Excerpt: Building PowerPoint Business Plans

[Steve O'Keefe]

I have permission from Dearborn Trade Publishing to
distribute an excerpt from Tim Burns' new book,
"entrepreneurship.com." Burns is an MBA, CPA, and attorney,
which means he can cover all the angles of a business plan
without getting hung-up in any one area. His focus is on
"reality-based planning," which doesn't mean your company
has to be profitable, but it has to show a clear path to
profit.

Burns' most important contribution to the literature of
business plans is the "e-plan," a concept he borrowed from
venture capital guru David Cowan (Bessemer), and which he
develops in this book. Burns argues that a modern business
plan should be presented as a series of 12 PowerPoint
slides plus an Executive Summary. As the author of five
business plans myself, I can tell you this approach is both
unique and valuable. The excerpt I'm distributing explains
the e-plan and describes each of the 12 slides.

An e-plan pleases potential investors by immediately
getting to the point. It's easy to update, and it helps
entrepreneurs remember that a business plan is wedded to a
verbal pitch or presentation. For online economy
entrepreneurs who are serious (and in serious need of
funding), I highly recommend Burns' book.

To get the excerpt from "entrepreneurship.com," simply send
mailto:real...@bellsouth.net with the subject line, "Send
Burns," and I'll reply with the text (and *only* the text -
- your e-mail address will not be stored, used, abused,
rented, or sold).

[Brian Reilly, MS MVP]

Boy, did I need to really know this!. Thanks for saving my life. I had
13 pages in my business plans. Must have been the problem. Now, I can
retire . . .
or at least go to sleep for the evening.

Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP