Advertisement

Supported by

What We Know About Kamala Harris’s $5 Trillion Tax Plan So Far

The vice president supports the tax increases proposed by the Biden White House, according to her campaign.

  • Share full article

Kamala Harris, in a lavender blazer, speaking into two mics at a lectern with a crowd of people seated behind her.

By Andrew Duehren

Reporting from Washington

In a campaign otherwise light on policy specifics, Vice President Kamala Harris this week quietly rolled out her most detailed, far-ranging proposal yet: nearly $5 trillion in tax increases over a decade.

That’s how much more revenue the federal government would raise if it adopted a number of tax increases that President Biden proposed in the spring . Ms. Harris’s campaign said this week that she supported those tax hikes, which were thoroughly laid out in the most recent federal budget plan prepared by the Biden administration.

No one making less than $400,000 a year would see their taxes go up under the plan. Instead, Ms. Harris is seeking to significantly raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. Congress has previously rejected many of these tax ideas, even when Democrats controlled both chambers.

While tax policy is right now a subplot in a turbulent presidential campaign, it will be a primary policy issue in Washington next year. The next president will have to work with Congress to address the tax cuts Donald J. Trump signed into law in 2017. Many of those tax cuts expire after 2025, meaning millions of Americans will see their taxes go up if lawmakers don’t reach a deal next year.

Here’s an overview of what we now know — and still don’t know — about the Democratic nominee’s views on taxes.

Higher taxes on corporations

The most recent White House budget includes several proposals that would raise taxes on large corporations . Chief among them is raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent, a step that the Treasury Department estimated could bring in $1.3 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

  • Starting a Business
  • Growing a Business
  • Small Business Guide
  • Business News
  • Science & Technology
  • Money & Finance
  • For Subscribers
  • Write for Entrepreneur
  • Tips White Papers
  • Entrepreneur Store
  • United States
  • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • United Kingdom
  • South Africa

Copyright © 2024 Entrepreneur Media, LLC All rights reserved. Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media LLC

10 Business Plan Benefits You Might Be Forgetting If you think creating a business plan is not for you, think again. Here are ten ways your business plan can help you be a better entrepreneur.

By Tim Berry Edited by Dan Bova Sep 6, 2013

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Too many people don't bother to write a business plan because they think it's too hard or unnecessary unless you're looking for funding . That's a shame. These myths keep a lot of people from the benefits of planning.

If you're still skeptical, here are 10 benefits to business planning you shouldn't be overlooking:

  • You'll stay on strategy. It's hard to stick to strategy through the daily routine and interruptions. Use a business plan to summarize the main points of your strategy and as a reminder of what it both includes and rules out.
  • Business objectives will be clear. Use your plan to define and manage specific measurable objectives like web visitors, sales, margins or new product launches. Define success in objective terms.
  • Your educated guesses will be better. Use your plan to refine your educated guesses about things like potential market, sales, costs of sales, sales drivers, lead processing and business processes.
  • Priorities will make more sense. Aside from the strategy, there are also priorities for other factors of your business like growth, management and financial health. Use your plan to set a foundation for these, then to revise as the business evolves.
  • You'll understand interdependencies. Use a plan to keep track of what needs to happen and in what order. For example, if you have to time a product release to match a testing schedule or marketing to match a release, your business plan can be invaluable in keeping you organized and on track.
  • Milestones will keep you on track. Use a business plan to keep track of dates and deadlines in one place. This is valuable even for the one-person business and vital for teams.
  • You'll be better at delegating. The business plan is an ideal place to clarify who is responsible for what. Every important task should have one person in charge. Your plan keeps track.
  • Managing team members and tracking results will be easy. So many people acknowledge the need for regular team member reviews and just as many admit they hate the reviews. The plan is a great format for getting things in writing and following up on the difference between expectations and results with course corrections.
  • You can better plan and manage cash flow. No business can afford to mismanage cash. And simple profits are rarely the same as cash. A cash flow plan is a great way to tie together educated guesses on sales, costs, expenses, assets you need to buy and debts you have to pay.
  • Course corrections will keep your business from flopping. Having a business plan gives you a way to be proactive -- not reactive -- about business. Don't wait for things to happen. Plan them. Follow up by tracking the results and making course corrections. It's a myth that a business plan is supposed to predict the future. Instead, it sets expectations and establishes assumptions so you can manage the future with course corrections.

