Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Do you have a business plan?


Business Plan Pro Premier


Business Plan Pro Premier Edition creates expert business plans. Respected by banks, lenders, and the Small Business Administration, this software includes more detailed financials, advanced cash flow management tools for "what-if" scenarios, and is completely customizable for a powerful planning solution. Learn more about Business Plan Pro Premier.


Even if you are a one-person operation, business experts urge you to have a business plan. When I first decided to “get serious” and not just freelance here and there, I attended a few SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) seminars and individual meetings. One of the main points of several of their workshops was that business plans are important for every type of business, even if you are on your own. A business plan gives you, and anyone who looks at it, a clear picture of what you do and how you plan to do it. It shows a bank you are serious if you apply for a loan, you can use it for applying for grnats, and it helps you in the planning of your business and day-to-day activities. It can be as simple as one or two pages, or as involved as you prefer.

Business has been slow for everyone, so I figured I needed a little clarification if I was going to make some money. I needed to see if I was on the right track, so I started creating my plan. Because I am a writer, I thought it silly to reinvent the wheel by scouring other plans and instructions on how to write them. When I heard about the software, BusinessPlan Pro, I requested a copy of their Premiere version for review purposes. I finally sat down with it a few weeks ago and was amazed at how easy it was! I now have a business plan that tells me where I want to go and how I am going to get there.

One of the things I really liked was the examples of other business plans. I am a visual person. I need to see an example of something before I can truly understand it. With BusinessPlan Pro, users can choose a business similar to their own and use it as an example while writing their own plan. It also has buttons you can click on for an explanation as you answer each of the questions.

It is helpful to those just starting out and creating their business, or for those who have been running it a while without any plan at all. I have been doing well for years as a freelancer, but now that my little one is in school, I want to start making some serious money again. With my business plan in hand, I am ready to face the world.