HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN

This guide is also available on the web at http://www.marymount.edu/lls/guides/

Please review the following guides for additional information needed to complete a business plan: Getting
Started…Company Information to help locate information on existing companies similar to the company for
which you are developing a business plan, Getting Started… Industry Information to locate information on your
industry, and Getting Started…Marketing for demographics information.

The following sources in this guide are good places to begin your research.

I. Background Sources

Associations Unlimited
This database will provide leads to associations for the product or industry you choose for your business
plan. Search by keyword or subject for trade or manufacturing associations.
Available as a database in ALADIN.

Business Plans Handbook. (10 vol.) REF HD62.7 .B865

Published annually, this set provides examples of actual business plans developed by people seeking
funding for their small business. It is North American in scope.

Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios. REF HF5681. R25 .I53 (also at Ballston)
Provides industry financial data and ratios on over 800 industries.

Standard and Poor’s Industry Surveys.

Includes up-to-date narrative and statistics on a number of industries. A good source to determine the
nature, prospects, and leading companies of an industry.
Available in the Standard and Poor’s NetAdvantage database.

II. Books that Circulate

Bankable Business Plans. HD30.28 .R644 2004

Provides step by step guidance for the creation and completion of a business plan.

Businessplan.com: How to Write a Web-Woven Strategic Business Plan. HD30.28 .R664 1998
Extensive examples and worksheets are provides as well as Web information for Internet Providers and
appropriate software applications to support a Web based business.

How To Prepare a Business Plan. HD62.5 .B55 2004

Marketing, planning and location are detailed with models that show how to prepare a business plan
ranging from a very small business to a business plan for expansion of an existing business.

How To Write a .Com Business Plan: the Internet Entrepreneur’s Guide to Everything You Need
to Know about Business Plans and Financing Options. HF5548.32 .E33 2001
Specifically designed for writing a business plan for e-commerce.
 Model Business Plans for Product Businesses. HD30.28 .C627 1995
Model Business Plans for Service Businesses. HD30.28 .C628 1995
Examples of business plans for different types of industries.

Powerhouse Marketing Plans: 14 Outstanding Real-life Plans and What You Can Learn from
Them to Supercharge Your Own Campaigns. HF5415.13 J5878 2004
In depth coverage and explanations of well known companies’ business plans.

Search the WRLC (Washington Research Library Consortium) Catalog in ALADIN for books owned by MU or
other members of the WRLC. For additional information review the Help Screen Options and refer to the
handouts Tips and Techniques: Catalog Search and Finding Materials in the Library to browse subjects by call
number.

To Search by Subject
The quickest way to search for a subject is by typing one or more keywords or a person’s name in the search box
and clicking on Keyword. For additional results, click on a book that addresses your subject and look at the
Subjects assigned to that book. Click on that Subject Heading to view additional titles.

TIPS
1. Enter one or more terms which best describe your topic.
2. Use and, or, not to combine terms, sample and marketing and plans
3. Use quotation marks to search words as a phrase, “business plans”

Always assume that we have books on your subject. If you aren’t finding anything, ask for help at the
reference desk or email library@marymount.edu

III. Articles. Search the databases in ALADIN at http://www.aladin.wrlc.org. Dates of indexing and full-text
will vary by publication and by database.

ABI/Inform Global
Use the phrase Business Plans as a Subject to locate articles about business plans. Also check the Topics
box for tips on a narrower search for Business Plans. . Use the Find a Copy link and then the Find It
button to link to full-text.

Expanded Academic
Use the phrase Business Plans as a Subject to locate articles about business plans. Use the Find It button
to link to full-text.

Factiva
Use the phrase Business Plans in the Free Text box and include the phrase United States or the word
America to limit your search to articles about business plans for American companies.

Finding Articles

Refer to the handout Tips and Techniques: How to Find Journal Articles.
IV. Internet Resources Below are listed some relevant resources. The web version of this guide
(http://www.marymount.edu/lls/guides/) provides direct links to these sites. For suggestions on how to find
other academic web sites refer to the handout Tips and Techniques: Researching the World Wide Web.

Business Plan Examples

Business and Marketing Plans http://www.bplans.com/sp/businessplans.cfm

There are over 60 actual business plans that can be viewed without charge.

Business Owners’ Toolkit http://www.toolkit.cch.com/tools/buspln_m.asp

Describes different business plan components.

Business Plan Preparation: Tools for Writing Business Plans

http://leeds-faculty.colorado.edu/moyes/bplan/
From the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Business plan templates are
downloadable.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Business Plans and Profiles Index

http://www.clpgh.org/subject/business/bplansindex.html
The website states, “This index lists types of small businesses and a corresponding sample business plan,
profile or book about the business with sources provided after each entry.” Much of the information is
available online. The call numbers listed next to many titles are for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and
not for Marymount. Check the WRLC Libraries Catalog to see if Marymount carries the title of your
choice.

The Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence http://www.ceebic.org/bizplan.htm

Provides a very good explanation of what a business plan is and is not.

Deloitte and Touche’s Writing an Effective Business Plan

http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/WEBP_cv1(1).pdf

Free Sample Business Plans by Bplans.com

http://www.bplans.com/sp/businessplans.cfm

St. Louise University’s e-Web Entrepreneurship Education on the Web:Business Plans Home Site
http://eweb.slu.edu/bp.htm

United States Small Business Administration Business Plan Basics

http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html

Demographics

U.S Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/popproj.html

Contains population projections and characteristics.

Quick Facts about Virginia http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51000.html

Employment and Wages

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment and Wage Estimates

http://stats.bls.gov/oes/1999/oes_nat.htm

Equipment Costs
Thomas Register http://www.thomasnet.com/index.html

Market Share and Size

County Business Patterns from the U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html

Real Estate Costs

Retail Market Trends in North America
http://www.grubb-ellis.com/PDF/natmrkttrnd/markettrendretail.pdf

For further information, stop by the reference desk, call (703) 284-1649, e-mail library@marymount.edu, or
click on the “Ask a Librarian” icon on the ALADIN homepage to chat live with a librarian during selected hours.

REF: MD: 09/05