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The Best Laid Business Plans Begin with BizPlanBuilder

By Jerry O'Brien, President, Parties by Panache

The 21st Century may well be called the age of the entrepreneurial revolution. Such times require that ideas in your head be turned into a comprehensive and well-reasoned plan that you can present to a banker, potential investor or your boss. Do you have that skill? Can you do this, well and quickly? I have done just that and you can too.

Go or No Go?
I recently wanted to evaluate an idea for an inhouse rental division and turn it into a finished business plan. I planned this venture to be a captive initially, but with the possibility of it becoming a retail entity in the future. I thought that putting together a good plan would take weeks. Burke Franklin, founder and CEO of JIAN software told me that his company’s BIZPLANBUILDER would guide me through the process of drafting an accurate and well reasoned plan in a remarkably short “weekend.”

Does the software actually work?
Burke Said, “BizPlanBuilder is a program that has been refined over 14 years and has a verifiable track record. To date this program has been used by over 600,000 entrepreneurs. One user of the program that I know of, was able to secure nearly one million dollars in financing for a bed and breakfast business. Many others have secured the backing of banks, investors and more importantly developed the well reasoned focus necessary to take their vision from idea to operational success.”

Can I really write a good plan?
Prior to my own use of the program I was concerned about three separate issues. First could I, with only my self taught knowledge of Microsoft Word, Publisher and Adobe Photoshop, learn the program quickly enough to avoid reaching my frustration threshold? If a program frustrates me no matter how powerful it is I won’t use it. The answer to this most important question is my frustration level stayed high above the operational difficulties imposed by the program. I was using BizPlan Builder 8 within minutes of installing it. Rather than being frustrating it was actually fun. Most of work falls into the categories of point and click, finish the statement, or select the appropriate statement.

Where do I get the information?
Second, would I have to do a lot of detailed analysis of outside data to get the information that I need to complete the plan? The answer to this is mostly no. The descriptive part of the plan can be done without reference to any records. Most of the questions that needed to be answered could be answered after some careful thought. The financials require knowing or projecting various numbers, however, these numbers were obtainable from our current records.

Finally, would I need help to understand the jargon used in the program? BizPlanBuilder uses very little jargon and is therefore easy to understand and user friendly.

More than a manual…
BizPlanBuilder contains a computerized textbook on general business formation. The program is loaded with features such as presentation letters, private placement memoranda and an investor game plan. Included right on the program packaging is the very useful, “Ten Secrets of Building a Successful Business.” I do not have the space to go into all of the features and I have only scratched the surface here.

Yes! In just a few hours…
I sat down with BizPlan Builder 8 and a steaming cup of Starbuck’s coffee. I spent several hours going through features before I spent about 2 hours completing the descriptive portion of the plan. When I printed it, it read well, was understandable and I brought it to the boss for her review.

Success!
A half hour of analysis with Hollis and we were able to refine the plan and decide that we will go ahead with our project. “I think that JIAN’s program saved me hours of work and frustration. It allowed me to accomplish an important task in a short time, so that we could get on with the work that helps us accomplish our business’s goal, generating profits,” said Hollis O’Brien, President of Parties By Panache