Writing a Winning Business Plan

Contents......Page 6
List of illustrations......Page 9
Preface......Page 10
Understanding the need for a business plan......Page 12
Assessing yourself......Page 13
Choosing your business......Page 15
Compiling your business plan......Page 16
Designing your plan......Page 19
Simplifying your plan......Page 20
Editing your plan......Page 21
Checklist......Page 22
Case studies......Page 23
Planning your legal entity......Page 25
Choosing your trading name......Page 28
Defining the nature of your business......Page 30
Protecting your business idea......Page 31
Defining your business objectives......Page 32
Compiling your mission statement......Page 33
Describing your location......Page 34
Listing your key personnel......Page 35
Case studies......Page 36
Action points......Page 37
Why use marketing?......Page 38
Segmenting your market......Page 39
Compiling your market research......Page 40
Analysing your competition......Page 43
Analysing your product life......Page 44
Setting your selling price......Page 45
Checklist......Page 48
Case studies......Page 50
Action points......Page 51
Making a SWOT analysis......Page 52
Balancing your marketing mix......Page 53
Defining your marketing objectives......Page 55
Promoting and advertising your business......Page 56
Checklist......Page 63
Case studies......Page 64
Action points......Page 65
Choosing your channels of distribution......Page 66
Finding the right premises......Page 67
Meeting safety and quality standards......Page 68
Obtaining stock and materials......Page 69
Controlling your level of quality......Page 70
Employing your key personnel......Page 71
Organising your book-keeping......Page 72
Insuring yourself and your business......Page 73
Case studies......Page 74
Action points......Page 76
Projecting your sales......Page 77
Compiling your profit and loss forecast......Page 78
Drafting your cashflow forecast......Page 83
Understanding your balance sheet......Page 88
Producing your balance sheet......Page 90
Breaking even......Page 91
Checklist......Page 93
Case studies......Page 94
Action points......Page 95
Planning your borrowing......Page 96
Understanding the various types of finance......Page 98
Timing your finance......Page 99
Assessing other sources of finance......Page 100
Raising your finance......Page 104
Checklist......Page 106
Case studies......Page 107
Action points......Page 108
What to include in your appendices......Page 109
Presenting your appendices......Page 111
Compiling your appendices......Page 113
Numbering your appendices......Page 114
Case studies......Page 115
Action points......Page 116
Composing your introductory letter......Page 117
Submitting your plan......Page 119
Explaining your business......Page 121
Making a winning proposal......Page 122
Shopping around......Page 124
Case studies......Page 125
Action points......Page 127
Monitoring your business......Page 128
Using your business plan......Page 129
Managing your cashflow......Page 130
Keeping business accounts......Page 132
Case studies......Page 136
Action points......Page 138
Sample business plan......Page 140
C......Page 162
G......Page 163
S......Page 164
W......Page 165
Useful addresses......Page 166
Other Small Business books from How To Books......Page 172
M......Page 174
Y......Page 175