Starting a Business All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition
by Eric Tyson, Bob Nelson, The Experts at Dummies
Chapter 1
Writing a Business Plan
IN THIS CHAPTER
Recognizing the value of a business plan
Understanding what goes into a plan
Setting your planning starting point
Picking out your target audiences and key messages
Establishing your business planning time frame and milestones
Finding help as you get started
The fact that you’ve opened this book means the idea of writing a business plan has made it onto your to-do list. That’s a big step in the right direction. Now come the questions. What exactly is a business plan? What should it include? How should it be organized? And do you really need one?
This chapter answers all those questions and more. It offers plenty of reasons why business planning is essential — when you start your business and at every growth stage along the way. It helps you think about the audience for your plan, what its key components should be, and how to go about ...