Business Plans
While templates and samples can be helpful, the key to a good plan is making your own argument—for your unique business—as convincingly as you can. Don't be constrained by hewing too closely to what others have done.
Web Resources
Free:
- Businessplans.org Information about all aspect of developing a business plan including sample plans.
- Plan Your Business - Write a Business Plan By Small Business Administration. A comprehensive outline and advice for preparing a business plan.
- Writing an Effective Business Plan Deloitte and Touché, 2003. This guide details the key elements in successful business plan design.
- Moot Corp's Guide to Creating Fundable Business Plans The University of Texas/Austin guide includes modules on "Attention Getting Openings, The Executive Summary, The Right Team Makes All the Difference, The Financials and Funding"
Articles
Books & ebooks
- How to Write a Great Business Plan In print in Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HD30.28 .S234 2008 William Sahlman (HBS) defines the primary factors that should be included when writing a business plan.
Login Required:
- Creating a Business Plan In print in Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HD30.28 .C73 2007 This book demonstrates how to most effectively review every facet of the business plan.
Videos
Free:
- The 2008 Entrepreneurship Conference: Business Plan The Conference is held in Stanford. The presenter discusses what to include and how to distribute the business plan.
Cases & Teaching Notes
For Purchase:
- How Venture Capitalists Evaluate Potential Venture Opportunities Case
- Note on Business Model Analysis for the Entrepreneur Note
- Business Plan Note
- Some Thoughts on Business Plans Note
- Finale (Room for Dessert) Case
Financing
Web Resources
Free:
- Getting Started - Financial Management By Small Business Administration. A checklist for Financial issues before the business plan writing.
- Entrepreneur.com Money Management and Financial Analysis. Provides articles on practical advices and tips, such as "Forecasting Your Sales Revenue."
- Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati: Term Sheet Generator This tool will generate a venture financing term sheet based on your responses to an online questionnaire. It also has an informational component, with basic tutorials and annotations on financing terms.
Books & ebooks
- Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures In print in Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HG4027.6 .F56 1998 William Sahlman
- HOLLIS Catalog Provides access to the collections in the Harvard University Libraries. Use expanded, subject word, or exact spelling searches.
Articles
Login Required:
Databases
Login Required:
- Business Source Complete Provides full-text articles from various journal publications.
Cases & Teaching Notes
For Purchase:
What Investors Want
Articles
Free:
- "I'm A VC. Here's What I Want to Know" 2003. MIT's Enterprise Forum of Cambridge has published a checklist of questions that VC firms may ask of entrepreneurs. (PDF)
- MagPortal (Hot Neuron LLC) Offers free access to articles. Use the search function and try keywords: investors want.
- "Courting Investors? The Best Management Team Wins" 2001. Published in Mass High Tech, Barbara Finer explains how a start-up led by an untested team can attract investors.
Business Plan Samples
Web Resources
Free:
- Rock Center Business Plan Library Rock Center 107 The Rock Center maintains a small library of business plans from past Business Plan Contest participants. Contact Alice Moses (amoses+hbs.edu) or stop by Rock Center 107 to look at the plans.
- The Center for Business Planning has links to several business plans that have won various business plan contests.
- Entrepreneurship - Business Plans A guide by the Baker Library Services of Harvard Business School, listing selected resources including business plan samples.
- Bplans.com This website provides over 100 free examples of business and marketing plans. The website also promotes Business Plan Pro software.
Tools
Web Resources
Free:
- Wall Street Journal MiniPlan The Wall Street Journal business plan builder allows entrepreneurs to design a plan that will include a mission statement, company objectives, and market analysis. The MiniPlan also includes a cash flow calculator and sample business plans.