Research Guides: Entrepreneurship: Business Plans

Library Catalog

Pius Library owns many books on the subject of writing successful business plans. Use the Library Catalog to perform a keyword search for "business plans."

If you prefer to simply browse the shelves, many (though not all) of the circulating books on business plans are located on the 2nd floor of Pius, with call numbers beginning HD30.28.

Business Plan Resources

How to Write a Business Plan by Brian Finch
Publication Date: 2022
If you are starting or selling your own business, or wanting to expand your company, business plans are essential. Get expert guidance on how to make an impact with your business plan and successfully communicate your strategic vision.
The Business Plan Workbook by Colin Barrow; Paul Barrow; Robert Brown
Publication Date: 2021
Lay down the foundations of a successful business venture through a thoroughly researched and competitive business plan. The Business Plan Workbook guides you through all the necessary steps to constructing a winning business plan. This is a practical run-through of 24 key areas of development of strategic planning. This guide covers how to - Come up with a winning business idea - Complete market and competitive research - Set up a winning marketing strategy - Forecast watertight financials and projections - Define realistic operations and staffing - Deliver an unforgettable pitch to potential backers and investors
How to Write a Business Plan by Brian Finch
Call Number: (also available in print)
Publication Date: 2019
Whether you are starting or selling your own business, business plans are an essential part of the process. How to Write a Business Plan gives you the expert guidance you need to make an impact with your plan, including advice on researching competitors, presenting your management skills and successfully communicating your strategic vision. Whether it is to raise finance, sell a business or develop a specific project, this is your one-stop guide to producing the most professional and convincing business plan for a new venture.
Writing a Business Plan by Ignatius Ekanem
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2017
Resourcing new ventures is-all important for entrepreneurs, and creating a successful business plan can be make or break when it comes to attracting investment. Written by an experienced academic and consultant, this book provides a concise guide for producing the optimal business plan.

Business Plans Handbook
E-Book: Collection of actual business plans compiled by entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses throughout North America.
How to Write a Business Plan - SBA.gov
A detailed tutorial on creating the various sections that might be included in a business plan, by the Small Business Administration.

How to Write a Business Plan by Mike McKeever
Call Number: HD30.28 .M3839 2017
This book from the catalog offers step-by-step advice on preparing a business plan.

Bplans.com
Bplans is owned and operated by Palo Alto Software, Inc., as a free resource to help entrepreneurs start and run better businesses.

Benchmarking

One way to assess a particular company's financial health is to compare its financial statement and ratios to an aggregate norm for the industry in which it operates.

BizMiner This link opens in a new window
Bizminer offers industry financial analysis benchmarks for over 5,000 lines of business and industry market trends on thousands more. The market analysis reports are available at the national and local levels down to the zip code....more.

RMA eStatement Studies
The online version of the RMA Annual Statement Studies includes financial ratio benchmarks, as well as industry default probabilities and cash flow measures. Statistics are derived from data submitted by bank members of the Risk Management Association. The data comes from more than 260,000 statements of public and private companies, but the vast majority are from small to medium sized non-public companies. Covers over 700 industries arranged by NAICS and usually also by assets/sales size. Some data is presented in medians/quartiles. There are subsets of data by U.S. region and four years of data from past editions. Detailed explanations of the ratios can be found under the tab About eStatement Studies