Business Plan Overview
A business plan is a written summary of what you hope to accomplish by being in business and how you intend to organize your resources to meet your goals. In it, you define your basic product, your income objectives, your management team, your competition, and your specific operating procedures. It details the what, when, where, why, and how of your business. It explains what your objectives are, why your business will be unique, and the steps you will take to achieve those objectives. In essence, it is the road map for operating your business and measuring progress along the way.
There are many practical advantages of a business plan:
• It identifies the amount of financing or outside investment required, when it is needed, and how it will be used.
• It enables a lender or investor to assess your financing proposal and assess you as a business manager.
• By committing your plans to paper, your overall ability to manage the business will improve. You will know your business better. You will be able to look ahead and hopefully avoid problems before they arise.
• A business plan forces you to be realistic and avoid pie-in-the-sky projections.
• It helps you to identify your customers, your market, your pricing strategy, and your competition.











