Writing A Business Plan

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I'm trying to write a business plan and have done great so far. However, I am stuck on this one part. The Industry ratios. I can't read them at all, therefore I can't compare and come up with mine. Can Someone please help me.

Best Answer

Having written several business plans, the best suggestion I have for you is to try out the Business Plan Pro software package. It includes a Ratios table that automatically calculates your ratios and then compares them to industry averages. Assuming your trying to compare your numbers to an industry report you already have, another option is to use a financial dictionary such as Investorwords.com to look up each ratio so that you can learn how to calculate them on your own. (http://www.investorwords.com/) For example, search for "quick ratio" and you will get the definition you need. Good luck!

I am currently working on writing a business plan for a website. Any suggestions on some good books or websites to help with the process?

Best Answer

Go to http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/ or http://www.bplan.com/ where you will find sample plans and instructions on how to write a business plan

I am in the country of jamaica and it really needs a serious injection of the car customization magic.as it is very limited and many people would like to customize their vehicles from simple tintings to a suspension and engine overhaul. it would be really appeciated if someone could give me a sample of a car tuning business plan. thanks in advance.

Best Answer

A business plan from anywhere else than Jamaica wouldn't be very accurate because the market analysis is totally different.

I am considering writing a grant for a business idea so I can receive/borrow government funding and need to know information about writing such a grant which will appeal to them.

Best Answer

Business plan and grant application are two different things. There is a procedure that needs to be followed with government grants. However, your best course of action is to focus and concentrate in preparing your business plan. You stand a better chance of getting funding from your business from small business loans or investors, rather than grants It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK - lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born. Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture. Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business. Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html... "The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments." Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE. http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/ CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.

I am writing a business plan for a high school project. Can someone explain to me what it means when it says: Talk about Geographic, and Economic information.. what does that mean? THANKS!

Best Answer

Go to http://www.sba.gov , http://www.score.org or http://www.bplan.com for instructions on how to write a business plan and sample business plans.