Hurdle: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creati

"The value of a (business) plan is the decisions it influences..." Stanford Professor Emeritus, James March Quoted by Tim Berry in Hurdle "He is obviously a genius. He agrees with me." Steven J Roy, after a wine tasting... Hurdle emphasizes creating and implementing a working business plan-something quite different from the sterile, academically-correct document many business plan guides espouse. Hurdle provides excellent introductory coverage of * Cash flow planning and its relation to profit planning; * Goal setting, milestones and accountability; and includes * A section on capital sources that is as realistic as it is informative. (What are a startup's chances of getting venture funding? Slim to none.) Hurdle also includes the only presentation of variance analysis I`ve seen in a business plan book. It has always baffled me why business plan authors/instructors think it is absolutely necessary to know, to at least four significant decimal places, that your company controls a miniscule share of a very large market. Apparently, Berry (A co-founder of Borland International) has felt the same befuddlement. Hurdle spends few words on how to correctly quantify, e.g. your market share. It says a great deal about how to present what is useful (or practical) to your plan's intended audience. If you follow Berry's guidelines, you won't produce a "plan" that gets shoved into a drawer and remains there,testimony to your prowess with internet searches, word processing, and spreadsheet software and a memorial to your ability to follow meaningless instructions. Instead, you will learn about your business and convey that knowledge to your audience. Formally, Hurdle consists of seven sections, two sample plans, a workbook, glossary, and index. Each section begins with observations that underscore practical applications for the material that follows: * Part 1: Fundamentals "As you start the planning process, begin with a general view of the whole project. Review your goals and consider your options." * Part 2: Tell Your Story "A standard business plan includes company background information,history, and basic descriptions." * Part 3: Gathering Information "A good plan will include information about your market, your customers, and the business you are in." * Part 4: Forecasting "Forecasting is more art than science, a combination of good research,logic, simple math, and educated guessing. It's hard to forecast, but it's harder to run a business without forecasting." * Part 5: Financial Analysis "The financials aren't as hard as you think, particularly if you have the patience to follow the steps. A good plan includes sales, cash flow, profits, and related financials." * Part 6: Strategy and Tactics "Strategy is focus. You also need tactics to implement the strategy,and tactics require concrete milestones and well defined management accountability." * Part 7: Following Up "Ultimately, the impact of your plan depends on how you manage and implement it,

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS Texts, tables and charts that make my CPA's and Attorney's wonder who did my business plan! Tim Berry has purchased three of my business plans for publishing in his Business Plan Pro software system and this book comes with that plan. If you buy the software at Staples or Best Buy, you'll find this excellent book inside. It is amazing at helping you develop a concise plan!

This was a very easy and clear read. The best book on business planning that I have ever read. It's refreshing to know that you don't need a MBA to read and write a clear business plan. Great examples and figures throughout.

This is the most pragmatic, easy to understand, and easy to follow book for creating a business plan I have found yet. "Hurdle" is designed for those that want to benefit from what a business plan can offer their business. The chapter "About Business Numbers" is the best I have read to understand the numbers behind a business and how they relate to the business plan. A quick read, a great resource, and a sound business investment. After reading "Hurdle", I wouldn't plan without it.

I like the book, because it contains necessary metirials for keeping kontrol on the figures