The Secrets to Writing a Successful Business Plan: A Pro Shares a Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Plan That Gets Results - Softcover

Secrets to Writing a Successful Business Plan: A Pro Shares a Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Plan that Gets Results by Hal Shelton will open your eyes to insider tips, hints, and techniques for creating a winning business plan. Nearly 50 percent of new businesses fail within five years. A well thought-out business plan can dramatically turn the odds in your favor. With this easy-to-follow guide, you will: · Discover why you need a business plan and the best style for you · Receive step-by-step guidance for creating each section of your plan · Write your plan as you go using worksheets in every chapter (link to www.score.org/secrets_business_plan) · Get proven strategies for obtaining bank loans and attracting investors · Spend less time writing your plan and more time setting up your business · Learn how to create a business plan for a nonprofit Are you planning to start a business, grow an existing business, or start a nonprofit? Wherever you are in your journey, you have a need to develop the knowledge and plans to guide you to a successful business operation. While this learning and planning process takes many forms, shapes, and levels of intensity, it is all considered part of the business planning process. If you are in any of the above stages with your business, this book is written for you. It is for entrepreneurs who are thinking of starting a small business or nonprofit, and for small business owners who want to grow an existing business or solve an operating problem. This book will also help if you are looking for assurance that you are headed in the right direction, seeking help with a section of your business plan that you do not understand, feeling that a section of your business plan is not robust enough and want pointers, or wanting to learn where and how to apply for funding. Entrepreneurs should always surround themselves with mentors and advisors, so you will also find ideas on where to find these valuable resources. The Secrets to Writing a Successful Business Plan is packed with actionable advice and real-life examples from Shelton’s experience as a senior executive, SCORE small business mentor, and angel investor.

Hal Shelton is a seasoned executive with more than 45 years of experience with corporations, nonprofits, and investment organizations. He uses his knowledge and expertise to help small businesses. In the corporate world, Hal most recently was senior vice president and CFO of USEC Inc., the world’s leading provider of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. Hal quarterbacked USEC’s $3 billion privatization via an IPO, the largest privatization of a U.S. government activity. Prior to USEC, Hal held senior financial management positions with Sunoco Inc. In addition, he was on the board of directors of RWD Technologies Inc. where he was chairman of the Audit Committee as well as the Special Committee in a successful “going private” transaction. For nonprofits, Hal has been a board member, vice chair, treasurer and mentor for the SCORE Association – a volunteer organization that provides education and training to small businesses. As a SCORE mentor, Hal helps small businesses take advantage of new business opportunities, develop business plans, and find and qualify for financing, with the goal of increasing the business’s value and adding jobs. In honor of his SCORE service and meaningful impact on small businesses, Hal recently received the organization’s Walter H. Channing award of Excellence, an honor that’s been given just nine times in the association’s 50-year history. Hal also served on the board as the CFO/Treasurer of Mercy Health Clinic, a “safety net” organization providing free medical care and medicine to uninsured, low-income residents in Montgomery County, Maryland. In the small business investment realm, Hal is a member of Blu Venture Investors (BVI). This active angel investing group supports early-stage entrepreneurs in the Mid-Atlantic Region, with a primary focus on technology companies. Hal serves on the board of director’s for one of BVI’s portfolio companies. Hal holds a bachelor of science from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and an honors diploma from the University of Vienna, Austria.