Build a robust business plan that will underpin the success of your business with the tenth edition of this established guide to business planning.
Lay down the foundations of a successful business venture through a thoroughly researched and competitive business plan.
Based on tried and tested business methodology used at the leading business school, Cranfield School of Management, this 10th edition of The Business Plan Workbook guides you through all the necessary steps to constructing a winning business plan. This is a practical run-through of 24 key areas of development of strategic planning. It will allow you to think of these areas in isolation through the use of assignments that ensure you have stress-tested your business proposition. This guide covers how to
- Come up with a winning business idea
- Complete market and competitive research
- Set up a winning marketing strategy
- Forecast watertight financials and projections
- Define realistic operations and staffing
- Deliver an unforgettable pitch to potential backers and investors
This new and fully updated edition includes 67 business case studies that show you how successful entrepreneurs have dealt with strategic planning in the past. The content has been streamlined to focus on the most critical parts of business planning, ensuring you spend time where it matters and stay competitive. With new information resources and financial planning consideration, this is an invaluable guide for entrepreneurs, business executives and students.
Preface |
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viii | |
How to use the workbook |
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x | |
Why prepare a business plan? |
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xv | |
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PHASE ONE Strategy and purpose |
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1 | (42) |
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3 | (2) |
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Assignment 1 Coming up with a winning idea for your business plan |
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5 | (7) |
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Assignment 2 Strategy - the big picture |
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12 | (14) |
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Assignment 3 You and your team |
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26 | (17) |
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PHASE TWO Market research |
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43 | (42) |
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45 | (2) |
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Assignment 4 Researching customers |
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47 | (14) |
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Assignment 5 Researching competitors |
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61 | (11) |
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Assignment 6 A plan for market research |
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72 | (13) |
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PHASE THREE Competitive marketing strategies |
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85 | (70) |
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87 | (2) |
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Assignment 7 Products and/or services |
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89 | (15) |
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104 | (8) |
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Assignment 9 Advertising and promotion |
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112 | (12) |
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Assignment 10 Place and distribution |
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124 | (14) |
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Assignment 11 People, process and physical environment |
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138 | (17) |
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Assignments Competing online |
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143 | (12) |
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155 | (26) |
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157 | (1) |
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Assignment 13 The selling methods plan |
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158 | (8) |
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Assignment 14 Making, outsourcing and supplies |
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166 | (5) |
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Assignment 15 Legal and regulatory factors |
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171 | (10) |
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PHASE FIVE Reviewing financing requirements and options |
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181 | (68) |
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183 | (2) |
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Assignment 16 The sales forecast |
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185 | (7) |
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Assignment 17 Cash-flow projections |
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192 | (4) |
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Assignment 18 The profit and loss account |
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196 | (5) |
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Assignment 19 The balance sheet |
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201 | (8) |
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Assignment 20 Break-even analysis |
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209 | (6) |
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Assignment 21 Estimating financing requirements |
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215 | (29) |
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Assignment 22 Stress testing your business projections |
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244 | (5) |
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PHASE SIX Business controls |
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249 | (20) |
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251 | (1) |
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Assignment 23 Financial controls |
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252 | (10) |
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Assignment 24 Sales and marketing controls |
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262 | (4) |
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Assignment 25 Other business controls |
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266 | (3) |
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PHASE SEVEN Writing up and presenting your business plan |
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269 | (18) |
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271 | (1) |
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Assignment 26 Writing up and presenting your business plan |
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272 | (15) |
Index of key organizations and resources for business planning |
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287 | (8) |
Index |
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295 | |
Colin Barrow has lectured in business schools in the UK, the USA, Australia, the Far East and throughout Europe. A former visiting fellow at Cranfield School of Management, he is the author of the 30 Day MBA series, Financial Management for the Small Business and Starting a Business from Home (all published by Kogan Page).
Paul Barrow is a visiting fellow at Cranfield and also a consultant advising SMEs on growth strategies.
Robert Brown is a visiting fellow at Cranfield and directed the Graduate Enterprise Programme there, where he led a course on entrepreneurship.