Business Plans for Dummies

Whether you're launching a new business or working to strengthen or expand an established one, a business plan is your road map to success

Would you take off on a road trip to a new destination without a map or good directions? Probably not. Yet sometimes business owners go full speed ahead without objectives, a mission, or even a destination in mind, much less a map showing them how to get there. That's why so many businesses have difficulty making it - and unfortunately, several don't - in today's competitive marketplace.

Business Plans For Dummies helps you start a new business with clear goals and a path forward to reach those goals. If you already have a business, this no-nonsense and comprehensive guide can help you realistically determine where your business is and where you want to take it. You'll learn to:

• Create a detailed business plan
• Put that plan into action (instead of in a drawer)
• Use the plan to secure financing
• Prepare for opportunities
• Avoid common pitfalls

In short, Business Plans For Dummies helps you create a map to help you take your business where you want it to go. You'll discover how to:

• Identify and approach potential financial backers, including venture capital firms, angels, bankers, and others
• Clarify and crystallize your company's mission, vision, and values
• Analyze your industry and your competition
• Identify your customers, including their needs, habits, purchase triggers, and decision-making processes
• Objectively analyze your company's strengths and weaknesses
• Analyze your financial situation to create realistic forecasts and budgets
• Recognize trends and anticipate changes, both in the overall economy and in your industry
• Plan for growth, based on new markets, your product's life cycle, or the creation of new products
• Structure your organization
• Nurture leadership

Complete with diverse techniques and approaches plus a sample business plan, Business Plans For Dummies gives you detailed how-to for designing a dynamic business plan that will help you navigate the inevitable curves and detours in today's marketplace and keep you on course. If you're a business owner or entrepreneur - or you want to be one - this friendly and accessible guide is a must-have resource.