You don't need a big formal business plan to reap these benefits. Instead, think of your business plan as a collection of lists, bullet points and tables. Think of it as something that lives on the computer, not on paper. It's just big enough to do its job.

Entrepreneur, Business Planner and Angel Investor

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick Red Arrow

  • Lock This Learning Expert Developed a Hack to Get Honest Answers Out of People — 'I Was Shocked. Had I Not Asked He Never Would've Told Me.'
  • The Largest Franchise Operator in the U.S. Owns 2,800 Locations — And He Just Added 83 Wendy's to His Portfolio
  • She Batched a Beloved Product at Home , Inspired By a Black-Owned Business From the 1960s. Then It Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand : 'We'd Never Intended This.'
  • Lock I Was a Highly-Paid Executive In Customer Experience . Then I Started Working Minimum Wage Jobs, And Realized Everything I'd Gotten Wrong .
  • 'Human-Capable' AI Agents Will Change the Workforce Within 3 Years , According to a CEO Currently Creating the 'Perfect' AI Employee
  • Lock This CEO Might Have an Unconventional Morning Routine — But It's Her Secret for Leading the Multimillion-Dollar Company Behind Your Social Media

Most Popular Red Arrow

8 pieces of advice for unconventional entrepreneurs from a minority female founder.

Are you an aspiring business owner who doesn't fit the traditional mold? Don't let a lack of stereotypical leadership qualities keep you from taking the head seat at the table.

Taylor Swift, UFOs and Football — Travis and Jason Kelce Score $100 Million for Their Podcast. Is It Really Worth That Much?

NFL siblings Jason and Travis Kelce are the latest big-name podcasters to make big deals with big platforms.

How Military Service Taught the CEO of Arc'teryx to Lead with Precision and Passion

Stuart Haselden, CEO of Canadian outdoor apparel and gear giant Arc'teryx, shares leadership tactics that inspire teamwork and success.

Apple Just Conducted a Rare Round of Layoffs. Here Are the Teams and Roles Affected.

Apple has over 160,000 employees.

Subway Franchisees Push Back Against $6.99 Footlong Deal Amid Profit Concerns

The deal has sparked a revolt among franchise owners who claim that the low price point is unsustainable, given rising operating costs.

When Daymond John Banged on His Door, This Entrepreneur Knew He Was Onto Something

Serial entrepreneur Jon Chiorando discusses the launch and ongoing mission of Once Upon a Coconut.

Successfully copied link

benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

The Purpose of Business Planning ( AQA GCSE Business )

Revision note.

Lisa Eades

Business Content Creator

Reasons for Developing a Business Plan

A business plan sets out key aspects of a business and how the owners intend it to develop

Producing a business plan helps  reduce the risk  associated with starting a new business and can help the owners raise finance

A business plan forces the owner to think about every aspect of the business and organise business activities  before they start,  which should  increase its chance of success

A well-written business plan can  help a business obtain finance

Lenders (e.g. banks) and other investors will be able to explore the plan and  make an informed decision  about whether the business is credible and worth the financial risk

Investors (e.g.  venture capitalists ) will use the business plan to explore whether there is an opportunity to  increase the value of their investment  and make a worthwhile profit

The business, having carried out research to support the plan, will be  well-informed about the potential problems and chance of success  and can select the most appropriate source of finance based on this information

The Structure of a Business Plan

Although there is no single way to structure business plans, they usually contain some common elements

