Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Melissa Houston covers financial issues that affect women in business. Creating a successful business starts with a strong plan.

The purpose of this document is to provide a format for creating a preliminary business plan for a new enterprise. The business plan is structured in five parts.

ERGO NEXT reports a comprehensive startup checklist covering viability research, cost estimation, insurance, business ...

A well-written business plan should include details about your business's goals, products or services, and finances. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising ...

Long-term strategic business planning is necessary for company growth and success, explains Entrepreneur magazine. Business plans provide companies with the tools to track growth, establish a budget ...

A strong, well-thought-out business plan is crucial for a business's success. Without one, it's tough to maintain a vision of the future and what the next steps for your business should be. Think of ...

No business can be successful without a solid business plan. In fact, a business plan could be the thing that makes or breaks your entrepreneurial enterprise, especially if you haven’t started a ...

Matt Webber is an experienced personal finance writer, researcher, and editor. He has published widely on personal finance, marketing, and the impact of technology on contemporary arts and culture.

The foundation of any company or organization is a well-thought-out and documented business plan. It informs every aspect of your business operations, including company identity, product development, ...

A written document describing the nature of the business, the sales and marketing strategy, and the financial background, and containing a projected profit and loss statement A business plan is also a ...

Small-business owners must handle myriad tasks that require tremendous amounts of time and attention, making a full business plan writing project impractical at times. That's where a dehydrated ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. There are over 31 million small businesses in the United States alone, employing almost 60 million people. This reflects the ...