• Business plans
• What is a business plan?
• Importance of plans
• Write a business plan
• What to include
• Sample business plans
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Business planning methods

Having decided to produce a business plan, there are three main ways to write one:

• Pay someone to write it
• Write it yourself using Microsoft® Word and Excel or a business plan template
• Write it using a task-specific software product such as Business Plan Pro 11.0

If you, like many entrepreneurs, are time rich and cash poor, option 1 quickly removes itself from the equation, given the cost of having someone write a plan for you.

Business Plan Pro

You are then faced with the choice between using Business Plan Pro 11.0 or building everything yourself, from scratch, in Microsoft Word and Excel. Why are we not recommending other business plan software options? Because Business Plan Pro, with its 500+ sample business plans, is the best business planning software available - without exception. Palo Alto Software (the maker of Business Plan Pro) has a proud history, has had category leadership for years and has extensive lists of testimonials and independent reviews on the website, all corroborating this view. By all means, consider other software options; however, we are confident that your own analysis will reveal that Business Plan Pro stands head and shoulders above the alternatives.

Other business planning options

When it comes to using Word and Excel there are undoubted benefits - not least the fact that they are 'free' in the sense that they are bundled on most PCs. The interface is also familiar, given the popularity of their use. However, while these tools are excellent when you know exactly what you need to produce, they offer negligible assistance when it comes to producing specific content, such as that required for a business plan. If the purpose of the business plan were simply to jot down a few notes to keep you on track, they would suffice. However, if you intend to circulate the plan to peers, colleagues or prospective investors, you will need to produce a plan worthy of your name. After all, you are the author!

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