Big Plans
Catch up with some of the companies profiled in our Anatomy of a Start-Up series, and here's what you'll discover: Plans are one thing, executing them is ano... Read more
Writing a Business Plan
Recent Writing a Business Plan Articles
Confidence Man
In its January 2000 issue, Inc. began following five fledgling businesses over a twelve-month period. The founder of one, Application Technologies, ... 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
Start-Up Classics: 10 Resources for Start-ups
For decades, Inc. magazine has been tracking the successes and failures of entreprene... Read more
Best Cities: City Pickers
Before you think about moving your company or starting a business in a new location, look at this list of the key issues in judging whether a city fits your ... Read more
What Do Teens Want?
How to market to teens is a growing issue given the size of the "echo boom" generation. So we asked our kids. We asked the experts. Finally, we asked teen id... Read more
Anatomy of a Start-Up Collection
In Big Plans ," an article in the January 2001 issue of Inc. magazi... Read more
How do I research an industry?
Writing a Business Plan mentor Rhonda Abrams responds to the following question frequently asked by inc.com users: I'm planning ... Read more
Born Again with Microsoft
Company: UltraBac.com Year founded: 1983 Quiet period: 13 years Turning point:Read more
How can I follow through better on projects that I start?
Personal & Professional Growth mentor Jennifer Lawton offers advice for focusing on and sticking with the tasks at hand. Read more
Making Your Own Patent Drawings
You've invented something wonderful. You've prepared rough sketches and the written part of thepatent application yourself, saving thousands of dollars by... Read more
Hot Tip: Don't Believe the (Analysts') Hype
If a big, newly public competitor of yours is getting good press, don't be alarmed about some new threat. First, do a little background check befo... Read 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
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
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 Young Entrepreneur's Survival Kit
As Emily Barker notes in Inc. magazine's October 2000 Read more
Business Plans at Internet Speed
In the July 2000 issue of Inc. magazine, Joel Burtman , president of a... Read more
Business Plans at Internet Speed
The sheer speed of business in the Internet world means that business planning has to be quicker, too. But the very force that's driving the need for ac... Read more
Brief Profiles of 2000 Inc. 500 Companies
Brief profiles and stories about interesting and unusual companies on the 2000 Inc. 500 list. Read more
Story of a Start-Up
Unlike many who go into the custom home systems business, Jamie Sasser, founder of Digital Home Inc., in Raleigh, N.C., is not an audiophile or home autom... Read more
Sell Your Offering in Smaller Bites
People are more cautious spenders these days. Some buyers can stare down the most effective marketing ploys and not be persuaded one iota. Others are will... Read more
Achieve a Competitive Advantage in the Internet Age
Living on the Fault Line by Geoffrey A. Moore HarperBusiness, 2000, 288 pages, $27 In Living on the Fault... Read more
Planning for the Perfect Hire
Hunting Heads by John H. McConnell Kiplinger Books, 2000, 288 pages, $24 According to human resources consult... Read more
Upstarts: Serving Nonprofits
It's a new age for philanthropy: people have more to give, so charities have more to do. A new group of start-ups is ready to help nonprofits become more pro... Read more
There's a New Man in Town
Pressured by his venture capital backers, Gazooba founder Andrew Raskin makes room for a new CEO. Read more
The New Entrepreneurial Elite
Some of the hottest start-ups are cropping up on campus. Read more
Top Gun for Start-Ups
An experimental graduate program at Babson College is designed to carry students to their first start-up. Read more
The Changing Face of Competition
If I asked you who your competition is, you're likely to mention the company down the street or across town that sells the same product or service as you.... Read more
And the Credit Goes to?
It's not the inventor toiling in his lab who becomes famous. It's the one who makes the biggest splash. Read more
Put Yourself on the Top of Your Priority List
Running a business can easily run you into the ground. New York Times #1 best-selling author and personal coach Cheryl Richardson offers exclusive tips to... Read more
Tackling Technology in Your Business Plan
Planning Your Technology Needs Every business needs technology. Even if your company makes old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies, y... Read more
How can I make financial projections in my business plan when I have no solid numbers?
Writing a Business Plan mentor Rhonda Abrams responds: Rhonda's rule: Numbers reflect the decisions you make. One of the bigg... Read more
What does it take to make a business plan attractive to venture capitalists?
Writing a Business Plan mentor Rhonda Abrams responds: Most new entrepreneurs think that a great idea is what captures a venture cap... 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
