Creating Business Plans (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series). Harvard Business Review

       Creating Business Plans

      Gather your resources

      Describe the opportunity

      Get buy-in

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      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Creating business plans.

       pages cm. — (20-minute manager series)

       Includes index.

       ISBN 978-1-62527-222-5

      1. Business planning.

       HD30.28.C7325 2014

       658.4′01—dc23

       2014000382

      eISBN: 978-1-62527-227-0

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      Writing a business plan is an important first step in starting any new venture. Your goal is to provide a detailed description of your new product or service and a concrete strategy for making it a success, while also conveying a hearty dose of enthusiasm that inspires investors and other supporters to want to be involved with your project. This book walks you through the basics:

      • Articulating your business idea

      • Communicating your goals

      • Analyzing the industry

      • Introducing your management team

      • Distinguishing your business from rivals

      • Developing a compelling marketing plan

      • Describing your business’s daily activities

      • Providing sound financial projections

      • Anticipating potential stumbling blocks

       Contents

      Why Write a Business Plan?

       Getting started

       The structure of a business plan

      Describing the Opportunity

       Presenting your idea

      Executive summary

      Business description

       Analyzing the business environment

      Industry background

      Competitive analysis

      Market analysis

      Introducing Your Management Team

       Highlighting qualifications

       Presenting the team as a unit

      Bringing Your Product to Market

       Operations plan: Articulating day-to-day business

       Marketing plan: Promoting your value proposition

      Projecting Financial Risk and Reward

       Preparing your financial plan