Business Plans: Where Do I Start?
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Find business plan guidance,
research sources and strategies, Internet sites, and
helpful organizations.
Location Codes:
MN = Main Branch
MN MR = Main Library Mesa Room
DR = Dobson Ranch Branch
RM = Red Mountain Branch
Dewey Number for Business
Plans: 658.4012
Use the following selected
titles and others for step-by-step instructions on
writing a business plan, and in some cases, to
review model and sample business plans. (Favorites
marked by *)
*Anatomy of a
Business Plan: A Step-By-Step Guide to Building
a Business and Securing Your Company's Future.
Linda Pinson. MN, DR, RM 658.4012 P657A 2005
Bankable Business
Plans. Edward G. Rogoff. MN, DR, RM 658.4012
R635B 2004 Explains how to use Risk Management
Association (RMA) numbers in your plan. See
Financials section of this list for information
on RMA source.
Business Plan Kit for
Dummies. Steven D. Peterson. MN, DR, RM
658.4012 P442B 2005
Business Planning
Guide: Creating a Winning Plan for Success.
David H. Bangs. MN, DR, RM 658.4012 B225B 2002
*Business Plans
Handbook: A Compilation of Actual Business Plans
Developed by Small Businesses Throughout North
America. Gale Research, Inc. 12+ Volumes MN,
MN REF 658.4012 B964B Index in MN REF Sample
plans ideal for models.
Business Plans Made
Easy. David Bangs. MN, DR, RM 658.4012
B225BD 2005
Business Plans That
Work: A Guide for Small Business. Jeffry A.
Timmons. MN, DR, RM 658.4012 T484B 2004
The Everything
Business Planning Book: How to Plan for Success
in a New or Growing Business. Marlene
Jensen. MN, DR, RM 658.4012 J453E 2001
How to Write A
Business Plan. Mike McKeever. (Nolo Press)
MN, DR, RM 658.1522 H83H 2005.
Real Business Plans
and Marketing Tools...Including Samples to Use
in Starting, Growing, Marketing, and Selling
Your Business. Anne McKinney. MN 658.4012
M215R 2003
Rule's Book of
Business Plans for Startups: Create A Winning
Plan That You Can Take to the Bank. Roger C.
Rule. MN 658.11R861R 2004
Seven Steps to A
Successful Business Plan. Al Coke. MN, DR,
RM 658.4012 C669S 2002
So You Need to Write
a Business Plan! Jerome S. Osteryoung. MN,
DR 658.4012 OS76S 2003
Successful Business
Models: Surefire Ways to Build a Profitable
Business. Don Debelak. MN, DR, RM 658.4012
D35S 2003
The Successful
Business Plan: Secrets and Strategies.
Rhonda Abrams. MN, DR, RM 658.4012 AB83S 2003
Your First Business
Plan: A Simple Question and Answer Format
Designed to Help You Write Your Own Plan.
Joseph A. Covello, Brian J. Hazelgren. MN, DR,
RM 658.4012 C838Y 2005
Industry Classification
Numbers
Find your NAICS (North
American Industrial Classification System)/SIC
(Standard Industrial Classification) numbers
prior to any research.
These classification numbers identify your
primary area(s) of business and are useful in
further research. Find numbers by locating your
business area in the index of the following
manuals or online at the Census website:
- NAICS Manual
- REF at all branches
- SIC Manual -
REF at all branches
-
United
States Census website
(see NAICS link) (http://www.census.gov)
Financials
View financial
information from statements aggregated from
companies in your business area. You may not
always be able to locate statements as specific
as your business type might be.
- RMA Annual
Statement Studies: Financial Ratio
Benchmarks. Risk Management Association.
