How To Devise A Business Plan

Having a plan to make a profit is important, but it's far from the only thing that matters when you start a business, experts say. encourage entrepreneurs to focus on what they are going to do," said Alan Williams, co-author of "The 31 Practices" (LID Publishing Inc., 2014)."This overlooks two more important questions: 'why' – why it exists and why employees would want to get out of bed in the morning, and 'how' – the values of the business, what it stands for, how people representing the business will behave." Williams noted that entrepreneurs should take time to identify and articulate their business's core values and purpose, which will serve as your organization's compass for decision making at all levels.

There's no exact formula for writing a business plan, and you should always tailor it depending on who you're writing it for.

The best business plans are often not too long and complicated; they simply explain what you want to do, how you will get there and what you need to do to reach that goal.

As with a business plan, your model should be revisited and updated as the realities of your business start to unfold.

"Start [answering] 'what ifs,'" said Muller. "If I sell this product at this price point, and this is the cost of client acquisition, what rates of return can I get?

Entrepreneurs should go out and talk to industry experts, potential customers in their target market and other entrepreneurs to determine their business' viability, said Kara Bubb, principal consultant at Kara Bubb Product Consulting. The forethought put into the plan identifies the milestones by which you can mark your progress.

"Talk to some real potential future clients [and experts], and ask for some honest feedback," Bubb told Business News Daily. Who, specifically, are you targeting with your business? Editor's note: If you're looking for information to help you with business plan services, use the questionnaire below to have our sister site provide you with information from a variety of vendors for free.

Jennifer Post graduated from Rowan University in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism.

Having worked in the food industry, print and online journalism, and marketing, she is now a freelance contributor for Business News Daily and

The key to business success is having a clear vision of what you want to accomplish as a company, experts say.

But before you write a business plan, you should come up with three to five key strategies that will enable you to achieve that vision, advised Evan Singer, CEO of Smart Biz, a provider of SBA loans. "It's far better to do three things very well versus 10 things not so well." Tied in with building the vision for your business is also putting together a mission statement.