Below is a suggested approach to developing a business plan. The level of detail depends on the prime use for the plan. Plans can serve the dual purposes of (1) obtaining funding, and (2) ensuring that the company is moving in a direction consistent with corporate goals.
Executive Summary of XYZ Company
In this section summarize the entire business plan. Make sure that the reader understands, where you are coming from, where you are, and where you are going. This is an integral part of your plan. It must encapsulate everything that follows. Please see my Executive Summary of The Water Study. Limit the executive summary to two pages and possibly one eye catching figure/graph.
Note
It is important that attention be paid to the external economy. Numerous macro-economic forecasts are available to assist a planner correlate an individual plan with the general economy. There is not necessarily a one-to-one correlation between micro-business success, and macro-economic levels, but such relationships should not be ignored. Some businesses prosper in recessions, while others fail in good economic times. How your business fits into the overall economic schema should not be overlooked