Specialist business planning software is a great way to help you to out together a business plan to take to a bank or other financial backer.
I’ve written before about the different types of business plans.
It’s The Thinking In Business Planning That’s So Important
I believe in the thinking that goes into preparing a business plan and I believe in capturing the assumptions for what you thought would happen at a particular time. It’s a great way to see how you are learning and how the business environment is changing.
I also know that your business plan is going to be wrong – and it may even be out of date before the ink has dried.
Business Planning Software Makes The Thinking Easier By Automating The Process
It therefore makes sense to take way the pain of business planning by using specialist software which helps you to combine words and numbers. If you know what you are doing, you can do it in Word and Excel but it gets complicated very quickly.
I’m going to buy and review various business planning software solutions designed for small businesses so that I can help you and also be in a better position to make recommendations to clients and prospective clients.
You Need A Business Plan
I want to help you to plan your business.
I don’t want to do the business planning for you.
In fact, I believe very strongly that it’s a bad idea unless you struggle with words and numbers.
It’s a matter of ownership.
You need to own the plan – it must be yours and not the person who wrote the words or cranked out the numbers.
The Problems Of Lack of Ownership Of Business Plan
I saw the problems of lack of ownership too often in the bigger businesses I’ve worked in where managers say things that contradict both the words and the numbers in the plan.
The inevitable result is a complete lack of credibility.
Either the plan or wrong or the managers are saying what they think the other side wants to hear… and they believe neither. This is one of the reasons why Business Start-Ups Fail To Get Cash From Banks.
Business Planning Software I’ve Reviewed So Far
Business Planning Software Option 1
Low cost, easy to use but limited functionality.
Business Planning Software Option 2
More comprehensive but more complicated. More expensive but you may be able to get a free copy. It may not be a bargain if it takes a lot of your time.
