Getting Started
What is a Business Plan?
A business plan is a written document that describes the business, outlines business goals, and details the route that will be taken to achieve those goals. Key components of a business plan include: a description of the company's organization, management, and products or services; financial projections; funding requirement; analyses of the industry, market, and competitors; and sales and marketing strategies.
Ten Questions That You Should Try to Answer 
Try to address the following ten big questions as completely as possible. Remember, you should not simply talk about a general idea (those are "a dime a dozen"), rather, try to present a concise concept with a clear economic model, convincing everyone that you can actually make it happen.
- 1. What's the PROBLEM?
- 2. What's your SOLUTION?
- 3. How large is the MARKET?
- 4. Who is the COMPETITION?
- 5. What makes you so SPECIAL?
- 6. What's your ECONOMIC MODEL?
- 7. How exactly will you achieve SALES?
- 8. Have you assembled a qualified TEAM?
- 9. How will you secure required RESOURCES?
- 10. What are you proposing for an INVESTMENT?
Source: Pace University Entrepreneurship Lab
Articles to Print
- The Elements of a Business Plan: First Steps for New EntrepreneursThis 12 pages pamphlet by Purdue U. Extension gives you a general idea about the basic elements of a business plan.
- Write a Business Plan OutlineBased on Anatomy of a Business Plan by Linda Pinson
- Writing a Successful Business PlanHaag AB. Writing a Successful Business Plan: An Overview. Workplace Health & Safety. 2013;61(1):19-29.
Business Plans Handbook
Business Plans HandbookISBN: 9780810392229
Business Plans Handbooks can be requested from other I-Share Libraries. There are several different volumes to choose from with each volume's content section identifying sample plans from different business sectors. Recommend reviewing contents before requesting a specific volume in order to determine the type of business that might offer the most insight for your plan. Requests for books can be made directly by following the links in the Library catalog.
Business Plans Handbook Online Examples
A compilation of actual business plans developed by small businesses throughout North America
Online Resources for Business Plan Templates & Guidance
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Learn how to write a business plan quickly and efficiently with a business plan template.
- Business Plan Gallery -browse over 500 free business plans
- Business Plan template - free template in exchange for name and email
- How to Write a Business Plan in 7 steps - 13 minute read
- Bplan YouTube Channel - video playlists of Business How To's and Guides
Free business plans with examples filtered by industry.
Free template from the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground. Providing education and mentorship since 1964.
How to Write a Business plan in 13 chapters including plan examples and resources found in Appendix. Discover Business mission is to strive to help make future business students better with in-depth resources, subject guides and rankings.
Business Databases
- MarketLine Company ProfilesMarketLine is a business information company covering the automotive, consumer, energy, financial services, healthcare and technology sectors.
- Creating Business Plans - Small Business AdministrationYour business plan is the foundation of your business. Learn how to write a business plan quickly and efficiently with a business plan template.
- Business Source EliteFull-text coverage of scholarly journals and trade publications on business, management, economics, finance, banking, accounting, marketing, and much more. Regional business news is also included.
- Dun & Bradstreet Key Business RatiosProvides immediate online access to competitive benchmarking data. This powerful tool lets researchers examine industry benchmarks compiled from D&B®’s database of public and private companies, featuring 14 key business ratios (users choose a one-year or three-year set of ratios) for public and private companies in 800 lines of business.
- EDGARThe Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, performs automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance, and forwarding of submissions by companies and others who are required by law to file forms with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
- Regional Business NewsFull-text coverage of more than 100 regional business publications, for the United States and Canada. Key resources include newspapers, radio and television news transcripts, trade publications, magazines and newswires with full-text content coverage spanning more than 20 years.
- Wall Street JournalAn American business-focused, English-language international daily newspaper based in New York City and derives its name from Wall Street in the heart of the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. It is the largest newspaper in the United States by circulation. 1984 - Present.
- Seeking AlphaOur mission: Power to Investors. We empower investors to make the absolute best investing decisions by leveraging our independent and balanced stock research, fundamental analysis tools, crowdsourced debate, reliable news, and actionable market data.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionGovernment website
- BigChartsBigCharts is the world's most comprehensive and easy-to-use investment research Web site, providing access to professional-level research tools such as interactive charts, quotes, industry analysis and intraday stock screeners, as well as market news and commentary. These tools combine with a graphical interface and our intuitive navigation to make your research experience productive, entertaining and fun. Best of all, BigCharts is a free service supported entirely by our site sponsors.
In addition to operating BigCharts.com, MarketWatch Licensing Services designs, produces and markets customized online financial content and interactive investment tools for financial institutions and other Web sites.
MarketWatch, Inc. is a service of Dow Jones & Company. - SWOT & PESTLESWOT & PESTLE is a leading strategy research portal covering detailed SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) analysis of leading industry sectors around the globe.
Some information is provided for free, complete reports are available for purchase. - Doing Historical Company Research: A Resource Guide from the Library of CongressThis research guide provides links to selected print and electronic resources, as well as tips and tricks for those trying to find information on older or out of business companies.
- Business History: A Resource Guide from the Library of CongressThe resources included here will help those researching the history of American business, including industries, companies, and business leaders.
- NewsBank This link opens in a new windowNewsBank consolidates current and archived information from thousands of newspaper titles, as well as newswires, web editions, blogs, videos, broadcast transcripts, business journals, periodicals, government documents and other publications. Using these online resources, researchers in libraries around the world can easily explore tens of millions of current and archived news articles and obituaries in order to pinpoint information from primary sources at the local, state, regional, national and international levels. NewsBank also offers online educational resources covering all academic curricula.
Did you know CUC has access to thousands of business journals?
Click on the link below to be taken directly taken to the Library Catalog that has organized our business full-text journals.
Remember: if you are looking for a specific article title, look for it in EBSCO first, then check Google Scholar. If you still cannot find it, request the material through EBSCO.
- Go to the library's website
- To search journals that are hosted by EBSCO, click on the box labeled Find Articles; use your Concordia login if prompted
- Select all databases
- From this Advanced Search page, put in your key terms into the search boxes
- Select the boxes labeled "peer reviewed" and "full text", then click the big, green search box on top
Tip: Experiment with your keywords and don't type out a sentence (it's not Google)
Remember: You can request articles that are not full text!
Requesting articles from the library is free!
Navigate CUC databases at anytime! If there are articles you would like but are not available in EBSCO, click on "Request this Item". Fill out the form and the library team will send the request to you via email as soon as possible. Please allow 4 days of processing time.
If you cannot locate the article record in EBSCO and still want to request the article, fill out the Interlibrary Loan Request form.
Look at the video below:
Request books from over 80 Illinois institutions!
How to request a book in the I-Share catalog from another institution:
- Go to the library's website
- Paste the ISBN or title of the book you are looking for in the search bar OR go to the I-Share Catalog homepage
- Make sure "All I-Share Libraries" is selected
- Click on the title of the book and verify that it is the edition you need
- Click on "Sign in"
- Click on CUC Students, Faculty & Staff Login
- Enter your CUC login credential is necessary--you will then see your name in the upper righthand corner
- Click on "I-Share" and verify your pick up location (it defaults to the Klinck Memorial Library)
- Click "Send Request" and an email will be sent to you to verify your submission and when the material arrives for pick up.