How to Attend a Business Plan Workshop

Finding the right business plan workshop to attend will depend upon the type of business that you want to start and the type of business model you intend to follow. Some workshops may be tailored to those who have not yet started businesses, while others may address problems you may be experiencing in ongoing enterprises.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find the right business plan workshop based upon your specific needs. For instance, some business plans focus on how to start your own business in terms of paperwork, forms, permits and tax concerns. Others may take a broader view of the marketplace and focus on how to ensure that your specific venture will be competitive and profitable.
2. Define your business. Identify your objectives and goals, your products and services, your potential customer base and the extent of your competition. A business plan workshop will be of little use unless you have already devoted some thought to these details.
3. Attend a business plan workshop to assess the start-up costs of your business. This includes the cost of equipment, inventory, office or warehouse space, utilities, advertising and all salaries, including your own. Many business plan workshops will explain how to obtain start-up funding from private investors or in the form of loans.
4. Check with the business department of a local college or university to discover which business plan workshops that may be open to the public. Many of these workshops offer an interesting mix of business students and local business owners, and future business relationships may develop during the seminars.
5. Use online resources to enroll in a business plan workshop course, such as the one offered by American Express (see Resources below). Not only can you attend these online programs free, but you can make an appointment with a professional financial advisor to discuss any follow-up concerns you may have after taking the course.

Tips & Warnings

• A business plan workshop may be an excellent resource for finding and implementing database software that will help you to execute the proper business model.