Diagram: Key Elements in a Business Plan

1-4-4-business-plans

Common elements of a business plan

Most high street banks can provide a detailed template for business owners to complete when applying for finance

A business plan should be a regularly-updated working document

As the business grows, plans are likely to change as it faces new threats and opportunities

Key Elements in a Business Plan





, its unique selling proposition, target market, and financial projections

yet compelling enough to grab the reader's attention

, location and any unique advantages or intellectual property the business may have

and their needs

to understand their strengths and weaknesses

, highlighting their features, benefits and any competitive advantages they may have

and promotional tactics

of the business and the key members of the team, including their qualifications, experience and responsibilities

, stock management and any key partnerships or suppliers

for the business, including , balance sheets and cash flow statements

the business may face and the ways it intends to tackle them

Benefits & Drawbacks of Business Planning

While business planning has numerous benefits, it should be weighed against a range of drawbacks

A business plan is only as good as the research behind it and the individuals who produced it

Evaluating Business Planning





Basic Financial Terms & Calculations

The business plan usually makes reference to several basic financial terms and calculations, including

Profit or loss

Types of Costs

Business incur two main types of costs

Fixed costs

These are costs that do not vary with output

A business needs to pay these, even if they do not make or sell anything

They are sometimes known as expenses or overheads

Examples include rent, utilities and employees' salaries

Variable costs

These are costs that vary in direct proportion with output

Examples include raw materials, components and packaging

Variable costs are sometimes known as the cost of sales

Total variable costs are calculated using the formula

Total costs

This is the total of a businesses fixed costs and variable costs during a specific period or at a particular level of output

Total costs are calculated using the formula

Revenue is money earned from the sale of goods and services

It is sometimes known as turnover or sales revenue

Revenue is calculated using the formula

A business makes a profit when its revenue is greater than its costs

There are different ways to measure profit

Gross profit is calculated using the formula

Net profit is also known as true profit or the bottom line

It is calculated using the formula

A business makes a loss when its costs are greater than its revenue

A negative outcome of the net profit formula indicates a loss

A common misconception is that business plans are only used when businesses first start up. They are, however, excellent working documents that can be used to focus and coordinate activities over the whole life of a business.

You've read 0 of your 10 free revision notes

Get unlimited access.

to absolutely everything:

  • Downloadable PDFs
  • Unlimited Revision Notes
  • Topic Questions
  • Past Papers
  • Model Answers
  • Videos (Maths and Science)

Join the 100,000 + Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Author: Lisa Eades

Lisa has taught A Level, GCSE, BTEC and IBDP Business for over 20 years and is a senior Examiner for Edexcel. Lisa has been a successful Head of Department in Kent and has offered private Business tuition to students across the UK. Lisa loves to create imaginative and accessible resources which engage learners and build their passion for the subject.

benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

Reference Library

Collections

  • See what's new
  • All Resources
  • Student Resources
  • Assessment Resources
  • Teaching Resources
  • CPD Courses
  • Livestreams

Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more!

Business news, insights and enrichment

Currated collections of free resources

Browse resources by topic

  • All Business Resources

Resource Selections

Currated lists of resources

Study Notes

Planning a New Business (GCSE)

Last updated 22 Mar 2021

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that describes a business, its objectives, its strategies, the market it is in and its financial forecasts.

The business plan has many functions, from securing external funding to measuring success within the business.

Benefits of business planning to a start-up

The main reasons why a start-up should produce a business plan are:

  • Provides a focus on the business idea - is it really a good one, and why?
  • Producing a document helps clarify thoughts and identify gaps in information
  • The plan provides a logical structure to thinking about the business
  • It encourages the entrepreneur to focus on what the business is really about and how customers and finance-providers can be convinced
  • It helps test the financial viability of the idea - can the business achieve the required level of profitability and not run out of cash?
  • The plan provides something which can be used to measure actual performance
  • A business plan is essential to raising finance from outside providers - particular investors and banks

Questions a start-up business plan should answer

A business plan needs to address the issues of interest to the reader and user.

