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B U S I N E S S P L A N M A S T E R
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for Windows
Version 1.0
BUSINESS PLAN MASTER will:
* Help you create a highly professional business plan.
* Save you many hours (even days!) of work.
* Let you compare your business with others in your
industry.
* Give you buckets of money, Shangri-La, a Rolls-Royce
in your driveway, the perfect spouse, wonderful
children, world peace and intergalactic harmony.
(just kidding!)
Requirements
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Any PC or compatible with Windows, a word processing
or page layout program and a spreadsheet program. These
files are designed for use by those with a basic (not
advanced) knowledge of word processing and spreadsheets.
The text files are in Word/Windows 2.0 and ASCII
(*.TXT) formats. The spreadsheet files are in
Excel/Windows v4.0 (*.XLS). Any later versions and also
many other competitive programs should be able to import
these files.
I am partial to laser printers, but it is not a
requirement UNLESS you are planning to present this plan to
venture capitalists or other sophisticated investors.
A Macintosh version is also available. It is located on
CompuServe, Ziffnet, GEnie, Delphi, America OnLine, BMUG,
and BCS-Mac, as well as several shareware vendors.
Purpose:
Every business needs to have a plan in order to track
its progress. There is no business too small, too large,
too complex or too simple to avoid having a business plan.
I found that many businessmen assume that the usefulness
of their business plan is over once the business is
up and running. I have been successful using a business
plan not only to start a business, but as an important
management tool in an ongoing business.
This program is designed for use by any size (small,
medium or large) or type (product or service) of business.
It also includes all the necessary information which most
lenders or investors are seeking.
I didn't write this program in an ivory tower some
place, but out of my own business experience. For seven
years, I imported cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest of
Germany, so this is definetly a "cuckoo" program! I have
been involved in many other business ventures. I'd be lying
if I said I made money with all of them. But I can
truthfully say that all were successful, mainly because I
followed a plan and stuck to it.
BUSINESS PLAN MASTER supplies you with complete template
files. I give you professional formats (footnootes, tables
of contents,some simple graphics), some excellent sample
text and several spreadsheet files for you to use. Alone
these could save you many hundreds of hours of work.
Because of the wide diversity of businesses and business
ideas, I have tried to make these files as universal as
possible. Over time, you will likely incorporate your own
language into the text and make modifications to the
worksheets.
Please work on copies of these files in case you trash
one. It happens to all of us!
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QUICK START
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If you want to get started quickly, just read these few
lines:
FIRST, take a look at what is here.
Open the spreadsheets in your spreadsheet program. The
best file to look at first is BPMPROF.XLS (Proforma
Financial Statements). I highly recommend that you do
your spreadsheet work first. Make sure your business
idea is going to be financially worthwhile before trying
to write the text portion.
Get into your word processing program.
Open the BUSINESS PLAN MASTER file, either BPMWIN10.DOC
(Winword 2.0), or BIZPLN21.TXT (ASCII text). This is
the main BUSINESS PLAN MASTER file which will contain
the text you will use.
To access the BPMWIN10.DOC file from Winword, use
"File Open" and then look for it in the directory you
placed it in.
If you are now hopelessly lost, take a look at the
User's Guide. By registering at the *PROFESSIONAL* level, I
send you a printed User's Guide along with other valuable
items.
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List of Files:
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The text files are in two formats, ASCII text and
Word/Windows v2.0 The spreadsheet files are in
Excel/Windows 4.0 (*.XLS) format. These files can be
opened with higher versions. Most other Windows
spreadsheet programs can import these Excel files.
BPMWIN10.DOC and BIZPLN21.TXT
Business Plan Master
This is the main template document. A ready-to-go form
which will help you have a business plan in print in
just a few hours. Identical in every format. TXT =
ASCII, DOC = Winword.
REGISTER.ME
Registration Form
This is a shareware program and this is the form to use
to register.
BPMBREAK.XLS
BPM Breakeven Analysis
A simple worksheet to determine your breakeven point.
Either contains macros (Lotus) or has an accompanying
macro sheet (MS Works).
BPMHIST.XLS
BPM Historical Statements
For companies which have been in business. A way to
compare your past performance to your planned future
performance.
BPMPROF.XLS
BPM Proforma Financials
A large worksheet which will chart your cash flow,
generate income statements, balance sheets, ratio analysis,
asset use, chart EPS, and technical analysis.
USERS.GDE
User's Guide
You may print this out to guide you in filling out file
"Business Plan Master" and the worksheet files. Or you can
register at the **PROFESSIONAL** LEVEL and I will send you a
printed User's Guide designed to fit nicely next to your
computer.
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How to Obtain Technical Support:
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All users can obtain Technical Support either by U.S.
mail, CompuServe E-Mail (70400,153), GEnie (D.WORKS3), or
America OnLine (DavidW2959). We will try our best to fully
support unregistered users during their evaluation period,
but we will give priority to registered users, if necessary.
Registered users become eligible to receive free, unlimited
Technical Support by telephone.
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What SHAREWARE is:
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Shareware describes a method of distributing copyrighted
software in which a user is allowed to fully evaluate the
software before purchasing it. After an evaluation period,
the user is required to register the product if he decides
to keep using it.
Shareware distribution addresses all of the legitimate
complaints that users have with commercial software
distribution.
o Shareware allows a user to fully evaluate a product,
free of charge, in his or her home or business, *before*
deciding to buy it.
o Shareware programs can circulate freely on Bulletin
Boards, through Shareware disk distributors, or through
user groups.
o Because Shareware distribution reduces the need to
advertise, Shareware is less expensive than commercial
software.
o Shareware authors can often be more responsive to users'
requests for help or bug fixes than large software
companies.
o Shareware software, needless to say, is never
copy-protected.
