Title: Describe the components of a business plan.
Course: Make It Your Business (12151-18) > Section: Understanding a Business Plan

Description should include the following principal components:

- Executive summary
- Description of the business
- Product or service
- Marketing plan
- Operation plan
- Financial plan
- Growth plan
- Appendix
- Profit allocation or distribution (may include bonuses, cash distributions, charitable contributions, investments)

Process/Skill Questions

- Why is research necessary when writing a business plan?
- Why might the executive summary be more important than the body of the business plan?
- What additional information would appear in the appendix of the business plan?
- What are some resources for business plan writing?
- Why should allocation or distribution of future, theoretical profits be included in a business plan?
- Why is it important to chart the first five years of the company’s growth and goals within the business plan?