Assuming that the plan is meant to be read by potential finance providers (e.g. a bank, business angel or venture capitalist) then it ought to provide convincing and realistic answers to questions such as:

  • What is the business idea or opportunity?
  • What is the product and how is it different or unique?
  • What is the target market segment and who are the potential competitors?
  • How large is the target market and is it growing?
  • Who are the customers; how much will they buy and at what price?
  • What will it cost to produce and sell the product?
  • Can the product be made and/or sold profitably?
  • At what stage will the business break-even and what are the likely profits?
  • What investment is required to launch and establish the business?
  • Where will the money come from and what type of finance is required?
  • What are the main risks facing the business and how to handle them?
  • Business plan

You might also like

Business planning for a new business (revision presentation).

Teaching PowerPoints

Business Planning - Introduction

Starting a business: contents of a startup business plan (gcse), the mckinsey / general electric growth share matrix, business objectives (introduction).

Topic Videos

Marketing Objectives (Introduction)

How to start an airline.

1st March 2021

Setting Business Aims & Objectives | AQA GCSE Business

Quizzes & Activities

Our subjects

  • › Criminology
  • › Economics
  • › Geography
  • › Health & Social Care
  • › Psychology
  • › Sociology
  • › Teaching & learning resources
  • › Student revision workshops
  • › Online student courses
  • › CPD for teachers
  • › Livestreams
  • › Teaching jobs

Boston House, 214 High Street, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, LS23 6AD Tel: 01937 848885

  • › Contact us
  • › Terms of use
  • › Privacy & cookies

© 2002-2024 Tutor2u Limited. Company Reg no: 04489574. VAT reg no 816865400.

benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

Skip to content

Get Revising

Join get revising, already a member.

Ai Tutor Bot Advert

GCSE Business Studies - What is a Business Plan?

A quick powerpoint explaining what a business plan is, how it is used, and why it is important to a business.

  • Created by: Rhys B-M
  • Created on: 05-12-11 13:13
  • Business Studies

No comments have yet been made

Similar Business Studies resources:

GCSE Business Studies Worksheets 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating Teacher recommended

Business studies GCSE- Unit 2 0.0 / 5

OCR GCSE Business Studies 2012 Specification 0.0 / 5

Cash Flow (Business Studies Revision GCSE) 3.0 / 5 based on 2 ratings

Business Studies and the Environment (GCSE BBC Bitesize Revision) 3.0 / 5 based on 1 rating

Recruitment - Business Studies (GCSE BBC Bitesize Revision) 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating Teacher recommended

AQA Business Studies GCSE Unit 1 0.0 / 5

Economy - Business Studies (GCSE BBC Bitesize Revision) 4.0 / 5 based on 1 rating

Breaking Even (Business Studies Revision GCSE) 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating Teacher recommended

AQA GCSE Business Studies Unit 2 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating Teacher recommended

benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

  • International
  • Education Jobs
  • Schools directory
  • Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Business Plans - GCSE Business Studies - PPT & Create Your Own Business Plan Task

Business Plans - GCSE Business Studies - PPT & Create Your Own Business Plan Task

Subject: Business and finance

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

George's Marvellous Business Studies & Economic Resources

Last updated

14 June 2022

  • Share through email
  • Share through twitter
  • Share through linkedin
  • Share through facebook
  • Share through pinterest

benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

A bumper lesson on a business plans. The presentation looks at what a business plan is and how it helps a business reduce risk. The lesson covers the main pros and cons of developing a business plan and the most important headings of a business plan. There are a number of tasks throughout the lesson to help keep students engaged. The lesson finishes with students asked to fill in a business plan template of their own business idea (this has been included). I have also included a simple worksheet on the various headings in a typical business plan. This lesson is perfect for GCSE Business Studies and Setting up a New Business unit. This lesson could easily stretched across a few periods as it will take time for students to complete their own business plans plus they could also present their idea and plan to the class.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Do you REALLY need a business plan?

