subject: Where To Get Comprehensive Business Plan Help [print this page] There are a number of ways to find comprehensive help in creating your own business plan. Each offer their own pros and cons. Generally, the more cash you have available to put into the product you choose, the more value you will get back.
Book
At the cheaper end of options, purchasing a book on business planning will give you an overview of business plan format, the creation process, and what funders look for in a business plan. A book cannot offer you customized advice, of course.
Business Plan Template
A business plan template offers a more interactive option. For a low price (generally under $100) a template offers a customizable business plan and financial model, usually including either guiding questions or sample text. A template can offer more customized advice if you find one which is specific to the business sector you are in. This tool does more than merely inform you about what a business plan should look like. It actually saves you a great deal of time in the business plan development process, especially through the use of the financial model.
Business Planning Software
Business planning software will offer much of the same value as a business plan template, but can be more robust, allowing the creation of many different plans. If you are a serial entrepreneur intent on creating many businesses, this may be a useful tool. However, if you intend to open just one business, this may not be any more helpful than a template, although it will cost more.
Business Planning Course
A course on writing a business plan or starting a business will offer all of the detail of a book, and may leave you with the equivalent of a template as well. There will also be opportunities for customized feedback and advice from the professor who, if qualified, can be a bit of a consultant for you. However, you must invest a great deal of time and probably money in taking such a course, perhaps delaying your launch time by months.
Business Plan Consultant
Finally, working with a dedicated business plan consultant can offer the most value to you. A consultant becomes a partner in your success, as their reputation depends in great part on their ability to help their clients achieve funding and to launch. However, unlike most partners, consultants will not generally require equity in your company. If you have the cash available to afford a consultants help, they can take on a number of roles in the process, from merely advising, to actually doing the market research, financial projections, or drafting the entire plan.
by: Eric Powers
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