Skills and Ideas
Workbook
(For anyone facing redundancy or considering a change of job)
This workbook is FREE – for individual use only.
Version 1.1 July 2010. A. Andrews
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Overview:
Skills and Ideas – for future employment or self-employment.
This workbook has been produced in support of an interactive workshop designed to help anyone
facing a change or looking for a change in their employment. Whilst there will be a need for the
individuals to focus on their own skills it has been designed to provide a platform for group support
and networking. However where it is not possible to bring a group of people together it can be used
as a stand alone tool.
The outline below is for both the workshop and workbook.
Whilst the workshop is interactive there is no ‘Role play’, but there is a variety of group activities and
individual reflection.
Outline:
Skills and Ideas – for future employment or self-employment. ......................................................... 2
SWOT – what this means both individually and in the business context. .............................................. 3
Individually .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Business............................................................................................................................................... 3
Personal Action Plan ............................................................................................................................... 6
CV - Review ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Initial Ideas .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Addressing the Concern – ‘What’s stopping you’ ................................................................................. 11
MESS – Key aspects to consider if going self-employed. ...................................................................... 12
Market............................................................................................................................................... 12
Experience......................................................................................................................................... 12
Serviceability ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Security ............................................................................................................................................. 12
Next steps – Individual support. ........................................................................................................... 13
Change in Employment – Overview: ..................................................................................................... 14
Factsheets: © Cobweb Information Ltd 2010
SWOT Analysis - A Guide to Carrying Out a ............................................................................. 15
20 Tips to Help You Choose a Business Idea ............................................................................ 21
Business Plan - A Guide to Writing a........................................................................................ 28
Good Luck…
If you have any comments or questions email: info@wmbusinessfutures.co.uk
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SWOT – what this means both individually and in the business
context.
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. A more detailed explanation of
SWOT in a business context can be found at the end of this work book. You can also look at
http://www.wmbusinessfutures.co.uk/why.html?Why for an alternative overview.
Individually
When looking at other jobs one of the 1st things to review is your CV, at time when we do this we
find it difficult to identify what Skills we use on a day to day basis through our employment the
following exercise will help you identify what you feel are your core strengths and any weaknesses
you feel you may have. This will then be used to consider what strengths / skills would be useful to a
new employer or to businesses in general.
The next 2 pages give you a template for you to record what you regard as your strengths and
weaknesses – try to consider these from a business / management context, and think of the wording
which may be used in this environment, e.g speaking to people, and letter writing = Communication
Skills, it may also form a part of customer service.
Once you have recorded 5 or so Strengths think about how you would be able to demonstrate the
strength identified? Do you have a qualification or compliments letters, or could you show this
through a role play or can you think of a good example when you demonstrated this in the
workplace.
Many interviews for jobs will ask you to give an example of when you did a certain thing within the
business, so start to think about when you did anything which showed your skills.
Next – rate yourself and however you rate yourself what could you do to improve.
Repeat the exercise looking at your weaknesses and be honest.
Once you have rated this form you can now identify what you can do to strengthen your strengths or
reduce your weaknesses.
Sorry you have not finished yet – revisit the Strengths and identify a further 5 strengths which a
business owner may need to run their business – these may include wider activities such as
Marketing or Finance. This is where you may be able to offer added value to your employer, or
recognise what you would need for your own business.
Don’t forget to go all the way through the form and identify ways to improve. This may open up
other options for you when looking at your development.
Business
This is covered in detail in the SWOT Analysis – A guide to carrying out a … towards the end of this
workbook.
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SWOT – Strengths
Strength
Evidenced by…
Self – Evaluation (1-5)
Activity to improve
(The higher the score / higher the skill level)
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SWOT – Weaknesses
Weakness
Evidenced by…
Self – Evaluation (1-5)
Activity to improve
(The lower the score / lower the skill level)
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Personal Action Plan
Now decide what skills you are going to develop by completing the form below. You will need to review this regularly not just when you complete a certain
area of development, but as you get to understand your job or business – alongside this you may wish to subscribe to a regular newsletter as this may in
itself offer opportunities including networking.
Priority
(1 – 5)
What Skill do I need to improve or
learn and why?
What will I do to achieve
this?
How will I do this / Where will I do this?
Target completion
date
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CV - Review
Before you start this section you may wish to spend some time reflecting on and reviewing your CV.
Does it truly reflect you and your skills.
Here are a few more tips to look at.
Everyone will have their own opinion on what should be included in a CV, how long it should be its
style, format etc. The advice given at times will be conflicting and confusing, what is detailed here is
a combination of some commonly understood best practices for putting together your CV and some
questions designed to help you decide for yourself how you want your CV to look.
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Every time you print off your CV to give to someone, or look to email it to a prospective
employer try and consider – what will the reader of your make of your CV, 1st Impressions
count. Often there will be a need to have a covering letter, or statement to accompany the
CV, this is as important and sometimes more important than the CV. Within the covering
letter you can pull out job specific skills directly related to the advertised position, reading
this may mean they will give consideration to your CV.
It is generally accepted that your CV should be shot and easy to read. What does this mean 2
pages? Yes most of the time but if you need 3 don’t think you have to reduce the font size to
8 to squeeze all the information on – consider would the information fit and read better in
the covering letter (again not too long) or within the application form. Make sure it can be
read easily so stick to standard fonts and a standard font size such as 11 or 12.
Think skills – what are the skills you have gained through your employment – particularly
those relevant to the job you are applying for. Note: relevance.
Don’t be afraid to use Bullet points, but don’t create too many lists, keep sentences short.
Avoid Text boxes and tables, particularly when uploading on job sites, and if you are going to
do this also think about what key words may be used by anyone searching. You may wish to
look at the job advertisements for some clues as to what could be being looked for and
include these within your CV.
Check it once, check it twice – then get someone else to check it.
The whole of the CV should be regarded as a sales document – you need to sell yourself –
honestly but ensuring the skills and qualities you have which make you suitable for the job
are clear from what you have written.
It is common to list your work experience with the most recent first, continuing in reverse
chronological order. You may not need to go into detail for jobs held over 10 years ago.
Include relevant facts with detailed figures if applicable e.g. if you were responsible for
increasing sales by what % did you increase the sales by.
Feedback should be sought from the companies you apply to but don’t get to interview,
however you must remember that one companies criteria may differ from another in people
specification to relevant skills so seek feedback but before you make wholesale changes to
you CV check with other companies to see if what you are being told is consistent and is
down to something in your CV or are you just candidate no.51.
