How to Write a Business Plan Quickly: Tom & Jerry’s Executive Summary (video 2)

UPDATE: Since this post was written I’ve added a full resource section to the blog with a business plan template, more videos and tutortials. Check it out!

If you work for an entrepreneur in start-up mode, you know there’s never enough time in the day to do wasteful (read: corporate) tasks like write a business plan. That is, until someone with a checkbook asks to see a copy. For start up businesses, this is a must! For example, consulting about financial support and bank accounts, and perhaps applying for a loan such as a usda loans florida or wherever your location, to help you get set up. But of course, even once your down and settled into business life, you still need to plan ahead for the future, and there really should be some time set apart to write a business plant to enable you to do this.

How to Write a Business Plan Video Series
This video series is designed to help you understand which sections of the business plan you need to focus on and which you should ignore. Using the fictional company, How to Build a Better Mousetrap, Inc., and Tom & Jerry as prototypical entrepreneurs, the video series gives you tips, sample copy, and a cheese trail (heavy on the cheese) to help you race through the business plan maze.

Before You Start
Be sure to watch the Before You Start Video for some important tips that may save you a lot of time. (And yes, you should watch that video first, hence all the mentions of “before.”)

There are six videos in the series:

  • (The much talked about) Before You Start
  • (Above video) Executive Summary & Business Description
  • (The next video) Product or Service Description
  • (The next, next video) Marketing Strategy
  • (You get the trend, right?) Operations
  • (Final video) Financials

Hope you find the videos helpful. If you have questions, or want feedback on a section of a business plan you’re working on, send it over! I’ve got nothing but time.

No, seriously, send it over.

8 Comments

  • John Paul Aguiar

    Reply Reply February 25, 2011

    Great vid and walk thru Kathy 🙂

  • Corinne Edwards

    Reply Reply March 4, 2011

    Excellent presentation, Kathy.

    Very clear – and organized. It will be very helpful to those especially who are new at this.

    Even veterans could use some of the reminders.

    Congratulations.

    • Kathy Ver Eecke

      Reply Reply March 4, 2011

      Thanks Corinne! And thanks for checking it out. Your comments mean a lot to me in particular since you’re the media coach! (learn more about Corinne Edwards media coaching!)

  • Amy LeForge

    Reply Reply March 5, 2011

    Kathy, excellent work! I have the papers for a business plan stored neatly in a folder and I’ve been avoiding them for a month. This inspires me to believe that I can get that task accomplished. Thank you!!!

    • Kathy Ver Eecke

      Reply Reply March 7, 2011

      Amy: I hear ya, it really is a dreaded task.

      For me it was always made worse by the fact that I knew my entrepreneur boss or entrepreneur client was never going to follow the plan. For them it was usually a document they needed to have ‘on file’ but never really a game plan for the company. One entrepreneur boss who live by the motto “a new day, a new business strategy” threatened to beat me with the plan if I mentioned it again. He was kidding of course, but his point was taken. He didn’t care what course we had stragically plotted out in our plan, he was going to march down whatever road looked sunny today. Needless to say the company should have bought stock in umbrellas.

      Good luck with your plan. Just starting can be half the battle, so I’m glad you’re feeling inspired!
      Kathy

  • Mouli

    Reply Reply April 5, 2011

    Dear Wonka (!!)

    I am startup boss (I am not sure now, after three years, if I can call ourselves startup and myself a boss!!)…anyways…I dont think I have been that bad as described in the site…Of course it must be for others to tell!
    Good work anyway

    Mouli

    • Kathy Ver Eecke

      Reply Reply June 23, 2011

      Hey Mouli:
      Somehow I missed this comment when it came through. I’m sorry about the delayed response. Thanks for the checking out the site, and for the comment. I’m sure you’re not that ‘bad as described’ in some of the posts! But yes, even after three years you may still be a startup. Definitely an entrepreneur at the very least.

      Thanks again for stopping by.
      Kathy

Leave A Response

* Denotes Required Field