The first thing you must understand before writing your business plan is that your plan is a marketing document. It is not a 50-page dossier explaining everything there is to know about your business.

Unless you plan to seek financing from a bank or private investors, your bakery business plan as a finished product is actually less important than the process of writing it. Writing the plan forces ...

The marketing plan is an essential element in any business's long-term success. The marketing plan helps to shape the needs and objectives of the company by identifying what, how, when and so forth ...

Regardless of whether you’re looking to start, grow or sell a business in 2018, don’t use a business plan template. Your plan should reflect your unique focus. The best business plans, according to ...

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.

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 ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. In their book Write Your Business Plan, the staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. offer an in-depth understanding of what’s essential to any ...

Are you preparing to start your own business but uncertain about how to get started? A business plan ought to be one of the first steps in your entrepreneurial journey because it will organize the ...

A market analysis is critical to a business plan. It helps you understand the buying habits of your target market. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners ...