Prepare the Comprehensive Business Plan at the Beginning

After you have developed your Comprehensive Business Plan, you should develop specific business plans of shorter length and format (usually no more than 20-30 pages in length) for various purposes:  Funding Business Plan, Investor Plan, Joint Venture Business Plan, Marketing Business Plan, Strategic Plan, Customer Plan, Supplier Plan and so forth.

 The Purposes Behind a Business Plan

A comprehensive Business Plan serves two purposes typically: a dynamic document to run your company successfully, and a document to start, acquire or expand a company, all backed by the shorter version business plan formats (i.e. a Funding Business Plan).

Have a Business Mentor Review Your Business Plan

Have a business mentor who has a lot of experience in your area of business read your business plan and critique it. Use the feedback to tweak your  Business Plans.

Don’t Use Too Many Charts and Graphs

Business Plans do not need a lot of fancy graphics and art work to be effective.  As part of our  Business Plan Services we include charts and graphs but they are an add-on, not a substitution for good content and substance. Simplicity and straight forwardness are more important than a bunch of pretty graphs.  Many modern business plans lack substance and have lots of swank.  Add some flash and graphics to the plan afterwards the substance of the plan is completed and only if it aides the understanding and comprehension of the written content.

A Good Business Planning Process will Produce an Effective Plan

As Business Plan Writers we know a great way to develop and build a business plan is to develop questions and requirements for each section of the business plan prior. This is a proven and effective process to develop a successful business plan.  Pull the questions from your experience, your team’s experience, your mentor’s experience, a published Business Plan Book, and business planning software.  Answers to the questions will build out that particular section.  Order the sub-sections in a logical, building block order.

A Realistic Plan is a Believable Plan

A business plan should be realistic to be believable.  It should contain facts and figures to support the “believability factor.”  For instance, just stating in your Marketing Plan that you will fulfill 5% market share is not enough.  Your Strategic Plan in combination with your Marketing Plan should cautiously illustrate how you will achieve 5% market share.

Develop Your Business Plan as a Dynamic Document and Tool

An effective Business Plan is never static.  It should be dynamic and easily adaptable to changes in the market and opportunities which arise.  As part of our Business Plan Writing Services we stress to our customers that a business plan is a “living” document used to run your business on a daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.