Business Plans For Dummies (US Edition) (For Dummies Series) - Softcover

Tiffany, Paul; Peterson, Steven D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0764576526 ISBN 13: 9780764576522

Publisher: For Dummies, 2004

Synopsis

Would you take off on a road trip to a new destination without a map or good directions? Probably not. Yet, sometimes business owners go full speed ahead without even having a destination in mind, much less a map on how to get there. That's why so many businesses never make it. In today's competitive marketplace, 3/4 of all new businesses fail within two to three years. Whether you're launching a new business or working to strengthen or expand an established one, a business plan is your road map to success. "Business Plans For Dummies, 2nd Edition" helps you keep your businesses on track and reach your goals. Written by Paul Tiffany, PhD, professor at UC Berkley Haas Business School and the Wharton School of Business and Steven Peterson, PhD, Professor at UC Berkeley Haas Business School and CEO of Strategic Play, it helps you: realistically determine where your business is and where you want to go; create a detailed business plan and put it into action instead of in a drawer; use the plan to secure financing; prepare for opportunities; and, avoid common pitfalls. In short, "Business Plans for Dummies" helps you determine where you want your business to go and create a map for getting there. You'll discover how to: identify and approach potential financial backers, including venture capital firms, angels, bankers, and others; clarify and crystallize your company's mission, vision, and values; analyze your industry and your competition; identify your customers, including their needs, habits, purchase triggers, and decision-making processes; objectively analyze your company's strengths and weaknesses; analyze your financial situation in order to do realistic forecasts and budgets; recognize trends and anticipate changes, both in the overall economy and in your industry; plan for growth, considering the product life cycle, new products, or new markets; and, structure your organization and nurture leadership. Complete with diverse techniques and approaches plus a sample business plan, "Business Plans For Dummies" gives you detailed how-to for designing a dynamic, business plan that will keep you on course in spite of the inevitable curves and detours in today's marketplace. It's a plantastic resource for business owners and entrepreneurs.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Create a winning business plan with expert tips and strategies

Covers planning basics, financing, marketing, legal issues, and more

Creating a great business plan is the first and most vital step to business success. Business Plans For Dummies, 2nd Edition, walks you through each step of the planning process.

THE DUMMIES WAY(R)

Explanations in plain English
"Get in, get out" information
Icons and other navigational aids
Online cheat sheet
Top ten lists
A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

Assess your company's goals and objectives
Create a clear, precise mission statement
Identify customers and understand their needs
Differentiate your business from the competition
Understand budgeting and finances

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Synopsis:

A new edition packed with new material of the indispensable guide to great business plans A good business plan is vital to the success of any new business. It's the most direct way to garner financial support and investors and a powerful tool for giving a company a direction and goals. Business Plans For Dummies, Second Edition guides large and small businesses alike in designing the right business plan and in using it in the right way. This new edition featuring 25 percent new and updated information offers fresh coverage of important topics since the last edition, such as company values, identifying customer and market opportunities, technological trends, global business opportunities, and social responsibility in light of recent corporate scandals. Much more than just a one-time formality, a business plan should be updated regularly to reflect shifting business realities and changing business goals.

About this edition

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0764576526
• ISBN 13: 9780764576522
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 384