Top 5 Online Sources for Free Business Plan Help
A question I get asked frequently, either on Twitter, or here at Small Biz Bee is “Where can I find some free help writing my business plan?” – and I keep replying to those questions with the same 4-5 websites and suggestions.
Which got me thinking – if there are that many people out there taking the time to ask me where they can find some help with their business plans, there must be 100’s more who just haven’t gotten around to emailing me yet. And then I said to myself “That sounds like a pretty helpful blog post”, so here we go…
Top 5 Online Sources for Free Business Plan Help
1. SCORE.org – Free Business Help
SCORE offers a plethora of small business help for free. Much of it can be found online, but if you prefer more personal interaction SCORE counselors are based all across the United States, have a variety of industry expertise, and can help you with your business plan for free.
2. SCORE.org – Templates
That’s right, I’m listing SCORE twice, this time for their wide variety of helpful business plan templates all available for free from there website. If you just need a little bit of a roadmap to get you started thinking about your own plan, these templates are perfect for you. SCORE Template Gallery
3. Bplans.com
Bplans offers expert business plan advice. They have over 500 sample business plans you can review, tips on how to write a business plan, outlines, suggestions, and much more. A great place to start if you ask me.
4. SBA – Business Basics
It seems to me that the SBA gets looked over as a solid online resource for business help. There website is chock full of good information to help you build your business and craft your plan. I’d suggest starting at their Small Business Planner section, you’ll be surprised at all the great stuff you’ll find.
5. Entrepreneur.com
Whether you’re just starting out, need funding or want to monitor the health of your business, creating a business plan is your first step on the path to success. Read the extensive how-to to get started on your plan.
Get Started!
There you have it, five great free resources to get your business plan started today. If I missed a great free business plan resource let me know about it in the comments below.
Hi, Matt,
Thanks for the follow. I appreciate your tips, I know I would learn a lot from you. Take time to visit my blog too, and leave your comment. I’ts so nice I have such a reference like yours. I’ll keep on following you. Thanks.
All the best,
erlyn1958´s last blog ..Finally! A Homebased System That Really Clicks…..
Nice & simple list, also very helpful; we entrepreneurs are getting a bit lazy—Jk!
Jimi´s last blog ..4 Business Hacks That Will Boost Sales And Exposure
Matt:
“Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”
A business plan can be one of the most difficult things that a new business owner has to face. I think it’s that way for a reason. If you can’t sit down and work out a solid business plan, you probably don’t have what it takes to run a successful business. The resources here will help make the job a LOT easier for folks and that is a very cool thing.
Cheers
George
George Angus´s last blog ..3 Must-Know Tips for Guest Authors
All great resources here. The best resource and what I live by for bplanning is Business Plan Pro. Although it costs a few bucks, its definitely worth it.
Alex´s last blog ..Shane DeRolf Interview, Exhilaration & Guidance At Its Finest
I’ve never heard of Score before. I’ll def. make sure to check it out.
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Thanks for the sources!
May I also suggest checking out your local universities for small business development centers (SBDC). I am from the Philadelphia area and here there are at least two, the Wharton and Temple Small Business Development Centers. These SBDCs generally offer free business plan development, legal, marketing, and financing consulting for start-ups.
Great business plan resources, I have bookmarked a couple of them. If anyone is considering starting their own property management business and would like a proven free business plan, feel free to download mine:
http://www.propertymanagementbusinessplan.com
P.S. I started my own pm business using this business plan and in the first year was managing over 50 properties.
Thnkx, Patrick
Hi,
The above points are very helpful for us about business plan. By using questions to guide the development of the business model, strategy, milestones and financial implications, we are able to produce an investor quality business plan that no template could ever deliver. Thanks.
Hello web site owner, may I utilize some of the details from this post if I provide a link back to your site?
Great resources for starting a business. It’s not that hard if you take it step by step as described above.
Mark´s last blog ..FXPro Review