If you come across a tip for creating a better CV please share it.
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Initial Ideas
Now would be a good time to take a break as much to clear your brain out from the previous
exercise.
Use the following pages to start to accumulate ideas for Jobs or business opportunities. The
headings will guide you on the nature of the content, and the form itself gives you instructions on
the completion of the various sections.
When you have completed the form you may wish to look at the 20 tips to help you choose a
business idea at the end of this booklet – I would recommend not peaking before you have tried to
put down 2 or 3 of your own ideas.
Also think about that Eureka moment you may have had when you though you could do something
better than or make a product better than what is on the market already – could you?
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Ideas generation:
Job roles you have undertaken:
Associated Skills:
Possible Opportunities:
Jobs – Title / Nature:
Industry Sectors:
Other roles using
similar skills:
Self- employment
options – businesses.
Anything which does not interest you and why – include locations (local, regional, country)?
Not Interested in…
Why?
Give this form to someone who does not know you and ask them to complete the next section.
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From the information provided – I would suggest the following Opportunities:
Jobs – Title / Nature:
Industry Sectors:
Other roles using
similar skills:
Self- employment
options – businesses.
Any Skills you think it would be useful to improve on?
Give this form to someone who knows you and ask them to complete the next section.
From the information provided – I would suggest the following Opportunities:
Jobs – Title / Nature:
Industry Sectors:
Other roles using
similar skills:
Self- employment
options – businesses.
Any Skills you think it would be useful to improve on?
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Addressing the Concern – ‘What’s stopping you’
By now you should have identified a number of personal strengths and transferable skills for
business, you will have decided on a number of actions to strengthen your strengths and reduce
your weaknesses, and have a number of ideas or areas of business or types of jobs you could look at,
so what is stopping you.
Spend some time reflecting on these using the table below:
Concern or issue
What does this mean to me
What can I do to remove or reduce the
concern – do I need to talk this through
with anyone else if yes who?
Some things you will have no control over it is important to recognise this – also there are risks in
change, but through recognising the risks you may be able to reduce the risk to you personally. It
may be worth thinking about a time when you faced a difficult challenge – how did you feel – how
did you cope with this – when you succeeded in meeting the challenge and completing the task how
did you feel. You may need to find a way to harness this positive emotion.
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MESS – Key aspects to consider if going self-employed.
Self-employment is not for everyone and many businesses fail for a whole range of reasons
therefore before you take this route make sure that you have researched not just business practice,
but also think about the practicalities of what you are planning to do.
What will be the demands on you and or your family or friends on a day to day basis, even hour to
hour basis for the business. Work out what would need to be done to make the business a success.
Take account of how you will interact with customers, are they key servicing times, will you be
busier or quieter between 12.00 and 14.00. Can you get deliveries on a Wednesday? When is the
quiet season (all businesses have some form of seasonality if for no other reason than the standard
holidays), this degree of research is only touching the surface, talk to potential customers, suppliers,
competitors.
Market
Do you have a product or service that will sell or more importantly that customers will buy – think
about what the customer is buying is it the product or the satisfaction of a need – address the need
and market to the need.
Can YOU sell?
Advertising may be necessary, but doesn’t always pay try and find a way to evaluate the
effectiveness of any advertising and marketing. You may just be getting awareness.
Experience
By undertaking the activities in the workbook you should know your strengths and weaknesses, but
what experience do you have of running a business, or working in a similar business to the one you
are setting up.
Can you gain the experience you need?
Can you buy the service of someone else to fill a gap in your experience e.g. finance – hire an
accountant but get to understand how a cash flow works and what is shown in the profit and loss.
Serviceability
This is to do with credit control and ensuring the business has enough cash to service the bills,
initially you may have put together a cash flow here you will check how well the reality of the sales
and the costs agree to the projections.
Security
If you want to borrow money the funder is likely to want to have security, but this is not the overall
meaning here.
What do you need to do to comply with the law, to satisfy the tax authority, to protect yourself and
the business e.g. Insurances such as Public Liability
You may need to get advice and therefore when you complete the next section think about the
business professionals or organisation that can help you.
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Next steps – Individual support.
It is difficult within the context of this workbook who can help further as the level of support
available both for the individual and for starting up a business will vary form town to town and
region to region.
You may wish to put together your own contact list of individuals and organisations who can help,
consider searching on line using key words, many businesses will belong to trade or professional
bodies, use your local Library.
Organisation
Contact Name
Telephone
Number
Email address
Other
information
The next page gives you a overview of some of the areas covered within the workbook, but can also
help you to address different aspects by focusing on the specific areas which need to be considered,
it is by no means prescriptive and will need to be amend according to your own individual
circumstances.
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Change in Employment – Overview:
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SWOT Analysis - A Guide to Carrying Out a
BIF394 / November 2009
Introduction
A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis is often done as part of the
process of developing a business plan or a marketing plan. It is a method for assessing your business,
its markets, its resources, its competitors and potential problem areas. A SWOT analysis can
sometimes reveal opportunities that you had not previously considered or areas of your business
that you need to improve.
By developing a clearer understanding of the dynamics of your business you will be better able to
address and avoid the risks facing you in the market.
This factsheet explains how a SWOT analysis is carried out and how its findings can be used to help
when making decisions about your future business strategy. It also includes hints and tips and
sources of further information.
The SWOT process
The results of a SWOT are often shown in a grid, which makes the process look very simple. To be
effective, however, a SWOT requires careful assessment, research and analysis. The results can then
be summarised, if desired, in a grid. Organisations undertake SWOT analyses to help them
understand themselves and where they fit into the wider environment. The intention is to identify
strengths on which the organisation can build future success and weaknesses which need to be
addressed if they are not to pull down the organisation.
Organisations do not exist in isolation, but in an environment which may provide opportunities and
is also likely to impose threats. Strengths and weaknesses originate from the organisation itself. They
can be determined by looking in at your staff, your products and your processes. Opportunities and
threats largely arise externally so they require a systematic review of the environment in which your
organisation operates, including market and consumer trends, competitor activities, changes in
technology, legislation and financial issues. So undertaking a SWOT analysis which will really help the
organisation requires some effort and does not just result from a quick brainstorm in the office.
