To get any new business idea off the ground or develop and better manage an existing business you must have a plan - and if you need to raise finance to fund the business or get the approval of senior management, it must be a convincing plan. The business plan also provides the blueprint for successfully creating and running the new venture. This fully revised and updated comprehensive guide covers every aspect of preparing and using a business plan. It includes: tools for analysing the market, customers, competitors, and the business environment; techniques for examining and choosing between alternative strategic options; and, a business planning model to help prepare financial forecasts. It includes information on how to analyse and mitigate risk. It helps you understand how to identify the business' financing needs and select the appropriate type of finance and how to use the book's business plan document template to write your own plan.
1 Introduction 1
2 The business plan 8
3 The business planning process 19
4 Strategic planning 24
5 Analysing the environment 31
6 Analysing the firm 41
7 Industry and competitor analysis 55
8 Product and portfolio analysis 65
9 SWOT analysis 85
10 Generating strategic options 89
11 Market analysis and strategy 99
12 Market forecasting 107
13 The operational plan 137
14 Modelling the business 144
15 Accounting principles 150
16 Completing the financial statements 180
17 Reviewing the financial statements 188
18 Evaluating strategic options 201
19 Funding issues 223
20 Risk analysis 238
21 Presenting the business plan and obtaining approval 243
22 Implementing the business plan 247
Appendix 250