The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide, Third Edition

A Dedication to Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneurs of America

It’s people like you who help make our nation great. Our country continues to look toward you, our country’s entrepreneurs, for inspiration.

In good times and bad, you climb your own personal Mount Everest, and settle for nothing less than reaching the top.

Why? Because you have what it takes to succeed! You keep your eyes on the summit and you won’t quit! If you stumble, you get up, dust yourself off and keep going!

To paraphrase the words of Robert Kennedy:

Some people look at things the way they are and ask why?

You’re the people who dream of things that never were and ask why not?

America is called the land of opportunity. Looking at our entrepreneurs, we know that’s true. We’ve read your inspiring stories. They’re truly amazing.

Your integrity and commitment to quality—two attributes that continue to be of the utmost importance—set you apart:

Each of you has taken advantage of an opportunity, or more likely, several opportunities over the course of your careers. When a friend said to the great entrepreneur Steve Wynn, “An opportunity like that does not come along every day,” Steve responded, “If you’re good, you only need one.” Steve has seized many opportunities!

And in doing so, you’ve created opportunities for families, friends, employees, and your communities.

When you think about it, just about everything starts with an entrepreneur’s vision and execution.

Even today’s multinational giants were once entrepreneurial ...