector and what region your business is in. We have reviewed over 1,000 sites to find those links most helpful to people writing business plans. For each link, we have provided a short description so that you know what you will find when you visit that Internet site. Simply click on the underlined and/or highlighted name of the link to visit the Internet site.
- Help is only a click away. We have included an on-line help function. You can access this help by clicking on any word which is underlined and/or highlighted on the page you are working on (this will give you a definition of the word or a detailed instruction) or you can access our Central Help Menu through the Help button.
- When you visit another Internet site through our links or use our on-line help, you are actually leaving the IBP. The simplest way to get back to the IBP is to trace your steps back by using the Back button on your Browser. Please note that some web sites will disable your ability to return to the IBP using the Back button on your browser.
- You can print your business plan on your printer. In addition, you have the option of copying (downloading) a computer file containing your business plan to your computer. The file can then be imported into a word processing program (such as Word Perfect or Word) or a spreadsheet package (such as Excel, or Lotus 1-2-3). This will allow you to spell check, format and add finishing touches to your business plan.
How do I navigate through the IBP?
There are a number of navigation buttons to help you work your way through the various sections and topics in the IBP. The buttons for the text screen are located along the left hand side. The buttons for the numerical screens are located along the bottom. The buttons that you will use most commonly are:
The button provides a complete list of the sections and topics in the business plan. From this page, you can jump to any part of your plan by simply clicking on the name of the topic or section. The Map uses checkmarks to show what sections and topics you have already entered information into. The Map button also gives you the option of viewing, printing or downloading:
- any part of your business plan including the title page and table of contents;
- any of the sample plans included in the IBP;
- the section introductions and topic questions included in the IBP; and
- a blank copy of the financial tables.
In addition, you can edit the titles, dates and names on your plan. What you have entered on the current page is automatically saved on the system when you hit the Map button
The button takes you to the next topic, saving the answers you entered for the current topic.
The button takes you back to the previous topic, saving the answers you entered for the current topic.
The Button appears only on the financial pages. The figures you enter into the financial tables are added up or multiplied when you hit the Save button or when you leave the page by using any one of the other IBP buttons.
The button jumps to a page where you can access On-line Help (which includes links to government organizations and industry associations that may be of use to you) or Other Sources of Assistance (which links you to Internet sites that are relevant to the topic you are working on) in the form of Internet links. What you entered on the current page is automatically saved on the system when you hit the Tips & Links button. When you click on a link on the Tips & Links screen, whether it is an On-line Help link or an Other Sources of Assistance, you are actually leaving the IBP to surf the Internet. To return to the IBP, you have three choices:
- you can use the Back button on your browser to trace your steps back to the IBP one page at a time;
- you can use the history function in your browser (under Go or Window Menu in Netscape or under File in Internet Explorer and click on the last page you worked on in the IBP) to pick up where you left off; or
- you can come back to our Home Page, re-enter your username and password, and re-open your file. Everything you worked on will have been saved.
The button takes you to the Central Help Menu. The Central Help Menu contains a description of the IBP and Business Planning, a list of terms used in the IBP, and instructions for using various elements and functions in the IBP. When you visit the Central Help Menu, you are actually leaving the IBP. As noted earlier, to return to the IBP, you can use the "Back" button on your browser to trace your steps back, you can use the history function in your browser, or you can come back to our Home Page.
The takes you to a screen where you have an opportunity to provide feedback to us.
Other navigation buttons which appear in the IBP include:
You automatically go to the Directory of Business Plans page once you sign in to the IBP. The button will return you to this page from various parts of the IBP. You can use the Directory of Business Plans to create a new business plan, download, print or open an existing plan, and download or print a sample business plan or list of the section introductions and topics that are included in the IBP.
The button in the Tips & Links pages will take you back to the business plan topic that you were working on prior to hitting the Tips & Links button.
The button appears on the Disclaimer page. Pressing the Accept button indicates that you accept the terms and conditions stated there.
The and buttons appear only when you have indicated that you want to delete a business plan from the system. If you press yes, the plan will be deleted. If you press no, the plan will not be deleted.
The IBP uses buttons and icons on the Directory of Business Plans and Map of Your Plan pages to note what you can view/print, what you can download (copy to your computer), and into which topics in the IBP you have entered information.
This button appears under the heading view/print on the Directory of Business Plans and the Map of Your Plan pages. Click on the button to view the topic, section, plan, title page, table of contents, sample plan or other item that is listed on that line of the Directory or Map. You can then print what is viewed by using the Print button on your browser.
This button appears under the heading Download on the Directory of Business Plans and the Map of Your Plan page. Click on the button to download a copy of the topic, section, plan, or sample plan that is listed on that line of the Directory or Map. If you want, you can then import a copy of the file into a Word Processing program (such as WordPerfect, Word, or Ami Pro), or into a Spreadsheet program (such as Lotus 1-2-3 or Excel).
