This section addresses some of the business planning issues that you may run into in the process of getting your start up going. It is imperative that you have a solid business plan not only to get funded but also to use as a guide to moving your business along in an orderly manner. Some good information on business plans and business planning can be found at:

www.startupepa.org/bus/bus_plan.html
www.internetinventions.com/services/l.startup.html
www.startupjournal.com/howto/soundadvice/20021014-trampsteamer2.html
www.sba.gov/starting/indexstartup.html

Follow the following links to obtain some general information on the individual subjects, suggested reading, education references, etc.

The Business Plan
Office Space
Exit Strategy
Infrastructure Issues
Functional Areas
Small Business Administration
Chamber of Commerce

The formal Business Plan is perhaps the most important document in your business. Some advice on how to write a good one can be found at the following links.

Some sample business plans can be found at:

http://www.bplans.com/samples/index.cfm?affiliate=yahoo

You may also want to consider buying business plan software such as Business Plan Pro from PaloAlto Software:

www.bplans.com/common/products/index.cfm?affiliate=planwizard&manager=bs

Calculating the amount and type of office space you will require can be complex due to the number of factors involved. A few of the questions that you need to answer are:

1. How much space per employee type should be allocated?
2. How many and what type employees will the company be made up of?
3. How long will be space need to last?
4. Are you going to manufacture anything on site?
5. Will adjacent space options be required?
6. What are your shipping and receiving requirements?
7. What section of town is best for recruiting qualified personnel?
8. How critical is air transportation to your business?
9. How much space will you need for information technology equipment?
10. Is a data network required and if so what type of accommodations are required?
11. Will you address facilities for physically challenged individuals?
12. Do you have time to build out lease space?

Once you determine the amount and type of space you need you will then need to find out where and how to get it. A good real estate agent that specializes in commercial office space can be of great value here.

The following links will take you to the websites of some of the corporate real estate firms in the North Texas area.

You may feel like it is too early to be worried about how you are going to get out of business at this stage of your planning process. It is a safe bet, however, that your potential investors are going to want to know. Information on this subject can be found at the following websites:

Infrastructure issues are an important part of your business planning process. Some of the issues that should be addressed are:

1. Voice services.
2. Data services and network.
3. Optimal Internet access.
4. What type of furniture is required?
5. How important is image in your business?
6. Workflow efficiency.
7. Printers, FAX machines, Copiers.
8. Mail handling.
9. Website facilities.

You may want to contact various service providers for guidance in some of these issues. Some helpful links are given below:

www.sbc.com/business_solutions/0,6392,,00.html
www.covad.com

You may want to consider previously owned equipment and furniture. There are several companies that specialize in this area.

Part of the business planning process involves determining what the critical functional areas of your company are and how they should be structured. A viable option to staffing is of course, outsourcing. There are outsourcing resources for almost every aspect of a typical business.

Whether you perform the tasks in house or outsource you may what to consider the following functional areas as a part of your business planning process.

• Production
• Sales/Marketing
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Finance
• Legal
• Technology
• Public Relations
• Customer Relations
• Administration
• Purchasing
• Shipping & Receiving

The mission of the DFW Small Business Administration is:

The Dallas/Fort Worth District Office (DFW DO) is committed to fostering economic growth by providing assistance to small businesses that are located in its area of operation.

Their website has some useful information including contact information.

The link is: www.sba.gov/tx/dallas/indexbio.html

Participation in your local Chamber of Commerce can be valuable even if your company´s products are not focused on the local market.

Links to the websites of Chambers in the North Texas Area are:

Dallas - www.dallaschamber.org
Richardson - www.telecomcorridor.com/rcc/index.htm
Irving - www.irvingchamber.com
Coppell - www.coppellchamber.org
Carrollton, Addison, Farmers Branch - www.metrocrestchamber.com
Allen - www.allenchamber.org
Grapevine - www.grapevinechamber.org
Hurst, Euless, Bedford - www.heb.org
Fort Worth - www.fortworthcoc.org