The One-Hour Business Plan: The Simple and Practical Way to Start Anything New

The One-Hour Business Plan: The Simple and Practical Way to Start Anything New

Released September 2013
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781118726228

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Book description

A guide to writing a successful business plan—in just one hour

A strong business plan greatly increases a business chance of success, especially in an economic environment in which more than 50 percent of businesses fail within three years. Your business plan can serve as a foundation for your successful business. The One-Hour Business Plan, written by seasoned entrepreneur and business instructor John McAdam, helps you lay that foundation. With the help of this book, aspiring entrepreneurs can write a viable business plan in just one hour.

  • Offers step-by-step guidance on the process of writing a business plan, with field-tested instructional techniques that are simple, strong, and easy to implement

  • Written by John McAdam, a "been there, done that" hired CEO and serial entrepreneur with decades of real-world experience, who helps ordinary people become entrepreneurs and helps entrepreneurs become successful

The One-Hour Business Plan outlines a process and a framework for creating a business plan that sets you up for success. Give your business the best odds for success, in just one hour of your time.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Setting the Tone
  5. Introduction
    1. Why These Cornerstones Build the Best Foundation for Any Business Plan
  6. Module 1: What Are You Offering?: Create a Value Proposition That Makes a Stronger Business Model
    1. The Need
    2. The Solution
    3. Features versus Benefits
    4. Advantages
    5. Written Exercise: Write Your Value Proposition
    6. Value Proposition Exercise #1—The Value Proposition Building Blocks
    7. Value Proposition Exercise #2—“What Do You Do?”
    8. Value Proposition Exercise #3—“What Do You Want?”
  7. Module 2: Who Are You Offering To? The Customer Target Market: The Only Sustainable Source of Business Funding for the Long Term
    1. Customer Target Market Introduction
    2. Market Size: The Addressable Market
    3. Customer Demographics and Demographic Profiles
    4. Customer Categories
    5. Second-Phase Customers
    6. The Customer Target Market Funnel
    7. Public Relations
    8. Advertising
    9. Marketing
    10. Sales
    11. Written Exercise Preparation
    12. Customer Target Market Exercise: Methods and Lists
  8. Module 3: Who Are Your Competitors? Competitive Positioning: Viewing Your Offering Through Your Customers' Eyes
    1. Competitive Positioning Table Exercise
  9. Module 4: What's Next? Next Steps: What Milestones and Action Plans Do for Your Business
    1. Milestone Introduction
    2. Business Milestone Definition
    3. Essential Elements of a Business Milestone
    4. Examples of Business Milestones
    5. Milestones in Practice: Sandbagging, Overstatement, and Balance
    6. Action Plan and Goals Defined
    7. Milestone Quality Control Check: “Stiflegoal” and “Stiflestone”
    8. Milestone and Action Planning Worksheets
  10. Module 5: How Much Money Will You Make? The New Offering to Cash Mini-Budget: A Simple Way to Predict How Much Money You Will Likely Make
    1. How Much Money Will Your Business Model Make?
    2. Selling Price
    3. Average Sales Cycle Time/Customer Acquisition Time
    4. Unit Sales Forecast
    5. The New Offering to Cash Mini-Budget Worksheet Exercise
  11. Conclusion: Pulling It All Together: Using Your One-Hour Business Plan to Earn Customers Today
    1. I Love Beta Users of Innovations and You Should, Too
    2. CEOs and Entrepreneurs Have a Lot in Common
    3. Other Applications of the One-Hour Business Plan
    4. On the One-Hour Business Plan Concept—Is It a Gimmick?
    5. Get Feedback on Your Plan Foundation from Advisors, Colleagues, and Mentors with Successful Exits
    6. Benefits of Sending Us Your Worksheets
    7. Help Us Get the Word Out—This Works!
  12. Final Thoughts
  13. Acknowledgments
  14. Index

Product information

  • Title: The One-Hour Business Plan: The Simple and Practical Way to Start Anything New
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: September 2013
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781118726228