RiskBuster: Start or Grow Any Small Business Wherever You Are With Whatever You Have Right Now

by Dan Boudreau

Overview

Never again fear business plans, market research or financial forecasts!

 

RiskBuster empowers ordinary women and men to tap their entrepreneurial power to build thriving, profitable business ventures. This step-by-step process makes it easy to research your business ideas, to determine feasibility, to write business plans for any audience, and to start or grow your business confidently—even if you've never done any of these things before.

 

RiskBuster is for you if:

-You want to start a new business

-You want to grow an existing business

-You need to build your own business plan.

 

You might be in a job you hate. You may be broke and living from paycheck to paycheck. Maybe you've lost your job. You might be slugging it out in a deadbeat business, but not getting anywhere. Or perhaps you're just not satisfied with your day to day lifestyle.

 

You already know that life is not a test run or a dress rehearsal, it's the real thing. The clock is ticking; don't waste another precious minute wondering what life might have been like if only you had tapped your potential!

 

Yet, when the risk taker within you is telling you to roll the dice and leap into a business unprepared, the wise will urge you to hunker down and research your business idea. Fact is, when you really need to know the bottom line, when you can't afford to risk losing your assets or investments—you need to take the time determine if your business idea is feasible, and you need a business plan.

 

Don't worry, it doesn’t have to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money!

 

A well-researched business plan will unleash the small business still within you. Get immersed in the work you love to do in a planned, logical way—without taking senseless or unnecessary risks.

 

Take control of your entrepreneurial future, today!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781600376597
Publisher:	Morgan James Publishing
Publication date:	11/01/2009
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dan Boudreau is a business planning coach specializing in small business development and financial forecasting. His services span the areas of research, planning and training. With 20 years of experience in the consulting field, Dan has developed and facilitated workshops on the topics of entrepreneurship, business planning, market research, forecasting, proposal development, and train the trainer.

 

Dan has owned and operated small businesses since 1980, ranging from single owner home-based enterprises to more than 180 employees. He is acknowledged and appreciated by his peers and clients for his excellent communication skills and his ability to bring entrepreneurial ideas to fruition, which ensure that his clients receive services of the highest quality.

 

Dan is passionate about coaching others into the complex world of business. He uses business planning as a learning process to empower entrepreneurs to start or grow small businesses and to create financial stability and the lifestyle they want.

