Porter’s Five Competitive Forces (Part 2)

By Rolfe Larson on July 28, 2011

My previous blog identified the five competitive forces developed by Harvard professor Michael Porter, which should be addressed in every business plan.  This blog profiles each of these forces. 

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Porter’s Five Competitive Forces (Part I)

By Rolfe Larson on June 29, 2011

Every business has competitors for its customers, who, after all, get to choose.  Most business plans only focus on existing competitors.  While that’s necessary, it’s not sufficient.  You also need to look at the underlying structure of your industry, and assess the extended rivalry that exists within that structure.  One way to do that is […]

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Are you an Innovator, an Entrepreneur, or a Manager?

By Rolfe Larson on June 8, 2011

Not everyone who starts a small business is an entrepreneur, nor should they be.  Figuring out whether you’re an innovator, an entrepreneur or a manager can save you headaches down the road.

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Pricing Strategies (Part 2)

By Rolfe Larson on May 26, 2011

Last week’s blog described the information you need to develop a pricing strategy.  Today we’ll talk about several kinds of pricing strategies that are commonly utilized.

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Pricing Strategies (Part 1)

By Rolfe Larson on May 18, 2011

Figuring out how to price your products or services is often very challenging, especially for a new venture.  Yet you need a pricing strategy for your business plan, to determine your break-even point and profitability, and of course to launch your business.  Here are some tips on how to make that decision:

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What Gandhi taught us about business planning

By Rolfe Larson on April 29, 2011

A reporter came to interview Mahatma Gandhi one day.  It turned out this was his day of silent fasting, but the reporter still insisted on getting Gandhi’s message to the world.   Ghandi wrote: My Life Is My Message.  In a business world where many hours and dollars are often spent crafting that perfect positioning […]

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Interns help write your business plan

By Rolfe Larson on April 15, 2011

Creating a business plan takes a lot of time.  But you can get help.  Consultants can be valuable, but to save money, find out if there’s a qualified college intern who could carry some of the load.  Many college courses require students to participate in internships.  With the right intern and a carefully structured project, […]

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Implementation: Turning Your Business Plan Into A Business

By Rolfe Larson on March 24, 2011

You’ve gone through the steps.  Your business plan is reasonably thorough.  So there’s not much to worry about, right?  Wrong. If it’s good, it will get you started.  But it’s only a plan.  The rest you’ll have to figure out as you go.  Reality has an annoying way of interfering with plans.

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Do “Just Enough” Business Planning

By Rolfe Larson on March 16, 2011

There’s nothing magical about business planning.  At its core, it involves thinking through who your target customers are, how your proposed venture will profitably address their needs better than the competition, how you will communicate with these customers, and where you plan to get the funds to start it all up.

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Structure Your Business Plan

By Rolfe Larson on March 11, 2011

Business plans appear in many different formats, depending on the audience for the plan and complexity of the business. However, most business plans address the following five topic areas in one form or another.

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