Business Homepage
- Business Information WebsiteFind quick access to all of the business resources and databases on this homepage along with news, events, research guides, and video tutorials.
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Have business research questions? Ask us!
Contact the business librarians at busref@umn.edu for research help
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Walk-in to meet our Business Reference Associate on Wednesdays from 1:00PM to 3:00PM in Walter Library's Toaster Innovation Hub. Ask for help with resumes, cover letters, business articles, business data, marketing reports, and a lot more.
What are business plans?
From the Small Business Administration: A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm's resume. The basic components include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. As it provides specific and organized information about your company and how you will repay borrowed money, a good business plan is a crucial part of any loan application. Additionally, it informs sales personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals.
Before you begin writing your business plan, consider four core questions:
- What service or product does your business provide and what needs does it fill?
- Who are the potential customers for your product or service and why will they purchase it from you?
- How will you reach your potential customers?
- Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?
https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/mo/st-louis/resources/how-write-business-plan
Library Resources
A compilation of actual business plans developed by small businesses throughout North America.
Business Plans Handbook is part of Gale Virtual Reference Library. Use the link above to access the online collection.
Web Resources
- SCOREA resource partner of SBA offering training, certification and a broad array of assistance across the country. Multiple options available in Twin Cities.
Books and Video on Developing and Writing Business Plans
- The business plan workbook / Colin Barrow, Paul Barrow, Robert Brown. London : Kogan Page, 2005.
Online Access. Print: TC Wilson Library Business Reference HD30.28 .B3685 2005 - Plan as you go business plan. Entrepreneur Press, 2008.
TC Wilson Library HD30.28 .B4569 2008 Regular Loan - How to prepare a business plan. Kogan Page, 2008. Online Access.
- The business plan [videorecording] / writer/director, Suzi Taylor ; producer, Suzi Taylor ; VEA. Hamilton, NJ : Films for the Humanities and Sciences, [2010]
TC Walter Smart Learning Commons HD30.28 .B8525 2010 - Business planning for turbulent times : new methods for applying scenarios / edited by Rafael Ramirez, John W. Selsky and Kees van der Heijden. London ; Washington : Earthscan, 2010.
TC Wilson Library HD30.28 .B848 2010 - Entrepreneur's guide to writing business plans and proposals. Praeger, 2008. Online Access.
- Creating a business plan : expert solutions to everyday challenges. Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Pub., c2007.
TC Wilson Library HD30.28 .C73 2007 - Writing a convincing business plan. Barron's, 2008.
TC Wilson Library HD30.28 .D477 2008 Regular Loan - How to write a business plan / Brian Finch. London ; Philadelphia : Kogan Page, 2010.zz
TC Wilson Library HD30.28 .F562 2010 - Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide. John Wiley, 2007.
TC Wilson Library HD62.5 .S556 2007 Regular Loan br> - Seven step business plan. Pelican Publishing Co, 2007.
TC Wilson Library HD30.28 .H6725 2007 Regular Loan - How to write a business plan. Mike McKeever. Berkeley, CA : Nolo, 2007. Online Access
- The new business road test : what entrepreneurs and executives should do before writing a business plan / John W. Mullins. Harlow, England ; New York : Prentice Hall/Financial Times, 2006.
TC Wilson Library Reserve HD62.5 .M85 2006 - Anatomy of a Business Plan: a step by step guide to building a business and securing your company's future. 7th edition. 2008. Online Access.
- Entrepreneurial finance: finance and business strategies for the serious entrepreneur / Steven Rogers ; with Roza Makonnen. New York : McGraw-Hill, c2009. Online Access.
- The Business Plan: How to Win Your Investors Confidence / by Gerald Schwetje, Sam Vaseghi. Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2007. Online Access.
- The due diligence handbook: corporate governance, risk management and business planning / Linda S. Spedding. Amsterdam ; Boston ; London : CIMA, 2009. Online Access.
- The marketing plan workbook / John Westwood. London ; Sterling, VA : Kogan Page, 2005.
TC Wilson Library Business Reference HF5415.13 .W482 2005
[Table of contents ]-- http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip053/2004026585.html
Get In-Person Help
- Minnesota Small Business Development CentersThis statewide network of Small Business Development Centers provide the professional expertise and guidance that every small business owner needs to flourish in today's competitive and changing business world.
- Small Business Administration -- Minnesota District OfficeThe Minnesota SBA Office is responsible for the delivery of SBA's many programs and services throughout the State of Minnesota. The office is located at 210-C Butler Square, 100 N 6th Street, in downtown Minneapolis across the street from the Target Center. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The local phone number is 612-370-2324.
- SCOREA resource partner of SBA offering training, certification and a broad array of assistance across the country. Multiple options available in Twin Cities.
- WomenVentureHelp for women entrepreneurs.
- Womens Business CentersSBA assistance for women entrepreneurs.
Find Journal Articles
- Business Source PremierUse this popular research database to find business articles from 2,200 journals and magazines in marketing, management, information technology, operations, human resources, accounting, finance and economics dating back to 1965. Additional company and industry profiles from Datamonitor are included along with country reports and SWOT analyses.
- FactivaFull text articles and transcripts from news sources, business magazines, and websites with international and foreign language coverage. Includes daily newspapers, television transcripts, newswires, and all editions of the Wall Street Journal. Financial information for publicly traded companies, stocks, funds, currencies, and common market indexes. Limited to 7 simultaneous users.
- American City Business Journals (BizJournals)Find articles from the Minneapolis St. Paul Business on local companies and other organizations. Students, faculty and staff have full access to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, including Digital content across 18 different Industries, access to the Weekly Edition, Book of Lists, the Search Archives. Register for an account with a valid @umn.edu e-mail address using the link above. NOTE: Full text access only includes Minneapolis/St Paul market.
- U.S. Newsstream This link opens in a new windowSearch the most recent premium U.S. news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s featuring newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active full-text format.
- International Newsstream This link opens in a new windowInternational news from newspapers, newswires, transcripts, and digital-only news sites in full-text format. Over 800 of the world's top news sources.
Last Updated: Sep 25, 2024 3:26 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/businessplans