April 9, 2012 by Frank Goley, Business Consultant
The one word answer to question in this post title is: YES. Yes, sample business plans do hurt business plan development. I can spot business plans that started with a sample plan from a mile away. They are generic, offer no substance, and have no viable business or operational model. They simply are not believable.
Why are There a Preponderance of Sample Business Plans Out There in the Market?
The simple answer to this: people are lazy (and don?t want to take the time to develop a plan from scratch), or a lot of business owners simply have no clue where to start on their business plan. The market demands sample business plans and business plan software companies provide lots of them as a result. Business Plan Pro founder, Tim Berry, admits that sample plans are more a detriment than utility, but they offer over 500 sample plans because that is what the market wants and how they can stay competitive.
Why is a Sample Business Plan Detrimental?
A sample business plan is not helpful for a myriad of reasons, but namely because a business plan isn?t the same for any two businesses. They may both be in the same type of business or industry but no two businesses are alike. For this principal reason, sample plans fail to be substitute plans. Also, the assumptions made in the sample plan should be fully investigated. They may be faulty, are outdated, or simply don?t fit with your niche or strategic direction.
How are Sample Business Plans Helpful?
A sample business plan can be helpful for business owners who want to see how a similar type of business did theirs to spawn ideas and to help determine what the format of the plan could be. But the sample plan should only be a spark, a catalyst; otherwise, if it is used as a framework and foundation for the business plan, then it will be a weak plan destined to fail for certain.
Sample Plans are also helpful if you are considering the services of a business plan consultant or business plan writer. A sample plan will show their level of analysis and expertise in developing plans. It answers questions like: Does it have a sound business and operations model? Does it read well? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Is it well organized and easy to follow? Does it have good market and industry research? Are the financials based upon sound and believable assumptions, which are supported and broken down throughout the plan?
Example of a Sample Business Plan
The below Flash presentation is our Level IV Sample Business Plan. In this instance, a sample business plan presentation can be worth a thousand words, can?t it? (click on it to expand it)
Beware of Stock Plans
If you do hire a business plan company to develop and write your business plan, be certain they don?t use stock or sample plans. Many of them do and that is the reason they can charge so little for their plans (there are others that charge a lot and just use sample plans too- buyer beware). They just take a sample plan and make a few changes and produce your plan. Problem is these stock plans lack any good foundation; they lack the customization needed for an effective business plan; and the plans have no viable operational / business model so they are not believable.
Moreover, they are hollow plans with no substance- they may look good with lots of neat looking graphs and charts and pictures, but the substance behind it is severely lacking- they have no backbone. Make sure the business plan consulting company starts and develops your plan from scratch; otherwise, it isn?t worth the paper it is printed on. Ensure the business plan consultants have a proven and viable business planning process that will produce an effective business plan.
Posted in Business Planning and tagged business plan, sample business plan.
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