Michele Cagan - Streetwise Business Plans: Create a Business Plan to Supercharge Your Profits!

STREETWISE

BUSINESS PLANS
with CD

Create a Business Plan
to Supercharge Your Profits!

Michele Cagan, C.P.A.

Copyright 2006 F+W Media, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street
Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-59337-620-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-620-8

eISBN: 978-1-44051-746-4

Printed in United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cagan, Michele.
Streetwise business plans with CD / Michele Cagan.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-59337-620-0
1. Business planning. I. Title. II. Title: Business plans with CD.

HD30.28.C32 2006
658.401--dc22

2006014733

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Ive worked with small business clients for over a decade. In some cases Ive been along for the whole ride, from the idea stage through success to the eventual dissolution at the end. Most times, though, Ive come in to help a floundering company find its legs and finally begin to have sustainable success. The common ingredient in all of the success stories was a business plan. I have never seen a business truly succeed without one, even if it was brought in late in the game.

No matter what industry you are in, no matter how long youve already been in business, your company will be able to reach a higher level of success when you have a solid business plan to follow. Every business runs into obstacles, and every business suffers setbacks. But when you consider these glitches before they happen, your company will be much more likely to weather them and quickly get back on track to being profitable.

Thats how this book can help you. A thorough business plan takes you in a logical and analytical manner through all of the big problems your company is likely to face. In that, it helps you come up with solutions sometimes even preventive measuresthat you can implement should the issue arrive. A solid business plan also helps you capitalize on your companys strengths and minimize the impact of weaknesses. Most important, a good business plan maps out your companys success.

To map out your business plan, you wont find a better resource than the CD that accompanies this book. On it youll find everything you need to create an impressive business plan, one that can help you acquire the necessary funding and start your business on the right foot. The CD will walk you step by step through your business plan, allowing you the flexibility to make changes on the fly. Youll find the forms and templates, and financial statements you need to create your own completeand successfulbusiness plan.

The business climate is more competitive than it has ever been. Starting and growing a business is hard, and turning a profit is even harder. Having a complete business plan puts your success in your hands, where it belongs. This book gives you all the tools you need to create that plan and to transform your dream into a profitable reality.

About the CD

Requirements: You must have previously purchased Microsoft Word and Excel in order to manipulate templates on the CD.

The enclosed CD will walk you step by step through the creation of a business plan. On it, youll find two full sample business plans (one for a service-based business and one for a product-based business), along with Microsoft Excel templates and Microsoft Word documents to help you create your own plan from scratch. The full sample business plans are presented as PDFs, which will open using Adobe Reader (a program that can be downloaded for free from www.adobe.com).

To Use the CD:

PC Users: Insert CD into computer; program will launch automatically. If it does not, select the CD icon; then double-click on index. html to launch the program.

Mac Users: Insert CD into computer; double-click the CD icon; then double-click on index.html to launch the program.

To Open the Downloadable Forms:

PC Users: When you click the Forms option during relevant parts of the business plan creation process, you will see a list of the available templates on the left-hand side of your screen. The documents will open automatically when you click on them.

Mac Users: When you click the Forms option during relevant parts of the business plan creation process, you will see a list of the available templates on the left-hand side of your screen. When you click on one, you will be directed to a separate window where the document you selected and its icon will be highlighted. Double-click that icon to launch the document.

Troubleshooting

If you receive a message indicating that, there is no default application specified to open a document, click Choose Application, then choose Enable: All Applications. Select the correct application for the document:

Microsoft Word for a document ending in .doc

Microsoft Excel for a document ending in .xls

If you are using a Mac and are directed to right click, hold down the control key on the keyboard and click your mouse button once.

Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

CD created by Boston Logic Technology Partners.

1
The Basics ofBusinessPlanning

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part five

Part six

Chapter 1
Why Your Business Needs a Plan

Chapter 2
Identify Your Audience to Focus Your Plan

Chapter 3
Different Plans for Different Business Types

Chapter 4
An Overview of Business Plan Components

What Events Trigger the Need for a Plan?

W hen you think about what a business plan is for, your mind probably goes right to the bank and the process of applying for business financing, as thats the most common use for business plans. But if youre creating this valuable tool only as a part of a required financing packet, youre overlooking its most important function: planning.

Whether youre new to the world of entrepreneurship or a seasoned veteran, a properly crafted business plan can help solidify your vision. And when youre undertaking a new venture, or remaking an old one, a written strategy can help ensure its success. With that in mind, there are particular events (aside from trying to get money) that prompt the need for a full-blown business plan. They include the following: