Business Plan Articles



From time to time, I write business plan articles. Subscribers to The Capital Minute ezine receive these articles a week before they are posted for the general public to view.

The following is a listing of the more popular articles. Check back often for new postings or sign-up for a free subscription to The Capital Minute ezine to have articles delivered right to your inbox.


Latest Business Plan Articles in the Capital Minute

October 2006: How To "Begin" A Business Plan

  • Developing a Business Plan
    by Dave Lavinsky
  • 15 Easy Steps to Starting Your Small Business
    by Eve Jackson
  • How To “Begin” A Business Plan
    by Mike Elia
  • The Visionary Entrepreneur
    by Joe Love
    [October, 2006]

August/September 2006: When you Write A Business Plan

  • How Long Should A Business Plan Be?
    by Mike Elia
  • When You "Sit Down" to Write Your Business Plan
    by Mike Elia
  • The Art of the Pitch: Wooing Investors
    by Mike Elia
  • How to Raise Money...The Old Fashion Way
    By Mike Elia
    [August/September, 2006]

July 2006: It's the Bait...

  • 3 Reasons for a Business Plan that Only a Professional Understands
    by Lee Lister
  • Writing A Business Plan Or Cover Letter -- Part 3
    by Mike Elia
  • Business Plan Secrets You Won't Learn At Harvard Or Yale
    by Art Hamel
  • 7 Steps To Get A Loan For Your Business
    By David Ruiz
    [July, 2006]

For more Capital Minute Back Issues, click here.

Business Plan Articles on Writing a Business Plan

Writing a Business Plan: 10 Critical Pieces of Evidence to Include in Your Plan
Investors never read business plans that lack evidence or consider the claims in them worthless. Keep you plan out of the trash bin with these key pieces of evidence...
[November 07, 2005]

Does Your Business Plan Ease These Investor Concerns?
Three major business investor concerns when evaluating a business plan. Does your plan ease them?
[September 07, 2005]

Five Rules For Writing Attention Grabbing Business Plan Headlines
The success of a business plan stands or falls on its ability to get potential investors to take a moment to read it. Nothing works better for doing this than well written headlines designed to interrupt and engage investors. Here are five fundamental rules for writing and incorporating headlines into your business plan.
[May 11, 2005]

Age Old Marketing Technique Improves Business Plan Executive Summaries
This one technique is the key to the ultimate success of your business plan and its ability to attract potential investors. More importantly, it will help you raise money for your business potentially a lot of it.
[May 10, 2005]

How to Build a Case for Your Business Plan
Put your business plan on trial and build a case to defend it. When you do, writing a business plan gets much easier.
[August 14, 2004]

Use Headlines To Prevent Key Information In Your Business Plan From Going Unnoticed
Learn how to prevent investors from overlooking important information in your business plan.
[July 11, 2004]

Bolster Credibility with Investors--Avoid These Phrases in Your Business Plan
Are you unknowingly undermining the credibility of your business plan?
[June 30, 2004]

How to Ensure Your Business Plan Conveys a Compelling Message
Use this simple evaluation to judge whether or not the statements in your business plan a truly compelling message – before you actually put them in front of potential investors!
[June 24, 2004]


Business Plan Articles on Business Plan Cover Pages

Two Types Of Business Plan Cover Pages Which One Are You Using?
Effective business plan cover pages separate your business plan from other plans. Layout and package your plan to fit the busy schedules and work styles of business investors.
[May 10, 2005]

10 Critical Facts to Put On the Cover of Your Business Plan...
Like the front page of a daily newspaper, a business plan cover puts the important highlights of the proposal up front for potential investors to read.
[March 04, 2005]


Business Plan Articles for Specific Industries

What Every Service Provider Ought To Know Before Writing A Business Plan
This is what a successful service provider does when writing a business plan that captures the attention of prospective investors...
[August 11, 2005]

Advice To A Manufacturer Creating A Business Plan
Address these points with verifiable evidence to support your position and potential investors will conclude that they would be foolish to invest in any other manufacturer but you...
[July 10, 2005]


Business Plan Articles on Marketing Your Business Plan & Pitching to Investors

Could You Be Setting Your Business Plan Up For Failure?
"It's unlikely a business plan by itself will bring funding in the door, unless it is part of an overall marketing strategy."
[March 03, 2005]

Earning Investor Confidence with Your Business Plan
How to use your business plan to raise investor confidence...
[November 06, 2004]

What Every Business Can Learn From Google's IPO...
The Google whiz kids seemed to do everything right building their renown Internet search-engine but found out that raising capital has a search-engine algorithm all of its own...
[August 28, 2004]

How to Negotiate Equity Ownership When Raising Money for Your Business
Three tips to negotiate a larger share of equity ownership in your business and get investors to feel less exposed to losing their investment.
[August 01, 2004]


Business Plan Articles on Business Plan Financial Statements

Be Prepared When Business Investors Look Beyond Your Business Plan
Avoid embarrassment and win the approval of business investors when they probe these key areas of your business or business plan.
[May 10, 2005]

10 Steps for Simplifying Business Plan Financial Statements
More business deals are lost because investors don't feel they can trust the numbers. Spend the time, effort and money to communicate your financial statements clearly and convincingly. It can be the key to closing your deal...
[March 05, 2005]

Business Plan Financial Projections: Stop Worrying About Being Right...
Business plan financial projections seem daunting because they are so uncertain. This very uncertainty, however, is what makes preparing them easy because you can't possibly be right but...you can learn to be competent.
[March 03, 2005]


Business Plan Articles on Business Plan Software & Resources

Business Plan Software Review: Ultimate Business Planner ™
One of the main reasons business owners and entrepreneurs use business plan software is to simplify building their financial models. The question, however, is: Which software? In this article we'll review the Ultimate Business Planner by Atlas Business Solutions, Inc.
[July 23, 2005]

Serious About Writing A Business Plan... Start A Business Plan Library
Tap these treasures of ideas. The best money you can spend is money invested in your business plan education. Don't shortchange yourself when it comes to investing in your dream.
[March 14, 2005]



Mike Elia is a chief financial officer and an advisor to venture capitalists and leverage buyout specialists. His business plan ebook "Business Plan Secrets Revealed” shows how to make your business the most appealing investment choice to venture capitalist, bankers, and other business investors. Click here for more business plan articles and information.

Remember to check back often for new business plan articles.



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