Well, there are a lot of software available on the market which are specialized on business plan writing. However only a few of them will really add value to you. Personally i used some of these products for my projects. I found Business Plan Pro by far the most effective business plan software available in the market today. 

Why should you choose Business Plan Pro ?

As a small business owner this software has everything you need to produce professional business plan that gets results. The package comes with 500 sample plans, plus instructions and examples at every step. You don’t need to worry about where to start on writing your business plan. Business Plan Pro may lead you throughout the whole process.

The software also includes a EasyPlan Wizard which will make the process even easier for you. Simply answer yes or no questions the wizard asks you and create your business plan framework.

If you want to learn the fundamentals of business planning, you don’t need to spend money to buy a book from elsewhere. The package includes The Book on Business Planning by business planning expert, Tim Berry, along with other free planning resources.

Resources and discounts on small business products and services, Business Plan Pro may help your business a success.

Business Plan Pro provides you with an easy, affordable way to find potential investors with more than 1,200 profiles of venture capital firms worldwide with Venture Capital Database.

Having said above, i should also warn you that no matter how good the software helps you writing your business plan, it is going to be solely written by you, the owner of the company. Please do not expect the software to complete all these tasks without your great efforts.

Before purchasing the product, it is better you to read the reasons why you should have a business plan once again. If you feel yourself comfortable, you can write your business plan by yourself, without the help of Business Plan Pro software. But if you want to fulfill the requirements of a professional business plan, i suggest you to purchase this product and be guided by it.

You will spend only $79.99 with a 60-day no questions asked money back guarantee. If you don’t like the product, you may get your money back.  I suggest you to try the product by yourself, and then decide what to do. The software could be helpful for those of you who has never written such a business plan before.

“Writing a Business Plan forces you into disciplined thinking, if you do an intellectually honest job. An idea may sound great, but when you put down all the details and numbers, it may fall apart” – Eugene Kleiner, Venture Capitalist

Let’s start with the basics. Do you know what are the characteristics of a successful Business Plan ? A successful business plan should be :

• Clearly written, well structured and standalone
• The objective is accurate, positive, and critical
• Must be consistent, should have analytical depth, and style
• Should be written in plain English, without technical terms
• It is your calling card, therefore it is the document the reader will remember you by

Well, we know what is needed for a successful business plan. I am sure the next question in your mind is “what are the elements of a business plan?” Let me summarize item by item, then we will go into detail later.

Elements of a Business Plan

1. Executive summary
2. Product or service
3. Management team
4. Market and competition
5. Marketing and sales
6. Business system and organisation
7. Implementation schedule
8. Opportunities and risks
9. Financial planning and financing

I know writing an effective business plan seems like a big deal to you when looking at above items. However most of them are already known by you. You will discover all of them by asking some key questions to yourself. Let’s start with the executive summary.

Key Questions for Executive Summary:

• What is your business idea?
• Who are your target customers?
• What is the value for those customers?
• What market volume and growth rates do you forecast?
• What competitive environment do you face?
• What additional stages of development are needed?
• How much investment is necessary?
• What long term goals have you set?

We will further discuss other items of the elements of the business plan. I want to give a break here for you to think thoroughly about above questions and come up with answers until i post Part 2.

In case you need some good food for thought on business plans, i listed some great books herebelow:

Your small business will surely benefit from a clearly written business plan. According to my past experiences there are a few core reasons why every small business has to have a business plan :

• To serve as a guide for your own business : This is the most important reason. A business plan is a guide to be followed by you throughout the lifetime of your business. Without a business plan, there is no clear direction for you. To be of value, it has to be kept up-to-date. A business plan provides detailed information on all aspects of your small business companies past and current situation.
• You can use a business plan as documentation for financing: If you are desperately seeking for financing, then there is no better way to have a business plan for your small business. If you are seeking capital, the business plan details how the desired investment or loan will further the company’s goals and increase its profits. It is obvious that every lender wants to know how you will maintain your cash flow and repay the loan with interest on a timely basis. Therefore a sound business plan will support you on finding the right investment for your small business. Spend some quality time on writing your business plan, you will never regret.
• To be involved in foreign markets: If you do business internationally or planning to involve in the future, a business plan will provide a standard means of evaluating your business potential in a foreign marketplace. The globalization is changing world trade day by day and no small business today can afford to overlook the potential of international commerce brought about by changes in communications, technology, and transportation. Your business plan will demonstrate ways in which your business can compete in this global economy.

I strongly suggest you to take the time to write a clear, concise, and winning business plan. Your success mainly depends on this! One of the main reasons for business failure is lack of planning.

How are you going to write a business plan ? Please be patient. I will send a post regarding “how to write an effective business plan?” and will surely provide you some samples. Keep watching me!