Table of Contents for Business Plans Kit for Dummies


Introduction 1(6)
About This Book
1(1)
Why This Book Is for You
2(1)
Conventions Used in This Book
2(1)
How This Book Is Organized
2(2)
Part I Building a Strong Foundation for Your Plan
3(1)
Part II Developing Your Plan's Components
3(1)
Part III Tailoring a Business Plan to Fit Your Needs
3(1)
Part IV Making the Most of Your Plan
4(1)
Part V The Part of Tens
4(1)
About the CD
4(1)
Icons Used in This Book
4(1)
Where to Go from Here
5(2)
Part I Building a Strong Foundation for Your Plan
7(70)
Chapter 1 Starting Your Planning Engine
9(22)
Understanding Your Starting Position
9(2)
Planning for a start-up
10(1)
Planning to address changing conditions
10(1)
Planning to seize growth opportunity
10(1)
Committing to the Business-Planning Process
11(5)
Defining your business-planning situation
11(1)
Buying into the value of business planning
12(3)
Making a wish list for your business plan
15(1)
Identifying Target Audiences and Key Messages
16(4)
Your audience
17(1)
Your message
17(1)
Business planning as a test drive
18(2)
The Anatomy of a Business Plan
20(3)
Business-plan contents from beginning to end
20(2)
Frequently asked business-plan questions
22(1)
Establishing Your Plan's Time Frame
23(2)
Committing to a schedule
23(1)
Defining milestones
23(2)
Preparing for the Real World
25(4)
Locating informative resources
25(1)
Seeking expert advice
26(1)
Sharing the load
27(1)
Staying on track
27(2)
Forms on the CD-ROM
29(2)
Chapter 2 Generating a Successful Business Idea
31(20)
Brainstorming Business Ideas
31(9)
Hatching plans for a new product or service
32(1)
Using the do-it-yourself idea blender
32(3)
Seeking creative solutions to tough challenges
35(1)
Inspiring team creativity (with or without donuts or bagels)
36(2)
Finding business ideas within your work environment
38(2)
Identifying Business Opportunities
40(5)
Listening to what customers have to say
40(1)
Spotting changes that open up new opportunities
41(1)
Putting your business ideas through a first test
41(1)
Narrowing your choices
42(3)
Doing Your First Reality Check
45(4)
Getting a second opinion
45(1)
Conducting a self-appraisal
46(3)
Forms on the CD-ROM
49(2)
Chapter 3 Defining Your Business Purpose
51(26)
Knowing What Business You're In
52(3)
How would I describe my business?
52(1)
Where's the money?
53(2)
Giving Your Company Its Mission
55(7)
Asking basic questions
56(1)
Framing your mission
56(2)
Crafting your mission
58(1)
Fixing a weak or ineffective mission statement
59(1)
Putting your mission to work
59(3)
Setting Goals and Objectives
62(5)
Approach #1 Tying goals to your mission
63(1)
Approach #2 Using goal-setting ACES
64(1)
Approach #3 Covering all the bases
64(2)
Making final choices
66(1)
Exploring Values and Vision
67(6)
Uncovering values you already hold
69(1)
Writing a values statement
69(3)
Writing a vision statement
72(1)
Putting Your Principles into Practice
73(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
74(3)
Part II Developing Your Plan's Components
77(122)
Chapter 4 Understanding Your Business Environment
79(30)
Zooming In on Your Industry
80(4)
Seeing your industry's big picture
80(3)
Paying the price of admission
83(1)
Defining Your Customers
84(14)
Developing your customer profile
84(2)
Conducting customer research
86(4)
Sharpening your customer focus
90(3)
Describing your ideal customer
93(1)
Segmenting customers into buyer groups
94(2)
Doing business with business customers
96(2)
Defining and Addressing Market Shifts
98(2)
Charting market growth patterns
98(1)
Tracking buyer tastes and trends
99(1)
Sizing Up Your Competition
100(5)
Using cloak-and-dagger methods
101(1)
Identifying your stealth competitors
101(2)
Staying a step ahead
103(2)
Greening Your Business
105(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
106(3)
Chapter 5 Charting Your Strategic Direction
109(22)
Assessing Your Capabilities Against the Opportunities and Threats You Face
109(8)
Sizing up your strengths and weaknesses
110(4)
Identifying opportunities and threats
114(1)
Conducting a SWOT analysis
115(2)
Defining Your Business Model
117(7)
Staying in the black
118(2)
Getting entrepreneurial about nonprofits
120(1)
Timing your expenses and income
120(1)
Generating and collecting revenue
120(1)
Pricing yourself into the market
121(1)
Planning to control costs
122(1)
Creating a business model that works
122(2)
Charting Your Future
124(1)
Understanding your options
124(1)
Planning for growth
125(1)
Outlining an Exit Strategy
125(4)
Forms on the CD-ROM
129(2)
Chapter 6 Describing Your Business and Its Capabilities
131(22)
Introducing Your Business
131(6)
What is it you're selling, anyway?