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You may find that some items appear in more than one box. An item that appears to be a threat
could also represent a potential opportunity. For example, a rush of competitors into your area
could easily represent a major threat to you. However, growing numbers of competitors could boost
overall customer numbers, some of whom may visit your business.
The real benefit of undertaking a SWOT analysis comes through helping you to develop a coherent
overview of your business by relating the contents of each box to one another. This comparative
analysis will then provide a level of understanding that will enable you to harness external and
internal forces to help your business prosper. It is important that you use the results of the SWOT
analysis as you prepare your strategy or business plan.
Completing the SWOT grid
A variety of questions lie at the heart of the SWOT analysis:
Strengths
Ask yourself the following questions:
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What is unique about your business?
What advantages does your business have?
Why do customers choose to do business with you?
Does your business have a strong brand image?
Consider what you believe to be the strengths of your business such as:
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The skills and experience of your staff.
The quality of your products.
Your ability to innovate.
A loyal customer base.
Your processes.
Your staff.
Your location.
Availability of resources.
Your values.
Think about what your business does better than anyone else. This could be, for example, your
marketing expertise, your environmentally friendly packaging or your excellent customer service.
Evaluate your strengths in terms of how they compare with those of your competitors. If you and
your competitors provide the same prompt delivery time, this is not a unique strength. But if your
delivery staff are extremely polite and helpful while your competitors' employees are bad mannered
and indifferent to customers, then you need to list your staff's attitude as a strength of the business.
Be honest and realistic. Try to include some personal strengths and characteristics of individual
members of your staff and management team.
Weaknesses
Ask yourself how your business could improve:
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Do your staff lack any obvious skills, experience or training?
Does your business rely on only one or two suppliers?
Does your business rely on only one or two key product lines that could become
obsolete?
Take an objective look at every aspect of your business:
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Could the quality or variety of your products and services be improved?
Is your customer service efficient?
Do your suppliers always deliver exactly what you want, when you want it?
Is there an area of expertise which is lacking in your business?
Do you need more sales staff?
Do you need financial help and guidance?
Is your location right for your type of business?
Is there enough customer parking?
Is there an opportunity to catch passing trade?
Your objective has to be total honesty in listing weaknesses. Don't just make a list of mistakes that
have been made, such as an occasion when a customer was not called back promptly. The weakness
might be that your systems or processes do not ensure that customers are contacted exactly when
they should be.
Get an outsider's view of your weaknesses. You may strongly believe that your years of experience in
your sector give you a thorough grounding and knowledge of all of your customers' needs. A
customer, however, may view this wealth of experience as portraying an old-fashioned approach
and unwillingness to change and work with new ideas. Indeed, a stakeholder analysis of the views of
all parties involved in your business can be an excellent way of seeking external views about both
strengths and weaknesses.
Opportunities
You need to look at the environment in which your organisation is operating now and the potential
environment in which it might be operating in, say, five years' time. You need to learn as much as
possible about, and be sensitive to, the demands and constraints of the environment. One way of
doing this is to undertake a PEST (political, economic, social and technological) analysis though this
may go by another name such as PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal and
environmental) which provides a framework to ensure that key topics are not forgotten.
Analysing your opportunities can be tackled in several ways:
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External opportunities can include taking advantage of the market where competitors
are not performing well, providing you with the opportunity to do better.
There may be technological developments in your area, or a new process enhancing
your products.
There may be some legislative changes, offering you an opportunity to provide advice,
support or added services.
Opportunities to import goods from abroad could mean that you can source unique
products at very reasonable prices.
Changes in market trends and consumer buying habits may provide the development
of a niche market which you could exploit before your competitors if you are quick
enough.
You could also consider your weaknesses more carefully and work out ways of addressing these
problems and turning them into opportunities. For example:
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Your values do not match those sought by customers. However, taking a robust
approach to your values and being public about them could help you develop a new
message which resonates with customers, like John Lewis Partnership's 'never
knowingly undersold'.
Threats
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Some threats are tangible, such as a new competitor moving into your area. Others are less easy to
predict, such as the 9/11 terrorist attack in the USA, which had a continuing impact for some time on
many business sectors throughout the world, or major floods in your local area. Being vigilant and
staying aware of changing technological, political, social and economic factors means that if a
potential threat arises, you can react more quickly, having already considered your options and
perhaps put some contingency planning into place.
Think about the worst things that could realistically happen, such as:
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Losing your customers to your major competitor.
The development of a new product far superior to your own.
Technological changes to which you could not adapt.
Legislative changes making your product or service obsolete.
Changes to your customer demographics or cultural choices.
Your main supplier ceasing to trade.
A major customer failing to pay.
A key employee leaving.
Listing the threats in your SWOT analysis will provide ways for you to plan for and deal with these
problems if they ever start to affect your business. Many threats arise from vulnerability due to
having all your eggs in one basket or not keeping up to date with changes in the market place. By
analysing your business and being aware of its vulnerabilities you should be able to deal more
effectively with any threats that arise.
Example of a SWOT analysis and how to use one
A small start up business might come to the following conclusions in its SWOT analysis:
The SWOT analysis above highlights the vulnerabilities of the business including reliance on a few
key staff, lack of reputation in the market place and tight cash flow. On a positive note however, it
helps to highlight a possible business strategy and action plan to overcome this.
The marketing effort needs to be increased to build the image of the business but this could be
achieved effectively and economically by creating an online presence. This would take advantage of
the technological opportunities that have been identified. Such a strategy should enable the
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business to grow with the market sector but should also help to keep its overheads and staffing
requirements at a reasonable level.
After completing your SWOT analysis it is vital that you take stock of your business strategy. As you
prepare or amend your business plan, build on the strengths and opportunities. For example, 'we
will build on our reputation for quality by launching a premium service to support exporters', or, 'we
will launch a new service to meet the need for improved matching of customers and suppliers of
road transport services'. Address the perceived weaknesses and threats, without necessarily listing
them all. If the plan will be read by third parties, this has the advantage of not drawing attention to
the fact that there may be weaknesses or threats. For example, the plan might say 'systems of
financial reporting will be improved over the next year with the introduction of monthly
management accounts'. In this way, areas that might have been seen as negatives can be turned into
positives and there is less danger of raising alarm bells in the mind of the reader without addressing
them adequately. By the time you have completed your plan, you need to have considered how you
can build on each strength, how you can address each weakness, how you can exploit each
opportunity and how you can mitigate each threat.
In summary:
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Build on and exploit your strengths. Use them to their full potential.
