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Whether you seek financial backing or board consent, this bestseller gives you the critical knowledge you need to get the go-ahead. Written by a seasoned practitioner with years of experience in both writing & evaluating business plans for funding, you'll formulate a coherent, consistent & convincing plan with your backer’s needs in mind. Follow its guidance and your plan will have every chance of winning the backing you need. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed. Samples Preview sample pages from The FT Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan

The Financial Times Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan

• Cover


• Title


• Contents


• About the author


• Preface


• Introduction


• part 1 Preparing your plan


• 1 Essential preparation


• Result


• Need


• Preparation


• A plan for SMEs


• part 2 Writing your plan


• 2 The business


• Background


• Business mix by segment


• Segmentation in a start-up


• 3 Market demand


• Market size


• Market growth


• Market demand for a start-up


• Market demand risks and opportunities


• 4 Competition


• Your competitors


• Competitive intensity


• Competition in a start-up


• Industry competition risks and opportunities


• 5 Strategy


• Competitive position


• Strategy


• Strategy in a start-up


• Strategic risks and opportunities


• 6 Resources


• Management


• Marketing


• Operations and capital expenditure


• Resource risks and opportunities


• 7 Financials and forecasts


• Historic financials


• Market-driven sales forecasts


• Competition-driven margin forecasts


• Funding the plan


• Full financial forecasts


• Forecasts in a start-up


• Financial risks and opportunities


• 8 Risk, opportunity and sensitivity


• Meet the Suns and Clouds chart


• What the suns and clouds tell you


• Sensitivity testing


• 9 Conclusion


• Conclusion


• Executive summary


• Investment highlights


• part 3 Using your plan


• 10 Pitching your plan


• Focusing the content


• Using PowerPoint


• De