The top three questions that I get asked most frequently as a professional business plan writer will probably not surprise you:

  • What is the purpose of a business plan – why is it really required?
  • How is it going to benefit my business if I write a business plan?
  • Is a business plan really that important – how can I actually use it?

Keep reading to get my take on what the most essential advantages of preparing a business plan are—and why you may (not) need to prepare one.

Business Plan Purpose and Importance

The importance, purpose and benefit of a business plan is in that it enables you to validate a business idea, secure funding, set strategic goals – and then take organized action on those goals by making decisions, managing resources, risk and change, while effectively communicating with stakeholders.

Let’s take a closer look at how each of the important business planning benefits can catapult your business forward:

1. Validate Your Business Idea

The process of writing your business plan will force you to ask the difficult questions about the major components of your business, including:

  • External: industry, target market of prospective customers, competitive landscape
  • Internal: business model, unique selling proposition, operations, marketing, finance

Business planning connects the dots to draw a big picture of the entire business.

And imagine how much time and money you would save if working through a business plan revealed that your business idea is untenable. You would be surprised how often that happens – an idea that once sounded so very promising may easily fall apart after you actually write down all the facts, details and numbers.

While you may be tempted to jump directly into start-up mode, writing a business plan is an essential first step to check the feasibility of a business before investing too much time and money into it. Business plans help to confirm that the idea you are so passionate and convinced about is solid from business point of view.

Take the time to do the necessary research and work through a proper business plan. The more you know, the higher the likelihood that your business will succeed.

2. Set and Track Goals

Successful businesses are dynamic and continuously evolve. And so are good business plans that allow you to:

  • Priorities: Regularly set goals, targets (e.g., sales revenues reached), milestones (e.g. number of employees hired), performance indicators and metrics for short, mid and long term
  • Accountability: Track your progress toward goals and benchmarks
  • Course-correction: make changes to your business as you learn more about your market and what works and what does not
  • Mission: Refer to a clear set of values to help steer your business through any times of trouble

Essentially, business plan is a blueprint and an important strategic tool that keeps you focused, motivated and accountable to keep your business on track. When used properly and consulted regularly, it can help you measure and manage what you are working so hard to create – your long-term vision.

As humans, we work better when we have clear goals we can work towards. The everyday business hustle makes it challenging to keep an eye on the strategic priorities. The business planning process serves as a useful reminder.

3. Take Action

A business plan is also a plan of action . At its core, your plan identifies where you are now, where you want your business to go, and how you will get there.

Planning out exactly how you are going to turn your vision into a successful business is perhaps the most important step between an idea and reality. Success comes not only from having a vision but working towards that vision in a systematic and organized way.

A good business plan clearly outlines specific steps necessary to turn the business objectives into reality. Think of it as a roadmap to success. The strategy and tactics need to be in alignment to make sure that your day-to-day activities lead to the achievement of your business goals.

4. Manage Resources

A business plan also provides insight on how resources required for achieving your business goals will be structured and allocated according to their strategic priority. For example:

Large Spending Decisions

  • Assets: When and in what amount will the business commit resources to buy/lease new assets, such as computers or vehicles.
  • Human Resources: Objectives for hiring new employees, including not only their pay but how they will help the business grow and flourish.
  • Business Space: Information on costs of renting/buying space for offices, retail, manufacturing or other operations, for example when expanding to a new location.

Cash Flow It is essential that a business carefully plans and manages cash flows to ensure that there are optimal levels of cash in the bank at all times and avoid situations where the business could run out of cash and could not afford to pay its bills.

Revenues v. Expenses In addition, your business plan will compare your revenue forecasts to the budgeted costs to make sure that your financials are healthy and the business is set up for success.

