Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Writing a business plan is like the architectural plan for a home or a brick-and-mortar building. You need to know what materials you ...

When you're contemplating starting your own company, crafting a detailed financial document that outlines your strategy and long-term goals may not be at the top of your priority list, but it should ...

If you are building a startup long enough, someone will ask for your business plan. Sometimes it is an investor. Sometimes it ...

For the entrepreneur, knowing how to start writing a business plan can be as exhilarating as it is overwhelming. The business plan is a foundational document and the blueprint of your business and is ...

A strong, well-thought-out business plan is crucial for a business's success. Without one, it's tough to maintain a vision of the future and what the next steps for your business should be. Think of ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about the franchising, restaurant and food services industry. An executive summary is a short but powerful document that ...

But the odds are greater that those entrepreneurs will fail. Does a business plan make startup success inevitable? Absolutely not. But great planning often means the difference between success and ...

A business plan can help you obtain financing by highlighting the characteristics lenders use to assess borrowers. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners ...

Every business startup, from one person home operations on up, requires some form of business plan. For small to medium businesses, it's possible to write your own business plan for free. For larger ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. When you're contemplating starting your own company, crafting a detailed financial document that outlines your strategy and ...

When you are a small business owner heading off to ask the bank for a small business loan, one of the first documents the loan officer typically asks for is the business plan. Therefore, it is ...

Matt Webber is an experienced personal finance writer, researcher, and editor. He has published widely on personal finance, marketing, and the impact of technology on contemporary arts and culture.