Blog


Recent trends, advice, and resources for business plans and early stage business development.

Strategy (2)

Faces in the Crowd: Use Customer Personas To Write a Better Business Plan

6 min read

Using Customer Personas To Write A Better Business Plan

If you've ever seen a customer persona, you know they are very detailed and easy to understand at a glance.

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Location. Location. Location.

10 min read

Find the Right Space at the Right Time: Selecting A Business Location

We’ve all heard the phrase: Location, location, location. Where you place your business is one of the most critical decisions you will make. If you...

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How to Make Your Side Hustle Your Main Hustle

4 min read

Making the Leap from Side Hustle to Full-Time Entrepreneur

2022 was the year of the side hustle. Recent data from Zippia show that 45% of working Americans have a side job, and that percentage rises to 70%...

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Market Research Was Once Much More Difficult Than It Is Today

12 min read

Best Market Research Tools for Business Plans in 2023

Over the past 20 years that Masterplans has been in operation, we've witnessed a significant evolution in market research methodologies. In the...

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Looking for a Business Idea? The answer might be staring right at you!

4 min read

How the Power of Observation Can Help You Unlock the Next Big Business Idea

You have the drive, the skills, and the entrepreneurial spirit. You want to be your own boss and build something. Maybe you’re already a business...

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The Art of the Pitch Deck: Timelines & Objectives

4 min read

How to Clearly Communicate Your Goals & Objectives in a Pitch Deck

Note: This is the second post in our "Art of the Pitch Deck" series, in which we examine the various slides of a typical pitch deck and discuss...

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Do better things really come to those who wait?

7 min read

4 Factors for Timing When To Launch Your Business

Whenever I’m out in the real world, I tend to shy away from talking about what I do. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. But it can be...

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Visualize Your Future Business! Create a Fake Ad!

3 min read

Unsure if Your Business Idea is Any Good? Try Making a Fake Ad

A great business idea sometimes strikes you. Then, it may consume your thoughts when you can’t sleep. Later, it can full-on haunt you.

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Investors won't commit if they can't see a clear opportunity

7 min read

A ‘Scientific’ Approach to Understanding Opportunity Analysis

I was on a Zoom with a client when he posed a tricky question: “What’s the most important part of the investor presentation?” I had to pause and...

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Why do your customers buy? Jobs-to-be-done & your business plan

5 min read

Jobs-To-Be-Done Will Make You Rethink Competitive Advantage

Writing or updating a business plan for an existing business can be rewarding and eye-opening, but you might consider taking a different approach...

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Art of the Pitch: The Marketplace Slide

5 min read

5 Ways To Demonstrate Market Potential in Your Pitch Deck

Anyone who has been on an online date (the latest data says one in every five of you have!) is familiar with the concept of the modern coffee date:...

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5 Topics Your Investor Materials (& Business Plan) MUST address

8 min read

What Do Investors Look for in a Business Plan?

This is the first in a series of posts that will elaborate on the specific answer to the question: What do investors look for in a business plan?

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What is a business plan?

5 min read

What Is A Business Plan (& Do I Really Need One?)

The term "business plan" is a familiar one, often bandied about in entrepreneurial circles. Yet, despite its ubiquity, it's remarkable how much...

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How to Avoid A Business Plan Emergency

4 min read

5 Ways to Avoid a Business Plan Emergency

Sirens blare and traffic parts. Someone is rushed down the hall to the ER on a gurney. It’s an emergency—a business plan emergency!

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A history of franchises and how to put together a business plan

2 min read

A Brief, Non-Boring History of Franchises

Ever dreamt of escaping your cubicle and becoming your own boss?

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7 expenses every startup should consider when writing a business plan

2 min read

Every new business should think about these 7 costs

So, you wanna start a business, eh? Has the thrill turned into fear yet? Already? Don’t worry; that’s completely normal. It can be intimidating to...

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