Business Plans

A business plan is a blueprint for successful operation of the business. It identifies goals for the business, helps analyze new business opportunities, explores expansion options, defines customers and competitors, and identifies strengths and weaknesses of the operation.

Development of plans varies depending on the size and complexity of the organization and the purpose for which the plan is being written. Plans written for external consumption will provide more structure and detail than plans written for internal use. The business plan should include an analysis of the environment the business operates and the impact the economic climate has on current and future operations. As outlined in this section, our planning guide provides for consideration of all of the major components needed for a comprehensive planning document.