| Before you begin committing the time, energy and money necessary
to develop a comprehensive business plan you should first ask, “Have
I clearly identified an earned-income opportunity and is it viable
within the open market?”
Once you have identified and determined that your earned-income
opportunity is viable, you should proceed with developing your
business plan. The following business planning process will help
you clearly describe your earned-income venture in a structured
format that potential donors/investors will easily understand
and appreciate.
The first step is to register your Business
Plan account. If
you already have a Viability Study account, the Business Plan
will
be treated as an extension of your existing account. It is recommended
but not required that you register for and complete a Viability
Study before proceeding with the Business Plan.
Once you register, your account will remain open for
180 days. During that time you may return to your
Business Plan as often as you like in order to make edits
or any other changes you desire.
Among other things the following online business plan will
help you address:
- What is the earning potential of my earned-income
venture and what it will take to get it off the ground?
- What are the characteristics of my chosen market and what
are the best strategies to overcome the competition?
- What are the managerial resources you have and will need
to acquire in order to achieve success?
Make no mistake, securing the answers to these and
other questions is hard work. Business planning is
a process, not a panacea. It will require pursuing research,
rethinking traditional patterns of behavior, developing new
strategies and finally creating a formal document for presentation
to prospective donors/investors.
For many nonprofit administrators and fund managers
this can be alien terrain. There are many differences
(as well as similarities) between the private and the social
sector. For this reason we encourage you to make both the
viability analysis and the business plan a group process.
Those involved should be trusted advisors who will have input
on the future direction of the proposed business venture.
These may include board members with business experience,
key managers, future or existing customers and outside advisors
including potential donors/investors.
Remember that, like a grant proposal, there is no
ideal outline or format for a business plan. Each
business is unique, and each donor/investor who might invest
in your plan is likewise. The process that follows is designed
to help you identify the essential elements of a standard
business plan document, organize them in a format that is
right for you and provide the greatest chance for funding.
If you haven’t yet identified an earned-income
opportunity, or are unsure of one you have, find
out how to use this site  . |
NBS Business Plan
Registrants Include (partial list as of 4/15/2009):
- Adults with Autism Residential Project, Carmichael, CA
- Africa
Business Group, Accra, Ghana
- Alternatives Unlimited, Inc.,
Whitinsville, MA
- American Society of Breast Disease, Dallas
TX
- Animal Magnetism, South Webster OH
- Autism Society of Southeast Ohio, Belpre OH
- Bikes On the Move, Bronx NY
- Blue Springs Historical Society, Blue Springs,
MO
- Bo Matthews Center for Excellence, Denver CO
- Boys and Girls Club of Sault Ste. Marie, Sault
Sainte Marie, MI
- Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Victoria BC
- Cape Fear Film Network, Wilmington NC
- Center for Community Development Initiatives,
Chicago IL
- Center for Music Culture and History, Corona
NY
- Center for Public Justice, Annapolis MD
- Child Abuse Prevention Association, Independence,
MO
- Childhood Cancer Network, Hernando MS
- Children's Museum of KC, Kansas City, MO
- Community Health & Wellness,
Overland Park, KS
- Cornerstones of Care, Kansas City, MO
- Daniel Webster Research Institute, Sterling
MA
- Dayspring Christian Ministries, Inman SC
- Diamond Development
Initiatives, Kano, Nigeria
- Family Recovery Coalition, Kansas City MO
- Fantasy Works Youth Theater, Saunderstown RI
- Forward Motion Foundation, Poway CA
- Friends of Pacheco Pioneer Cemetery, Carmel
Valley CA
- Friendship House / Catherine's
Place, Kansas City, MO
- Gateway Family Resource Center, Centennial,
CO
- Heaven On Earth Foundations, McDonough GA
- Helping Children Worldwide, Herndon VA
- Hennipen History Museum, Burnsville MN
- Hispanic Center for Education, Technology,
and Business, San Jose CA
- HOPE Family Ministries, Stockbridge GA
- Humboldt Area Foundation, Bayside CA
- Independence Junior Service League, Independence,
MO
- Independent Filmmakers Coalition, Kansas City, MO
- Infinite Growth Opportunities, Wichita KS
- International Myotonic Dystrophy Organization,
Carlsbad CA
- International
Professors Project, Proctor, VT
- It Takes A Village, Charlotte NC
- Kansas City Chronic Disease Coalition, Kansas
City MO
- Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance,
Kansas City, MO
- Kansas Preservation Alliance, Leawood, KS
- Lee's Summit Symphony Orchestra, Lee' Summit,
MO
- Lenox Hill Hospital,
New York, NY
- Los Alamos Historical Society, Los Alamos NM
- Lost Sheep, Warrensburg MO
- Lutcher Community Faith Foundation, Lutcher,
LA
- Marine Corps Engineer Association, Jacksonville
NC
- Market Street Theatre School, Iowa City IA
- Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, Kansas City, MO
- MidWest Family Partnership, Overland Park KS
- Monterey Peninsula Medical Research Foundation,
Pacific Grove CA
- Nat'l Foundation for Debt Management, Clearwater
FL
- Nat’l
Kidney Foundation of KS & W. MO, Westwood,
KS
- Nat'l Organization for Victim Assistance, Alexandria
VA
- Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Vienna,
VA
- New Jersey Choral Society, Ridgewood NJ
- North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research,
Raleigh, NC
- Northwest Parks Foundation, Woodinville WA
- Office of Human Concern, Rogers AR
- Palo Alto Green Kids, Palo Alto CA
- Pier View Community Innovations, Manson NC
- Pioneer Valley Therapeutic Riding Association,
Belchertown MA
- Presbyterian
Home of Greater Johnstown, Johnstown, PA
- Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society Museum,
Houston TX
- Ransom Ranch Project, Thompson OH
- Santa Fe 400th Anniversary, Santa Fe NM
- Save America First Foundation, Washington DC
- Serenity Retreat School of Ministry, Houston
TX
- Sisters Nurturing Sisters, Chicago IL
- Sixteen Diamonds, Gaithersburg MD
- SkillsNET Foundation,
Red Oak, TX
- South Florida Worker Justice, Miami FL
- Southeastern Family Institute, Inc., North Augusta,
SC
- Southern Illinois High School Sports Foundation,
St. Louis MO
- SPECeast, New York, NY
- Sunshine Center, Independence, MO
- Teton Valley Community Recycling, Driggs ID
- Texas Veterans Resource Commission, League
City TX
- The Culture Project, Bolingbrook IL
- The Denver School, Denver CO
- The Homer Foundation, Homer AK
- The Jarvis Hayes Foundation, Atlanta GA
- The Kauffman Fund, Kansas
City, MO
The Maryland SPCA, Baltimore MD
- The People's Music Academy, Indianapolis, IN
- TSI - Total
Self Insight, Inc., Merced, CA
- Turning Point, Leawood, KS
- University of KS Medical Center,
Kansas City, KS
- Urban Youth Development Corporation, East Orange
NJ
- What About the Children?, Culver City CA
- White Mountains Wildlife and Nature Center,
Chandler AZ
- Wings Over Miami Air Museum, Miami FL
- Women of Stamina, Birmingham AL
- Women United For Change, Corona NY
- Work Options for Women, Denver CO
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How
It Works