Reduce your weaknesses either by minimising the risks they represent or by making
changes to overcome them.
Make the most of your opportunities. Now you understand where they lie, make sure
you focus and capitalise on them.
Turn threats into opportunities. Be proactive and put plans into place to counter any
threats.
To help in planning ahead, combine some of the areas you have highlighted in the boxes. If you see a
new market growing, you will be able to check whether your internal strengths will enable you to
make the most of the opportunity. Do you have sufficient trained staff in place? Can your phone
system cope with extra customer orders?
Hints and tips
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Focus on all the issues, not just on the large, obvious ones like a major new competitor
entering your market. You need to consider all kinds of factors carefully, such as
whether your IT system provides everything you need and whether your staff have the
skills for the next stage of business development.
Ask your staff, your management team or even your business adviser to help you
complete your analysis. Don't try to do it alone. Undertake a stakeholder analysis to
gather external views about your strengths and weaknesses. Other people's
perspectives can be very useful as they can distance themselves from your business
and provide an objective view.
Carry out a SWOT analysis regularly. Your business environment and market will
constantly change, so use the SWOT process as a way of analysing and evaluating your
business performance.
Further information
For practical start up and small business tips, ideas and news, go to:
Website: www.enterprisequest.com
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To access hundreds of practical factsheets, market reports and small business guides, go to:
Website: www.scavenger.net
BIF 1 A Guide to Using a Market Research Questionnaire
BIF 4 A Guide to Writing a Business Plan
BIF 44 A Guide to Developing a Marketing Plan
BIF 47 A Guide to Sources of Market and Business Information
BIF 101 A Guide to Sources of Statistical Information
BIF 185 An Introduction to Researching a Market for Business Start Ups
BIF 392 A Guide to Creating a Marketing Strategy for Your Business
Books
'Scenarios for Success: Turning Insights into Action'
Bill Sharpe and Kees Van der Heijden
2007
John Wiley & Sons
'Business Enterprise: How to Prepare a Business Plan'
Edward Blackwell
2008
Kogan Page Ltd
Useful websites
A free SWOT analysis template can be downloaded from Businessballs.com.
Website: www.businessballs.com/free_SWOT_analysis_template.pdf
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher
makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors
or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be
sought where appropriate.
© Cobweb Information Ltd 2010
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20 Tips to Help You Choose a Business
Idea
BIF059 / December 2008
Introduction
Finding and refining an idea that you can turn into a successful business is the first - and often the biggest
- stumbling block for budding entrepreneurs. Many people want to run their own business and have the
aptitude to do it but struggle to pin down a viable idea.
All businesses either meet a need or provide a solution to a problem for a customer, so the following 20
tips are designed to provide inspiration for you to explore new areas and start thinking in practical terms
about the products or services you could offer, and the business opportunities that may be open to you.
1) Use existing skills to supply a specialist product
Could you modify the skills and experience that you acquired while working for somebody else to meet
the needs of a niche market?
For example, a former joiner could concentrate on manufacturing a limited range of quality furnishings
such as beds, instead of competing against well-established tradespeople doing joinery work in people's
homes. A mobile hairdresser could specialise in styling the hair of brides and bridesmaids in their homes
so that they don't have to rush into town to get their hair done on their wedding day.
2) Turn your hobby into a money maker
Could your hobby form a basis for a business?
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Do you like gardening? Could you set up a landscape gardening firm?
Do you enjoy cooking? What about a catering service for people having parties at home or
a specialist cake making business? See www.500ways.co.uk/html/hobbies.html for more
ideas.
Don't write off your hobby just because you do it for fun; somebody may be willing to pay for it. Besides,
a lot of your business' success will come down to the amount of work and enthusiasm you put into it, so
it helps to base your idea around something you enjoy doing already.
3) Social trends
Think about changes in society that might lead to new business ideas. For example, more people are
starting social enterprises with a community focus to improve the quality of life for people in their area.
Organisations in sectors including the arts, education and healthcare often operate in this way and
funding for these kinds of organisations is growing. See www.unltd.org.uk for more information.
4) What type of person are you?
Does your personality suggest any business ideas?
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If you have persistence, skills of persuasion and the gift of the gab you might be a good
salesperson. There are frequent openings for self-employed salespeople to sell other
people's products. If you are good at dealing with people, you might be just the person to
take up a retail franchise, party planning opportunity or multi-level marketing scheme. Find
out more about direct selling opportunities at www.dsa.org.uk.
If you are one of the thousands of people who enjoy selling their surplus household items
at car boot sales, you could start a legitimate business trading over the Internet by opening
your own online shop. Specialist suppliers such as businesses selling vintage clothing to a
niche market are often particularly popular. See www.ebay.co.uk for ideas and products to
specialise in.
5) What's missing locally?
Look around in your own backyard. Think of the problems and difficulties that you have experienced in
getting things for your home, or at work, or in your leisure activities:
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What problems cause you most inconvenience or cost you most to correct?
What service was not available locally when you most needed it?
Which parts, or products, were hard or impossible to obtain locally?
What do you and your neighbours and friends most frequently complain about?
What could you offer to local businesses - for example, a sandwich delivery service to
isolated industrial estates?
Listen to people talking in the pub or the supermarket checkout queue. Find out what they have difficulty
obtaining. Is there any way of providing a local service or product for any of these markets, which
somebody will pay for? You can research local businesses by checking out directories like Yellow Pages
(www.yell.com), as well as your local Chamber of Commerce (www.britishchambers.org.uk).
6) Are there any opportunities for tourism or leisure businesses in your area?
Is there a ready local market looking for leisure opportunities? A business like a tea shop, for example,
may thrive in an area with a high population of pensioners and a high influx of tourists. You may want to
consider opening an outdoor activity centre in a rural area. Try talking to people working in the local
authority, Tourist Board or Regional Development Agency (RDA), as they may have suggestions or even
run support schemes for businesses setting up in particular rural areas.
For more information go to www.visitbritain.com. Also see www.enjoyengland.com/find-tic/ to find
contact details for local Tourist Information Centres (TICs) in England. To find TICs in Wales see
www.visitwales.co.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.6856 and to find TICs in Northern Ireland see
www.discovernorthernireland.com/Local-Information-Offices-walk-in-only--A1125. To find Visitor
Information Centres in Scotland, see www.visitscotland.com/guide/travel/travel-around-scotland/vics. To
find your RDA look at www.englandsrdas.com, www.wales.gov.uk, www.scottish-enterprise.com or
www.investni.com.
