Human beings are rational agents. Rationality endorses one to take up planning in every sphere of life from shifting to a new house to marriage, as well as business. A business plan is the first and most significant premise to reach and run a successful business. It is not just that capital that makes a business successful but it is also planning done in a prudent manner that plays a crucial role.

In simple terms a business plan is nothing but a written plan that delineates the monetary or the fiscal structure (an outlay)-for the purpose of either promoting an already established business i.e. to say a new venture or for starting up of a new business. Like map of a building made by an architect prior to its making demonstrates how the building will look like with all its rooms, lawns, lobby etc. similarly a business plan is a guide that presents all the details of a business- from money to the amount of people involved, from the flow of capital invested to the money expected to be accrued in the form of profits, from the predictable rate of growth to the snags one can land into.

A business plan gives an entrepreneur a fair idea of how much investment is required, in what areas and how will it lead to benefits in his business. This in turn enables him to seek loans and finances from the market. For once a business plan is made it becomes trouble-free for the individual to explain his idea (for example if he wants to launch a new product), its uniqueness and the material gains that follow from it. Such a plan well demonstrates the passage of money required to meet a horde targets that one seeks to achieve through his business. It is an easy guide that facilitates navigation to all the crucial aspects of a business like ? the significance and exclusiveness of the idea (business), the chosen native place for it, market planning, the kind of consumers targeted and in what areas, approximate budget involved in promotion or growth of the business, the tentative dates to meet the targets, the key areas and factors of escalation and last but not the least the methodology adopted in this enhancement. All these therefore form the basic components of a business plan.

Besides these an effective business plan for a large scale business can also include the quality and rate of raw materials used, the cost of advertising, the prospects of export details in other countries if any, the mode of transportation-shipping etc.- the chosen companies for it etc. and the names and social status of the owner(s), the partners and the number of employees.

Apart from being a successful key to lure the investors, a business plan also aids in regulation and maintenance of the business involved. For it allows one to cross check the expenditure made once a business gets on wheels. The amount spent can be compared to the one initially thought and written and so it can be visualized against the future demands to be met. Hence the plan acts as a textbook that can always be referred to in order to recollect the preliminary figures as well as dates. In toto,

"A PERFECT BUSINESS PLAN ENSURES A LIFELONG, HAPPY BUSINESS."

Parul jain writes about Business plan topics.