Hi Izzy, Sounds like a ticket to a lot of work for an item that will likely collect dust and bring her no closer to realizing her dreams. Mind you b-plans are good, indeed vital, but rare is the small business (well funded start-ups excluded), that outsources the writing and follows the yellow brick road. B-plans should really be organic documents that evolve with the company as it executes day after day, week after week. Help is valuable, but she has to hold the focus on the execution component, lest her hired-gun deliver mostly statistics and words. Or perhaps she's seeking funding, in which case there is no getting around a b-plan. Bankers, VC's and Angels require them, but they often collect dust. I've seen it again and again. My 2 cents: She needs to take responsibility for writing whatever plan she thinks will guide her activity. A b-plan is a big undertaking with an operations component, pro forma financials, a marketing plan - which itself has 8 sections with multiple subsections - and more. To do it right takes many weeks. Before calling anybody, she should focus like a laser on what help she really needs? Is it sales, is it staffing, is it financial management, is it operations, on and on.... At the end of all of that soul searching, maybe an entire b-plan and/or financing is the answer, if so she should call my friend Mike Vann at the Vann group, http://www.vann-group.com/index.html (413) 592-1383. He's brilliant. If she needs to drive revenue, she should call me. All my best, J. Sheldon Snodgrass, MBA 413-244-2294 SteadySales.com More Sales. More Money. Less Worry -----Original Message----- From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of izzy Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 10:49 AM To: hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net Subject: [Hidden-tech] business plan writer needed ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee. ** You too can help the group ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area. ** If you did, we all thank you. Good morning, A colleague is needing someone to write her business plan. This is a going business that is looking to grow. I will forward all replies to her. TIA HAGW (have a great weekend) Izzy --------------------------------------------------------------------- Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP, Organizational Alchemist "Transforming thinking from commonplace to exceptional." 413-586-2634 (Voice), 413-585-0407 (Fax) email:izzy at izzyg.com, www.izzyg.com Author: "Playing Along: 37 Group Learning Activities Using Improv." Co-Author: "Humor Me: America's Best Humorists on the Power of Laughter" Contributor: " IAF Group Facilitators Handbook" _______________________________________________ Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list. If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members page on the Hidden Tech Web site. http://www.hidden-tech.net/members