Business Plan 101 How to Write a Table of Contents

No matter what business you plan to start in your next entrepreneurial endeavor you need to be thinking about writing a business plan. Even if you are not seeking funding for your new business or already have secured funds from family members, angel investor types, personal savings or partners. A business plan helps you start out on the right foot and makes you think about your future strategies. One important thing you need in a business plan is a table of contents that you can use as a guide, as you go thru the hectic and tedious steps to start your new business. There are a myriad of rules, regulations and inane paper work and you must stay focused at all times.

It is recommended that you go and buy yourself a book on "how to write a business plan" and try to find one, which has a sample business plan which is most similar to your business model inside. Below is a sample Table of Contents that you can use to help you, so A.) you do not forget any important items and B.) as a template to help you create your own table of contents. I recommend you print this article and then take the table of contents and modify it to fit your business model. Once you complete this exercise you are well on your way to creating the best possible business plan for your future small business. Now then, below is a table of contents, which we had used in a business for a mobile car wash company. Go ahead and look it over and see if this is something you believe can assist you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Executive Summary 3

Company Analysis 6

Company Description

Company Mission Statement

Company Analysis

Industry Analysis 10

Trends

Position for Growth

Marketing Analysis 12

Target Markets

Bonzai and Blitz Marketing

Sales

Advertising

Media

Management 22

Operations 25

Inventory

Equipment

Hours

Systems, Procedures, Computer, Credit Card Units

Legal Strategies 30

Licensing

Regulations

Insurance

Financial Strategies 32

Taxes

Capital Requirements

Benefits

Strategic Planning 35

Long Term Goals

Manager Plug-Ins

Financial Projections

Billing

Anticipated Gross Sales from Services

Anticipated Business Expenses

Profit Per Truck

Appendix 38

First Year One Truck ? Anticipated Gross Sales from Services

First Year One Truck ? Anticipated Business Expenses

Net Profit One Truck

Picture and Sketch of Unit and Signage

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Innovate Today for Great Leaps Forward Tomorrow

How often does your company make a quantum leap forward?... Read More

Top Ten Reasons To Create A One Page Business Plan

There is a story, about a business owner who wasn't... Read More

Creating a Vision That Achieves Results

How important is a vision statement to your company or... Read More

Online Promotion: 10 Ways To Use Focus Groups To Ignite Your Profits

A focus group is a group of employees or current... Read More

Your Business: Will It Have A Happy Ending?

"Begin with the end in mind," says Stephen Covey in... Read More

SWOT Analysis Is No Magic 8 Ball

Q: A key investor in my business has suggested that... Read More

Connecting Your Offline Business to Your Online Business

These may sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised.... Read More

Business Problem Solving

Is there really anything as a problem? Does chaos or... Read More

Site Selection and Demographic Tips for Establishing Outlets

Many cities have home pages on the Internet. Many of... Read More

Urban Flight in Ohio

Many of Ohio's downtown areas are in need of upgrading... Read More

Business Plan Descriptions of Computer System

Entrepreneurs often give little if any consideration to their computer... Read More

Six Key Principles of Corporate Accountability

The foundation of any business transaction is the promise of... Read More

Dotcom Business Plans Archive Project

One of the most important initiatives in the domain of... Read More

Don?t Just Talk About the Weather, Use It to Advantage

A well known, national chain of restaurants discovered that certain... Read More

Designing an Efficient Distribution System

Let us look at a few of the big distribution... Read More

Why You Need a Business Planning System NOT a Business Plan

When someone mentions business planning we have been conditioned to... Read More

Secrets Of Effective Brainstorming

Have you been in a "brainstorming" session where each person... Read More

Balanced Scorecard Strategy Map

With the help of balanced scorecard strategy map, it is... Read More

Attributes of Companies You Dont Want to Buy!

There are no "rules of thumb" in the pursuit of... Read More

Breaking the Growth Barriers in the Information Technology and Software Sector

There's nothing automatic about corporate growth, particularly in the information... Read More

Call in the SWOT Team: Produce More Opportunities to Expand Your Business

Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it's not... Read More

What is Your MSP?

For many consumers and producers, MSP is an acronym for... Read More

The Impact of Price Popularity on Profits

The goal of almost every business owner is to generate... Read More

5 Strategies That Will Boost Your Business Productivity Today! - Part 2

Growing your own small business can be one of the... Read More

Business Planning and the ?Bozo? Factor

"Bozo" ? A clown with a forlorn look, always finding... Read More

Six Key Areas For Evaluating A Strategic Alliance

Strategic alliances are increasing at a rapid rate. It is... Read More

Restaurant Startup - Part 1: Market Research ? What are Potential Competitors Doing?

The first step in starting a restaurant is proper planning.... Read More

Benefiting from Strategic Thinking

I recently took an organizational behavior class where my professor... Read More

Corporate Contingency Planning

Part 1A few weeks ago I attended a seminar sponsored... Read More

Expanding your business in a franchise system

If you are a successful franchise of a large franchise... Read More

Clearing the Path: 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It

Please take a moment before you read any further and... Read More

Parking Business, the Details on Increasing Lot Revenue

If you are in the parking business and own or... Read More

Be Like Bill - Think!

Twice a year, Bill Gates goes to a remote island... Read More