In short, Shareware is a user's dream come true. Users
show their appreciation to developers for this extremely
flexible distribution scheme by registering their software.
Without user registrations Shareware software would
gradually disappear. It is not sufficient to simply let the
"other guy" pay the registration. You are the other guy's
"other guy".
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What SHAREWARE is not:
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Shareware is not "free" software. Shareware is not
Public Domain software. The fee that you may have paid to
receive a Shareware program does not mean that the software
has been paid for. This money was paid to a Shareware disk
vendor, User Group, Bulletin Board Service or retailer to
cover their cost of getting the program to you. Shareware
software is paid for by registering your copy with the
author.
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Business Plan Master History
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BUSINESS PLAN MASTER has been under development for over
four years. During that period it has been in constant use
by its author. BUSINESS PLAN MASTER was originally
developed for the IBM PC. It was later developed to run on
Apple Macintosh computers. The development now is done
concurrently - wherever I feel like working on a particular
day!
Version 1 - released January, 1992.
Version 1.1 - vaporware
Version 1.2 - Released March, 1992 - Expanded emphasis on
service businesses, changes in User's Guide to make it
clearer, addition of ASP required text.
Version 1.3 - Released June, 1992 - Many cosmetic changes
and change of number formats to ease international use.
More changes in User's Guide to help understanding of
financial terms and phrases. Got rid of a lot of extraneous
*.doc files and added more humor.
Version 1.3(a) - Released September, 1992 - Added a few
items to BPMPROF.WK1. Maintenance upgrade.
Version 2.1 - Released November, 1992 - Rewrote spreadsheets
in Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01 (rather than 2.2) to allow
greater usage. Added new text to BIZPLN21.* files. Added
Microsoft Works files. Added PROFESSIONAL PACKAGE
registration. Author moved to "God's Country".
Business Plan Master for Windows v1.0 - Released
November, 1992. After many requests, I configured the
files to work on Word/Windows and Excel/Windows.
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The Future of BUSINESS PLAN MASTER:
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BUSINESS PLAN MASTER is a dynamic program. BUSINESS
PLAN MASTER has changed considerably since its conception,
and it has been further enhanced since its Shareware
release. I originally wrote BUSINESS PLAN MASTER for an
import venture with Germany and that well-known German
perfectionism has rubbed off on me! I have already spent
thousands of hours developing this program.
By distributing BUSINESS PLAN MASTER as Shareware I am
expressing my confidence in the public to "Do the Right
Thing". I would like you to evaluate BUSINESS PLAN MASTER
for as long as 30 days before deciding whether you want to
keep it. If you do decide to keep it, you must register
your copy. Full details on registration can be found in the
REGISTER.ME file. I would be anxious to hear your comments
about BUSINESS PLAN MASTER. Please feel free to contact me
with your suggestions for new features, etc.
Trial Use License:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Business Plan Master is NOT a public domain program. It is
Copyright (c) 1992 by David A. Works. All rights reserved.
This software and accompanying documentation are protected
by United States Copyright law and also by International
Treaty provisions. Any use of this software in violation of
Copyright law or the terms of this limited license will be
prosecuted to the best of our ability. The conditions under
which you may copy this software and documentation are
clearly outlined below under "Distribution Restrictions".
David A. Works hereby grants you a limited license to use
this software for evaluation purposes for a period not to
exceed thirty (30) days. If you intend to continue using
this software (and/or it's documentation) after the thirty
(30) day evaluation period, you MUST make a registration
payment to David A. Works.
Using this software after the thirty (30) day evaluation
period, without registering the software is a violation of
the terms of this limited license.
Licensee shall not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify,
decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or
transfer the licensed program except as provided in this
agreement. Any such unauthorized use shall result in
immediate and automatic termination of this license.
All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to David
A. Works.
TRIAL USE (SHAREWARE EVALUATION VERSION) WARRANTY:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE SHAREWARE EVALUATION (TRIAL USE) VERSION IS PROVIDED AS
IS. DAVID A. WORKS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
REGISTERED VERSION ONLY WARRANTY:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David A. Works warrants the physical diskette(s) and
physical documentation provided with registered versions to
be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period
of ninety days from the date of registration. If David A.
Works receives notification within the warranty period of
defects in materials or workmanship, and such notification
is determined by Grand Universal to be correct, David A.
Works will replace the defective diskette(s) or
documentation.
The entire and exclusive liability and remedy for breach of
this Limited Warranty shall be limited to replacement of
defective diskette(s) or documentation and shall not include
or extend to any claim for or right to recover any other
damages, including but not limited to, loss of profit, data,
or use of the software, or special, incidental, or
consequential damages or other similar claims, even if David
A. Works has been specifically advised of the possibility of
such damages. In no event will Grand Universal's liability
for any damages to you or any other person ever exceed the
lower of suggested list price or actual price paid for the
license to use the software, regardless of any form of the
claim.
DAVID A. WORKS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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If you have any suggestions for changes or improvements,
please feel free to contact me via any of the services
listed below.
IF YOU LIKE BUSINESS PLAN MASTER, PASS IT ALONG TO
FRIENDS AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, BBS'S OR USER'S GROUPS.
Good luck and I wish you the best in your business
endeavors.
CompuServe 70400,153
Delphi DAVIDWORKS
GEnie D.WORKS3
America OnLine DAVIDW2959
Phone: (406) 862-1280