How to Structure a Business Plan
How to write a business plan that will help you obtain financing, arrange strategic alliances, attract key employees, and boost your confidence. Read more
David Gumpert
Recent Articles about David Gumpert
Building a Business Plan, Section by Section
Though many successful companies have been started without the benefit of a formal business plan (see "Read more
Reality TV's Take on Starting a Business
This summer's reality TV series, " The Restaurant ," is entertaining but doesn't quite cut it as a lesson i... Read more
A Plan for All Seasons
In Chapter 1 of the book How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan, author David E. Gumpert suggests that a carefully crafted business plan... Read more
Part-Time Business
Thousands of American entrepreneurs supplement their income by starting and maintaining part-time small businesses. The circumstances and goals of these o... Read more
Feasibility Study
A feasibility study is done by an organization in order to determine if a particular action makes sense from an economic and operational standpoint. Such ... Read more
Pick the Target Audience, Then Tailor Your Plan
One of the key steps in preparing your business plan is targeting it to the right audience. If you're seeking out financing, for example, will your pl... Read more
Filling In Your Plan: What to Say Where
Here is a brief overview of the contents of the written plan. Keep in mind that after the first two items, the titles of thesubsequent sections can vary. ... Read more
The Finer Points of a Business Plan
Here is a brief overview of the contents of the written plan. Keep in mind that after the first two items, the titles of the subsequent sections can vary.... Read more
Protecting Your Intellectual Property the Affordable Way
The matter of legally protecting your intellectual property can get quite complex -- and expensive. You likely don't want to spend endless hours sorting t... Read more
Turning a Great Idea into a Practical Business
You have a terrific idea for a new business. But before rushing ahead to implement it, consider the following: Have you seen the idea... Read more
Hitting Bottom
How Mo Siegel improvised the teabag-manufacturing process to save money. Read more
Planning for Chaos in a Start-Up
No matter how hard you try to prepare, unexpected problems will erupt in your new start-up. In this excerpt from How to Really Start Your Own Business... Read more
Writing a Business Plan: Selected Resources
If " The Bulletproof Business Plan ," makes you nervous about getting funding for your new com... Read more
Success by Association
As you start your business, you aren't solely in control of your success. Suppliers, creditors, and your competition will mold your every move. In this ex... Read more
All Summary, No Substance
The executive summary below is actually an altered and disguised version of a real executive summary. But it remains as badly done in this state as it was... Read more
Keeping a Start-Up Simple
Once you're ready to launch, how can you make sure you start out on the right foot? In this excerpt from How to Really Start Your Own Business, e... Read more
Venture Capital
A few years ago, start-ups with any whiz-bang tech idea could court venture capitalists. Today, start-ups are hard pressed to find inte... Read more
Putting Your Business Idea to the Test
When entrepreneurs ask me about the potential of an idea for a new business, I invariably ask some probing questions. I am trying to determine the followi... Read more
Venture Capitalists Don't Relish Risk
Probably the key fact for entrepreneurs to remember about venture capital firms is that their names are misleading. Though the term venture capitalRead more
The Basics of Business Plans: Sell, Sell, Sell
You've probably heard all the academic and formal definitions of a business plan--something to the effect that it's a document describing your company's g... Read more
Get More Out of Your Cash
The more you can squeeze out of your cash, the better off you are. That is true, but only to a point. Your efforts to get more out of your cash must be ba... Read more
Executive Summary as a Guiding Light
A good executive summary is hard to write. It should present your entire business plan in miniature. Read more
The 50 Most Active Venture Capitalists
Note: This table may be divided, and additional information on a particular entry may appear on more than one screen. Time from first contact ... Read more
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