Where to Start for Business Plan Smarts

 

Anatomy of a Business Plan, 4th edition, by Linda Pinson and Jerry Jinnett (Dearborn, 1999)

The first edition of Linda Pinson and Jerry Jinnett's Anatomy of a Business Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Smart, Building the Business, and Securing Your Company's Future appeared in 1989. It's still one of the best books on the basics of putting together a thoughtful, thorough, and professional business plan for a young company. The fourth edition of the book does nothing to tarnish that reputation.

In a no-frills approach, most chapters cover one particular section of the business plan (for example, executive summary, organizational plan, marketing plan, financial documents, and supporting documents). The descriptions of what any budding business owner should include are detailed and written in clear English. There's also good information about taxes, how best to package the business plan, and the importance of keeping a plan up-to-date.

In the appendices, the authors provide two in-depth examples of business plans that were written following their recommended format, along with blank forms and work sheets. The book also contains a short glossary of terms (most of which are explained well enough in the text itself) and a useful index that serves as a good companion to the comprehensive table of contents. For readers who are new to starting a business or writing a business plan, this is a good resource.

Copyright © 2000 Goldhirsh Group Inc.

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