Table of Contents

Dedication vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xvii

How to Get the Most from This Book xix

The Business Planner's Primer 1

Opportunities Abound 2

The Business of You 3

Taming Your Financial Life 4

Why Develop a Business Plan? 5

Conquer the Fear of Writing 6

Develop Your Basic Technical Skills 7

Hitch a Ride on the Shoulders of Giants 9

Prepare to Burn the Midnight Oil 11

Giving Birth to Your Business 12

Myths About Owning a Business 14

Tackle Your Deal Breakers 16

Buy, Build or Franchise 18

Name Your Business 21

Use the Internet to Research 23

Credit and Financing Options 31

Have You Hugged Your Gatekeeper Today? 34

Tips for Writing Your Business Plan 36

Make Your Business Plan Easy to Read 40

Dan's Top Business Planning Tricks 43

Get Equipped for Business Planning 45

Step 1 Welcome to the RoadMap™ 45

Step 2 Prepare to Embark 49

Step 3 Chart Your Path 52

Step 4 Organize Your Work Space 53

Step 5 Establish Your Timelines 55

Step 6 Create Your Action Plan 56

Step 7 Wade Into Your Industry 57

Step 8 Start a Research Scrapbook or Journal 58

Step 9 Write Your Business Vision 59

Step 10 Set Out to Prove Your Business Case 60

Embrace Market Research 63

Step 11 Set Up Your List of Appendices 65

Step 12 Brainstorm Products and Services 66

Step 13 Prioritize Your Products and Services 67

Step 14 Discover Your Assumptions 71

Step 15 Set Market Research Goals 75

Step 16 Write Market Research Questions 79

Step 17 Prove Your Assumptions 82

Step 18 List Key Points about Your Industry 84

Step 19 Segment Your Market 91

Step 20 Write a Draft Description of Your Customers 92

Step 21 Assess What You Are Learning 93

Step 22 Research Competitors 95

Step 23 Prioritize and Target Customers 99

Step 24 Clarify Primary Research Questions 101

Step 25 Gather Primary Research 102

Step 26 Create Your Survey Questionnaire 104

Step 27 Survey Your Customers 108

Step 28 Compile Survey Information 109

Step 29 Revise Description of Customers 110

Step 30 Make a Go/No-Go Decision 111

Build Your Business Concept Section 115

Step 31 Describe Your Business 116

Step 32 List Your Products and Services 122

Step 33 Describe Your Industry 127

Step 34 Write Your Biography 130

Step 35 Develop Your Strategic Plan and Goals 132

Map Your Marketing Section 135

Step 36 Describe Your Market Area 136

Step 37 Describe Your Location 137

Step 38 Describe Your Customers 138

Step 39 Analyze Your Competitors and Differentiate 141

Step 40 Describe How You Will Sell 145

Step 41 Clarify Servicing and Guarantees 147

Step 42 Craft Your Business Image 148

Step 43 Develop Advertising and Promotion 149

Step 44 Present Prices and Pricing Strategy 152

Step 45 Develop a Marketing Action Plan 157

Organize Your Operations Section 161

Step 46 Describe Your Operation 162

Step 47 List Equipment and Methods 164

Step 48 Source Materials and Supplies 166

Step 49 Identify and Control Your Risks 168

Step 50 Describe Your Management Team 174

Step 51 Select Your Professionals 176

Step 52 Determine Labor Requirements 179

Step 53 Develop Your Operational Action Plan 182

Forecast Your Financial Section 185

Step 54 Forecast Your Sales 187

Step 55 Explain Your Projections 191

Step 56 Estimate Your Market Share 194

Step 57 Present Your Cost of Goods Sold 196

Step 58 Summarize Labor Projections 198

Step 59 Develop Your Cash Flow Forecast 199

Step 60 Identify Your Operating Expenses 204

Step 61 Develop Your Projected Income Statement 206

Step 62 Determine Your Break-Even 211

Step 63 Build a Pro Forma Balance Sheet 213

Step 64 Identify Your Start-Up Expenses 216

Step 65 Clarify Sources and Uses of Funds 219

Assemble Your Appendices 221

Step 66 Build a Resumé 224

Step 67 Determine Personal Net Worth 230

Step 68 Include Certificates and Accreditation 231

Step 69 Provide Historical Financials 232

Step 70 Create Organizational Charts 233

Step 71 Get the Approval of Your Board 234

Step 72 Build Your List of References 235

Step 73 Include Letters of Reference Step 236

Step 74 Include Letters of Intent 238

Step 75 Include Signed Contracts and Offers 240

Step 76 Create a Partnership Agreement 241

Step 77 Include Lease Agreement(s) 244

Step 78 Include Insurance Documents 245

Step 79 Develop Your Price List 246

Step 80 Gather and Include Price Quotes 247

Step 81 Get Written Estimates 248

Step 82 Provide the Right Survey Info 249

Step 83 Create a Map of Your Market Area 250

Step 84 Include Environmental Information 251

Step 85 Gather Free Publicity 252

Step 86 Create Promotional Materials 253

Step 87 Add Product Literature 257

Step 88 Add Technical Information 258

Step 89 Explain Any Confusing Terms 259

Craft Your Final Presentation 261

Step 90 Create Your Title Page 262

Step 91 Write Your Executive Summary 263

Step 92 Develop Your Table of Contents 269

Step 93 Write Confidentiality and Copyright 270

Step 94 Evaluate Your Business Plan 271

Step 95 Have Others Critique Your Plan 273

Step 96 Revise and Rewrite Your Business Plan 274

Step 97 Complete Your Application for Financing 275

Step 98 Write Your Cover Letter 277

Step 99 Present Your Business Plan 280

Suggested Reading 285

Index 289

Dan Boudreau Biography 313