Definitive Business Plan, Second Edition, The

Start with the basics

You can make a gentle start on this section of your plan by listing some basic information about your business. Think of this as the 'personal details' page of your company passport. It allows you to be formally identified.

If you are preparing a document for external use or if the business is small you can list the full details. If you are preparing a plan for internal management use and you are working for a long-established multinational it will probably be adequate to include a sensible summary only. Either way, keep it clear and concise.

Give the full corporate name, the legal status (corporation, partnership, sole trader, etc.), the address of the registered office, company and tax registration numbers, the name(s) ...