Planning is essential to creating a competitive advantage for your small business, and properly done, it can actually be fun. That is the message of this thorough guide, written in easy-to-follow, nontechnical language that you don't need an MBA to understand. In what areas will your business specialize? What are some of the resources you will need, and challenges you will face? How much do you want your company to grow? Once you have established a vision of your business's future, you will be on your way to making it a reality.

Topics covered include:

• Creating a business model
• Identifying and beating the competition
• Calculating expenses
• Determining whether you need additional capital
• Avoiding common mistakes
• Writing your executive summary
• Developing a marketing strategy
• Evaluating your team
• Analyzing your progress
• And more!