132(2)
How do you prepare an elevator speech?
134(3)
Describing Your Business Capabilities
137(10)
Research and development
137(2)
Operations
139(1)
Distribution and delivery
140(2)
Management
142(1)
Organization
143(4)
Changing Your Business Focus
147(3)
Making product changes
147(1)
Moving your business
148(1)
Revamping your operations and processes
148(1)
Altering distribution channels
149(1)
Staying Focused on What You Do Best
150(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
151(2)
Chapter 7 Crafting Your Marketing Plan
153(20)
Marketing at a Glance
153(2)
The big marketing picture
154(1)
The nuts and bolts of a marketing plan
154(1)
Analyzing Your Market Situation
155(4)
Getting a handle on your market
156(1)
Assessing your competition
157(1)
Forecasting your business climate
158(1)
Setting Marketing Goals and Objectives
159(1)
Defining Your Position and Brand
160(2)
Targeting Your Efforts
162(1)
Designing Marketing Strategies
162(6)
Your product strategy
163(1)
Your distribution strategy
164(1)
Your pricing strategy
165(3)
Your promotion strategy
168(1)
Planning Your Internet Footprint
168(3)
Forms on the CD-ROM
171(2)
Chapter 8 Tallying Up Your Financial Situation
173(26)
Decoding Financial Terminology
173(1)
Putting Together an Income Statement
174(4)
Reviewing a sample income statement
175(3)
Now it's your turn: Creating your income statement
178(1)
Creating Your Balance Sheet
178(8)
Reviewing a sample balance sheet
179(7)
Now it's your turn: Building your balance sheet
186(1)
Constructing a Cash-Flow Statement
186(5)
Section 1 Total funds in
187(1)
Section 2 Total funds out
187(3)
Section 3 Net change in cash position
190(1)
Section 4 Changes in liquid assets
190(1)
Section 5 Net change in cash position
190(1)
Now it's your turn: Creating your cash-flow statement
191(1)
Forecasting and Budgeting
191(6)
Your financial forecast
193(1)
Planning for that rainy day
194(2)
The master budget
196(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
197(2)
Part III Tailoring a Business Plan to Fit Your Needs
199(78)
Chapter 9 Planning for a One-Person Business
201(18)
Having What it Takes to Succeed in a One-person Business
202(11)
Planning for success
203(1)
Avoiding legal hassles
204(1)
Putting a price on what you do
205(7)
Treating your business like a business
212(1)
Tailoring a Business Plan to Fit Your One-Person Enterprise
213(4)
Company overview
214(1)
Business environment
214(2)
Company description and strategy
216(1)
Financial review
216(1)
Action plan
217(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
217(2)
Chapter 10 Planning for a Small Business
219(12)
Recognizing the Importance of a Plan
220(1)
Preparing Your Small Business Plan
220(5)
Analyzing your business location and the surrounding environment
221(1)
Defining your business and its purpose
222(1)
Plotting your business strategy
223(1)
Clarifying your financial situation
223(2)
Establishing your action plan
225(1)
Keeping an Eye on the Business Horizon
225(2)
Growing --- or Not Growing --- Your Small Business
227(1)
Keeping It in the Family
228(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
229(2)
Chapter 11 Planning for an Established Business
231(14)
Purpose-Driven Planning
232(1)
Planning to Raise Capital
232(2)
Bank financing
232(1)
Investor capital
233(1)
Planning to Grow Your Business
234(1)
Planning in Times of Trouble
235(3)
Diagnosing your problems
235(2)
Getting a second opinion
237(1)
Analyzing your current situation
237(1)
Charting a Turnaround
238(3)
Keeping an eye on the clock
239(1)
Focusing on what's doable
240(1)
Getting the right people in the loop
240(1)
Using your plan to communicate
241(1)
Planning for a Merger or Sale
241(2)
Assessing the transferability of your business
241(1)
Planning for a change in leadership
242(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
243(2)
Chapter 12 Planning for a Nonprofit Organization
245(16)
Running a Nonprofit Like a Business
246(5)
Fine-tuning your mission and vision
246(2)
Creating the appropriate structure
248(1)
Setting goals and objectives
249(2)
Organizing to Do Good Work
251(5)
Operations
252(1)
Organization
253(1)
Management
253(2)
Research and development (R&D)
255(1)
Keeping the Books
256(3)
Finding funding
256(1)
Tailoring your plan to big donors
257(1)
