The One Page Business Plan for the Creative Entrepreneur

My first business plan was a 70 page monstrosity. 20 years later I'm happy to follow the advice of Mr. Horan. One page is all you really need to keep your business humming along. Of course you will need some of the other statistical info and financials . . . later.I personally learned to pare down my biz plans to 2 pages years ago and started teaching that concept to others. Now I'm a solid one-pager - Proposals, Marketing plans and business plans. I really don't believe anyone actually gets past the 3rd graph and pages of "why we are better than our competion" anyway. Get started now with this easy to read book.I must admit I thought it was a bit lightweight with the drawings and such - it's more like a workbook. There could be a little more content. Not enough "there" there. However, you won't struggle through long and boring theories. You get to work immediately.I assume this is a workbook for his business' seminars which probably flesh out the ideas more than this book. For that, it gets a 4. However it's totally worth buying to support your business.

Any business document should be effectively conveyed on a single piece of paper. Even a business plan? YES indeed.Winston Churchill was asked how long he would need to prepare a speech. Churchill asked how long he had to speak. He was told 2 hours. "I can do that immediately." When asked about a 10-minute speech, he replied, "In that case, I should need a fortnight to prepare."That's the idea behind The One Page Business Plan. If you can put the time, effort, and concentration in (which the book clearly and simply guides you through) to 1 page, you've got a killer document that can serve as your touchstone within your group, your department, division, and whole company.Another thing - lots of people think this book is only for entrepreneurs. Not so. It's perhaps most valuable inside corporations, where it can be used to quickly get everyone on the same page (literally!)Great book, great concept. Plus you can reuse the format for all kinds of plans - for a project, for a new brand, for a spinoff, even for finding a new job!!-- David Newman, author of  Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition

This workbook really gets you down to the bones of why you do what you do. Why do you even want your own business?The repetition of the exercises really helps you hone your true vision and mission statement. The brainstorming exercises which are easy, leads you to crafting the business plan. The exercises also help you get more focused on projects to move the business forward.Describe the activity requiredWhat Will happen and When?What is the Financial Impact?This book is great for creative people who have a great business idea but hate the drudgery of writing out a business plan. Without this book I never would have gotten my plan finished.

"The One Page Business Plan" by Jim Horan is a very useful, practical guide for anyone who is or who wants to be in business. I wish something like this had been around 50 years ago when I started my first business. Since then, I've written many business plans, both for myself, and for others. This little book takes you through the basics in a clear, logical way. It is full of examples and stresses clear writing. It is not an in-depth study of all the machinations of doing demographic studies and the like, but it is just fine as an overall set of processes and thoughts on writing a clear, concise business plan.

I have been operating a small business for 5 years. While I have enjoyed success I knew I needed to refocus and redouble my efforts in order to take my business to the next level. This book is down to earth and very thought provoking. I have already begun to implement some changes in my business and am very pleased with the results. I no longer feel like I am just "winging it". I know I will be using this book annually to stay on track.

I've read a fair amount on how to write a business plan, and for me, this book has been the most helpful. It is a straightforward, concise book that clearly describes the sections of the author's version of a business plan. The author provides many examples to illustrate the sections, and worksheets to help the reader develop their thoughts on what should be in their business plan. The business plan presented in this book is very good as an informal tool for anyone who is starting a business.

I have several texts and templates for writing business plans and have written a number of very long and complicated business plans. I wish I would have come across this book sooner. Jim Horan has a way of distillingthe jungle of information that needs to be researched and thought through to the core and most important elements providing a very clear picture of the business vision both for the writer of the plan and any investors.Highly recommend.

I enjoyed the fresh & light approach of this book. Doesn't bog you down with too many rules and must-do's and lets you bring out your thoughts directly onto paper. I think its especially helpful in the starting stages of a business where you don't yet have the information to build a full business plan but need to organize your thouhts. It is also a great ongoing condensed format for a business plan that can keep your actions/strategies in line.

I just got this book today. It took 5 weeks to arrive—probably in part due to slower postal service as a result of COVID-19.It looks very thorough—but will be a great deal of work. The accompanying CD appears to have excellent tools.

This book is a wonderful resource packed full of ideas to develop a business plan for small (and even larger businesses). It keeps the process simple and easy and helps you to get all the information you need into that one page document. I highly recommend it.

A well thought out system for developing a business plan. Cuts through a lot of the fluff found in other planning books, and focuses on the important items.

Too much work for me!

There was NO CD-ROM with my order