7) Use new technology to build a business
Look at the ways in which people live their lives in the 21st century and see if you can think of exploiting
new habits to build a business. For example, almost everyone now has a mobile phone and businesses
are now springing up to enable busy people to send text message gifts.
Social networking is also popular and sites such as YouTube (http://uk.youtube.com/) and Facebook
(http://en-gb.facebook.com) can be used for marketing and networking purposes.
Blogging is also growing very fast and can be used to launch new ideas or get yourself noticed. A blog is a
website maintained by an individual with regular entries on a particular subject. Some bloggers have
been given large advances by publishers to write books based on their blogs.
22
8) Research large firms, local authorities and other public bodies in the area
What do existing businesses in your area make, and what do they buy in from outside the area? In many
cases they will be buying goods from outside the region because there is no one to supply them locally.
Similarly, local authorities, schools and organisations like the Police are purchasers of equipment and
services. Sign up to receive notification of tender opportunities or visit sites which advertise available
tenders.
Go to www.direct.gov.uk to locate the contact details of your local authority, and see
www.supply2.gov.uk for an overview of the purchasing procedure of public authorities and details of
contracts and tenders issued by the Government.
9) Think about selling other people's goods
Many new firms start off by selling goods that somebody else makes. A number of opportunities exist to
distribute foreign goods in the UK. For example, the United States of America Department of Commerce
(US Commercial Service) publishes a regular magazine listing businesses looking for facilities and
distributors (this is available from all US embassies and consulates). Look at www.buyusa.gov/uk/en for
more information.
Chambers of Commerce also publish regular listings of businesses seeking partners willing to
manufacture under licence or to act as sole distributors. See
www.britishchambers.org.uk/6798219244118711479/find-a-chamber.html to find your local Chamber.
Also see sites like www.alibaba.com for more information on distribution, import and export
opportunities.
10) Watch the news
Newspapers, magazines, online discussion forums, blogs and e-zines are all fruitful sources of new and
emerging trends and problems that need a solution. Scanning the small ads section of your local paper is
a good way to get a feel for local patterns of supply and demand and you should also read the business
opportunities sections in the national newspapers. Try the following resources as a starting point:


To search for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines in the UK see
www.mediauk.com and www.newspapersoc.org.uk.
To find online discussion forums on a variety of business and general interest topics see
www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk.
11) Cash in on current trends
Consumer perceptions and changing priorities result in trends that can lead to business opportunities.
Various scares have raised public concern about the way in which food is produced. Consumer attitudes
have changed: people are becoming increasingly interested in naturally produced food which can be
traced back to the supplier, such as organic food, and in buying from local producers. Farmers' markets
have become popular and offer a wide range of natural products.
At the same time, some people are now questioning the benefits of traditional medicine and are turning
to complementary therapies instead.
Business opportunities emerging from these trends could include selling naturally produced or organic
food; or offering complementary medicine services, such as aromatherapy or homeopathy. See
www.soilassociation.org or www.chisuk.org.uk for more details.
Consumers' tastes and needs change regularly and are influenced by a range of factors such as the media,
current fashions, changing demographics and advertising. These changes in attitude can often lead to
great business ideas and in recent years juice bars, lifestyle consultants and raw food cafés, to name just
a few, have all provided opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.
23
Keep up with these and other current consumer trends at www.trendwatching.com and see
www.springwise.com for more inspiration.
12) Copy business ideas that have taken off elsewhere
Business ideas often originate abroad and then spread throughout the UK. The founder of Kwik-Fit, Tom
Farmer, got the idea from the 'Muffler Shops' he saw on a visit to the US. Can you pick up on a trend and
be the first to offer that product or service in your local area? For instance, the decline in the popularity
of DIY led to entrepreneurs in London offering a niche service assembling flat-pack furniture for
customers. See www.handylocals.com.
13) Keep up with changes in the law
New legislation is often a rich source of new business opportunities. Every new piece of legislation
generates opportunities in terms of administration and compliance. There may be a need to supply parts
to adapt an existing product or process to meet new safety or health regulations, or a demand for people
to provide new services.
For example, with the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for properties in the UK,
people are now training for the Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) qualification, which will enable them to
carry out inspections. See www.energy-performance-certificates.org/dea for more information about
EPCs and DEAs.
Keep track of forthcoming legislation at www.opsi.gov.uk.
14) Buy an existing business
You might consider buying an existing business - but if you do, make sure you find out why the owner is
selling up. Even if the vendor is retiring, why was it not worth his family's while to continue? Businesses
for sale are usually advertised in the local paper and could also be advertised in relevant trade magazines
(see www.tradepub.com for a directory of these). You could also try the following resources for regularly
updated business opportunities:
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Businesses for Sale.com has a database of various types of business for sale at
http://uk.businessesforsale.com.
Daltons advertises businesses for sale at www.daltonsbusiness.com.
Loot.com advertises businesses for sale and properties to rent at www.loot.com.
Franchising is another option - you get the independence and satisfaction of running your own venture,
but benefit from marketing support and an established customer base. The following web links provide
more information and opportunity listings for franchising:
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The British Franchise Association - www.thebfa.org.
Which Franchise.com - www.whichfranchise.com.
franchiseinfo - www.franinfo.co.uk.
Franchise EXPO.co.uk - www.franchiseexpo.co.uk.
15) Use all the research tools you can find
Government statistics, surveys and consumer market research are all available and easily accessible over
the Internet. You should scour the web for ideas, gaps in the market or useful networking opportunities.
There are also major exhibitions, packed with start up ideas, specifically aimed at people who are looking
to become self-employed. A wealth of literature exists in this area and your local library will have
extensive information sources.
Try the following as starting points:
24
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Demographic and statistical information - www.statistics.gov.uk for England and Wales as
well as UK wide, www.gro-scotland.gov.uk for Scotland and www.nisra.gov.uk for Northern
Ireland.
Consumer profiles and information on local postcode areas - www.upmystreet.com.
Listings of UK trade fairs and exhibitions - www.exhibitions.co.uk.
16) Provide a service that helps others feel good
Increasingly, people wish to simplify and de-clutter their lives and at the same time also give back
something to the community. Could you provide a service that would meet both these needs and fit in
with the current ethos? One business idea that might achieve this is a junk clearance service, as goods
collected could be given to charity - see www.anyjunk.co.uk as an example and for more information and
details of franchising opportunities available. For more ideas, see www.globalideasbank.org which aims
to promote creative ideas that will help society.
