Business Plan - The Easy Way

Building a business plan can be time-consuming and tedious. It can also bring upon questions that pile up exponentially which leads to discouragement, self-doubt, second thought, and ultimately giving up. As a result, building a business plan is as far as most people ever get to start their own business. However, a business plan really isn't that different from...say...a schedule you plan out in your head everyday as to what you'll do throughout the day.

All businesses need a plan or blueprint. If you don't have a plan, the business is bound to be chaotic and lack focus. I mean think about it. You've been taught to write an outline before writing an essay; you've been taught to do your research before doing a project; you've been taught to study before taking a test; and you've been taught to think before you speak. The list goes on and on. The bottom line is that we all must prepare before we act. Starting a business is no different.

As you plan out your business, you'll discover new ideas and concepts, you'll create new goals and visions, and you'll review and analyze your business idea. You'll be continuously refining your original Idea/Concept.

However, while a business plan is often needed when you are getting financing for your business, I find that most business owners dont find them very useful. Why not? Because usually they are written from a very long term frame (typically five years) and once they are written, they are put on a shelf and never looked at again. Im going to suggest some ways that you can get more out of your business plan.

The question to ask first isn't "HOW" to write a business plan but "WHO" is this business plan for? If you're a solo-entrepreneur, then a business plan is merely for you and you only; primarily outlining the goals and blue prints of your business and answering the 6 key words: Who? What? Where? Why? When? How? If you're a small business, then the business plan is for your investors and yourself; primiarily outling future projections, company goals, customer base, markets, competition, management, financial status, investments, and etc... Once you identified the "WHO", the "HOW" comes naturally because now you can frame your business around the people that you're proposing the plan to.

As I've mentioned, a business plan for a solo-entrepreneur only needs to answer to him/herself...and perhaps a partner or two that wants in on the business. The business plan must address the 6 KEY words of:

1.) Who? - Who is our customer?

2.) What? - What product/service will I provide to the customer?

3.) Where? - Where can I find the market for our product/service?

4.) Why? - Why will the product/service I chose work?

5.) When? - When can I launch the product/service to the customer?

6.) How? - How am I going to deliver the product/service to the customer?

For a solo-entrepreneur, these questions must be answered in your business plan. The business plan you're trying to build then should frame around these questions and provide details for each specific question. Once you tackled the 6 questions, you've layed the ground for your business and you can start preparing for the launch.

For small businesses, the business plan is a little bit different. The 6 questions still apply, but in a slight altered way. Business plans for small business should be filled with projections of what a venture might be able to achieve in the future. They should also be filled with facts about the ventures past and about the market in which it operates. It is these facts that often convince an investor that the opportunity is right for them. Key areas in which facts must be presented include:

1.) The Company

2.) Customer

3.) Market

4.) Competition

5.) Management Team

6.) Financial Projections

Owner of The Rich Jerk Exclusive: Lazy? Broke? Hungry for Money? Owner of Investing Central: Free Investing resources Owner of Business Startups: Everything you need to know to be an entrepreneur

The Significance Of A Solid Accountant Business Plan
Many of us in the nine to five business world dream of setting up shop and striking out on our own. Being free from the rigors of corporate life certainly does have its charms, but it is important for any would be entrepreneur to understand just how important a solid business plan is to their success.Without a good business plan, it will be next t...

The Need of Business Plan
According to a general conception, you prepare a business plan only when you are going for a business loan. Yet, the most important motive of a business plan is to find out whether your business idea has a chance to become successful or not. Once you have decided upon a home based business idea, start working out a business plan for it.A Business P...

How to Create a Successful Business
It is not magic when a company is successful. There is a plan involved that the visionary must follow on a daily basis for the company to be a success. The vision is the first step in the planning process. The vision needs to energize employees and the owner and needs to guide every decision that arises.There are other crucial parts of the busin...

Nail Salons Are Relatively New to the Beauty World
When starting a business like a nail salon you have a lot to think about. The first thing that you will want to do is ask yourself if you are ready to open your own salon. If you feel confident enough and have a passion to be your own boss, then you should begin to take the steps to making your entrepreneur dreams come true. The first step to mak...

Planning the Best Internet Marketing Scheme
When planning to engage in any online business, one of the things that should not be overlooked is your Internet Marketing plan. Common to many online business people is their negligence to carefully plan and think about how they should be marketing their products online. The dilemma of the business usually sets in from that stage onwards. Essen...

Finding the Best Windows Email Server Hosting Plan
One of the most crucial decisions you will make regarding your business web presence is which the best windows email server hosting plan is for you. Making a decision about you email servers hosing may seem trivial compared to everything else you have to deal with, but the truth is that you will rarely be as frustrated as you will when you have ema...

Steps in Planning your Internet Marketing
In an online business industry, it is essential that you make a structure of how you are going to market your business on the Internet. Primarily, the purpose of this plan is to make your product recognized and gain popularity in the Internet arena. After all, your product does not serve its purpose when no one in the consuming public knows what ...