VOLUME 10. I love this resource. I cannot say enough positive things about it. I am a SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) volunteer who provides business coaching services via email and in-person. I have recommended on almost every occasion that my "clients" who are starting a business and need to prepare a business plan search out for this volume and the others that follow it at their public library, community college library, or university library.



A business plan is a 25-35 page written document that includes the following ten sections:



1. Business History and Outlook

2. Description of Product or Services

3. Market Examination (target market)

4. Description and analysis of Competition (competitors serving target market)

5. Marketing (various options and a plan)

6. Operations

7. Administration and Management

8. Key Personnel

9. Potential Problems and Solutions to those Problems

10. Financial Information (BS, IS, Stmt of Cash Flows)



Included in this volume are the following sample business plans:



1. Automotive Repair Service

2. Bioterrorism Prevention Organization

3. Bistro and Wine Bar

4. Coatings Inspection Company

5. Event Photography Service

6. Fertilizer and Commodity Chemicals Company

7. Food, Diet and Nutrition Company

8. Food Distributor (template)

9. Golf Grip Manufacturer

10. Hardware Store (template)

11. Holistic Health Center

12. Home Decor Products Manufacturer

13. Housing Rehabilitation Company

14. Internet and Network Security Solution Provider

15. Litigation Services Company

16. Medical Equipment Producer

17. Mural Company

18. Network Game Centers

19. Online Customer Service Support

20. Painting Company

21. Routing/Navigation Software Company

22. Structural Genomics Software Provider



None of the above plans are 25-35 pages long. And few if any have good Financial Information. But what they do provide the reader is examples of how business plans are supposed to present information. You will no doubt see big holes in the sample plans. It is those holes you need to be aware of so you can fill them in when you prepare your own business plan.



Read the plans as if you were going to use them to start a similar business. Ask yourself what you still need to know after reading each plan that you must have an answer for in order to use the plan as a blueprint for actually running your own business. As you do this for each of the plans you will become expert at analyzing and critiquing business plans. And that is what you need to be able to do well when you write your own business plan. 5 stars!