Writing a solid Business Plan doesn't have to be as hard as you think.  If 2011 is the year you want to start a business, chances are, you're going to need a Business Plan.

Whilst some people see the process of writing a good Business Plan challenging, good practical help  is always at hand, if you look for it in the right places.

In this episode, I speak to Craig Frazier of Business Plan Examples about what inspired him to come up with  The Business Plan Toolkit, a DIY  business plan writing template. It is based on a real life coffee shop business plan and uses the familiar MS Word format so it can be updated for any small business.

The Toolkit also includes the 1 year financial Pro-Forma used to project profit and loss, as well as a break-even analysis chart to graphically display to investors where the break-even point is for sales and profit.

Craig discusses:

His entrepreneurial beginnings and what keeps him motivated

Why the Executive Summary is the Make or Break element of a Business Plan

Why a Business Plan should be for a specific audience  - i.e  board of directors, a bank or venture capitalist or for personal use

Getting Started and taking the first Step in Writing a Wining Business Plan

How he draws inspiration for the book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose written by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos  and to "stick with your gut"  while growing a business.

"If you can’t articulate who you are and what you want to be through a business plan then your company will lack direction and focus"

As a special gratuity gesture to a few lucky Small Biz Kaizen Podcast Listeners, Business Plan Examples has kindly donated 5 Free Business Plan Toolkits to the first 5 people to write a comment on this very post !

So Hurry and be one of the first 5 people to comment, and receive a FREE complimentary copy of this tried and proven template.

Leave Your Comments Below !