5. Make Decisions

Whether you are starting a small business or expanding an existing one, a business plan is an important tool to help guide your decisions:

Sound decisions Gathering information for the business plan boosts your knowledge across many important areas of the business:

  • Industry, market, customers and competitors
  • Financial projections (e.g., revenue, expenses, assets, cash flow)
  • Operations, technology and logistics
  • Human resources (management and staff)
  • Creating value for your customer through products and services

Decision-making skills The business planning process involves thorough research and critical thinking about many intertwined and complex business issues. As a result, it solidifies the decision-making skills of the business owner and builds a solid foundation for strategic planning , prioritization and sound decision making in your business. The more you understand, the better your decisions will be.

Planning Thorough planning allows you to determine the answer to some of the most critical business decisions ahead of time , prepare for anticipate problems before they arise, and ensure that any tactical solutions are in line with the overall strategy and goals.

If you do not take time to plan, you risk becoming overwhelmed by countless options and conflicting directions because you are not unclear about the mission , vision and strategy for your business.

6. Manage Risk

Some level of uncertainty is inherent in every business, but there is a lot you can do to reduce and manage the risk, starting with a business plan to uncover your weak spots.

You will need to take a realistic and pragmatic look at the hard facts and identify:

  • Major risks , challenges and obstacles that you can expect on the way – so you can prepare to deal with them.
  • Weaknesses in your business idea, business model and strategy – so you can fix them.
  • Critical mistakes before they arise – so you can avoid them.

Essentially, the business plan is your safety net . Naturally, business plan cannot entirely eliminate risk, but it can significantly reduce it and prepare you for any challenges you may encounter.

7. Communicate Internally

Attract talent For a business to succeed, attracting talented workers and partners is of vital importance.

A business plan can be used as a communication tool to attract the right talent at all levels, from skilled staff to executive management, to work for your business by explaining the direction and growth potential of the business in a presentable format.

Align performance Sharing your business plan with all team members helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the long-term vision and strategy.

You need their buy-in from the beginning, because aligning your team with your priorities will increase the efficiency of your business as everyone is working towards a common goal .

If everyone on your team understands that their piece of work matters and how it fits into the big picture, they are more invested in achieving the objectives of the business.

It also makes it easier to track and communicate on your progress.

Share and explain business objectives with your management team, employees and new hires. Make selected portions of your business plan part of your new employee training.

8. Communicate Externally

Alliances If you are interested in partnerships or joint ventures, you may share selected sections of your plan with the potential business partners in order to develop new alliances.

Suppliers A business plan can play a part in attracting reliable suppliers and getting approved for business credit from suppliers. Suppliers who feel confident that your business will succeed (e.g., sales projections) will be much more likely to extend credit.

In addition, suppliers may want to ensure their products are being represented in the right way .

Professional Services Having a business plan in place allows you to easily share relevant sections with those you rely on to support the organization, including attorneys, accountants, and other professional consultants as needed, to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Advisors Share the plan with experts and professionals who are in a position to give you valuable advice.

Landlord Some landlords and property managers require businesses to submit a business plan to be considered for a lease to prove that your business will have sufficient cash flows to pay the rent.

Customers The business plan may also function as a prospectus for potential customers, especially when it comes to large corporate accounts and exclusive customer relationships.

9. Secure Funding

If you intend to seek outside financing for your business, you are likely going to need a business plan.

Whether you are seeking debt financing (e.g. loan or credit line) from a lender (e.g., bank or financial institution) or equity capital financing from investors (e.g., venture or angel capital), a business plan can make the difference between whether or not – and how much – someone decides to invest.

Investors and financiers are always looking at the risk of default and the earning potential based on facts and figures. Understandably, anyone who is interested in supporting your business will want to check that you know what you are doing, that their money is in good hands, and that the venture is viable in the long run.

Business plans tend to be the most effective ways of proving that. A presentation may pique their interest , but they will most probably request a well-written document they can study in detail before they will be prepared to make any financial commitment.

