If you are thinking about starting your own small business, one of the first things on your itinerary should be coming up with a smart and solid business plan. Without this plan, you will have trouble drumming up capital for your new business, you wont have a good idea of what your goals are, and you will generally be like a ship at sea, without a compass and without any sense of direction. It is a clich to say, Those that fail to plan, plan to fail, but it is as true now as it has ever been. Take the time to draw up a complete and thorough business plan and you will be that much closer to success when it comes to the starting of your own company. Banks will look at you more closely, youll be able to convince investors to part with their money, and you may even be able to take part in government programs to help your business get off the ground.
Before you get started, you should know there are different types of business plans, and each of them has their place in the road to gaining capital for your new business. If you are starting out, you would be wise to draw up three separate business plans, each of them to be used at various points along the way. This will include...