Business Plans For Dummies

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

Your one-stop guide to creating a winning business plan fromscratchWhether you're starting a new business or growing an establishedone, you'll need a solid business plan to get you where you want togo. Revised for today's rocky economic climate, this edition of theUK's bestselling business plan guide gives you what you need to mapout your business strategy and stay on course - including acomplete sample plan that you can easily adapt for yourbusiness!* Chart your course - assess the current state of yourbusiness and where you'd like to take it, and establish clearachievable objectives* Get to know your customers - learn the latest techniquesfor getting a better idea of who your customers are and what theywant* Scope out the competition - find out who your competitorsare and what it'll take to get your share of the market pie (andtheirs)* Sort out your finances - construct a value chain, examineyour cash flow and calculate a sensible budget* Enter the Dragons' Den - convince bankers, investorsventure capitalists and other funding sources your business is agood investment* Read the tea leaves - learn to decipher changing culturalpolitical and technological trends and to alter your strategies asneededOpen 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 thecompetition* Ways to adapt your plan to economic changeLearn to:* Prepare a watertight business strategy* Assess the marketplace* Devise a sensible forecast and budget

Introduction 1Part I: Determining Where You Want to Go 7Chapter 1: Starting Your Business Plan 9Chapter 2: Charting the Proper Course 19Chapter 3: Setting Off in the Right Direction 35Part II: Sizing Up Your Marketplace 51Chapter 4: Checking Out the Business Environment 53Chapter 5: Taking a Closer Look at Customers 77Chapter 6: Dividing Customers into Groups 93Chapter 7: Scoping Out Your Competition 111Part III: Weighing Up Your Company's Prospects 127Chapter 8: Establishing Your Starting Position 129Chapter 9: Focusing On What You Do Best 147Chapter 10: Figuring Out Financials 163Chapter 11: Forecasting and Budgeting 187Part IV: Looking to the Future 215Chapter 12: Preparing for Change 217Chapter 13: Thinking Strategically 239Chapter 14: Managing More than One Product 261Part V: A Planner's Toolkit 293Chapter 15: Planning in Turbulent Economic Times 295Chapter 16: Making Your Business Plan Work 309Chapter 17: Learning from Others: A Sample Business Plan 333Part VI: The Part of Tens 353Chapter 18: Ten Questions to Ask About Your Plan 355Chapter 19: Top Ten Business-Planning Never-Evers 359Index 363