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This comprehensive book will ensure your business plan is robust enough to start, run or revitalise any business enterprise.
Whether your goal is raising start-up finance for a new business, requesting venture funding from a corporate parent or directing operational management, The Definitive Business Plan will help you deliver the information the decision-makers are really looking for.
Accessible to the newcomer and detailed enough for the experienced planner, the third edition of this international bestseller explains how to tailor a plan for specific readerships and meet specific objectives, helping you to focus your attention on strategic planning as well as on operational controls.
This new edition has been completely updated throughout.
About the author
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction to the First Edition
Introduction to the Revised Second Edition
Introduction to the Third Edition
Symbols used
1 What’s it all about?
Have you heard the one about …
Who should read this book
A quick fix or a longer-term tool?
What is a plan anyway?
Why bother?
Key objectives for your plan
Your target audience
Ten steps to a successful business plan
Don’t trust consultants
Who writes the business plan?
How to use this book
2 A winning presentation
A concise communication
Computer software
Make it feel good
First thoughts on layout
Creating an outline document
3 Getting down to it
Why?
When you don’t want to be a big fish
What to do if you have several businesses
Your list of contents
The executive summary
The conclusion
Responsibilities – and the timetable
Be a SWOT
Where now?
4 Know yourself
Taking stock
Start with the basics
The central objective
Are you visionary?
How did you arrive here?
Some numbers to please the bankers
Building up value
The all-important management team
Business organisation
Business infrastructure
Products and services
Core competencies
The next step
5 Know the world
For or against you?
The next steps
Collecting information
Understanding the world at large
Business partners
The market – what you are fighting for
The industry – what you are up against
Competitive advantages
Now write about it
Moving on
6 The core of your plan
A strategy and an operating plan
Portfolio strategy – what businesses should you have?
Business strategies to satisfy your desires
Strategies for department managers
Resource requirements
Strategic objectives
Documenting the strategy
Creating an operating plan
Documenting the operating plan
Onwards
7 About these numbers
‘The time has come’, the walrus said, ‘to speak of other things’
Varying views of the same numbers
The way that bean counters think
The planning horizon
Looking back
Estimating the present
Crystal ball gazing
Software tools
Putting it to good use
8 Getting to gross profit
Breathe easily
Forecasting sales volumes
The big picture – the economy
Up close and personal – industry and product demand
Pulling it all together
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Writing it up
9 Getting to net profit
Where the money goes
Capital spending
Capital assets that you already own
Capital assets that you want
Accounting for fixed assets
Operating expenditure
Net profit
Other income and expenditure
Moving on
10 Funding the business
Balancing your cheque book
Balance sheets and cash flow mechanics
Balance sheet headings
Producing the paper
Watching cash flow
Using a surplus
Getting it funded
Debt or equity?
What’s the deal?
Putting a price on success
Does it all hold together?
11 Managing risks
Identify risks and improve planning
It’s normally like this
How many coconuts do you need to sell?
Marginal likelihood of shutting down?
What you need, when you need it
Will it pay off?
What if?
The economy
If the worst comes to the worst ...
Grand finale
12 Getting it approved
Pulling it all together
Focus
What readers of the plan will look for
Those financials again
Final check on the plan
They don’t know what’s coming to them
Preparing for the meeting
At last, the first meeting
Meeting post-mortems
Follow up
Back to the drawing board
Due diligence
The contract
Cash in the bank
13 Now make it happen
Time for a break?
From plan to reality
A change of focus
Communicating the plan
Where do you draw the line?
Policies, rules and procedures
Who does what?
Employee objectives
How much freedom?
Financial objectives
Monitoring other objectives
Monitoring the world
Confirming and revising strategy and plans
Don’t forget the carrots
And into the next business plan
Trying to catch the tail
Appendix: Tetrylus Inc business plan
Index