Review: Business Plan Toolkit 7.0

By Paul Shields

Every business needs a plan, and writing your first business plan is not always the easiest thing in the world to do. A number of books, videos, and software packages are available, all claiming to help you write a business plan that will catapult your business to the forefront. Most of the programs are a combination of word-processing and spreadsheet templates combined with a book or videotape.

Business Plan Toolkit is no exception. Palo Alto Software recently recommitted to developing a new version of their Mac product and is introducing Business Plan Toolkit 7.0 in December. This version offers a number of enhancements including compatibility with the latest versions of MS Office, AppleWorks, ClarisWorks and MS Works along with a collection of twenty sample business plans. The included templates are customized for three different industries (service, retail, and manufacturing), along with a more generic template for other business sectors.

Getting Started

Using the product is very easy from installation to final plan. Installers for all supported word processor/spreadsheet combinations are included on a single CD-ROM. You only need to install the templates for your preferred word processor and spreadsheet packages. The installer creates a directory with three folders, Documents, Sample Plans, and Spreadsheets. Each of these folders contains the appropriate material to begin working on your business plan.

Business Plan Toolkit also includes the book Hurdle: The Book on Business Planning written by Tim Berry. There is also a Getting Started guide and several resources on the Palo Alto software home page. There is a companion website offering a variety of business plan samples and other helpful advice.

Building A Plan

For the review, I worked primarily with the MS Office templates, but the other templates have similar features and capabilities. The primary business plan template is broken down into a series of chapters and sub-chapters, each with a very extensive description of what information to enter. Most of the descriptions are a two or three paragraph summary of the information provided in the accompanying textbook. You can elect to hide or show the text as needed. I found it easiest to work with a total of three files open. The primary file was the business plan I was developing. The next one was the same plan with all of the hidden text showing. The final was one of the included sample plans that most closely matched the business I was creating.

The explanations along with the sample plan were very useful. There was enough information supplied for each category that I could begin the process of writing my own business plan. One thing to consider when working with the templates is that they are a guide and not necessarily mandatory fields to complete. All businesses have different requirements and needs. The explanatory text does a good job of highlighting optional fields and providing details on why they may be optional.

The Getting Started guide offers a good summary of the different sections in the business plans that covers some of the most critical details in both the sample spreadsheets and word-processing files. The Hurdle book builds on this by providing the details in clear and concise terms. The writer is straightforward and honest on the many issues associated with the creation and funding of a new business. Even those readers with minimal business experience will be able to follow the explanations provided.

The one complaint I had was the poor use of style sheets within the word-processing templates. While a large number of heading styles are available, no flow exists in the style sheet. I typically wound up having to go back and reformat the body paragraphs from Normal to Body paragraph style. A few tips on layout would be helpful for the beginning user. When presenting a business plan, you should ensure it looks as professional as it sounds. One other thing that is lacking from all of the Mac business planning kits is a presentation template. Some customers may have difficulty making the transition from a word-processing document to a presentation and a template would be of assistance. While there are fewer presentation packages for the Mac, templates in one or two of the most common would be helpful.

Summary

Business Plan Toolkit provides a complete package that helps with the establishment of any new business. It offers a comprehensive set of templates for both new business start-ups and for an existing business hoping to expand. The included templates are complete and the manuals provide clear and concise explanations of the various components associated with building a quality business plan.

Genre: Business Management

Platform: MacOS

Format: CD ROM

Publisher: Palo Alto Software

Requirements: Microsoft Word/Excel, AppleWorks, MS Works, or ClarisWorks

Network feature: N/A

Retail price: $79.95

Availability: December 11

 

For additional assistance, feel free to post questions to the discussion board. If your needs are more extensive, please contact Paul Shields at pshields@appleinks.com.

Paul Shields is the contributing editor of The Business Mac on Applelinks. He is also the editor of The Mac Report, a weekly magazine for Macintosh professionals. Outside of writing, Paul advises clients on building cross-platform networks and developing disaster recovery plans.

.

December 02, 2008