That is why a business plan can often be the single most important document you can present to potential investors/financiers that will provide the structure and confidence that they need to make decisions about funding and supporting your company.

Be prepared to have your business plan scrutinized . Investors and financiers will conduct extensive checks and analyses to be certain that what is written in your business plan faithful representation of the truth.

10. Grow and Change

It is a very common misconception that a business plan is a static document that a new business prepares once in the start-up phase and then happily forgets about.

But businesses are not static. And neither are business plans. The business plan for any business will change over time as the company evolves and expands .

In the growth phase, an updated business plan is particularly useful for:

Raising additional capital for expansion

  • Seeking financing for new assets , such as equipment or property
  • Securing financing to support steady cash flows (e.g., seasonality, market downturns, timing of sale/purchase invoices)
  • Forecasting to allocate resources according to strategic priority and operational needs
  • Valuation (e.g., mergers & acquisitions, tax issues, transactions related to divorce, inheritance, estate planning)

Keeping the business plan updated gives established businesses better chance of getting the money they need to grow or even keep operating.

Business plan is also an excellent tool for planning an exit as it would include the strategy and timelines for a transfer to new ownership or dissolution of the company.

Also, if you ever make the decision to sell your business or position yourself for a merger or an acquisition , a strong business plan in hand is going to help you to maximize the business valuation.

Valuation is the process of establishing the worth of a business by a valuation expert who will draw on professional experience as well as a business plan that will outline what you have, what it’s worth now and how much will it likely produce in the future.

Your business is likely to be worth more to a buyer if they clearly understand your business model, your market, your assets and your overall potential to grow and scale .

Related Questions

Business plan purpose: what is the purpose of a business plan.

The purpose of a business plan is to articulate a strategy for starting a new business or growing an existing one by identifying where the business is going and how it will get there to test the viability of a business idea and maximize the chances of securing funding and achieving business goals and success.

Business Plan Benefits: What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan benefits businesses by serving as a strategic tool outlining the steps and resources required to achieve goals and make business ideas succeed, as well as a communication tool allowing businesses to articulate their strategy to stakeholders that support the business.

Business Plan Importance: Why is business plan important?

The importance of a business plan lies in it being a roadmap that guides the decisions of a business on the road to success, providing clarity on all aspects of its operations. This blueprint outlines the goals of the business and what exactly is needed to achieve them through effective management.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Get more articles just like this straight into your mailbox.

Related Posts

Recent Posts

IMAGES

  1. Bbc bitesize gcse business plan

    benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

  2. PPT

    benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

  3. Better Business Cases™ (BBC) Bitesize Learning: Importance And

    benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

  4. Best 5 benefits of Business Planning for All Businesses

    benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

  5. PPT

    benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

  6. PPT

    benefits of a business plan bbc bitesize

COMMENTS

  1. 7-Eleven: Canadian retail giant makes £29.2bn takeover bid

    Shares in Seven & i jumped more than 20% following reports of the buyout bid A Canadian convenience store giant has made a bid worth $38bn (£29.2bn) for the Japanese-owned 7-Eleven in what could ...

  2. What We Know About Kamala Harris's $5 Trillion Tax Plan So Far

    The tax plan would also try to tax the wealthiest Americans' investment gains before they sell the assets or die. People with more than $100 million in wealth would have to pay at least 25 ...

  3. 10 Business Plan Benefits You Might Be Forgetting

    Business objectives will be clear. Use your plan to define and manage specific measurable objectives like web visitors, sales, margins or new product launches. Define success in objective terms ...

  4. Advantages and disadvantages of business planning

    Change. Business plans need to be reviewed and updated regularly. Does not guarantee business success. -Plan quality may be low due to lack of experience from the people who wrote it. Takes time and effort which may be expensive, especially for small businesses. New opportunities can be missed if they are not in the plan. Evaluation

  5. The Purpose of Business Planning

    Reasons for Developing a Business Plan. A business plan sets out key aspects of a business and how the owners intend it to develop. Producing a business plan helps reduce the risk associated with starting a new business and can help the owners raise finance. A business plan forces the owner to think about every aspect of the business and ...

