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Business planning: Choose a business plan style

Small Business BasicsA business plan should spell out the way you will manage, operate and finance your company. It's not an end-all document, but should change and expand with your business. It can also be very informal, depending on what type of business you're in. According to the Service Corps of Retired Executives, an informal plan is no more than 10 pages long. A more formal plan can be longer and might be presented when trying to entice venture capitalists and bankers to invest in your business.

Either plan can be divided into basic sections:

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  • A description of the business
  • A marketing plan
  • A management and operations plan
  • A financial plan

Introduce your business with an executive summary, or an overview of your objectives. Some experts recommend just a few paragraphs, enough to let busy investors know if they want to read more. Include the who, what, when, where and why of your business.

 

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