How to Prepare a Business Plan (Sunday Times Business Enterprise Series) [Paperback]

Edward Blackwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004 | ISBN-10: 0749441917 | ISBN-13: 978-0749441913 | Edition: 5th

* Fully revised and updated * Practical guidance given on all aspects of business plans * Includes case studies and examples "Ideal for entrepreneurs and decision-makers in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Highly recommended." -- George Cox, Director General, Institute of Directors "Still the best book available on the subject." -- The Bookseller's Review of Business Books A business plan provides a blueprint for the future of business start-ups. It sets out a company's aims and how it proposes to achieve them. Without such a plan no venture capital house or bank will consider a loan for start-up or expansion. This fully revised new edition describes the best way to prepare a business plan that will help get the financial backing needed. It includes practical case studies and cash flow forecasts, as well as advice on expanding a business, planning the borrowing and monitoring business progress.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Edward Blackwell's How to Prepare a Business Plan is still one of the best books available in a sea of business plan guides. Why? It updates a prior best-seller and provides clear explanations, breaking the entire process into easily-digested segments, from producing cash-flow forecasts to planning company expenditures and incoming monies. The small business case studies are particularly well done."--The Bookwatch

From the Publisher

Edward Blackwell is an accountant and consultant, specializing in advising small businesses. He is also co-author of The Small Business Action Kit(Kogan Page) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Kogan Page Business Books; 5th edition (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749441917
• ISBN-13: 978-0749441913
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,520,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Tips to preparing a business plan, February 18, 2012

By 

Poppy J. - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Prepare a Business Plan: Create Your Strategy; Forecast Your Finances; Produce That Persuasive Plan (Business Success) (Paperback)

All businesses should have a business plan or written set of goals to guide the course of the business form start up to success story. This book defines the stops to developing a clear business plan and implementing the plan for any sized business. There is advice for small businesses, retail and catering, manufacturing, advice on how to expand a business, as well as information on how to maintain and update the plan and monitor the progress of the business plan.

There are sample statistical charges and ledgers, profit and loss accounts as well as sample case studies in each chapter. The author is from the UK, so the unit of money used is the GBP, but the samples are relevant to any company no matter what unit of currency is used.

The special sections include advice for someone starting a catering business for example, and the author goes over exactly what stops to take to start a new business. Lots of people have the dream to start a new business, and developing a business plan is the logical first step. There is a chapter on how not to write a business plan or how not to run a business. This chapter includes tips which encourage the new business owner to deermine how the money will be controlled.

Although there is an appendix at the end of the book, which includes useful UK based websites for new business owners, it might have been useful and helpful to provide blank templates as well for first time business plan writers. Creating a formal business plan takes time, and the plan may need to be revised after several years. When the business grows the mission and value statements should also be revised to reflect the values of the business if they have changed or need modification. This book is highly recommended for anyone starting a new business or wanting to develop a new plan for an existing business.

5.0 out of 5 stars How to create the best business plan possible, July 11, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Prepare a Business Plan (Business Enterprise) (Paperback)

Planning is invaluable; no one has ever maximized their business success by just winging it. "How to Prepare a Business Plan" is a scholarly handbook, taking a look at how to create the best business plan possible for one's company. Focusing on managing income and expenses, expanding, taking out loans, and meticulously watching for early warning signs of failure, "How to Prepare a Business Plan" is an excellent choice for entrepreneurs and a top pick for community library business collections.

4.0 out of 5 stars The author is my father, August 2, 2007

By 

John Blackwell (Northern Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Prepare a Business Plan (Sunday Times Business Enterprise Series) (Paperback)

Given the obvious conflict of interest, I would rather not have given a rating, though I think the book is very clear and useful. Others have thought so too: it has been published in many languages and on many continents, and continues to sell year after year, as the publishers keep asking my father to work on new editions.

The book is organized as a series of case studies (the names have been changed to protect the 'innocent') of people who started businesses, the problems they faced, their attempts (successful or otherwise) to cope with them, and their excitement as they realize they are actually succeeding.

The focus of the book is on how to write a business plan in such a way as to persuade a bank to lend you money. This is often one of the first problems a budding entrepreneur faces, which is fortunate because writing the plan forces him/her to think about the problems likely to face him, and to plan for success.