Business plan template software…anyone use the...

[croman]

business plan template software…anyone use them?

What is your take?

I stumbled across:

Growthinks ultimate business plan template.

Anyone use this specific one? Lots of good reviews, interesting product. Claims to save you many hours.

anyone?

suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Croman

 

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[CarrieW]

business plan template software…anyone use them?

What is your take?

I stumbled across:

Growthinks ultimate business plan template.

Anyone use this specific one? Lots of good reviews, interesting product. Claims to save you many hours.

anyone?

suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Croman

I have never used this or any other paid fill in the blank template for this. but I imagine its works well its usually pretty straight forward as to what needs to be in one and it can help greatly with figuring out different aspects that you may be unaware of.

that said. I got free books from the library or bought them used on amazon. I don't know what they charge but its probably more then what you can find the same information for elsewhere.

template things can be very useful... I have used them for incorporating and I know I have used them for other things but I cant remember right now

 

[Runum]

I think the business plan canvas is the hot, current model of the times. It is free and easy to find.

http://howtowriteabusinessplan.com/2012/07/lean-startup-canvas-the-starting-point/

https://www.google.com/search?q=business plan framework&safe=off&rlz=1C1TSNO_enUS506US506&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=RiyJU4a-M46IqgaHqoCoAw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#q=business plan canvas&safe=off&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

 

[H. Palmer]

The drawback of the business model canvas is that it only helps you in a qualitative way.
It's a brainstorming tool.

A business plan is a quantitative exercise as well as a qualitative one.
It's a tool for structuring your thoughts and presenting them to other interested parties.
The financial sections - the sales and earnings projections and cash flow projections - are by far the most important parts.

Whether a business template is any good to you totally depends on how you use it and your current level of insight into making business plans.

If you're a noobie and you use the template as a container to throw in some numbers amid standardizes text phrases that the template creates, then you're wasting your time and money.

If you're a noobie and you want the template to tell you what a business plan is, stop here and buy a good book on business plans.

If you're experienced with business plans, full speed ahead and use the template. Now it's a tool.

 

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[Jakko]

The financial sections - the sales and earnings projections and cash flow projections - are by far the most important parts.

If you're a noobie and you use the template as a container to throw in some numbers amid standardizes text phrases that the template creates, then you're wasting your time and money.

When you are a startup, these sales and earnings projections are just predictions because your business is constantly evolving and changing so the plan will probably be not up to date down the line. So for me personally, I would go with the business modal canvas and not waste time on writing a full business plan.

 

[H. Palmer]

When you are a startup, these sales and earnings projections are just predictions because your business is constantly evolving and changing so the plan will probably be not up to date down the line. So for me personally, I would go with the business modal canvas and not waste time on writing a full business plan.

Then you're already in a danger zone.

The purpose of the projections - they are not predictions - is to organize your thoughts around the numbers and to set financial goals for your start-up. The fact that the business model will pivot at least three times down the line doesn't change that. A business is a numbers game.

The business model canvas is sufficient only in the case where you haven't even started yet or if you have already started, you have endless funds at your disposal to finance business failure.

The business model canvas is a brainstorm tool and nothing more than that. It's the product of consultants who have never created a business themselves while several of the examples described in the book where the canvas is presented (Business Model Generation) have already gone bust.

That should tell you something about its practical use.

 

[Runum]

The business model canvas is a brainstorm tool and nothing more than that. It's the product of consultants who have never created a business themselves while several of the examples described in the book where the canvas is presented (Business Model Generation) have already gone bust.

That should tell you something about its practical use.

I agree that the canvas is a brainstorming tool that evolves with time. I am not sure what book it is in, I first learned about it from Stanford University while taking an online course.

I also agree that businesses are about numbers. I don't see why specific numbers could not be integrated into the canvas as it grows.

The fact that some businesses that used it have gone bust has no meaning, businesses go bust all the time using all different types of templates and plans.

Right now I have the canvas drawn on a large dry erase board and I am constantly adding to or taking away from it as my current business evolves. It helps me see where the weaknesses and needs are.

A business template/canvas is an organization and communication tool. It will not take the place of a good product or effective actions.

 

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[H. Palmer]

The book Business Model Generation by Yves Peigneur and Alexander Osterwalder has actually become quite popular.

Allow me a rant. I've read it and I think it's a flying circus of cliche's and what they call "freemium models" and stakeholder interest alignments, all combined in a so called drawing board of a start-up. In theory if used in a common sense way and combined with quantitative measurement, the canvas can be a helpful brainstorming tool, I agree.

I was personally irritated by the "we have a breakthrough on our hands" tone of the book, especially by their endless rehashing of their observation that a service or a product doesn't need to be profitable as long as the profit came through the back door (freemium model). As far as I'm concerned they were trying to reinvent the wheel.

For start-ups I would rather recommend The Lean Start-up by Eric Ries and The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. Serial entrepreneurs who advocate quantitative modeling.

 

[croman]

Interesting stuff. This is the first time I've been introduced to the canvass and yes...I see it does have a place of its own.
But, for a "noobie" like myself in regards to writing a biz plan,...for a product that I plan on manufacturing and bringing to market..,,
And in need of writing a biz plan for keeping on track and ALSO for investment dollars...

What is your best recommendations for books or software?

Diff book recommendations for a biz plan for investors(shorter)?
Please advise

Thanks

Croman

 

[Frank BP Expert]

I have been writing and developing business plans for a long while (25 years) so hopefully I can shed some light on this for you. Growthink is good as a Template. The company and founder have a good reputation for business planning, particularly plans for investors/VC. Remember though, it is template software, not business plan software. There is a difference. To give you a heads up of all the different BP software out there that you can use, along with Growthink's template system, check out: http://www.bestbusinessplansoftware.com. If you have any questions, just shoot me an email off the website or follow up here...Best...Frank

 

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[wmvbob]

I coughed up for Palo Alto Software's Business Plan Pro Complete, reasonably priced (I got it for $55 on amazong, $65 now). (The premiere version is significantly more expensive, but has additional features). I found it useful software, Snaking through the tables/wizards can be a big confusing in how the number flow through the program. They start at your sales forecast primarily. It also comes with a good ebook overview of writing a business plan. There is also the online version of it, live plan, www.liveplan.com Its a more slimmed down version compared to desktop, but is subscription service. Check out the http://www.bplans.com/ site, also by Palo Alto software for lots of examples of biz plans.

One pro-tip, its easy to churn out lots of text using BPlan Pro, if other people are going to look at it, keep it to 30 pages. (A point I learned to my embarrassment while getting a SCORE counselor to review my biz plan. I had to rewrite it for 30 pages.)

I think writing a biz plan is a good exercise as it gets you to consider your business in depth, and run some numbers. In Rework, they talk about not worrying about sales projections per se, figure out your expenses as exacting as you can, then figure out how much you have to hustle to cover that, and then figure sales goals on top of that.

One thing to add is your list of assumptions, be sure to figure out ways to test them as cheaply and as quickly as possible, as Eric Ries talks about in The Lean Startup.