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Getting Started on Your Business Plan

by Tim Berry

Writing a business plan is not intuitive. Sometimes it is hard to know where to begin. Here are a few suggestions to help get you started:

  • See if you have a local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Business Resource Center, or SCORE office to get advice. Check our SBDC finder to find an SBDC near you. You might also want to check with your local Chamber of Commerce office for additional local resources.
  • Here on Bplans.com, we offer over 100 free sample business plans for you to learn from.

As far as beginning, the success of any business plan is within the quality of the information provided. Once you determine the type of business you want to go into, the plan itself is to represent the operation on paper as if it already exists. How much revenue is expected, from where, the marketing plan that prompts the sales, the infrastructure needed to meet the needs of doing business as well as other related actions and costs. Take your time and talk to as many people as possible for information.

Doing your homework up front is like taking on an insurance policy. It increases your chances of succeeding by eliminating the unknowns. In the end there are always other variables.

I would also start by purchasing Business Plan Pro and going through the tutorials.

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18 readers have commented on “Getting Started on Your Business Plan”

  1. wendy said on January 17th, 2008 at 4:18 pm:

    I need a plan that I can fill in the blanks or the answer the questions. manufacturing not a start up business looking to go to the next level bus plan

  2. Management Majors said on January 23rd, 2008 at 11:33 am:

    Thank you for the excellent resources. These plans are a great place to start when crafting one’s own business plan.

  3. timothy said on February 9th, 2008 at 8:11 am:

    thank for accepting me get connected to your website.

  4. prathap said on March 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 am:

    this is prathap am a Business Development Executive in a software company,

    my management need the business plan for my work,
    my work is mainly into client intrection, getting new clients, work out on the requirement,and maintain the right relationship with the existing client,
    for this please send a sample business plan

  5. duc tran said on March 5th, 2008 at 1:39 am:

    i’m student and i’ve some ideas for my business so i don’t know where begin??my ideas is export mango to america ( it’s so cheap and about quantity of that mango’s so good ) !!so monaything i don’t know !!! can you help me?? thanks you…..

  6. huongmai said on March 14th, 2008 at 10:20 am:

    Hi, I just graduated in an Economic University. I’m trying to write a bussiness plan to apply an intervestment, so I don’t know how to make a financial estimation about start-up or for 3 next years. Could you give me a guide? Thank you so much!

  7. Tim said on March 16th, 2008 at 10:34 pm:

    I need to see how a business plan sample looks like

  8. neelam said on March 17th, 2008 at 7:47 pm:

    i want strat my buissness in garment section plz suggsest me a good bussines plan

  9. nick said on March 21st, 2008 at 6:18 pm:

    I want to start a restaurant business please help me with a business plan. Am currently a management student.

  10. H. Hyman said on March 24th, 2008 at 6:02 pm:

    Hello, I want to bring my dream business plan into reality. I don’t know how to write a business plan or know where to start. Can you help me with this dream? Thanks.

  11. Jake Weatherly said on March 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm:

    Business Plan Pro will work perfectly for you to develop your own plan for your specific business, and it includes all 500 sample business plans as a source for inspiration.

    Start by opening the sample plan you choose in Business Plan Pro, and then use the built-in wizard to step through the planning process. The wizard provides instructions for every step, and Business Plan Pro even puts your plan together for you when it is time to print.

    Hope that helps!

    Jake Weatherly
    Director of Customer Experience
    Palo Alto Software

  12. ntando. khumalo said on April 1st, 2008 at 12:15 am:

    my mother is looking to start a new business with SAQA. amd looking for the best wy to draw up her business plan. can u you pleas help us if any one knows about a wbsite to help her.

  13. Bongile said on April 1st, 2008 at 4:07 am:

    I need to see how a business plan sample looks like.

  14. gugu carol said on April 11th, 2008 at 1:25 am:

    i want to start a business with my folks, but we cant design a business plan please help with the content of a business plan.

  15. chau said on April 11th, 2008 at 9:33 pm:

    I’m trying to start a wireless business and I need a business plan, but I don’t know where to start. Please help me out

  16. Jasma said on April 15th, 2008 at 5:13 am:

    i have to write a business plan for my class but i doont know hoow to get started.

  17. yvette said on April 27th, 2008 at 4:05 am:

    hello,
    im planning to open a coffee shop and i dont knows how to make a business plan.can you help me,what i shoul do?i dont have any experience in opening a business?

  18. Casi Deatherage said on April 28th, 2008 at 10:12 am:

    Hello Yvette,

    Business Plan Pro has everything you need to create a complete business plan. Business Plan Pro Version 11.0 is an easy step by step process, in an SBA-approved document format, complete financial plan, powerful forecasting tools and 500+ sample business plans included.

    Goodluck!

    Best regards,

    Casi Deatherage
    Palo Alto Software
    Customer Care

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