The business plan is the truth serum to your idea. It will either make or break your plan to start a business by revealing its true potential. The creation of a plan also helps uncover the important details you may have otherwise overlooked. Who are your customers and how will you attract them? How are you going to manage your inventory and cash flow? Creating a business plan will help you organize your thoughts, test your true desire to start the business and allow everyone involved to be more in tune with one another.

Resources to help write a business plan:

• Small Business Development Center
  The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business life cycle.
• SCORE – business plan template 
  Provides counseling services by way of questions and answers to small businesses.
• Business Owners Tool Kit 
  Various articles and topics related to starting or maintaining a small business.
• Why Business Plans Don’t Deliver 
  An article about the 5 most common flaws in business plans and how to fix them. Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2009