on cash flow—past, present, and future. Investors are most interested in factors that can help predict growth, because growth is essential for them to get an attractive return on their investment. It was C.D. Jackson, Publisher of Life Magazine who once said “Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings.” The sad truth is that most people plan trips and vacations better than they plan their business ventures. It seldom occurs to them that a business plan can help—tremendously. Consider the different audiences who may read your business plan as your great idea takes off. Bankers are primarily concerned about having their loans repaid. While they will say that they are interested in a company’s long-term prospects because they want to establish long-term relationships, bankers want to be assured of a company’s ability to keep up a loan repayment schedule. Margins on business loans are so low that banks can’t afford to have too many go sour. Therefore, the emphasis should be on cash flow—past, present, and future. Investors are most interested in factors that can help predict growth, because growth is essential for them to get an attractive return on their investment. T business ventures. It seldom occurs to them that a business plan can help—tremendously. Consider the different audiences who may read your business plan as your great idea takes off. Bankers are primarily concerned about having their loans repaid. While they will say that they are interested in a company’s long-term prospects because they want to establish long-term relationships, bankers want to be assured of a company’s ability to keep up a loan repayment schedule. Margins on business loans are so low that banks can’t afford to have too many go sour. Therefore, the emphasis should be on cash flow—past, present, and future. Investors are most interested in factors that can help predict growth, because growth is essential for them to get an attractive return on their investment. primarily concerned about having their loans repaid. While they will say that they are interested in a company’s long-term prospects because they want to establish long-term relationships, bankers want to be assured of a company’s ability to keep up a loan repayment schedule. Margins on business loans are so low that banks can’t afford to have too many go sour. Therefore, the emphasis should be on cash flow—past, present, and future. Investors are most interested in factors that can help predict growth, because growth is essential for them to get an attractive return on their investment. t to be assured of a company’s ability to keep up a loan repayment schedule. Margins on business loans are so low that banks can’t afford to have too many go sour. Therefore, the emphasis should be on cash flow—past, present, and future. Investors are most interested in factors that can help predict growth, because growth is essential for them to get an attractive return on their investment. on cash flow—past, present, and future. Investors are most interested in factors that can help predict growth, because growth is essential for them to get an attractive return on their investment. These factors include the market’s likely future, the management team’s experience, evidence of fast-growing sales, and so forth. They want to see their investment go into marketing rather than R&D expenses. The existence of tangible assets is less important to investors because they aren’t as concerned with being “repaid” in the same way.

Strategic partners are important. Increasingly, smaller growing companies are seeking out large corporations to provide expansion resources—mainly in the form of investment funds, distribution outlets, and production expertise. Corporate executives have their own agenda. They are most interested in finding new products and/or services that can be integrated into the corporation’s existing offerings. Such issues as cash flow and sales-force plann