"If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy"Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men The One Hour Business Plan for Starting a Small Business: The Solopreneur's Guide on How to Write a Business Plan & Start a Business. Escape the 9 to 5. Beginner to Advanced Small Business Planner (Business Planning Series)If you are going to go into business for yourself, then you should be applauded. Being an entrepreneur is a very noble profession. You are helping the economy with your business, you might be employing people and you are in with a fighting chance of turning your own dreams into reality. People say that if you find your passion then you will never work a day in your life. Unfortunately, having a passion is not going to cut it when you want your business to be successful. You can be as passionate as you want, but if you don't do the research and planning, then your business may be doomed before it even begins. Think of it this way. If you were to go on a road trip across the U.S., you would have to have a general idea of where you want to end up (New York City) and where you want to start (Los Angeles), and you would need to know the various roads in the middle, or at least have a clear, accurate map. If you were to just hit the road and go, well you might get to your destination, but it would take much longer, you may get lost and you might not enjoy the journey as much. Since you didn't plan where you would get gas, you may run out and end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. That is not going to make a great trip for you. If you wanted to make the journey cheaper, smoother, faster and more comfortable, first, you would get a map and you would plan the journey down to the last detail. You would plan where to stay, where you to get gas and the best places to visit. It may be excessive, but now that you have planned everything you are going to have a quicker journey and there are going to be less hiccups. As long as you have a good, detailed plan and you follow through, adapting to any changes along the way, you will arrive at your destination. This is essentially how this business plan is going to work for you. It is your road map to entrepreneurial success. It will detail what your business is, how it will compete, where the money is coming from and why customers will choose your business rather than your competitors'. Without a business plan, even if you have a revolutionary product, the chances of success are greatly reduced. This business plan is your best friend when you are starting out with your company.WHY THIS BUSINESS PLANThere are many reasons to have a business plan in place when you are looking to start or grow your business. VALIDATE YOUR IDEAFirst, it will test just how feasible the business is. If the business is not feasible, the business plan will show that, and you will be able to adjust your strategy or move on to a new idea that will be more successful. FUNDINGIf you want any sort of funding, from venture capitalists to your local bank loan, you are going to need a business plan. A business plan shows you have done your due diligence and is going to attract investors. GOALS AND STRATEGYA business plan is not just about starting a business, as the next section will show. A business plan will help you find ways to expand your successful business, to understand the roles of employees and to determine the future goals of the company.