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Business Plan Books

There's a wide range of books available on the subject of business planning. Here are a few we recommend buying. You can either download them to your kindle or get them from your favourite local bookshop.

The Definitive Business Plan

By Richard Stutely (FT/Prentice Hall)

This publication is an excellent introduction to writing a business plan. It is well-written and well-designed. It covers all the important areas including assessing competition, developing a strategy and working out cash flow, as well as discussing formatting and presentation.

However, if you already have a business background and want to get straight to the key questions, then Michael O'Donnell's book below may be more suitable.

Writing Business Plans That Get Results: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Michael O'Donnell (Contemporary Books Inc.)

Written in a workbook format, this excellent book sets out clearly and simply the most important questions that need answering in a business plan. However, if you need some background information about business issues, particularly around finance and cash flows, it would be wiser to consider Richard Stutely's book above.

The One Page Business Plan: Start with a Vision and Build a Company

By Jim Horan (One Page Business Plan Company)

Jim Horan's philosophy is that short business plans are the ones that are most useful. He has written a workbook that helps guide you through the entire process.

All aspects get covered including developing a vision and mission statement, identify key objectives and strategies, the most important areas of your business to concentrate on and developing detailed strategies and plans.

The end result of the process is a business plan that will fit on one page. We recommend this book to people who are turned off by conventional business planning formats.

Business Plans: 45 Ways to Make Yours More Successful

By Brian Finch (Kogan Page)

From his experience in writing his own business plans and in reading other people's plans, Finch gives tips on how to write a successful plan.

30 Minutes to Write a Business Plan

By Brian Finch (Kogan Page)

This book provides the basics for people who are pushed for time.

Small Business Marketing Bible

By David Frey (e-book)

Marketing is often one of the least favourite activities of small businesses, but poor marketing is a common reason for businesses failing. So it's very important to get your marketing strategy right in your business plan.

In his e-book, David Frey covers a great deal of useful and practical information, including:

  • How to create a marketing plan that works for your business.
  • How to use a simple formula to create your marketing message.
  • How to identify niches that will be the most profitable to focus on.
  • How to use different pricing strategies to maximise profits.

You can use our free business plan template for your business at no cost.