A business plan is an indispensable tool for an entrepreneur and not only because of its importance to the fundraising process, but because of how it helps businesspeople crystallize their strategy and evaluate their process. If company growth requires investment, a growth plan may include complete descriptions of the company, its management and officers. Liam Mooney of Blue Pencil and Club Fit For Business provides step-by-step instructions on how not to stray from your initial business plan.

A Microsoft business plan template can help get you started. If your business is going to be delivering products to your customers, you should describe your plans for shipping your products. This will help you decide what marketing strategies to undertake when you start selling your services.

So often it happens that a company sets out to deliver a certain product or service, but as it talks with customers finds they are interested in a product or service that is related to what the company does but is not what it is offering. The strategic plan, in addition to ministry business plans, is published as part of the government’s annual budget process.

This allows your marketing and sales strategy to focus on the people that are most likely to purchase your offerings. Good business plans clearly identify the training programs, processes and materials that will be used to get franchisees up and running and then to keep them happy and successful once in the system.

The service divides the writing into chapters, including Executive Summary, Company, Products and Services, Target Market, Strategy and Implementation, Financial Plan and Appendix. The purpose of the business plan is to tell your story in the most compelling manner possible so that investors will want to go to the next step.