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 even having a destination in mind, much less a map on how to get there. That’s why so many businesses never make it. In today’s competitive marketplace, 3/4 of all new businesses fail within two to three years. 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.

Business Plans For Dummies, 2^nd Edition helps you keep your businesses on track and reach your goals. Written by Paul Tiffany, PhD, professor at UC Berkley Haas Business School and the Wharton School of Business and Steven Peterson, PhD, Professor at UC Berkeley Haas Business School and CEO of Strategic Play, it helps you

• Realistically determine where your business is and where you want to go
• Create a detailed business plan and put it 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 determine where you want your business to go and create a map for getting there. 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 in order to do realistic forecasts and budgets
• Recognize trends and anticipate changes, both in the overall economy and in your industry
• Plan for growth, considering the product life cycle, new products, or new markets
• Structure your organization and 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 keep you on course in spite of the inevitable curves and detours in today’s marketplace. It’s a plantastic resource for business owners and entrepreneurs.

Introduction.

Part I: Knowing Where You Want to Go.

Chapter 1: Preparing to Do a Business Plan.

Chapter 2: Understanding the Importance of a Business Plan.

Chapter 3: Setting Off in the Right Direction.

Chapter 4: Charting the Proper Course.

Part II: Describing Your Marketplace.

Chapter 5: Examining the Business Environment.

Chapter 6: Slicing and Dicing Markets.

Chapter 7: Getting Better Acquainted With Customers.

Chapter 8: Checking Out Your Competition.

Part III: Weighing Your Company’s Prospects.

Chapter 9: Assessing Where You Stand Today.

Chapter 10: Making Money Doing What You Do Best.

Chapter 11: Figuring Out the Financial Details.

Chapter 12: Forecasting and Budgeting.

Part IV: Looking to the Future.

Chapter 13: Managing Uncertainty.

Chapter 14: Thinking Strategically.

Chapter 15: Growing Up and Growing Bigger.

Part V: Putting Your Business Plan into Action.

Chapter 16: Shaping Your Organization.

Chapter 17: Leading the Way.

Part VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 18: Ten Signs That Your Business Plan Needs Refreshing.

Chapter 19: Ten Questions to Ask about Your Plan.

Chapter 20: Ten Business-Planning Never-Evers.

Appendix: A Sample Business Plan.

Index.

Paul Tiffany, PhD, is a professor of management at the Haas Business School, UC Berkeley, and an Adjunct Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Steven Peterson, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Strategic Play and an Executive Education Lecturer at the Haas Business School.

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