So, you were searching the web for something about business start-ups, or maybe you were assigned to honcho a hot new project at the office, and up pops a promo for this book. You clicked “buy now.” Sweet, we like you already! Great minds must think alike because while you may not know how to construct a business plan yet, you’re savvy enough to have surmised that a plan is important — which is exactly what we know. From years of working with numerous organizations both large and small, old and new, profit or nonprofit, local or global in scope, we concluded that a business plan is more than just another factor for goal achievement — indeed, it’s usually the single most important task prior to actually jumping in there and getting started!

Some people visualize a business plan as something they have to put together to raise money for a new venture or convince the higher-ups to sign off on for some upcoming project — at best, a formality with lots of splashy PowerPoints in which all graph curves streak upward; at worst, a waste of everyone’s precious time and effort. But you don’t create a business plan just to secure funding or check a bureaucratic box; au contraire! Rather, you should embrace and own your plan as a powerfully performative tool — one that makes your organization a better place at which to work and your business a more successful operation for everyone it touches.

Is a business plan a guarantee? Hardly. In today’s “VUCA” world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity), it’s increasingly hard to tell what even tomorrow will bring. But prediction is not the point of planning. Rather, planning is in fact a matter of process. A business plan works because it forces you to stop and think about what you’re doing. It prompts you to figure out what you want your company to become in the future and how you intend to make that future happen. Your plan acts as a template, guiding you through the steps required to meet your goals. And by engaging in this planning process, you are going to not only learn much more about what you’re trying to do but will also dramatically enhance your ability to both survive and thrive when the inevitable unknowns and pitfalls emerge. For example:

• A business plan requires you to look carefully at your market, your customers, and the competition to determine what your real opportunities are and what threats you face.
• A business plan takes a good hard look at your organization so that you can honestly and objectively recognize your capabilities and resources, your strengths and weaknesses, and your true advantages as well as the problem areas that need repair.
• A business plan coaxes a financial analysis, a forecast, and a budget out of you so that you know where you stand today and what the future will require in terms of cash and other financial resources.
• A business plan prepares you for potential uncertainties by encouraging you to come up with alternative business strategies to increase your chances of success down the road if and when those unknowns pop up.

About This Book

This book helps you create your business plan step by step. Along the way, you’ll discover things about your business that you never realized — information that just may help you beat the competition. Heck, we even throw in a few laughs as well — no joke.

Business Plans For Dummies, 3rd Edition, can help your business succeed no matter who you are or what your job description says, whether you’re part of a large corporation or a one-person show. Depending on your situation, you may find yourself dipping into and out of the book in different ways:

• If business plans are new to you, you may want to start at the beginning and let us be the guide by your side. We take you from your company mission all the way through to making your business plan work, and we keep your head above water the whole way.
• If you have more experience, we’ll be your sage on the stage; you may want to head for one of the more interesting chat rooms (or chapters as they’re called), such as how to recognize the critical success factors in your business, or where to look for your company’s strengths and weaknesses. After dropping in somewhere, you may discover yet another section where you want to spend time and do a deeper dive.

Just remember — no matter where you are, it’s never too late to start a business plan, and it’s never too late to make the one you have even better. In each case, you can find what you’re looking for between these bright yellow covers.

Note that you don’t have to read all the sidebars scattered throughout the book. Just because we find these little facts and fables fascinating doesn’t mean you will. You can pass over the text accompanied by the Technical Stuff icon, too. The text marked with this icon gives some fascinating but nonessential information about business plans. And you won’t hurt our feelings if you don’t read this book from cover to cover (well, maybe a little; we just love those little sidebars!). Whatever, feel free to skip around; pick and choose what you’re really interested in, and then go for it.

One last thing: Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

Believe it or not, we don’t need to consult a fortune teller to know a bit about your background. In fact, we can assume that you’re probably in one of the following situations:

• You have a great idea for some radically disruptive new online service and can’t wait to get your own company up and running and start crypto-ing the cash.
• Your boss just turned over a new leaf and wants a business plan from you in three weeks.
• You’ve always run your business without a business plan, and you’re the one who turned over the new leaf.
• You thought you had a business plan for the company, but it isn’t doing the job that it should.
• You’re taking a course in management somewhere and have come to realize that your textbook is great on theory but lacking in practicality.

Are we close? Whatever your situation, you don’t need that crystal ball to make a business plan; just read this book. We can’t tell you the future of your business. But the business plan that we help you put together prepares you for the future. And we’re here with you every step of the way.

Icons Used in This Book

To guide you through your business plan preparation, we include icons in the left margins of the book. Here’s what they mean:

This icon flags situations that apply mostly to large companies, but that may help small companies with their business plans as well.

Ouch; you may get burned unless you heed these warnings.

Don’t forget these timely tips about business plans.

This icon flags information that delves a little deeper than usual. These bits of text are interesting but nonessential to your understanding of business plans.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet for info on the elements of a business plan, a checklist of planning essentials, and much more. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Business Plans For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Where to Go From Here

Take a minute or two to thumb through the book and get comfortable with what’s inside. Pick out a couple of chapters whose topics you’ve pondered in the past but never had the time to dive deeper. Better yet, turn to a chapter that covers a subject you think you already know about. Or if you’re really daring, just turn the page and start at the beginning.

Don’t forget to use the table of contents for a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. The index is also an excellent place to turn to find a specific topic right away. Meanwhile, good luck and may your business dreams come true!