Advice on writing a business plan

[Damon the Marketer]

Unless you're applying for a loan or investment, ask yourself if you really need a business plan.

Generally, if you can draw a business model, you're good to go. This means you have a picture of how you get sales, customers, clients, etc. and where you place your marketing efforts. Business plans are boring and always full of "corporate speak" even when written by an entrepreneur.

[Rose]

I can kind of relate to this friend being stuck on getting through the business plan. If you go to your local SBC they will give you this reading material which outlines what the business plan needs to have, the format, the font style and size... OK I'm kidding, but it's almost that bad. When I did a BP for my restaurant it took me almost three weeks to read all the stuff, online research looking at others' business plans and formats, and then, low and behold, didn't get the loan anyway because it was for a restaurant and most of those fail so no bank will loan you money on it. Well maybe if it was a franchise, but certainly not a small mom and pop kind of restaurant.

So, since everyone here seems to think that having one scratched out on paper is good, and I like the few items that are listed in vangogh's post earlier. What other questions would be good to add, if any, to that list?

I also agree that it is necessary to ask some of those hard questions like, who am I trying to sell this to? How will I reach them? Do I have a marketing plan and enough money to market it? But more than anything, I think it's the formality of the whole small business plan which really bogged me down.

[FlyPizzaGuy]

Stay positive. Putting a business together is like a puzzle. Keep working at it and it will eventually all come together if the trade is well known from the provider.