Paul Tiffany - Business Plans For Dummies

Business Plans For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022930647

ISBN 978-1-119-86637-4 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-86638-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-86639-8 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go From Here

5 Part 1: Getting Started with Business Plans Chapter 1: Preparing to Do a Business Plan Identifying Your Planning Resources Assembling Your Planning Team Putting Your Plan on Paper or in Cyberspace Chapter 2: Understanding the Importance of a Business Plan Bringing Your Ideas into Focus Understanding the Planning behind the Plan Satisfying Your Audience Chapter 3: Setting Off in the Right Direction Understanding Why Values Matter Clarifying Your Company Values Creating Your Company’s Vision Statement Chapter 4: Charting the Proper Course Creating Your Company’s Mission Statement Introducing Goals and Objectives Minding Your Own Business: Setting Goals and Objectives

6 Part 2: Describing Your Marketplace Chapter 5: Examining the Business Environment Understanding Your Business Analyzing Your Industry Recognizing Critical Success Factors SWOT: Preparing for Opportunities and Threats Chapter 6: Slicing and Dicing Markets Separating Customers into Groups Identifying Market Segments Finding Useful Market Segments Becoming Market Driven Chapter 7: Getting Up Close and Personal with Customers Keeping Track of the Big Picture Categorizing Your Customers Discovering the Ways Customers Behave Figuring Out How Customers Make Choices Understanding the Global Customer Serving Your Customers Better Looking at a Special Case: Business Customers Chapter 8: Covering Your Competition Understanding the Value of Competitors Identifying Your Real Competitors Tracking Your Competitors’ Actions Predicting Your Competitors’ Moves Competing to Win

7 Part 3: Weighing Your Company’s Prospects Chapter 9: Assessing Where You Stand Today Doing Situation Analysis Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses Analyzing Your Situation in 3-D Chapter 10: Profiting from Your Business Plan Describing What You Do Best Putting Together a Business Model Making Your Business Model Work Earmarking Resources Chapter 11: Figuring Out the Financial Details Reading Income Statements Interpreting Balance Sheets Examining Cash-Flow Statements Evaluating Financial Ratios Chapter 12: Forecasting and Budgeting Constructing a Financial Forecast Exploring Alternative Financial Forecasts Making a Budget

8 Part 4: Looking to the Future Chapter 13: Confronting Uncertainty Understanding the Dangers of Ignoring Change Defining the Dimensions of Change Anticipating Change Preparing for a Changing Future Chapter 14: Thinking Strategically Applying Off-the-Shelf Strategies Changing Your Boundaries Leading and Following Tailoring Your Own Strategy Chapter 15: Growing Up, Growing Bigger, and Growing Old Facing Up to the Product Life Cycle Finding Ways to Expand Managing Your Product Portfolio Asking Two Final Questions About Growth

9 Part 5: Putting Your Business Plan into Action Chapter 16: Shaping and Shape-Shifting Your Organization Recognizing That Form Follows Function Putting Together an Effective Organization Thinking and Organizing for the Future Chapter 17: Leading the Way Encouraging Leadership Roles Developing Business Skills (And Having the Right Personality Traits) Creating the Right Culture Following Through with Your Vision Bringing Your Plan to Life (And Making a Final Check)

10 Part 6: The Part of Tens Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Signs That Your Business Plan Needs Refreshing — or Worse Your Business Goals Change Abruptly You Don’t Meet Your Plan Milestones New Technology Makes a Splash Important Customers Walk Away The Competition Heats Up Product Demand Falls Sharply Revenues Go Down or Costs Go Up Company Morale Slumps Key Financial Projections Don’t Pan Out Too Much Growth, Too Fast An Unwanted Surprise Pops Up Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Questions to Ask about Your Plan Are Your Goals and Mission in Sync? Can You Point to Major Opportunities? Have You Prepared for Threats? Do You Know Your Customers? Can You Track Your Competitors? Do You Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses? Does Your Strategy Make Sense? Can You Stand Behind the Numbers? Are You Really Ready for Change? Is Your Plan Concise and Up-to-Date? What’s the Worst That Can Happen, and How Will You Deal with It? Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Business-Planning Never-Evers Failing to Plan in the First Place Shrugging Off Values and Vision Second-Guessing the Customer Underestimating Your Competition Ignoring Your Strengths Mistaking a Budget for a Plan Shying Away from Reasonable Risk Allowing One Person to Dominate a Plan Being Afraid to Change Forgetting to Motivate and Reward Faking It