Most entrepreneurs follow a specific pattern when they write a business plan in order to present the information in an organized way. While plans will vary because of different writing styles and preferences as well as types of business being developed, they all must cover the same common elements. These are:

• Executive Summary
  
  
• Business Description
  
  
• Ownership and Management
  
  
• Technical/Operational
  
  
• Marketing
  
  
• Financial
  
  

The Interactive Business Planner (IBP) enables you to do your business plan online. The IBP is:

• customized for five different types of businesses; manufacturing, primary, service, retail and other start-ups;
  
  
• prepares your 3-year projected financial statements;
  
  
• password protected; and
  
  
• user-friendly.

Need additional help? Our librarycontains materials on how to prepare a business plan as well as samples of business plans.

• "Preparing a Successful Business Plan"by the Self-Counsel Business Series
  
  
• "Business Plans Handbook: a Compilation of Actual Business Plans Developed by Small Businesses Throughout North America" by Craft, Donna, Senior editor, Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group
  
  
• "The International Instant Business Plan" by Gustav Berle PhD and Paul Kirschner, Santa Maria, CA: Puma Publishing Company

Here are some useful sites on doing a business plan. Remember to check out Business Guides for more on business planning.

• Why and how to Prepare a Business Plan?
  
  
• Preparing a Business Plan.
  
  
• Your Roadmap: The Business Plan.