The language used is clear, and there are a few dry jokes that I'm ashamed to say did make me laugh out loud. Having said this, the book is probably more thorough than some readers need - if you want to write the type of business plan that the bank invites you to do when opening an account (e.g. competitive landscape is a single page of local competitors, their prices and their strengths/weaknesses) then you'll find that this book is overkill. If you plan to spend two weeks or more writing your business plan then this book will probably make the process much easier, and lead to a more thoughtful document that stands up to detailed financial and strategic analysis by bank managers, investors, advisors etc. If this is what you're trying to write, then you'd be a total monkey to start without reading this book.


An extremely practical and useful guide.   June 17, 2003
 16 out of 16 found this review helpful

This is one of the best business planning guides I have read. It gives practical advice and examples on all aspects of planning that are as applicable to the small business as to the larger organisations. As a middle manager who was not used to preparing a business plan, it really helped me deal with everything from presentation to resources and forecasting. I liked the way that the subjects were organised, allowing me to dip into the sections that I had less expertise in.
There are plenty of helpful tips and hints highlighted along the way that make the book very readable and not too dry in an otherwise stressful activity.


Not for Startups   April 30, 2003
 18 out of 23 found this review helpful

This book appears to be very much aimed at management figures within existing companies writing internal business plans. For startups, its not really suitable, very confusing and irrelevant in many repects.