This button appears on the Map of Your Plan page. The IBP uses checkmarks to identify the topics in the IBP into which you have already entered information. These checkmarks can be confusing in the Financial Section. In the Financial Section, the IBP takes numbers from one page and enters them on another page for you; because of this, you may find that some topics are checked even though you haven't personally visited them yet.
It is important to understand that there is a difference between the buttons on your Internet browser (such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer) and the navigation buttons for the IBP. When you use the IBP navigation buttons, your work will be saved on the system. However, if you leave a page using the browser buttons, your work on that page will not have been saved. The only times we recommend using your browser buttons are to get back to the IBP from the On-line Help or Other Sources of Assistance (by using the browser Back button) and to print out what is on the screen by using the browser Print button.
What browsers does the IBP work with best?
The IBP was designed to take advantage of current Web technologies such as Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) 4.01, Cascading Style Sheets, level 2 (CSS2), and JavaScript 1.2. To take full advantage of the application, you must at least have one of the following: Internet Explorer 5, Netscape 6 or Mozilla 1.0.
To take advantage of the full features of IBP, we recommend that users obtain a copy of the latest browser from Microsoft, Netscape or Mozilla.
The appearance and ease of use of the IBP varies depending upon:
- The ability of browsers to word wrap. Older browsers such as Netscape 1.2 and Internet Explorer 1.5 and 2.0 do not word wrap. This means that, when you type words into one of our text screens, your entire answer will be entered on one line. The entry will go to the second line only when the Enter button is hit. This poses no problem with respect to viewing, printing or downloading because we can control the format once we have the information; however, it is hard for the user to read what they have written as they are entering it.
- The Tab capabilities of the IBP. The Tab button is useful in entering information in boxes, both in the set up pages (such as entering username and passwords, user information, etc.) and in the financial section. However, what happens when you hit the Tab button varies, depending upon what browser you are using. For example, in Internet Explorer 3.0, you can use the Tab button to go virtually anywhere on the page to all the boxes on the page, to any linked words, and to each of our function buttons. At the other extreme, in the early versions of Netscape such as 1.22, the page does not scroll when you tab, you can't use Shift Tab to tab backwards, and tabbing does not take you to drop down menus. As a result, in the earlier versions, using a mouse is key.
- Whether the browser supports JavaScript. There are several features built into the IBP which, although not essential, make it a little bit easier to use the program. Early browsers such as Netscape 1.1 and 1.22 do not support JavaScript and, therefore, are not able to take advantage of these features.
- Another difference between browsers is that the size of the entry boxes, where you type in your business plan, are somewhat smaller when displayed through Internet Explorer than through Netscape. To take full advantage of the features of the IBP, we recommend that users obtain a copy of newer browsers such as Netscape 3.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0 or later.
How do I prepare to use the IBP?
Here are some tips to consider when you are preparing to use the IBP:
- Have a calculator, some paper and a pen with you. These materials can help you do some quick outlining and calculations when you are working on the text and financial sections.
- Be ready to spend at least a few days writing your business plan. Some people use the guideline that it will take them one hour per page to write a business plan. Following this guideline, if you are going to write a 20 page business plan, be prepared to spend 20 hours writing that plan. How long it will take you depends upon how much research you have completed to date and how familiar you are with business planning.
- Increase the amount of text that will appear on your screen. The pages of the IBP are typically larger than what can be displayed by your screen. As a result, you may have to scroll down the screen to read and to enter your information. You can make more of the page appear on your screen by using a smaller font on your screen and by reducing the area taken up by your browser. For example, when we are using the Netscape Navigator, we use the Options menu to hide the location bar and use the General Preferences section in the Options menu to set the proportional font at Arial 9 or 10 (this can be done in the font section) and to display the tool bar as text only (in the toolbars section). When we are using the Internet Explorer, we use the View menu to hide the address bar and use the Font section in the View menu to set the Font at small.
- Print out a copy of the Section Introductions and Topics. The IBP is structured into sections and each section has a number of topics, corresponding to the parts of a business plan. Some people find it easier to use the IBP if they have first read through the section introductions and topics. You might also want to keep it with you while you work your way through the IBP. You can print the section introductions and topics included in the IBP from either the Directory of Business Plans or the Map of Your Plan. You will automatically go to the Directory of Business Plans when you enter the IBP. Hit the Map button to go to the Map of Your Plan from any of the topics in the IBP.
- Print out a Blank Copy of the Financial Tables. In the Financial Plan section of the IBP, we will ask you to enter your financial assumptions into a series of numerical tables. Based upon this information, we will then produce the income statement, monthly and annual cash flow statements, and balance sheet for you. Some people find it easier to complete the Financial Plan section if they have first read through the financial tables. You might want to use them to pencil in your initial assumptions. You can print a copy of the financial tables included in the IBP from either the Directory of Business Plans or the Map of Your Plan.