http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Your business plan's financial section should include a chart showing where you intend to find the necessary funding to launch the business, the amounts from each source, and the specific uses of the capital you will raise. You must account for the use of... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/addressing-funding-sources-in-your-business-plan-1338879.html 08th January 2010 Your business plan must include some description of your plan to sell your product or service. Selling is the final step in the marketing process and includes closing transactions with interested customers and up selling them to additional products and se... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/pieces-of-a-business-plan-sales-plan-1338877.html 08th January 2010 You may decide very early in your business plan writing process that you want professional help with your business plan writing. This may be because you feel the quality of your writing will not be good enough or because you do not know how to create fina... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/business-plan-writing-services-here-are-your-options-1338875.html 08th January 2010 Writing in detail about the risks and potential pitfalls that face your business in your business plan may not be intuitive. After all, isn't this document a sales tool with which you hope to convince funders that the business is more or less a sure thing... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/good-business-plan-advice-tips-for-handling-risks-1338872.html 08th January 2010 Writing a startup business plan from scratch means doing a lot of needless work. Why not get a head start by jumping off from the work of experienced business plan consultants? Using a business plan template is a sure way is a sure way to avoid all of the... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/templates-and-business-plans-how-to-get-a-head-start-1336883.html 08th January 2010 Writing a business plan is a feared part of launching a new business, and it is natural for entrepreneurs to have some uneasiness about getting started on the document. This is because the ability of the business to raise money is based to a great extent... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/starting-a-business-plan-advice-on-writers-block-1336881.html 08th January 2010 Whether you create a business plan for external sources (generally potential investors, lenders, or partners) or for internal guidance for your management and staff, the outline of required sections is generally the same. However, there are some key diffe... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/outlining-your-business-plan-internal-vs-external-planning-1336004.html 08th January 2010 Working with a business plan consultant can take a great load off of your shoulders, giving you a knowledgeable partner and advisor in the business plan development process. Consultants can usually take on the entire business plan development, even includ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/business-plans-made-easy-working-with-a-consultant-1336002.html 08th January 2010 When you are ready to seek private investment in your business, a private placement memorandum may be required by your state's law. Even if it is not, this document is highly recommended as it can protect your business from claims of fraud down the road w... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/private-placement-services-here-are-your-options-1336001.html 08th January 2010 When writing your first business plan (and perhaps what you hope is your only business plan), you will naturally be a bit unsure about how to proceed. Although a wealth of information about business plan writing is available, knowing how to focus your wri... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/business-plan-success-steps-for-a-firsttimer-1336000.html 08th January 2010 Use the following checklist and make sure you can answer all of the questions here positively to be certain you've covered the essential steps of creating a business plan: Cover Sheet: Is it simple, formal, and easy to read? Does it include the busine... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/business-plan-checklist-for-entrepreneurs-1333548.html 07th January 2010 To assist in your business plan preparation, avoid these three mistakes commonly made by entrepreneurs. Looking Only at Competitor Weaknesses Readers can see if you are doing this in a second. For example, if you mention a competitor business who h... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-prepare-a-business-plan-top-mistakes-to-avoid-1331296.html 07th January 2010 There is no such thing as a perfect business plan, as even the best business plans can use some improvement. However, by thinking carefully about the steps you take to create your business plan you can improve your business plan writing process. With the ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/is-there-such-thing-as-a-perfect-business-plan-1331293.html 07th January 2010 There are numerous legal concerns in the creation of a private placement memorandum (PPM) and it is definitely recommended that a lawyer review the document at some point. However, there are both pros and cons to retaining a lawyer's services to draft the... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/private-placement-memoranda-the-role-that-lawyers-play-1331292.html 07th January 2010 There are a number of ways to find comprehensive help in creating your own business plan. Each offer their own pros and cons. Generally, the more cash you have available to put into the product you choose, the more value you will get back. Book At ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/finding-comprehensive-business-plan-help-1329746.html 07th January 2010 There are a number of types of professionals who can be of great help in your business plan writing. Seeking advice from one or more of these individuals to review your plan and to offer constructive criticism can strengthen your plan significantly before... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/help-writing-a-business-plan-seeking-professional-help-1329744.html 07th January 2010 The term sheet of a private placement memorandum details the specific terms and nature of the investment. This is not as simple as explaining that one share can be purchased for a certain price. Depending on how the business is incorporated, there are dif... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/private-placement-term-sheet-details-1329743.html 07th January 2010 The saying that "cash is king" is never more true than for a small business owner. While large businesses may sit on huge reserves of cash and not be worried about borrowing when it runs low, a small business has to worry. A business plan for a small busi... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/writing-a-small-business-plan-the-importance-of-cash-1329082.html 06th January 2010 The industry analysis section of a business plan is sometimes overlooked by entrepreneurs focused on the specifics of their business. However, this section offers an important opportunity for the business owner to step back and relate their planned busine... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/key-components-of-a-business-plan-1319309.html 30th December 2009 The financial plan of a startup business plan is not only necessary to complete the plan, but a place where you can either win points with funders or make mistakes from which you cannot recover. The pro forma financial statements each have something to sa... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-write-a-startup-business-plan-knockout-financials-1319307.html 30th December 2009 The business plan's conclusion should sum up the opportunity the business represents with language targeted at the specific audience the plan is intended for (for example, investors or lenders). Without going into the detail allowed in the executive summa... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/best-way-to-end-your-business-plan-1319303.html 30th December 2009 The executive summary of a business plan must be a complete overview of the entire business plan (often a document twenty pages or longer), but also a concise and compelling hook which grabs your readers in one or two pages. While these may seem like cont... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/business-plan-tips-writing-a-compelling-executive-summary-1319053.html 30th December 2009 The elements of a business plan which is intended to encourage outside capital investment into a company must all work in concert towards this goal. These are the major sections of a business plan and how they help to convince funders that funding the com... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/what-makes-up-a-business-plan-1319051.html 30th December 2009 Successful business plans strike a balance between unbridled enthusiasm and cautious pessimism in their tone. Neither extreme is right for a business plan and this will influence how you describe both the downsides and upsides of the business. Downsid... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/successful-business-plans-strike-a-balance-1319046.html 30th December 2009 The need for your non profit is probably not self-evident to funders and readers of your business plan. Unless your organization exists to serve a need that erupted very recently, it is likely that other potential solutions for the need are in existence a... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/starting-a-nonprofit--establishing-the-need-1312525.html 23rd December 2009 When preparing your budget for your new day care center, return often to your understanding of the core service you need to provide: a safe space with competent staff. Use this understanding to guide you as to where you can save money and where you must b... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-open-a-daycare-center-on-a-tight-budget-1312524.html 23rd December 2009 Seeking the help of a professional when you create your business plan, whether an accountant, lawyer, business plan consultant, or writer, is highly recommended. However, it is important to remember that throughout the development process you still have a... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/professional-business-plans-how-to-create-them-1312523.html 23rd December 2009 Proving the market for a business is an extremely important first step for a business plan. Market Size The market size must be significant enough that the business will be able to thrive, even if competitors enter the market and take some market s... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-write-a-simple-business-plan-proving-the-market-1310519.html 22nd December 2009 Rather than presenting your business plan to funders only to hear difficult questions for the first time, why not think ahead of the questions funders will ask and incorporate those answers into the plan ahead of time? Here are some key questions and how ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/answer-these-business-plan-questions-before-presenting-1310399.html 22nd December 2009 One of your goals, as an entrepreneur, is to create a business plan which presents no clear obstacles for funding to those who read it. The plan should make a funder's decision to invest in or lend to the company easy. Here is a run-down of what a busines... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/what-makes-a-business-plan-easy-to-fund-1308526.html 22nd December 2009 Creating your cafe's business plan is a project in and of itself, so make sure you understand what goes into it. These are tips for writing a successful plan for your cafe. Outline First Before starting to write any section in full, take a quick swe... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/a-business-plan-for-cafe-businesses--writing-tips-1302255.html 17th December 2009 Your bar business plan is, of course, a key document that investors and lenders alike need to examine to consider providing you with capital for your new bar. However, don't overlook this document's importance as the means for you to think through all of ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/bar-business-plans--not-just-for-investors-1302249.html 17th December 2009 One of the greatest benefits of a business plan is the opportunity it presents for you to make key mistakes on paper rather than in dollars and cents. The type of thorough research and strategy that a business plan requires for funders requires should als... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-write-business-plans-make-your-mistakes-1302187.html 17th December 2009 The layout of the interior of your music store includes some major decisions which will have an impact down the road on your costs, revenues, and the basic safety of the location. These are three principles of store layout to consider, whether you draw up... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/music-business-plan-three-principles-of-store-layout-1301562.html 17th December 2009 Investors will be interested in the financial return they can expect from your business. Many types of businesses only produce a significant financial return when they are sold, often because the business does not produce excess cash which can be paid out... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-plan-to-sell-your-business-1299402.html 16th December 2009 Your record company certainly does not exist in a vacuum. The business can achieve very little without seeking and maintaining valuable partnerships with many external parties. When these partnerships function at their best, these individuals and companie... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/how-to-open-a-record-company--creating-valuable-partnerships-1299401.html 16th December 2009 The choice of services for your salon should be described early in your salon business plan so as to be clear to readers what the salon will do for customers. As the term "salon" includes hair salons, nail salons, spa salons, beauty salons, and more, the ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/salon-business-plans--choice-of-services-1297628.html 15th December 2009 When writing a restaurant marketing plan, it is important to keep in mind why you are writing it. A marketing plan obviously outlines how your company will market its business but it is also important to keep in mind that marketing efforts are all created... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/restaurant-marketing-plan--3-key-concepts-1297611.html 15th December 2009 In the early stages of figuring out what your business is, deciding on a mission statement which will serve the business both now and in the future, meeting the needs of funders, employees, and customers, is difficult. The challenge is to make the mission... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/writing-a-business-plan-mission-statement-1297609.html 15th December 2009 When preparing your bar financial plan, you will need to show an understanding of the cost of starting up the business before a cent of revenue comes in. Pay attention to estimating the following key categories. Leasehold Improvements Leasehol... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/the-true-costs-of-starting-a-bar-1295677.html 15th December 2009 When creating a service business plan, either start with a business plan template created specifically for a service business to save time and worry, or take great care to adjust the plan to be appropriate for a service rather than a product. These are a ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/service-business-plan-differences-from-a-product-business-plan-1295672.html 15th December 2009 Customer loyalty will probably be the lifeblood of your hair salon. Not only will creating loyal customers ensure increased revenue from each customer, but it will drive their referrals to other customers and perhaps the rest of their families. The ... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/open-a-hair-salon--planning-for-customer-loyalty-1295670.html 15th December 2009 Read the latest about information technology and you'll see the acronym SaaS popping up again and again. SaaS (Software as a Service) is a movement towards software applications being provided over websites rather than as downloaded and installed programs... http://growthinkinc.articlealley.com/launching-a-webbased-business-software-as-a-service-1295663.html 15th December 2009 Opening your own bakery should be a moment of pride and accomplishment. However, there are pitfalls which can derail this great moment. 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