Writing Your First Small Business Plan

Starting your own business can be very rewarding, but there are a few things you need to understand before you jump into becoming a business owner. To start, you will need to know what type of business you are going to start, who your customers will be, and how your business will fit in with the current market trends. You should also consult an attorney who does business plan reviews to make sure you are compliant with all local and federal laws.

If your business is going to sell consumable products, you will need to understand the laws on food distribution as well as the health department regulations relating to your product. Even if your product is non-consumable, there may still be regulations from various federal authorities that may affect your final product. There could even be regulations on where and to whom you can sell your final product.

In your business plan, you will need several pieces. Here is a short list of the various parts of a small business plan:

• Executive summary
• Description
• Market
• Management
• Products
• Sales
• Funding
• Projections of profit and loss

There are some parts of this list that you may be able to create with little effort. There may be other parts where you have no idea where to start gathering information. Most new business owners can complete the first five items with little effort.

It is when you have to understand the sales cycle of your product, start listing the types of funding you have, and projecting your profit and loss that many people get confused. If you would like legal assistance with your new business plan, please call Helbraun & Levey at 212-219-1193 for more information.