  6. Business Planning

    The business plan sets out how the owners/managers of a business intend to realise its objectives. Without such a plan a business is likely to drift. The business plan serves several purposes:it. (1) enables management to think through the business in a logical and structured way and to set out the stages in the achievement of the business ...

  7. 3.1 .6 Business Planning

    Business Plan - BBC Bitesize video on raising finance - Strategy Theory - Slideshow for Business Planning Slideshow on the difference between fixed and variable costs - BBC Bitesize video on costs of a business - re-cap quiz : Fixed or Variable - BBC Bitesize webpage on revenue, cost and profit

  8. Business Plans

    The lesson outlines all the specification points of Business Plans within the GCSE (9-1) Edexcel Business Studies course (useful for other exam boards too) This lesson teaches the following content: The role and importance of a business plan: to identify:the business idea; business aims and objectives; target market (market research); forecast ...

  9. Planning a New Business (GCSE)

    A business plan is a written document that describes a business, its objectives, its strategies, the market it is in and its financial forecasts. The business plan has many functions, from securing external funding to measuring success within the business. Benefits of business planning to a start-up. The main reasons why a start-up should ...

  10. GCSE Business Studies

    A quick powerpoint explaining what a business plan is, how it is used, and why it is important to a business. 4.0 / 5 based on 3 ratings? Created by: Rhys B-M; ... Economy - Business Studies (GCSE BBC Bitesize Revision) 4.0 / 5 based on 1 rating. Breaking Even (Business Studies Revision GCSE) 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating.

  11. Edexcel GCSE Business

    Edexcel GCSE Business - Theme 1 - 1.4 Making the business effective. This 6 lesson bundle covers: 1.4.1 The options for start-up and small businesses - 2 lessons 1.4.2 Business location 1.4.3 The marketing mix - 2 lessons 1.4.4 Business plans Filled with real life examples, case studies, questions and modelled answers to improve exam practice ...

  12. The benefits of bite sized learning

    Bite sized training gives learning & development teams flexibility. Our modular approach empowers learning & development teams to co-create a unique training programme perfectly suited to their organisation. Rather than adopting an inflexible 'new manager' programme wholesale, L&D customers can mix and match from a mix of over 70 bite size ...

  13. Business Plans

    A bumper lesson on a business plans. The presentation looks at what a business plan is and how it helps a business reduce risk. The lesson covers the main pros and cons of developing a business plan and the most important headings of a business plan. There are a number of tasks throughout the lesson to help keep students engaged.

  14. The role and importance of a business plan

    Learn concerning and revise the meaning of a business planner on starting a business with BBC Bitesize GCSE Shop - Edexcel. Learn about and revise the importance of a business plan for starts a business with BBC Bitesize GCSE Economic - Edexcel.

  15. 11 Important Business Plan Benefits & Purposes

    Let's take a closer look at how each of the important business planning benefits can catapult your business forward: 1. Validate Your Business Idea. The process of writing your business plan will force you to ask the difficult questions about the major components of your business, including: External: industry, target market of prospective ...

  16. Starting a business article

    The process takes discipline and having a great coach makes all the difference. That's why we've pulled together this guide to step you through these four important steps: 1. How to develop a ...

  17. PDF GCSE Bitesize Mark Scheme

    Reasons are given why business plans should be produced, but the answer does not explain how it will help Andy run the business. Level 1 (2-1 marks) The answer is a simple outline of the benefits of business plans with no reference to Andy. Question 8 Explain briefly the meaning of the following business studies terms and give an example of each.

  18. Costs and benefits of distribution methods

    Revise how a company needs to decide where best to distribute a product as part of its marketing strategy, as part of Bitesize Higher Business Management.