Business Planning

Introduction to Business Planning

The Business Plan Guide is intended to assist an entrepreneur in writing a business plan for the establishment, or the purchase or the expansion of an existing business.

Checklists

The Checklists for Going Into Business can help you with your first steps in planning for your business. The Venture Checklists can help you assess your business plan against factors like marketing, pricing, promotion, and financing.

The COBSC also has some samples of industry-specific Business Plans:

• Business Plan for Small Manufacturers
• Business Plan for Retailers
• Business Plan for Small Service Firms
• Business Plan for Small Construction Firms 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. 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.

  Performance Plus is designed for small business and for people preparing business plans. It enables them to benchmark their businesses against their peers and plan their operations objectively. The tool provides over 30 performance measurement ratios such as expense information, financial ratios, balance sheet info, employee data, profitability statements, etc. Once measured, businesses can see where they're strong and where they need improvement.