Original text

The aim of this interactive module is to give you the tools, direction and ideas you need to build a business plan.

If you're starting a business then a business plan is essential, because it forces you to think through your ideas and options. As you work through the plan, all sorts of things will become clearer to you. For example:

• The market research you need to establish if there's a demand for your products or services
• The resources you need to produce your goods and services (including financial resources)
• How long it's likely to take before you break even and start producing a profit, and so on.

In other words, writing a business plan forces you to think logically and methodically about your business model and assess its chances of survival. It's much better to do this before you begin business than to find out afterward your business idea was unrealistic!

We'll give you some really useful templates that'll help you see how financially viable your idea is, including:

• Cash flow Excel template
• Break-even calculator
• Business plan template
• Chargeable hours calculator
• Questionnaire

This module is called a ‘quick start’ business plan as it asks the main questions for you to quickly assess if your idea is viable or not. If you think it is, then you should complete the comprehensive SCORE Business Plan Template for a Startup or Business Plan Template for an Established Business.

Once you've completed this workshop, contact a SCORE mentor to help refine your business plan and make sure all business questions are addressed.