Preface | p. xiii |
About the Author | p. xvii |
Starting the Process | p. 1 |
Why Plan? | p. 1 |
Introduction | p. 1 |
Reasons for Writing a Business Plan | p. 2 |
Who Reads the Business Plan and What Are They Looking For? | p. 6 |
Guidelines for Writing a Business Plan | p. 8 |
Types of Businesses | p. 13 |
The Plan for the Book | p. 14 |
Chapter Summary | p. 17 |
Review Questions | p. 18 |
Application Questions | p. 19 |
Endnotes | p. 20 |
What to do Before the Business Plan is Written | p. 21 |
Developing and Screening Business Ideas | p. 21 |
Introduction | p. 21 |
Three Most Common Sources of New Business Ideas | p. 22 |
Changing Environmental Trends | p. 23 |
Technological Advances | p. 26 |
Political Action and Regulatory Changes | p. 26 |
Unsolved Problems | p. 27 |
Gaps in the Marketplace | p. 28 |
Techniques for Generating Ideas | p. 32 |
Brainstorming | p. 32 |
Focus Groups | p. 33 |
Library and Internet Research | p. 34 |
First Screen | p. 35 |
Strength of the Business Idea | p. 36 |
Industry-Related Issues | p. 37 |
Market- and Customer-Related Issues | p. 38 |
Founder- (or Founders-) Related Issues | p. 39 |
Financial Issues | p. 40 |
Chapter Summary | p. 41 |
Review Questions | p. 42 |
Application Questions | p. 42 |
Endnotes | p. 43 |
First Screen | p. 44 |
Internet Resource Table | p. 48 |
Feasibility Analysis | p. 53 |
Introduction | p. 53 |
Template for Completing a Feasibility Analysis | p. 54 |
Product/Service Feasibility | p. 56 |
Industry/Target Market Feasibility Analysis | p. 60 |
Organizational Feasibility Analysis | p. 63 |
Financial Feasibility Analysis | p. 65 |
Chapter Summary | p. 67 |
Review Questions | p. 68 |
Application Questions | p. 68 |
Endnotes | p. 69 |
Full Feasibility Analysis | p. 70 |
Preparing a Business Plan | p. 81 |
Introductory Material, Executive Summary, and Description of the Business | p. 81 |
Introduction | p. 81 |
Cover Page and Table of Contents | p. 82 |
Cover Page | p. 82 |
Table of Contents | p. 83 |
Executive Summary | p. 83 |
Format | p. 83 |
Content | p. 87 |
Company Description | p. 88 |
Company History | p. 91 |
Mission Statement | p. 92 |
Products and Services | p. 93 |
Current Status | p. 94 |
Legal Status and Ownership | p. 95 |
Selecting the Name for a Business | p. 96 |
Primary Consideration in Naming a Business | p. 96 |
Legal Issues | p. 97 |
Chapter Summary | p. 98 |
Review Questions | p. 98 |
Application Questions | p. 99 |
Endnotes | p. 100 |
Industry Analysis | p. 101 |
Introduction | p. 101 |
Industry Definition | p. 103 |
Industry Size, Growth Rate, and Sales Projections | p. 104 |
Industry Size | p. 105 |
Industry Growth Rate | p. 107 |
Industry Sales Projections | p. 109 |
Industry Characteristics | p. 109 |
Industry Structure | p. 109 |
Nature of Participants | p. 113 |
Ratios | p. 114 |
Key Success Factors | p. 114 |
Industry Trends | p. 115 |
Environmental Trends | p. 116 |
Business Trends | p. 118 |
Long-Term Prospects | p. 118 |
How the Industry Analysis Affects and Is Affected by Other Sections of the Plan | p. 119 |
Chapter Summary | p. 120 |
Review Questions | p. 120 |
Application Questions | p. 121 |
Endnotes | p. 122 |
Market Analysis | p. 123 |
Introduction | p. 123 |
Market Segmentation and Target Market Selection | p. 124 |
Market Segmentation | p. 127 |
Selecting a Target Market | p. 128 |
Target Market Size and Trends | p. 129 |
Buyer Behavior | p. 133 |
Competior Analysis | p. 134 |
Identification of Direct, Indirect, and Future Competitors | p. 134 |
Competitive Analysis Grid | p. 138 |
Preparing the Content of an Effective Business Plan Presentation | p. 239 |
Sample Business Plan Presentation | p. 240 |
Chapter Summary | p. 253 |
Review Questions | p. 254 |
Application Questions | p. 255 |
Endnotes | p. 255 |
Name Index | p. 257 |
Subject Index | p. 259 |
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