The Business Planning Guide

“The Business Planning Guide… works because it’s focused and simple.”
—Forbes Magazine

“Key Bank has referred people to The Business Planning Guide for years. Bangs’s no-nonsense style takes the intimidation out of the business planning process.”
—Jayne Crosby-Giles, Senior Vice President and Area Sales Manager, Key Bank

“The Business Planning Guide is a classic of American entrepreneurial literature.”
—David BenDaniel, Professor, Johnson Graduate School of Business, Cornell University


For anyone considering venturing into the unknown waters of starting or managing a business, having a voice of experience at hand can mean the difference between a safe journey and shipwreck. Too many new ventures start with neither compass nor map—highly inadvisable in such an important undertaking. New and existing businesses alike need tools for business analysis, financial forecasting, and budgeting guidelines to grow and prosper.

Although these terms sound technical, the practical, proven, and real-life advice offered in this all-new ninth edition of The Business Planning Guide makes the jargon come alive. If you are an entrepreneur or manager wanting to launch and grow your venture on more solid financial footing, these are the step-by-step strategies you need to compile a complete business plan and financing proposal.

The Business Planning Guide provides three complete sample business plans and offers expert guidance, including information on how to:


• Collect relevant information from inside and outside your company.

• Analyze current market conditions as well as your business’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

• Determine the appropriate amount and kinds of financing you will need.

For businesses small or large, for-profit or non-profit, author David H. “Andy” Bangs, Jr., offers his business philosophy: “The thrill comes in making a business grow, serving more customers, trying out new ways to deliver value to them, and watching your employees grow and develop.”