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Welcome to Deluxe Business Plan Template. This Template is a powerful interactive tool you can use to write your own business plan in a comfortable and easy step-by-step fashion. Simply read the instructions and suggestions accompanying each section and then answer the questions posed.
Writing a business plan in any mode is a demanding process that usually takes several weeks at the least. We suggest you write your business plan in stages, perhaps one section at a time, saving your data after each session as described above.
1. Before You Begin
We know you're anxious to begin writing, but we suggest you read some useful information on the length of a business plan and what's right for you.
2. To Save Your Data
You can post your answers right online in the space provided here. After you complete a section, press the apply button, and your answers will be set up in appropriate business plan format, with the right headings accompanying your answers.
To save your data for later use, YOU MUST COPY IT AND ENTER IT INTO YOUR OWN WORD PROCESSING PROGRAM, OR SAVE YOUR ONLINE DATA AS AN HTML DOCUMENT. NOTHING YOU WRITE ONLINE WILL BE STORED FOR YOU ONLINE FOR LATER ACCESS. IF YOU FAIL TO COPY YOUR DATA, YOU WILL LOSE IT.
The cover sheet needs to provide all the necessary contact information about the business. (For Investor version: the last thing you want to do is get prospective investors interested in your business, and then be unable to get in touch with you because your cover sheet is missing your phone number.)
You should have three types of financial statements covering your history and projections:
Cash Flow
Cash flow is really a record of cash available at different points of time. It helps highlight the differences between when a sale is made, cash comes in, and bills are paid.
(Insert a sample cash flow statement.)
The Income Statement: Profit and Loss
This is the proverbial bottom line: revenues less expenses. For small COs, it is important to differentiate from cash flow. It's possible to run out of cash early in a quarter, even though you are heading toward profitability at the end of the quarter.
(Show sample income statement.)
The Balance Sheet
This is the financial statement bankers like to focus on because they believe it offers the most revealing clues about basic business health . It shows assets and liabilities. It is most useful in evaluating product businesses, where assets easily identifiable and can be appraised. It is less useful for service businesses.
(Show sample balance sheet.)
Assignment: Have a financial adviser or accounting firm work with you to produce each of the three financial statements.
Appendices
Your appendices should include any items that you believe are relevant to your business plan and work as support material. This might include market research data, surveys of competitors' pricing, of the management team, a media plan, sample advertising programs, consulting firm reports, "love letters," and so on.