Business Plans for Dummies [Paperback]

Paul Tiffany (Author), Steven D. Peterson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568848684 | ISBN-13: 978-1568848686 | Publication Date: May 15, 1997 | Edition: 1

For some people, a business plan is a map to success that they're required to put together to raise money for a startup company. At best, it's a formality; at worst, it's a sizable pain in the neck. But a business plan doesn't exist just to garner financial support; it's also a powerful tool – one that's bound to make your company a better place to work and your business a more successful operation.

Business Plans For Dummies can guide your business in the right direction no matter who you are or how your job description reads, whether you're part of a large corporation or a one-person show. If you've struggled through the planning process before – or if you're brand new to plotting out goals and objectives – this expert reference will show you how to

• Create a right-on mission statement
• Pinpoint the needs of your customers
• Scope out the competition
• Simplify all the financial stuff
• Stay on top of trends
• Foster a winning atmosphere for your staff

Packing the greatest value into a business plan calls for a look back at where your company's been and how it's changed over the years, a look forward to where and how you'll compete in the marketplace, and a look around at what you want to show and tell the world about your enterprise. This down-to-earth guide steps you through every milestone in business planning, including

• Determining where you want to go with your business
• Checking out the business environment: customers and competition
• Assessing your capabilities and resources
• Getting into strategic thinking mode
• Facing the facts about product life cycles
• Motivating and appreciating the people who make it all happen in-house

Riding marketplace tides isn't the sport of amateurs these days; only 25% of new businesses survive beyond their first three years of operation. This invaluable resource gives you a no-nonsense approach to staying afloat, rising above the risks, and enjoying the rewards as you take care of business.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Twenty-three books published in 1997 have been selected as finalists in five main categories for The Financial Times, Booz-Allen & Hamilton Global Business Book Awards. In the "How-To" category, "Business Plans For Dummies" - which made it through to the shortlist - is a solid offering. One business expert who read it said that most big-company bosses would benefit from it: "The book makes it clear that a business plan is not just a budget." That is something too few executives realize. -- Financial Times, April 21, 1998

What's Hot: Save It! "Business Plans For Dummies." This guide by Paul Tiffany, a management consultant and business-school professor, and Steven D. Peterson, a software designer and entrepreneur, is, quite frankly, the best work that you'll find on this subject. What makes this 354-pager a standout is that it urges business owners to write plans that are not only informative but captivating. Five stars! -- Inc. Magazine, January, 1999

From the Back Cover

"This guide...is, quite frankly, the best work that you'll find on this subject." —Inc. Magazine

"The best book I've found for comprehensive and successful planning.... Every type of organization will find it invaluable. It really gets the job done and will help you get the job done, too!" —Rick Oliver, Consultant and Professor of Management, Vanderbilt University

"Comprehensive and knowing, this book will help anyone who is thinking about running a business." —Tom Ehrenfeld, Business and Financial Journalist

• The fun and Easy Way to Create a Winning Business Plan
• Your First Aid Kit for Identifying Customers, Understanding the Competition, and Putting Together a Plan that Works!
• Business Planning Blunders to Avoid — Explained in Plain English

Create an Innovative Business Plan with Expert Tips and Strategies!

Are you an entrepreneur, executive, or a manager charged with creating a business plan, but don't know where to begin? Don't worry! With Business Plans For Dummies as your handy reference, you'll find quick, easy solutions to all your planning dilemmas. Equipped with tips, techniques, and expert advice, you'll develop a dynamic business plan like a pro in no time!

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Assess your company's goals and objectives
• Create a mission statement that clearly positions and identifies your business
• Identify and understand the needs of your customers and clients
• Scope out the competition and differentiate your business from the crowd
• Understand the financial stuff — from number crunching to budgets to forecasting
• Develop a plan conducive to marketplace changes and advancements
• Shape your organization and invest in your company's people

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (May 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568848684
• ISBN-13: 978-1568848686
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference for Beginners and Intermediates Alike, March 21, 2004

By 

B. McEwan "yellokat" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Business Plans for Dummies (Paperback)

I've done a number of business plans in my time and bought this book as a gift for a friend who wants to start her own business. I purchased it because it includes all of the basics needed to develop a business plan that will guide you as you start and build your business and will also give you the credibility you need to secure outside financing. This is a very good step-by-step guide for those completely new to business and an excellent refresher guide for those who already know the basics.

And, by the way, you can skip the companion Dummies book called Business Plans Kit, which covers the same ground as this book but includes a CD-ROM that doesn't add much value. The truth is, this book is cheaper and offers just as much help as the larger and more expensive kit version.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book available for writing your plan, March 25, 2000

By 

Holden Westland - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business Plans for Dummies (Paperback)

Bypass the complete book of business plans and go right to this book. Not only did it assist me (tremendously!) in the writing of my plan, but I enjoyed it from both the perspective of useful information and it's concise yet comprehensive content. This book attempts to do what so many "how to" books fail to do... it tells you how to do what you're looking to do in a straightforward and matter-of fact way. There's not a lot of philosophizing in this book (yawn!) like you might find in others but rather an abundance of useful, timely and real world information. Writing a plan? Read this book!

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only source you need, January 23, 2000

By 

R. Kingston (San Clemente, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Business Plans for Dummies (Paperback)

When we had the germ of an idea for a new company, I explored many sources for business plans including many computer CD progams. By comparison, others books generated more confusion than lucidity. Using Dummies as a template, we developed a great business plan that reflected exactly our challenges, prospects, and a road map for getting THERE. Save yourself time and money. Stick with this Dummies guide. R. Kingston