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Rating: 
Summary: So far, soooo smart!
Review:
I'm only three-fifths of the way through the plan I'm writing with this book, but I had to stop and praise it highly. Abrams forces you to go find numerical evidence for statements (I'm using the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau for starters), and to back up what you say with solid numbers. Thanks to her, I discovered highly lucrative, related fields to the business I was originally intending to start! By adding some simple enhancements to my original vision, I will probably double my income. Had I not done the research this book recommends, I never would have known.
There are some drawbacks to this book. For one thing, the fill-in charts don't always match the sample plan sections at the end of the chapter. And sometimes they ask questions without telling you where or how to find the answer. But those are minor quibbles. Overall, it is an excellent book that makes you work hard (as in 40 hours or more), and think about who you are as a corporate entity. The best "proof of the pudding" was when I took a draft of my business plan into a meeting with an accountant today. Abrams warns you not to use draft plans (they can seem half-baked), but I had no choice... the accountant had to look at something. She was highly impressed, and instantly grasped the basics about my business based on this tight, well-focused, statistically sound presentation. Thank you, Ms. Abrams. And to potential readers, what's thirty bucks if you can earn many tens or hundreds of thousands more by planning right?
Rating:
Summary: Best business plan book out there
Review: I did not find this book as helpful as I was hoping. First, and most importantly, I needed more examples. There was only one and it was a service organization and I needed to see an example of a manufacturing organization where the target customer was not so geographically limited. Also, I found that the way the book is organized was difficult. I felt the book was more oriented toward helping someone sort out their thoughts and feelings about starting a business than it was focused on actually structuring and writing a business plan. What I actually need are the hard, factual mechanics of writing a business plan and I did not find it to my satisfaction in this book.
Rating:
Summary: So far, soooo smart!
Review: I was REALLY impressed with this book. It answered every question I had about writing a business plan -- and also about starting and running a business. It's crazy to say about a business book with so many worksheets and stuff, but I really couldn't put it down! I learned so much that I could immediately put to use in my business. It covered every aspect of business -- including websites and technology. It was clear and well-written. Actually enjoyable. Imagine that! I HIGHLY recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Great for someone with little accounting experience!
Review: I was so scared of writing a business plan that I put it off for as long as I could (nearly a year!). But my potential investor made it clear that I would have to bite the bullet. I owe Abrams a huge "thank-you" for making the business plan writing process something that could be done thoroughly, efficiently, and done well--and didn't take me too long at all. But the best part is that you can download finacial spreadsheet templates from the publisher's website!! I am the kind of person who has an idea and just wants to run with it; I have a hard time figuring out specifics and financial realities. Between the book (which explained exactly what I needed to know about target markets, competition, cost-benefit analysis and the like) and the downloadable spreadsheets (which did all of the math, and carried the numbers through to all of the projection sheets and balance sheets and income statements and such, and took care of all of the formatting--just print and go!), I was able to write a top-notch, professional-looking business plan (if I do say so myself!) to present to my potential investor, and to the bank when I go to apply for a loan! And I won't feel embarassed by my lack of experience--at least, my business plan won't convey it. Plus, it's really important to go through the process of writing a business plan (and Abrams addresses this in the book) so you can really get a good, clear, structured idea of what you're doing, how you need to do it, and why you're starting a business in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: This book is super organized. I love the ideas that this book employs to make your business plan effective. The best way to use this book is to jot down ideas as you are reading each section as the book progresses to organizing and creating a great plan. At first when I was reading this I was like gees this is going to be another boring book but it picked up after chapter one. The only drawback to the book is that the sample plans dont really completly utilize the information that you had to fill into the worksheets. The worksheets at times can bog you down and not always is it easy to find what the worksheets are asking for. This really isnt geared towards a small business but it is still good for it because it makes you really work hard to find the info.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, some flaws...but not enough to lose stars
Review: This book was well organized and some of the worksheets were a little hard to use but its still one of the better books I've looked at. The worksheets I had problems with were the financial planners. Some of them were not well explained and therefore hard to use. Overall, the book was very thorough and hopefully it will help my plans for starting a business go through. Pros:
-The sample plans were the strongest part of the book because it allowed you to see how the worksheets were put together. -Very thorough book. -Leaves nothing out in terms of how to write a business plan and then how to get the money. Cons:
-The book fell apart on me after reading through it a few times. For such a high quality text I expect a better put together book. -Some of the financials were not matching other sections of the sample plan to see how it was put together overall. -Some of the worksheets especially the financials were not well explained.
Rating:
Summary: MBA-worthy
Review: This is a required text for my MBA program - never has a required text been so useful!!! The no-nonsense approach, insider tips, and sample plan come together in a way that really gets things moving. Thanks for the great book, Rhonda!
Rating:
Summary: The new 4th edition is outstanding.
Review: This is simply the best business planning guide on the market. I teach entrepreneurship classes and have used prior editions in my classes, but I'm really impressed with this new edition and how it reflects the realities of business planning in the post-dot-com era. There's a new chapter on seeking funding in a recession, which is the most frequent question I'm asked by my students now. The other thing I like about the new edition is the Excel templates for generating the business plan's financials. They work exactly like the worksheets in the book, which lessens the learning curve. BUT, you have to buy the templates separately from the publisher's website. All in all, a great update to an already excellent book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: While taking a Businees Plan course in my MBA course I bought this book as a guide. Needless to say, I got an A on the B Plan. This is a valuable resource and better than the other books in this catagory.
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