S&P's Financial Focus

The Business Plan

A business plan describes your strategy to launch, maintain, and grow your new business. A business plan is a detailed map of your business. To find help on how to write a business plan, you can turn any of the following agencies:

Small Business Administration is a federal government agency that provides publications for a minimal charge; gives special assistance to small businesses owned and operated by women, minorities, and the physically challenged.

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides free, confidential face-to-face and e-mail business counseling to small business owners. SCORE has numerous offices throughout the country. You can find templates for business plans on the Internet at the organization's Web site.

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) can be found across the United States . The 63 centers offer both information and personal guidance on management to small business owners and prospective small business owners. The SBDC program is administered by the SBA.

Chambers of commerce can be found in most communities. They provide information about the local economy, business trends, and business needs. Some chambers of commerce offer small business development and assistance programs. There also is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which concerns itself with business on the national level.

Make a Book Use a notebook with four dividers, one section for each agency. Include information on each agency in your notebook.

Standard and Poor’s publishes the globally recognized S&P 500® financial index and provides credit ratings. It also gathers financial statistics, information, and news, and analyzes this data to help individuals, companies, and governments make financial decisions. Go to www.standardandpoors.com to learn more about this company.