MN, DR, RM REF 657.3 AN78A
- Almanac of
Business and Industrial Financial Ratios
(Also Called Troy) MN REF 338.52 T759
- Standard &
Poor's Industry Surveys MN REF 338.5
ST24
Market
Research/Demographics
Learn about the market
for your product or service and demographics
related to your target:
-
United
States Census including population
census (person demographics) and economic
census (business demographics)
- Research Alert
Yearbook MN REF 658.835 R311R (selected
years)
- Library Business
Databases with journal/newspaper articles
(Business & Company Resource Center,
Reference USA, newspaper databases, and
others)
Industry
Research/Forecasting
Gather information about
your industry including current and future
trends and helpful resources:
- Encyclopedia of
American Industries MN REF 338.02 EN 19E
v. 1 & 2
- Encyclopedia of
Emerging Industries MN REF 338.003 EN19G
- S&P Industry
Surveys MN REF 338.5 ST24
-
BizStats.com with ratios, benchmarks,
business statistics of all kinds
-
Library Business Databases with
journal/newspaper articles (Business &
Company Resource Center, Reference USA,
newspaper databases, and others)
Trade Associations
Discover associations in
your field. They may be able to provide
statistics and information. Often, they will
offer information on the Web:
- Encyclopedia of
Associations MN REF, RM REF 061.3 G131E
- National Trade
and Professional Associations of the United
States. MN REF 330.025 N213N
- Also search
Google
to locate associations in your industry
area.
The Competition & Your
Market
Identify competitors in your
business' geographic or industry area:
- Arizona Business Directory
- Dun's Regional Business Directory Phoenix/Tucson
- Arizona Industrial Directory
- Arizona Manufacturers Directory
- Rocky Mountain High Technology Directory
- The library also carries a selection of national and
industry-specific business directories.
You may not always be able
to find the information you desire from "free" or
public library-subscription sources. Depending upon
the depth of information required, it may be
necessary to consider:
- using an academic
library with specialized business-curriculum
resources,
- checking
fee-based sources including MarketResearch.com
(this and other companies sell industry and
business intelligence research reports on
demand; these reports can cost from several
hundred to several thousand dollars), or
- conducting your own
primary research (creating and administering
questionnaires, running focus groups,
interviewing competitors/potential customers,
etc.).
The library has a wide range
of books to help you understand and carry out
marketing research (Dewey 658.83) and other kinds of
business research, including:
Marketing Research
That Won't Break the Bank: A Practical Guide to
Getting the Information You Need. Alan R.
Andreasen. MN 658.83 AN25M 2002
Marketing Research.
David A. Aaker, V. Kumar, George S. Day. MN
658.83 AA41M 2001
Market Research Made
Easy. Don Doman, Dell Dennison, Margaret
Doman. MN, DR, RM 658.83 D71M 2006
Market Research
Matters: Tools and Techniques for Aligning Your
Business. Robert Duboff, Jim Spaeth. MN
658.83 D852M 2000
The Focus Group: A
Strategic Guide to Organizing, Conducting and
Analyzing the Focus Group Interview. Jane
Farley Templeton. MN 658.83 T249F 1994
Search Smart and Get
Ahead. Susan Shelly. MN 650.072 SH44S 2000
Facts in a Flash: A
Research Guide for Writers: From Cruising the
Stacks to Surfing the Net. Ellen Metter. MN,
DR, RM 025.524 M567F 1999
Business Research: An
Informal Guide. Rick C. Farr, Paul R.Timm.
MN 650.072 F24B 1994
All URLs current as of 3/07.
URLs and site availability subject to change. City
of Mesa Library does not endorse individual products
or businesses and takes no responsibility for claims
made. Sites are included for useful information
found.
BizStats.com
URL: http://www.bizstats.com/
Instant access to useful financial ratios, business
statistics & benchmarks,
effective and understandable online analysis of
businesses & industries.
Business Planning for Profits and Non-Profits
URL: http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/bus_plan/bus_plan.htm
Links to information about business plans.
CCH Business Owner's Toolkit: Planning Your Business
URL: http://www.toolkit.cch.com/text/P02_0001.asp
Links explaining all parts of the business plan.
Creating an Effective Business Plan
URL: http://home3.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/tool/biz_plan/index.asp
At American Express' Small Business Network.
Explains elements of plan.
Small Business Administration Business Plan Basics
URL: http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html
Outline and explanation of business plan. Excellent
section on marketing research (marketing link).
These local agencies offer
counseling, training, and other assistance related
to business plans and many other aspects of small
business:
See our
Business
Resources page for more great resources!
Revised 3/07, Sandra Rizzo,
Business Librarian
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