Managing overhead
258(1)
Putting working cash to work
258(1)
Staying accountable
259(1)
Marketing and Promoting Your Nonprofit
259(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
260(1)
Chapter 13 Planning in an Online World
261(16)
Avoiding the Well-Traveled Bumps on the Cyber Highway
262(2)
Web presence isn't an all-or-nothing proposition
262(1)
E-business planning is a continuous process
262(1)
Successful strategy depends on a business model
263(1)
Ironing Out Pressing Planning Issues
264(2)
Creating an Online Customer Profile
266(1)
Building an Internet Business
267(6)
Establishing your value proposition
267(3)
Constructing a workable e-business model
270(1)
Getting funded
270(3)
Adding an Internet Extension to Your Brick-and-Mortar Business
273(3)
Retailing online
274(1)
Budgeting for your online presence
274(1)
Tapping into the power of social networks
275(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
276(1)
Part IV Making the Most of Your Plan
277(38)
Chapter 14 Putting Your Plan Together
279(18)
Making a List and Checking It Twice
280(2)
Locating Additional Resources
282(5)
The bookstore
282(2)
The Web
284(1)
Business software
285(1)
Expert advice
285(1)
Self-help
286(1)
Assembling Your Planning Team
287(3)
Delegating responsibilities
287(1)
Setting the ground rules
288(1)
Putting first things last
289(1)
Keeping track of it all
289(1)
Targeting Your Plan to Key Audiences
290(4)
Identifying your stakeholders
291(1)
Addressing more than one audience
291(2)
Creating alternate versions of your plan
293(1)
Fitting the Pieces Together
294(1)
Planning Ahead
295(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
295(2)
Chapter 15 Putting Your Plan to Work
297(18)
Organizing Your Company around Your Business Plan
297(6)
Form meets function
298(1)
Duties and responsibilities
299(1)
Systems and procedures
300(3)
Getting Team Buy-In
303(5)
Distributing your plan
303(1)
Leading effectively
304(1)
Sharing the vision
305(1)
Encouraging pride of ownership
305(2)
Developing employee skills
307(1)
Nurturing Tomorrow's Leaders
308(1)
Keeping Your Plan Current
309(4)
Monitoring your situation
310(1)
Encouraging feedback
311(1)
Planning for change
312(1)
Forms on the CD-ROM
313(2)
Part V The Part of Tens
315(22)
Chapter 16 Ten Signs That Your Plan May Need an Overhaul
317(6)
Costs Rise, Revenues Fall
317(1)
Sales Figures Head South
318(1)
You Don't Meet Financial Projections
318(1)
Employee Morale Sags
319(1)
Key Projects Fall Behind Schedule
319(1)
New Competitors Appear
319(1)
Technology Shakes Up Your World
320(1)
Important Customers Defect
320(1)
Business Strategy Does a 180
320(1)
Growth Is Out of Your Control
321(2)
Chapter 17 Ten Ways to Fund Your Business Plan
323(6)
Your Own Pocket
323(1)
Friends and Family
324(1)
Prospective Customers
324(1)
A Bank Loan
324(1)
A Commercial Line of Credit
325(1)
Equipment Leasing
325(1)
A Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan
326(1)
Deep-Pocket Partners
326(1)
Venture Capital
326(1)
Angel Money
327(2)
Chapter 18 Ten Ways to Evaluate a New Business Idea
329(4)
Is This Something I Really Want to Do?
329(1)
Is This Something I'm Capable of Doing?
330(1)
Does It Tap My Personal Strengths?
330(1)
Can I Describe It in 25 Words or Less?
330(1)
What's the Closest Thing to It in the Marketplace?
331(1)
Does It Meet a Need or Solve a Problem?
331(1)
Does It Take Advantage of a New Opporunity?
331(1)
What's the Biggest Drawback or Limitation?
332(1)
Will It Make Money --- and How Fast?
332(1)
Am I Willing to Remortgage My House?
332(1)
Chapter 19 Ten Questions to Ask Before You Finish Your Business Plan
333(4)
Does the Plan Realistically Assess Your Business Idea?
333(1)
Does the Plan Adequately Describe Your Customers and What They Want?
334(1)
Does the Plan Establish Specific Timelines?
334(1)
Do the Financials Add Up?
334(1)
Does the Plan Spell Out Specific Goals and Objectives?
335(1)
Will It Guide and Inspire Employees?
335(1)
Is the Writing Clear and Jargon-Free?
335(1)
Is the Plan Concise?
336(1)
Does Your Strategy Allow for the Unexpected?
336(1)
What Would Your Competitors Think?
336(1)
Appendix: About the CD
337(8)
System Requirements
337(1)
Using the CD with Windows
338(1)
Using the CD with MacIntosh
338(1)
What You'll Find on the CD
338(5)
Troubleshooting
343(2)
Index 345