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Where to get business planning
help
By Jenny C. McCune •
Bankrate.com
 The
good news for someone starting a business today is that there is
a variety of help. Assistance includes Web sites, software designed
to help you write a business plan and how-to books. There are even
consultants who solely work on cranking out business plans.
Keep in mind that while it's perfectly fine
to get advice or use a software program to get help, be sure that
you do the work yourself. Take Cynthia McKay of Le Gourmet Gift
Basket as an example.
"There are several sources through books and
on the 'Net, but I relied on my passion and vision rather than someone's
quick format to write mine," McKay says. Use programs and their
boilerplate to get you started and to give you a framework, but
don't rely solely on their wording. The discipline of writing the
plan from scratch -- even with a little help from these tools --
will help you crystallize your idea.
Your audience -- backers, lenders, and other
readers -- will see through and will be unimpressed by a totally
prefabricated plan. Indeed, companies that squeeze the most out
of their business plans don't just "write 'em and file 'em." Spend
a couple hours each month reviewing and updating your plan. It will
save you time and money in the long run and can help you troubleshoot
and make your business more efficient and profitable.
Use the writing of your business plan as an
exercise to determine the feasibility of your idea and how you will
make it fly.
Below is a list of resources:
Books
- Business Planning: 25 Keys to a Sound
Business Plan, by Ed Williams and Al Napier; New York Times
Pocket MBA Series, 1999.
- Anatomy of a Business Plan : A Step-By-Step
Guide to Starting Smart, Building the Business, and Securing Your
Company's Future, by Linda Pinson and Jerry Jinnett; Dearborn
Trade, 1999.
- Businessplan.Com: How to Write an Ecommerce
Business Plan, by L. Manning Ross, Psi Successful Business
Library -- Oasis Press; May 2000 (second edition).
- The Complete Book of Business Plans:
Simple Steps to Writing a Powerful Business Plan, by Joseph
A. Covello, Brian J. Hazelgren; Sourcebooks Trade, 1994.
Web resources
- Preparing
a Business Plan -- Canada/BC Business Service Centre, This
government site walks you through the process and is a good resource
even if your company is based in the U.S., not Canada.
- The home page of Palo Alto Software, the
software developer for Business
Plan Pro. In addition to touting its software, the Palo Alto
site includes sample business plans, gives access to plan consultants
and posts other advice.
- Small Business Administration's "
The Business Plan: Road Map to Success."
A blueprint of what a business plan should consist of.
- Home page for Business
Resource Software Inc., developer of "PlanWrite." Look for
help under its "business tip" section.
- EntreWorld,
the Web site of the nonprofit Ewing Kauffman Foundation, this
site includes a lot of useful information for small businesses.
Look for specific business plan help in its "start your business"
section.
- JIAN Software, maker of BizPlanBuilder
software. This site lists business resources and boasts what it
calls an "expert network."
- Service
Corps of Retired Executives. The site is currently being overhauled.
For now, one good place to go is SCORE's Business Resource Index,
which lists useful business information sites and tools.
- Deloitte & Touche's Web site for "
Writing an Effective Business Plan."
Read its executive summary or order the book online.
- American
Express Small Business Services offers help in writing a business
plan.
Business plan preparers
These two sites offer to write your business
plan for you. While we can't vouch for their work, you may want
to consult with them should you need help in composing your business
plan.
Software Sites
These are sites for companies that publish
software that aids in business plan preparation. They do not offer
any help above and beyond selling their software.
Jenny C. McCune is a contributing
editor based in Montana
To comment on this story, please e-mail
the Bankrate.com
editors
-- Posted: July 17, 2000
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