Business Planning

Where to Start

Thinking about starting a business? How do you know if you have what it takes?

Many entrepreneurs start businesses, convinced they have a winning idea, without ever evaluating the idea’s potential to succeed.

Find a feasibility worksheet on page 30 and a step-by-step business startup checklist on page 28 of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity’s Starting Your Business in Illinois Handbook, in addition to general information about all aspects of starting a business.

Check out the State of Illinois “Business Startup Start Here Guide” or try the BizFilings Business Startup Checklist.

Need to do a SWOT analysis? In need of a place to compare and contrast some feedback? Use Canvanizer to sort through your thoughts. Consider trying the business model canvas or the lean canvas.

Blink

Malcolm Gladwell
Think and Grow Rich

Napoleon Hill
The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail

Clayton M. Christensen
The Personal MBA

Josh Kaufman
A Dozen Lessons for Entrepreneurs

Tren Griffin
The Wall Street Journal Complete Small Business Guidebook

Colleen DeBaise
The Lean Startup

Eric Ries
Side Hustle

Chris Guillebeau
The Startup Checklist

David S. Rose
Zero to One

Peter A. Thiel, Blake Masters

Write Your Business Plan

A business plan approximately comprises 20 pages describing the potential goods and services to be offered. It is also your roadmap for the next three to five years. It generally includes:

A summary of the plan with details to follow
Overview of the company and its industry
Goods and services to be offered
Market analysis
Marketing strategy
Business operations
Management structure
A schedule for starting the business
Assessment of risks
Financial analysis and worksheets
Conclusion

Find books at the Lake Forest Library on business plans in the Lake Forest Library Business Collection Room at number 658.4.

The SCORE online guide includes template documents such as basic business plans, sample cash flow worksheets, and marketing plan guides. SCORE, previously known as Service Corps of Retired Executives, is a nonprofit organization committed to helping entrepreneurs develop and grow their small businesses. Learn more here.

Or, page through a guide curated by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

In addition to library resources such as ReferenceUSA and Sorkins, the Census Business Builder can help assist you with market research.

Business Plans Handbook

Gale Cengage Learning, Gale Research Inc
How to write a business plan.

Mike McKeever
The Art of the Start 2.0

Guy Kawasaki
Business Plans Kit For Dummies

Barbara Findlay Schenck, Steven D. Peterson, Peter E. Jaret, Dummies
Start a successful business : expert advice to take your startup from idea to empire

DeBaise, Colleen
How to prepare a business plan

Blackwell, Edward
Burn the Business Plan

Carl J. Schramm