I.  Table of Contents

The Table of Contents of a Business Plan is one of the most important elements of the plan.  The Table of Contents should be very detailed, so that the person reading and using the Business Plan can find and access the information needed very easily and quickly.  You can write a great Business Plan with all the necessary information in it, but if you can’t easily find or access that information, then the Business Plan ceases to be a useful tool. 

Organizing the Table of Contents

The Table of Contents should be organised by each section of the Business Plan and the specific page numbers of each section and sub-section.  It is strongly recommended that a Business Plan be organized as an online document, with the sections and sub-sections hyperlinked to the page wherever that information resides.  This way you can access information very quickly on a computer online versus having to flip through the paper document to find the information.

II.  Organization

The Organization of the Business Plan is rather important.  The 8 Section Business Plan is in a specific ordering from which each section builds on the previous section. There is fluid thought and reasoning employed to achieve a Business Plan which reaches its specified purpose- i.e. to run a business, to buy a business, to expand a business, to enter a joint venture, to finance a business, to complete a particular project.  Although the Executive Summary is the first section of a Business Plan, the Executive Summary should be written last.  With the exception of the Executive Summary, all the other sections should be written in the order they are listed. 

Formatting the Business Plan

A business plan is a business document. It isn’t a book, nor written prose. A good plan contains concise and precise information, is well formatted and well organized into major sections and relating sub-sections. Each section contains short paragraph information or bullet points. Business plans can be prepare in written form on paper, in computer formatting and as an online format. Computer formatting means the Table of Contents is linked to all the sections so the reader can click to go immediately to a section or subsection. Computer formatting also allows for easy probing of information and terms within the plan.

Collaborating with the Business Plan

You should have your Business Plan published securely, online (via password access) so that certain key managers or employees can access and manage remotely.  Also, you can use an online Business Plan to invoke funding for your venture. You can have different versions accessible online for particular purposes. For example, you could have your Marketing Plan accessible remotely so your Sales Manager can update it or refer to it while in the field or on an important sales call.  You could have a funding version of your Business Plan accessible online for angel investors or venture capitalists to view your opportunity. 

The Business Plan is a Living Document

A Business Plan is a dynamic document, as it changes on a daily, weekly and monthly terms.  By being able to access it on your company computer network and / or online, the CEO, Executives, Management and Key Employees can update it easily and effectively.  For a Business Plan to be successful, it must be intertwined into the cloth of your business and implemented through the Strategic Plan.  Having the Business Plan organized with Hyperlinks with highly organized sections and uploaded on your company’s computer network and accessible online, allows the Business Plan to become a “living” document which can effectively:

  1. Run a business 
  2. Be readily changed, adapted and updated
  3. Be a sales tool
  4. Obtain funding
  5. React quickly to market changes
  6. Give you the ability to make realistic forecasts and projections
  7. Seize opportunities
  8. Keep your Competitive Advantage. 

Understand Who Is Reading Your Business Plan

Organization of your Business Plan is KEY to its effectiveness and utility.  It is important to remember that too many Business Plans are written from the perspective of the Business Owner.  When writing your plan, remember your audience extends beyond you, the Owner.  Don’t neglect your Managers, employees, customers, the marketing aspects and the potential investor elements.  This is also why I suggest writing one Comprehensive Business Plan to run your business and develop other Specific Purpose Plans for different audiences, i.e. a Customer Plan, an Investor Plan, a Lender Plan, a Strategic Management Plan, a Marketing Plan, Supplier Plan and so forth.

About The Author ~ Frank Goley

Frank Goley works for small and medium size companies as an experienced business consultant, business turnaround consultant, business plan expert, business plan writer, business coach, small business consultant, business planner, marketing consultant, online marketing consultant, seo consultant, and business plan consultant. Frank works for ABC Business Consulting, and he is considered an expert in writing, developing and implementing business plans, business turnaround plans, funding business plans, marketing plans, strategic plans and web marketing and seo plans. Frank is the author of a business plan book, The Comprehensive Business Plan Workbook – A Step by Step Guide to Effective Business Planning, and he has over 50 published articles and 30 E-books on business success strategies. He also writes the Business Success Strategies Blog and publishes the Business Success Newsletter.

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