This practical guide to the entire business planning process from start to finish provides a framework for: . conceiving the vision of the firm . defining the purpose of the firm, its overall business mission . setting business goals and strategies for achieving them . understanding the external environment and competitive setting outside the firm . establishing operating plans for major functions . implementing control and review processes and . executing the plan, providing signposts when changes in strategy will be needed This comprehensive approach to planning is presented in a concise, easy-to-read manner by a seasoned planning professional to help you achieve success. Entrepreneurs undertaking a start-up, owners of small businesses seeking to grow, corporate planners interested in refocusing their strategy and mission, and not-for-profit organizations or government agencies looking to improve performance will find this book useful. More than that, it provides the theoretical underpinnings for business planning, the rationale, as well as the road map. The author has extensive experience writing and reviewing actual business plans for his clients as well as those of his students, many of whom bring their experiences as midcareer professionals to bear. This book provides the practitioner and the business student with an understanding of the importance of business planning, suggestions for how to approach the planning process and where to find resources, and a framework for business plan preparation and implementation. The three core purposes of the business plan--to identify various possible courses of action, to provide a frame of reference for making decisions that will work toward the company's goals, and to establish both short-term and long-term objectives--are useful for firms of any size or age: entrepreneurial start-ups, small businesses, major corporations, global firms, nonprofits, and government agencies.