Has a business plan ever saved your (company’s) life? So these are real saved-by-business-planning experiences I’ve lived through first-hand. They stayed with direct sales until there was working capital to support sales through distributors to channels. We should have called it a recovery plan. MORE >>

The “learning and discovery” part of the Customer Development philosophy can be immensely disorienting to a founder, engineer, or investor who has spent his or her career executing a plan. Everyone must accept the process, recognizing that this is fluid, nonlinear search for a business model can sometimes last for years. MORE >>

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. Most likely, the investor has already seen multiple plans with similar solutions. Business model. MORE >>

Whether you need money for an educational, scientific, philanthropic, creative, or business-related cause, comprehensive knowledge of how and where to solicit funds is essential. Crowdfunding is an excellent way to reach potential donors who you wouldn’t have access to through more traditional channels. Business Planning MORE >>

I consider myself something of an expert on business plan competitions. So when the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship ( NACCE ) asked me to do a webinar on business plan competitions , I said yes. The problem is that business plan contests almost all undervalue bootstrapping. MORE >>