Often when starting on the road to putting your vision into an actionable plan, one considers looking at others – how did they do it?  What works for me?

In most instances would-be entrepreneurs search for Business Plan Samples or a Business Plan Template, to review and compare their own visions to.   What is the better route?  Use both?  To look up samples of completed plans, or use a template to gather and collect your thoughts?

If you are considering efficiency, it is best to look at samples certainly, but to work from a template.  A template will not skew your thinking as much as working directly off of someone else’s business plan.  The template is created to pique your thoughts, and force you to consider the particular aspects of your own business, vision, and steps to build it successfully.

A business plan template, can offer a quick guide to organizing YOUR thoughts, and keep your intentions as pure as possible, without diluting it with copy or insights from another business plan sample.  The business plan samples, are a good review in order to get a picture of what others have done, gain some insights into what you like, what you don’t.  But do not sit down and write a plan based on someone else’s thoughts.  The power of a business plan, is one that is based on “buy-in”, that it is truly representative of what you want to create.  It is aspirational, as much as it is a practical road map.

In the end, both are simply guides- but you are the author.  As such, make it truly your own!

For most potential entrepreneurs, the hardest part in deciding to start a business is simply coming up with small business ideas.

The ambition and drive are certainly there – the challenge, however, is finding and feeling confident about the right business concept.

Since you’ve come to this website, our guess is that you’ve dreamed of starting your own small business for quite some time now.

Maybe a friend has succeeded in her own business. Perhaps small business ownership runs in your family. Or is it the fact that you’re just bored with the daily grind?

Why haven’t you pulled the trigger? What’s holding you back?

Based on our research, the three primary reasons that people who want to start a business but haven’t are:

Fear of Failure – The fear of not succeeding simply paralyzes the potential entrepreneur. A lack of confidence “freezes” any chance of getting started.

Lack of Capital – Not having enough money to fund a startup or sustain one’s family during the beginning phases of the business are concerns that keep many of us locked behind our desk in a nine-to-five grind.

Limited Ideas – Believe it or not, many potential business owners never get started because they have trouble coming up with small business ideas. They lack that special creative spark that ignites the business flame.

While all three of the above startup concerns are valid (and need to all be addressed), the purpose of this website is to help you with the last point – coming up with profitable small business ideas.

A key component is to work through them simply, and quickly by organizing your thoughts.  A tool such as www.bplanresources.com offers business plan templates to work through and wittle down to winning approaches.

One final note…exciting ideas are great but proper research pays the bills. If you’re excited about a business concept, take the next step and do some market research… 

• Is there a demand for your product or service?
• How much money do you need to start your business?  Multiply by three!
• How will you differentiate your business from your competition?

The best way to “prove” out your business idea is to formulate a business plan. Business planning is really important since it provides an operational blueprint for your business.  Not to worry, if you’re excited about your small business ideas, researching and writing a business plan isn’t all that hard.

Business Plan Components:
Step-By-Step Business Plan Overview

A good business plan has key components. Providing a comprehensive assessment of each of these components is critical in attracting investors. This article discusses the first five components. A subsequent article will detail the remaining elements.

Executive Summary.
The Executive Summary provides a succinct synopsis of the business plan, and highlights the key points raised within. The Executive Summary must communicate to the prospective investor the size and scope of the market opportunity, the venture’s business and profitability model, and how the resources/skills/strategic positioning of the Company’s management team make it uniquely qualified to execute the plan. The Executive Summary must be compelling, easy-to-read, and no longer than 2-4 pages.

Company Analysis.
This section provides a strategic overview of the company and describes how the company is organized, what products and services it offers/will offer, and goes into further detail on the company’s unique qualifications in serving its target markets.Industry Analysis. This section evaluates the playing field in which the company will be competing, and includes well-structured answers to key market research questions such as the following:
What are the sizes of the target market segments?
What are the trends for the industry as a whole?
With what other industries do your services compete?

Analysis of Customers.
The Customer Analysis section assesses the customer segment(s) that the company serves. In this section, the company must convey the needs of its target customers. It must then show how its products and services satisfy these needs to an extent that the customer will pay for them.

Analysis of Competition.
This section defines the competitive landscape of your business. It identifies who the direct and indirect competitors are, assesses their strengths and weaknesses and delineates your company’s competitive advantages.The first five sections of a business plan are critical because in most cases, investors will not read the full plan. As such, winning the investor’s interest early is critical. In addition to providing background on the full business opportunity, these sections provide the market research to back up the business’ potential, another critical factor in gaining an investment.

A good resource can be found at www.bplanresources.com for business plan templates, financial templates and even a workbook.