17) Could you go freelance?
The UK workforce is changing, with many more people choosing to work flexibly, from home or outside
the traditional employment relationship. By going freelance you can often choose to work from home or
in various places to cover absent staff or to help with the peaks and troughs in established businesses.
During times of economic uncertainty many organisations lay off permanent staff and are more likely to
use the services of freelancers or contractors when business activity increases. Many people are
attracted to the variety and flexibility of this way of working.
Check out information and job listings for freelancers at www.freelanceuk.com and www.freelancers.net.
18) Look out for potential labour shortages
The shift towards academic qualifications and away from vocational training has left many skills shortages
for traditional trades. Many former office workers have retrained as plumbers and started their own
businesses because of shortages and the subsequent financial rewards. You could investigate similar skills
or service shortages in your area.
19) Cash in on the 'time-poor'
Could you start a business that meets the needs of busy people who have little time available to
themselves? All sorts of business ideas fall under this category, from simple ones such as dog walking and
personal shopping though to Internet-based businesses such as selling items on eBay and other auction
sites. As an example, see www.dogdaysonline.co.uk.
20) Could you invent something?
The British have a proud history of inventions, from penicillin to the train, and many of today's household
names are the brainchildren of enthusiastic individuals. Many applications for patents are made by
individuals rather than businesses or institutions. You can get more information from the Intellectual
Property Office (IPO) by visiting www.ipo.gov.uk.
Hints and tips


Write down your ideas and research and organise your notes in a file. It will help you think
things through systematically, and will form the basis of your business plan when you
finally choose an idea.
Your local enterprise agency should be able to help you assess your ideas for a business. It,
along with your local library, will be listed in the phone book.
25

This list is not definitive - it's just a starting point to help you think about the opportunities
available.
Further information
For practical start up and small business tips, ideas and news, go to:
Website: www.enterprisequest.com
To access hundreds of practical factsheets, market reports and small business guides, go to:
Website: www.scavenger.net
BIF 12 An Introduction to Intellectual Property Rights
BIF 17 A Guide to Running a Business from Home
BIF 47 A Guide to Sources of Market and Business Information
BIF 98 Could You Run Your Own Business?
BIF 120 A Guide to Buying a Business
BIF 154 A Guide to Using a Business Start Up Adviser
Books
'Working for Yourself: An Entrepreneur's Guide to the Basics'
Jonathan Reuvid
2008
Kogan Page Ltd
Useful contacts
The Institute of Business Consulting is the professional body for business consultants. Its website includes
a search facility to find a consultant or adviser.
4th Floor
2 Savoy Court
London
WC2R 0EZ
Tel: (020) 7497 0580
Website: www.ibconsulting.org.uk
The National Federation of Enterprise Agencies (NFEA) represents Local Enterprise Agencies (LEAs) in
England.
12 Stephenson Court
Fraser Road
Priory Business Park
Bedford
MK44 3WJ
Tel: (01234) 831623
Website: www.nfea.com
Enterprise Northern Ireland provides information and support for people starting businesses in Northern
Ireland.
Aghanloo Industrial Estate
Aghanloo Road
Limavady
BT49 0HE
Tel: (028) 7776 3555
Website: www.enterpriseni.com
Business Link delivers support, information and advice to businesses in England.
Tel: 0845 600 9006
Website: www.businesslink.gov.uk
26
Invest Northern Ireland provides business support, advice and information to new and existing businesses
in Northern Ireland.
Tel: (028) 9069 8000
Website: www.investni.com
Business Gateway provides business support services to small and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland.
Tel: 0845 609 6611
Website: www.bgateway.com
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the Scottish Government's economic development agency for
the region. It targets support towards businesses with high growth potential.
Tel: (01463) 234171
Website: www.hie.co.uk
Flexible Support for Business (formerly Business Eye) provides business support to small and mediumsized businesses in Wales.
Tel: 03000 603000
Website: fs4b.wales.gov.uk
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher
makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors
or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be
sought where appropriate.
© Cobweb Information Ltd 2010
27
Business Plan - A Guide to Writing a
BIF004 / July 2009
Introduction
Writing a business plan is one of the most important tasks when starting up a new business. It will help
you set targets, collate all your ideas, plan for the future of your enterprise, and verify that your idea for a
business is realistic and workable. The business plan is also an essential tool for attracting funding to get
started. It is a dynamic document that should be reviewed regularly to help you monitor and measure the
performance of your business.
This factsheet describes what a business plan should include, how you should go about writing one and
what you will achieve by doing so. It includes hints and tips as well as sources of further information. It is
aimed particularly at start-up businesses that need to raise funding, but the principles stated are equally
valid for established businesses looking to grow.
The benefits of writing a business plan
The business plan is principally for you and your business partners and it can help you to:
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Bring together your ideas and research into a structured format.
Decide whether or when your business will be commercially viable.
Clarify your business purpose to yourself and communicate it to any partners or staff.
Predict future scenarios and pitfalls and address them before they threaten the success of
your business.
Set out the strategy for your business, and particularly your marketing strategy.
Set targets and objectives, including sales and financial targets, so you can monitor your
business' performance on a continuing basis.
How to approach the plan
If you are also hoping to use your business plan to convince an investor or lender to support your
business, it is crucial to understand their objectives and address them in the plan so you can be certain of
meeting their particular lending or investment criteria.
It is important to make your plan stand out from the crowd, so make it easy to read, comprehensive yet
concise and ensure there is no contradiction. For instance, check that the figures you include in the plan
for expenditure on equipment are the same amounts as you put in your financial forecasts - all too often
these just don't tie up and so the business plan loses credibility.
Where possible identify as early as you can what your prospective investor wants to know about you and
your business. If you state the assumptions you have made in reaching your conclusions (the market
research results that led you to your calculated sales forecasts, or why you have chosen to locate your
business in a particular place, for example), the investor will not be left guessing as to your intentions or
think that you haven't addressed certain key issues. Be honest, clear and believable.
Remember that the plan needs to be realistic and still convince investors that the business can be
successful. This means they will want to see evidence to back up any claims you make, and the plan will
need to show that (at least in the medium term) the business will be able to support you and any
borrowing requirements you may have.
28
What should be included in the plan?
