A brief guest post from Emma Jones, founder of small business support company Enterprise Nation www.enterprisenation.com

You have your idea and it’s time to write a business plan. Be sure to include five points to get off to a flying start!

I refer to a business plan as a route map. It’s a document that will guide you on your business journey and good news is, the best business plans are brief! It is well worth writing to keep you and the business on track and the points to include are easy to remember as they spell I’M OFF

  • Idea: What’s your idea?
  • Market: Who will be your customers or clients? And who is your competition?
  • Operations: How will you develop the idea, promote it, and provide good customer service?
  • Financials: Can you earn more than you spend, so that the business makes a profit? Do you need any funds to get started?
  • Friends: Do you have a support network on hand for when you need business advice? Are there complementary businesses you’ve identified with whom partnerships are a possibility?

Attend this week’s StartUp Saturday class www.startupsaturday.co.uk to produce your own business plan with support from a trainer and others doing just the same!