Your one-stop guide to creating a winning business plan from
scratch
Whether you’re starting a new business or growing an established
one, you’ll need a solid business plan to get you where you want to
go. Revised for today’s rocky economic climate, this edition of the
UK’s bestselling business plan guide gives you what you need to map
out your business strategy and stay on course – including a
complete sample plan that you can easily adapt for your
business!
* Chart your course – assess the current state of your
business and where you’d like to take it, and establish clear,
achievable objectives
* Get to know your customers – learn the latest techniques
for getting a better idea of who your customers are and what they
want
* Scope out the competition – find out who your competitors
are and what it’ll take to get your share of the market pie (and
theirs)
* Sort out your finances – construct a value chain, examine
your cash flow and calculate a sensible budget
* Enter the Dragons’ Den – convince bankers, investors,
venture capitalists and other funding sources your business is a
good investment
* Read the tea leaves – learn to decipher changing cultural,
political and technological trends and to alter your strategies as
needed
Open the book and find:
* Tips on developing a sure-fire business strategy
* How to set realistic objectives
* Forecasting and budgeting strategies
* Keys to writing a motivational mission statement
* How to decipher the latest consumer trends
* Advice on building your brand and brand loyalty
* Tips for seeing and seizing opportunities before the
competition
* Ways to adapt your plan to economic change
Learn to:
* Prepare a watertight business strategy
* Assess the marketplace
* Devise a sensible forecast and budget
Table of Content
Introduction 1
Part I: Determining Where You Want to Go 7
Chapter 1: Starting Your Business Plan 9
Chapter 2: Charting the Proper Course 19
Chapter 3: Setting Off in the Right Direction 35
Part II: Sizing Up Your Marketplace 51
Chapter 4: Checking Out the Business Environment 53
Chapter 5: Taking a Closer Look at Customers 77
Chapter 6: Dividing Customers into Groups 93
Chapter 7: Scoping Out Your Competition 111
Part III: Weighing Up Your Company’s Prospects 127
Chapter 8: Establishing Your Starting Position 129
Chapter 9: Focusing On What You Do Best 147
Chapter 10: Figuring Out Financials 163
Chapter 11: Forecasting and Budgeting 187
Part IV: Looking to the Future 215
Chapter 12: Preparing for Change 217
Chapter 13: Thinking Strategically 239
Chapter 14: Managing More than One Product 261
Part V: A Planner’s Toolkit 293
Chapter 15: Planning in Turbulent Economic Times 295
Chapter 16: Making Your Business Plan Work 309
Chapter 17: Learning from Others: A Sample Business Plan 333
Part VI: The Part of Tens 353
Chapter 18: Ten Questions to Ask About Your Plan 355
Chapter 19: Top Ten Business-Planning Never-Evers 359
Index 363
About the author
Paul Tiffany is a management consultant and university professor. Steven Peterson is the founder of Home Planet Technologies, a management training company. Colin Barrow is the author of more than 30 books in the fields of entrepreneurship, business management and international property development.