Business Plans

[Stixx]

Anybody got any advice, or links maybe, for writing a business plan. Just learned that the Company I'm with lost a contract and my division will be disolved at the end of this month.

Though this might be a good time to go into business for myself. My wife does glass cutting using the wet stone method, and I've dabbled in sand blasting decorative glass.

I've got a page up, no active links yet, but take a look to get an idea of what she can do.

Hand Cut Glass

Thanks in advance.

[rabbidrabbit]

Do you have investors?  If no, don't waste your time on a business plan.

[Stixx]

No investors,  but I need the plan in order to collect unemployment insurance payments without having to conduct an actual job search, and yes I have savings which will be used to carry the business. I'll need the UI payments
to live for trhe first six months while I throw everything into the busienss.

[eagl]

Contact the local small business association.  The local govt should have an association set up to help small businesses get going, including free advice on pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about starting your own business.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by eagl
Contact the local small business association.  The local govt should have an association set up to help small businesses get going, including free advice on pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about starting your own business.

What ^^Fly boi^^ said.

Also, if you plan to get a business loan it helps if you have some documented evidence of what you plan do do...think "project management". Use Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Controling as a thesis in your documentation.

[KK9]

Make sure your short term and long term objectives are clearly stated (starting capital, overhead/expenses,growth projections,profitability, revenue projections... long term and short term,  etc)... You could also mention the people who are going to be working on realizing these goals, their exprience, strenghts, etc.
...also present your view of the current  market, how your company plans to tackle the market, who is your target what are your advantages,.. and what kind of strategies/tactics you gonna use to capture that market... things like that

Im sure if you search for business plan on the net, you'll get tons of ideas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_plan



Oh yea..good luck with your new business..

[Stixx]

Thanks for the replies.

I've searched online for the information and was overwlhelmed with the options out there. One site says do it this way, another site says do it that way.

Thanks, KK9, you are right on track with what you said about giving my view
of the market. I was so overwhelmed with information I couldn't see the forest for the trees.

[john9001]

there should be a local org called SCORE, it's a volunteer group of retired business owners, executives, etc. They will help you set up a business plan among other things, too much to list here, just google SCORE.

good luck.