Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 658.4012 EAN: 9780764576522 ISBN: 0764576526 Label: For Dummies Manufacturer: For Dummies Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 384 Publication Date: December 31, 2004 Publisher: For Dummies Sales Rank: 90922 Studio: For Dummies
Product DescriptionWould 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 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
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.
What Others Say
Create a Business Plan that Makes Strategic Sense
Are you looking for a template that will allow you to create a business plan by simply filling in the blanks, as some software does? If so, you should beware of the danger in that approach. Without an in-depth understanding of basic business principles, you could end up with a plan that lacks coherence and is strategically flawed. This could undermine your credibility, and you would likely lose the interest of potential investors.
Rather than taking a superficial fill-in-the-blanks approach to business planning, Business Plans For Dummies aims to help you achieve an in-depth understanding of basic business principles. It explains the most important choices that must be made in any business plan, regardless of the industry. It clarifies the significance ... Read More
Great Information!
Business Plans for Dummies has great information in it and is a wonderful resource for those starting or contemplating starting a business. Well worth the cost!
Good Reference for Beginners and Intermediates Alike
I've done a number of business plans in my time and bought Business Plans For Dummies as a gift for a friend who wants to start her own business. I purchased it because it includes all of the basics needed to develop a business plan that will guide you as you start and build your business and will also give you the credibility you need to secure outside financing. This is a very good step-by-step guide for those completely new to business and an excellent refresher guide for those who already know the basics.
And, by the way, you can skip the companion Dummies book called Business Plans Kit, which covers the same ground as Business Plans For Dummies but includes a CD-ROM that doesn't add much value. The truth is, Business Plans For Dummies is cheaper and offers just as much help as the ... Read More
The title says it all...
I'm a business planning consultant and a client just gave me a copy of Business Plans For Dummies. Way too basic, not enough help on the most important part of any business plan: the financials. If you want to get funded, look for a better book.
Not bad
Business Plans For Dummies was not bad, but it needs more sample plans. If you are writing a Business Plan, Business Plans For Dummies will get you started, but it will not get you finished.
