What to Do Before You Write

• What do you hope to accomplish? At the outset, take some time to determine your main goals. Are you trying to win venture capital? Persuade employees to get on board with a new project? Clarify business objectives? Establishing goals for your plan now will help you judge its effectiveness later.
• Who are you writing for? Once you’ve outlined plan objectives, it will become clear who you need to keep in mind as you write. If your goal is to secure bank financing, then the loan officer is your audience. If higher workplace morale is your aim, it makes sense to share portions of the plan with your human resources department.
• What’s the likely audience response? Consider the objections or concerns that your audience is likely to have with your plan, and take care to address those issues with compelling facts, anecdotes, and explanations.

Gather Information

• Company documents: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Some of your plan’s text may already exist in the form of company brochures, press releases, product descriptions, and other documents. Don’t start from scratch unless it’s a new business and you have to do so.
• Search engines: When looking for general information about competitors, industry trends, and market dynamics, a Google™, Yahoo!®, or Ask™ search can yield a wealth of information. Be sure to check the credibility of online sources, though, since anyone can publish content to the web.
• Libraries: Take specific research questions to your corporate librarian, as he or she often will have the industry knowledge to find what you seek quickly. Also try your local librarian or the reference librarian at a nearby university. They often have access to online databases and other information that could be useful.
• Do-it-yourself: Sometimes the answer you seek just isn’t out there. Perhaps no one’s framed the question in the manner you have, or no one’s had the resources to conduct the research. If you do have the time and funds to pursue the issue, consider conducting your own interviews, surveys, and studies to find answers to pressing business questions.
• Government documents: The U.S. government maintains a vast collection of data and statistics on a wide array of topics, from demographic shifts to agricultural output. Find the answer by searching www.usa.gov, or find the contact information of someone who might have the answer.
• Trade groups: Nearly every industry, from book publishing to professional pet sitting, has a trade organization. Those groups typically survey their members and other professionals in the field to compile research on pertinent issues. Join targeted trade associations, read their publications, and build relationships with other members to stay in the loop.
• Books: In the internet age, many people have forgotten the value of a meticulously compiled, carefully edited, bound publication. Whatever books lack in newness when compared to online sources, they often make up with depth of research and clarity of organization.

Organize Your Research