If you are thinking about starting a business or have a business idea, the first thing people will tell you is to write a business plan. Some things you might be thinking are: Do I really need to do this?  I know what I am doing. I don't have time to write this thing that I will never use.

It does take time to get your business plan together but it is usually necessary if you want to get financing or looking for partners/ investors.  Plus, the business plan is not only to sell your business idea to others but it really is a roadmap and guide for yourself.  It helps keep you on track with spending, profit goals, and so you don't lose sight of the "big picture".  To get you started on your business plan the library has a few resources:

How to Write a Business Plan by Mike McKeever

Anatomy of a Business Plan by Linda Pinson

And if you can't get to the library, we have resources available online:

Business Plans for Dummies by Paul Tiffany

Small Business Reference Center: Full-text of the Nolo title How to Write a Business Plan and business plan samples.

In addition SCORE has great business plan templates available online.