Wondering about business plan forums and whether they can help you get your own business plan in order? There are a lot of business groups and entrepreneurial gatherings where business development and business proposal writing are common topics. Whether these help you get your document underway or get meaningful feedback about a plan you've drafted depends entirely on the group, the depth of discussion, and the sort of experience the forum members have in working with business plans. Questions to ask with your draft in hand include these examples:
• Do I define the market need strongly enough?
• What future market opportunities am I neglecting?
• Does the funding request seem reasonable?
• What about the equity or repayment scenario?
• Are there management team gaps I'm not taking into account?
• Do you find the plan narrative compelling?
• How can I strengthen the marketing component?
These aren't the only questions -- and if the forum you attend has financially-savvy people at it, run the model by them carefully. Make sure that break-even occurs at the correct time, cash flow stays positive, and the Year 1 breakdown seems accurate month by month. And is the use of funds precise enough? Are the historical statements and/or assumptions intact? Ask and learn. Need additional support? Come to MasterPlans. Our consultants lead the industry in plan reviews and from-scratch development. Call us today at 877-453-2011 to learn more about what we can do for your company!
