Planning is essential to creating a competitive advantage for your small business, and properly done, it can actually be fun. That is the message of this thorough guide, written in easy-to-follow, nontechnical language that you don't need an MBA to understand. In what areas will your business specialize? What are some of the resources you will need, and challenges you will face? How much do you want your company to grow? Once you have established a vision of your business's future, you will be on your way to making it a reality. Topics covered include: Creating a business modelIdentifying and beating the competitionCalculating expensesDetermining whether you need additional capitalAvoiding common mistakes Writing your executive summary Developing a marketing strategy Evaluating your team Analyzing your progress And more Whatever your background and whatever kind of business you dream of starting, this latest installment in our popular Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide will help you to achieve your goals