1. To show to investors. This is a very common reason and most people think about writing a business plan only when they need outside financing.
2. To get clarity about the direction in which your business is heading. Your business plan acts as a blueprint for your future actions and inactions.
3. To evaluate every aspect of your business in an organized manner. The various aspects of your business that include marketing, sales, accounting, customer service all need to be evaluated and decisions need to be taken upfront so you don’t  have to make them at the heat of the moment.
4. To communicate to your team members the exact direction in which your business is heading so that all of you are on the same page.
5. To forecast future needs. If you forecast that you may need $ 100,000 6 months from now, then you may start preparing for raising capital right away because raising capital can take a lot of time.
6. Identifying loopholes and weaknesses in your business. It’s better to look for loopholes in your business on a constant basis rather than wait for something to go wrong and you go into damage control mode.

These are just some of my reasons to write a business plan. What are your reasons to write a business plan? Post your reasons in the comments.

Vinil Ramdev is a business coach and an entrepreneur who helps business owners increase revenues, cut costs and maximize profitability. He is author of the ebook “How to write a business plan for astonishing results? In just 3 days!”

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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