Every business and situation will be different, but the headings below are useful 'stepping stones' to
include in any business plan and will ensure you address the most important issues that an investor or a
funding body may have.
Table of contents
Include a table of contents listing the main sections and page numbers in the plan. If it is difficult to find
key information among a mass of text that has no logical index the person assessing the business plan will
be frustrated, and so less likely to consider the plan positively.
Executive summary
This should be a brief summary of the rest of your plan and should be no more than two pages long. It is
the first thing that an investor will read and so it must be well written, should excite the reader and
ideally should stand out from the many other business plans an investor or lender will receive.
There are four key ingredients that investors will be looking for in your executive summary:
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What it is that makes your business idea, product, service or approach to your market
unique or original, and gives you an edge over similar businesses and products?
What experience you and your team have in your target market, or in this line of business,
that will make a funder confident that you are capable of making it succeed.
How you have demonstrated, or at least illustrated, that your business is going to stack up
financially, and will be viable and profitable.
How and when the funder will get their money back, or your plans to ensure that the
investor will achieve an exit with an attractive return when you eventually sell the business
or buy back their shares.
You should also include in the executive summary:
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Details of the business name, its owners and address.
Details of the products and services you are going to sell.
A summary of your target market and competition.
The amount of finance needed, for what purpose and over what term.
The amount of money you and your business partners are investing.
Aims, objectives and vision
For most people, the aim of starting up in business is to provide a degree of independence and the
opportunity to generate a reasonable income. However, investors will want to know what really
motivates you, so for example, it will be important to consider the following types of questions:
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Why are you going into business and what do you want out of it?
Will the business supplement your main income or replace it?
Are you starting the business as an investment, to sell as soon as you can?
Will your business provide jobs for family members?
The answers to questions like these will have an impact on your business' aims, development and
strategy. For example, if you are starting a business as an investment opportunity, the focus of your
planning will be leading up to your exit - the sale of your business. Your strategy must therefore focus on
building your business quickly and maximising its value to get the best selling price possible. Where do
you want your business to be in five years? Try to visualise this so you can demonstrate how you will start
to move your business towards that point.
Defining your business vision will help you identify clear and challenging objectives, and determine how
you will go about achieving these goals as your venture evolves.
Business description and purpose
29
What exactly will your business do? Be as specific as possible about the type of business you are starting.
If you are going to open a restaurant, for example, will it be a family restaurant serving good-quality, local
food at competitive prices in a family-friendly environment? Or will it be more upmarket, serving
gourmet dishes to discerning customers in an intimate setting?
How will your products and services differ from those offered by your competitors? Why should
customers want to come to you and how will you differentiate your business to make it successful?
When describing your business, think of it in terms of writing a mission statement. This statement should
give a clear summary of the purpose of your business, and should be easily understood by you, your staff,
your customers and your potential investors.
If you cannot describe your business in these specific terms, you should rethink your business idea,
focusing on your business' core purpose, target audience and mission.
Legal status and licences
What legal status will your business have? Are you intending to be a sole trader, a partnership or a
limited company? These decisions will affect your tax liability and determine when you will pay tax, and
hence will have an impact on your cash flow. Investors may also be concerned about the legal status of
the business and the impact on liability, and you need to be sure that you have chosen the most
appropriate legal status to meet your future needs.
Do you need any licences before you can start trading? (If so, you need to demonstrate you are aware of
what you need to apply for and that you have taken steps to do so.) Food businesses, childcare
businesses and businesses that involve animals, among others, need to obtain licences from their local
authority.
If you intend to work from home, you may need to obtain planning permission or building regulations
approval, and evidence that you have obtained the necessary approvals should be provided in the plan,
together with details of any necessary permissions from your landlord or mortgage provider.
Management processes
How will you manage your business? Getting organised will make your business more efficient and
ultimately enjoyable. Even if you are the only person involved, it is still worth looking at your key skills,
responsibilities and management processes at this stage. Your plan will need to consider the following
key areas:
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Marketing and sales.
Finance.
Recruitment and staffing.
Product development or product sourcing.
General management.
Administration.
You will also need to set out how you plan to monitor your business' performance (against objectives and
targets), and to co-ordinate the roles of any key staff.
Marketing strategy
To succeed in any business you will need to have a thorough understanding of your target market,
including its size and the share you hope you can realistically achieve. Once you have developed a clear
understanding of your market in terms of size, location, groups of potential customers and their profiles,
potential competitors, trends and influencing factors, it's easier to define your overall marketing strategy
clearly. You can break this down into objectives and targets relating to the volume and share of the
market (or market segments) you hope to achieve and when you intend to achieve them.
For example:
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Who are your initial marketing targets (specific groups or market segments)?
What products, services or particular deals will you offer to them?
What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and how does this differentiate you from
your competitors?
Is there a specific volume, value or share of these markets that you hope to achieve?
When do you hope to achieve these targets by?
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Why are you choosing these markets first?
Who will you target next, for instance in six months' or a year's time?
Marketing plan
How will you carry out your marketing? Once you have a clear marketing strategy, you need to be clear
about how you are going to make it happen. A detailed marketing plan should explain how you will go
about achieving each of your marketing targets and objectives (as defined in your marketing strategy
above) either by particular target segment, by type of marketing activity, or both.
Such a plan will include some or all of the following:
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The marketing methods you will use for each segment of your target market.
The specific action you are going to take to reach each segment.
A timescale or timetable for each marketing activity.
The people or organisations that are going to carry it out.
The estimated costs to undertake particular marketing activities (your marketing budget).
How you will monitor and review progress.
How you will handle the response to your marketing.
If it helps, think about the four 'P's, of product, price, promotion and place.
It will also be important to identify how you will manage the overall marketing plan, including aspects
such as ensuring that the entire budget is not spent too early, monitoring results, adjusting the plan and
introducing new tactics as you go along. (See BIF 44, A Guide to Developing a Marketing Plan.)
Sales targets and objectives
Your marketing plan, when implemented, needs to be converted into perhaps the most important
business goal of all: your sales revenue target.
You should set out your sales forecasts in terms of:
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Sales of different product or service types by volume and value.
Sales from different customer groups or territories.
Sales from different distribution or advertising channels.
See BIF 236, How to Forecast Sales for more information.
Current financial requirements and financial forecasts
How much money do you need now and for what purpose? Your business plan should include a
breakdown of your financial requirements, the sources of finance you have available to you and any
additional finance you may need. This should include:
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The cost of starting your business.
