***Small Business Starting - What is a Business Plan?
Written by Dr. Mary E. Waters, the Official Guide to Business Start-up
If you do not know what a business plan is or have never written one, you should take time to do the research on how to write it. If your business plan is at least two years or older, you should consider updating it. One way for the new and experienced business owner to think of a business ...If you do not know what a business plan is or have never written one, you should take time to do the research on how to write it. If your business plan is at least two years or older, you should consider updating it. One way for the new and experienced business owner to think of a business plan is to see it as a road map to success.
Often the business plan is referred to as the blue print to the success of the business. It is a document that describes the company's three- to five- year plan. In the business plan, you must demonstrate that the business can sell enough of its products or service to make a satisfactory profit so that it will attract potential backers. The document maybe used to sell your business to bankers, investors, partners, and employees. Business plans are prepared for non-profit and for profit companies. The business plan can also be used to provide the owner-manager or perspective owner-manager of a small business with a pathway to profit.
The business plan should include your financial performance. Basically you want to show what the business is going to cost and how long it will take you to make a profit. To show the business financial performance, you must prepare financial statements. These statements include your balance sheet and cash flow chart. The balance sheet tells the net worth of the company. The cash flow chart shows how much money you are paying out monthly. It also shows how much money you are going to get, and when you will get it.
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To the new and experienced entrepreneurs, getting help with your small business is very crucial to your success. Getting the right help will cause you to avoid costly mistakes, and it can also help you to save a lot of time, money and energy. You will need to get the right help to form the legal structure of the business, financial, management, procurement/certification, marketing, pricing products, preparing a business plan, and more. If you are a business owner who is wondering if you can take your business to new heights, contact Dr. Waters at tina.waters@waienterprises.com
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