how do you write a business plan?

Question

I have ideas to run my own business but i have no idea how to write a business plan, should i try to do it myself or should i pay to have it done for me?

Answer 1

You should write your own. I wouldn't pay someone else to write one, when you have to tell them 90% of what to write anyways! I listed a website that could help you find some software to help you write a plan. Maybe just reading someone else's plan may inspire you to write your plan!

Answer 2

If you google "writing a business plan" - you will come up not only with several free sites that will help you write the plan, but there are also several examples of ones that are already done. It's a bit involved - but you can do it yourself. However, if you look over the stuff online and still can't figure it out, there are many other options. Not only paying someone to do it. But there should be an organization in your area of retired business people who volunteer to help people with opening their own businesses. Their help is free. Good luck.

Answer 3

It makes no sense to pay someone to write a business plan for you. There are plenty of books in the library and various software programs that can help you. You need to apply your own twist on the business and what you expect from it. Even the most professional business plan writer in the universe is going to need you to fill in the blanks anyway. You know your strengths and weaknesses more than a writer would.

Answer 4

If you need help writing a business plan the princes trust website has lots of tips also try putting it in on the internet paying someone to do it is a waste of time because you will not know any of your own goals if you are in the age group you can apply to the princes trust for funding also to open your business depending on where you live and they will send you out a booklet and you fill it in and thats your business plan and very easy to use as a guideline ive just written mine and once you get started its really easy. Hope this helps

Answer 5

The ideal situation is for the business owner to write the business plan themselves. They know the business (or at least they should); they know the plans they want for the business; they know what they could and could not do.

However, if you really cannot and do not want to writte your own business plan, be sure to work very closely with the business plan writer to make sure YOUR plan and ideas are incorporated in the plan. Otherwise, it would just be a prepared report that you have no commitment or stake in.

Here are some resources that can help you write your business plan:

- SBA Business Plan Basics http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html
- PowerHomeBiz.com Creating a Business Plan section http://www.powerhomebiz.com/startup/businessplan.htm
- Entrepreneur.com Writing a Business Plan section http://www.entrepreneur.com/bizplan/0,7253,,00.html

You may also want to review some sample business plans to see how it actually looks like:

- Bplans.com http://www.bplans.com/sp/businessplans.cfm
- MOOT Corp Business Plan competition winners
http://www.businessplans.org/businessplans.html
- VFinance - View hundreds of real business plans in pdf format. http://www.vfinance.com/home.asp?bps=1&ToolPage=bps_main.asp
- Business Owners Toolkit Sample business plans and information on how to create a plan. http://www.toolkit.cch.com/tools/buspln_m.asp
- PlanWare Planning software and information. http://www.planware.org/
- Virtual Business Plan Walk through the design of a business plan. http://www.bizplanit.com/vplan.html
-SBA Business Planning Guide http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html
- Small Business Advancement Center http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/business_plan/businessPlan.pdf
- Sample Business Plan General planning guide created by the Canadian Business Service Center. http://www.cbsc.org/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=CBSC_FE/display&c=GuideFactSheet&cid
- Business Plans Index - A subject guide to sample business plans and profiles for specific business types from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. http://216.183.184.20/subject/business/bplansindex.html

Some recommended books are :

- Business Plans Kit for Dummies
- The Complete Book of Business Plans : Simple Steps to Writing a Powerful Business Plan
- Writing Business Plans That Get Results : A Step-By-Step Guide
- Business Plans For Dummies®
- Your First Business Plan : A Simple Question and Answer Format Designed to Help You Write Your Own Plan

Answer 6

I agree with Ray.
Outline your experience with whatever your (X) business is and provide your detailed assessment on how much you need to spend to get (X) started.
Show the predicted growth and the running costs referring to (X) so that you can demonstrate your ability to repay your loan.
Ensure you know what is involved if you need to lease premises for (X) and if this is the case demonstrate your awareness of its legal connotations.
Include a para' on forward projection and outline the adverse consequences concerned in starting (X).
Listen to the Bank Manager and thank him for his suggestions but don't take up any advice at this time.
I like to think of him an his associates as the High Street Mafia.
If you want any further advice contact me.
I am retired.

Answer 7

With a pen
Read some Mlls and Boon, it is fiction after all.
You just write your dream scenario, the Bank give you the money and 6 months later they grab it back and take your car and house as well. My mates Bank got it wrong, his business needed bigger and bigger overdraft facilites as it grew, Bank pulled plug, he went into liquidation and he came out £ 20 K better off than he started after 6 months of a good living at age 22. You dont have to fail for LLoyds to cripple you.
All good fun.

Answer 8

a business plan is a corporate thing which is done by the top management of an organisation then it been executen from top to the down managers.