Your personal budget.
Details about your own finance that you intend to invest.
Details about any additional finance you have secured.
A table showing what you plan to spend the finance on (provide details of each piece of
equipment or service you are buying and its cost).
A break-even analysis and timing calculation to help you understand how much of your
product or service you need to sell at a given price to cover all your costs and contribute
towards your profit, and when this break-even point will be reached.
A detailed cash flow forecast that will help you to estimate how much available cash you
will have in any particular month. See BIF 58, How to Forecast Cash Flow for more
information.
A profit-and-loss forecast to help you estimate when your business will start to make a
profit, which will be essential to your longer term success.
31

A balance sheet forecast to provide you with a snapshot of the trading position of your
business, to identify what your business will owe, what it will own and how financially
strong it will be at a particular point in the future.
Operational requirements
What do you need to do to turn your operational plans into action? In other words, how will you make
everything happen in your business?
Details about your operational requirements will be essential when preparing your financial forecasts,
while other information will be needed for basic operational planning. Outline your plans for the
following aspects of your business and estimate the respective costs involved:
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Premises - provide details of the premises and a sketch plan of the layout.
Equipment - list what you will need to buy and show prices you have identified.
Staff - indicate what roles you will need to fill and provide job descriptions.
Suppliers - give details of various suppliers and the credit terms they will offer.
Compliance - check compliance issues and show how you intend to meet the regulations
regarding health and safety at work, and anything specific to your sector.
Licensing - provide details of any licences you need to trade in your line of business.
Insurance - ensure you have the correct cover and include details of policies.
Training needs
Include details of any relevant training courses you have attended and also any training needs that you or
your employees have or are going to have. This will help to identify any skills gaps, and prompt you to
seek information on training providers and funding needed. It will also assist in budgeting for training
costs in your cash flow forecast.
Business risks
What could go wrong, and what will you do if the worst happens? Your plan should include an honest
assessment of the risks involved in your business, as well as how you will minimise them. This is
important because you need to have considered all possible outcomes so you can plan for and deal with
all eventualities. Investors will also want you to show that you have not just approached the project
wearing 'rose-tinted spectacles' but have looked at the realities of the situation. Consider which of the
following risks are relevant to your business:
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Lack of management experience (address this risk by getting advice or mentoring from your
business adviser, accountant or solicitor).
Little trading history (this will make it difficult to borrow money or receive credit, so you
might need to make other plans to finance the business initially).
Economic uncertainties (if you are borrowing money and paying interest, for instance,
make contingencies for interest rate increases).
Over-reliance on key staff.
Over-reliance on a few suppliers.
Over-reliance on a small customer base.
Customer bad debts leading to cash flow problems.
Partnership difficulties.
A sudden increase in competition.
Security issues.
Failure to meet your sales targets.
Lack of resources at key stages of development.
PEST analysis
PEST is an acronym for political, economic, social and technological, and a PEST analysis provides a
framework for reviewing your business in the light of external factors that may affect it in the future. By
32
remaining aware of trends and impending advances in the outside world, your business can gain a
competitive edge.
By carrying out a PEST analysis you can demonstrate that you have considered the 'bigger picture' when
writing your business plan. The process may inspire you by generating new ideas or alert you to
forthcoming dangers to be aware of in the marketplace.
SWOT analysis
The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) process helps you focus on the internal
strengths and weaknesses of you, your staff, your product/service and processes. At the same time, it
enables you to look at the external opportunities and threats that impact on your business, such as
market and consumer trends, competitor activities, changes in technology, legislation and financial
issues.
A SWOT grid, as shown below, can be completed quite quickly and provides a useful graphical addition to
the plan. It will help you focus on your business strategy and the issues facing you.
Appendices
This should include all the documents that support the plan, for example:
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Your CV and those of your business partners and/or key employees.
Certificates for any qualifications or relevant training courses.
Copies of the lease for any business premises you will be renting.
Market research data.
Financial information.
Details of any professional advisers, key suppliers or insurance providers you have engaged
with, if applicable.
The first page of the appendix should list all the documents it contains so they can be found easily by
anyone reading the plan. The documents and their location in the appendix should also be referenced in
the main body of the business plan. You may find it easier to index and number each document and file
them in a logical order in a ring-binder file.
Hints and tips


Software packages are available to help 'walk you through' writing a business plan; some
banks offer their own business planning software free of charge to customers who are
planning to start up in business. They tend to focus on the finance side of things, however,
and usually offer very little space in which to set out the written parts of your plan.
Talk about your plan with an independent business adviser or accountant. You could also
seek advice from an adviser at a local enterprise agency, through the Prince's Trust or a
bank.
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

Remember that presentation counts. A front cover with your contact details clearly shown
will make the plan look professional, and by using white space, illustrations and short
sentences in the plan you will make the content much easier to read.
Ask someone who has not been involved in writing the plan to proof read it to check for
grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and other inconsistencies.
Further information
For practical start up and small business tips, ideas and news, go to:
Website: www.enterprisequest.com
To access hundreds of practical factsheets, market reports and small business guides, go to:
Website: www.scavenger.net
BIF 40 A Summary of Sources of Finance for Starting a Business
BIF 44 A Guide to Developing a Marketing Plan
BIF 58 How to Forecast Cash Flow
BIF 62 An Introduction to Financing Your Business with Private Equity
BIF 132 An Introduction to Researching Your Competitors
BIF 154 A Guide to Using a Business Start Up Adviser
BIF 185 An Introduction to Researching a Market for Business Start Ups
BIF 236 How to Forecast Sales
BIF 324 An Introduction to Approaching Business Angels
Books
'Good Small Business Guide: How to Start and Grow Your Own Business'
2008
A&C Black
'How to Write a Business Plan'
Brian Finch
2006
Kogan Page
'Business Enterprise: How to Prepare a Business Plan'
Edward Blackwell
2008
Kogan Page
'The Business Plan Workbook'
Colin Barrow, Paul Barrow and Robert Brown
2008
Kogan Page
Software
'Business Plan Pro'
Palo Alto
Website: www.paloalto.co.uk/software/business_plan_pro/index.cfm
'Business Plan Pro Premier'
Palo Alto
Website: www.paloalto.co.uk/software/business_plan_pro/premier.cfm
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher
makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors
or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be
sought where appropriate.
© Cobweb Information Ltd 2010
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