Business plans

A business plan that asks -- and answers -- the right questions is a powerful tool.

Advice from people who've made it work.

Don't write a plan before you understand your customer.

Your legacy depends on a good succession plan.

The business plan admits the entrepreneur to the investment process. Without a plan furnished in advance, many investor groups won’t even grant an interview. And the plan must be outstanding if it is to win investment funds. Too many entrepreneurs, though, continue to believe that if they build a better mousetrap, the world will beat […]

The high failure rate among new business ventures is usually chalked up to the fundamental uncertainty of the process. In actuality, say McGrath and Keil,...

Marketplaces are the quintessential type of business that can profit from network effects: The greater the number of buyers who join one, the more attractive...

People make business plans for all sorts of reasons — to attract funding, evaluate future growth, build partnerships, or guide development. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these plans are usually out of date by the time the printer ink dries. Business moves fast: the product’s features morph, new competitors emerge, or the economic climate shifts. […]

When a mature company fails to endure over the long term, it's often due to the "Horizon 2 vacuum," argues Geoffrey Moore, author of "Crossing the Chasm"...

Every seasoned investor knows that detailed financial projections for a new company are an act of imagination. Nevertheless, most business plans pour...

Shortly after Jim Hackett became CEO of Steelcase in 1994, the office furniture manufacturer introduced two products. The Leap chair was a great success....

It's not all about experience and industry knowledge.

It's particularly important if you plan to raise money.

Don't fall in love with your first idea.

Glossy descriptions of fantasy markets should not be confused with real customers.

Why the compensation plan and pricing plan trump everything else.

For the sixth year in a row, sporting-gear cooperative REI made Fortune's list of the 100 best companies for which to work. CEO Dennis Madsen shares his...

A well-conceived business plan is essential to the success of an enterprise. Whether you are starting up a venture, seeking additional capital for an...

In a series of four competitions, researchers found that the first two contestants were consistently rated lower.

Entrepreneurs can play a central role in finding solutions to the world's toughest social problems. The failure rate for start-ups, however, is high....