This is a list of business planning references I have assembled for students of BUS 663. For your convenience, I have sorted references into the following categories:
- Books
- Business Plan Competitions
- Links
- Articles
- Newsletters
Books
You are absolutely right: There is no way you'll be able to read all of
Jackson's faves while you are taking BUS 663. I offer all but one of
these references as supplementary reading and encourage you to read
them when you get the chance.
Building a Dream, Walter S. Good. 7th Edition.
This is our class text and a required read.
Everything I needed to know about business...I learned from a Canadian, Leonard Brody & David Raffa
Some great war stories about successful Canadian entrepreneurs.
The eMyth Mastery, Michael Gerber
Simple, easy-to-read clarification of what business is all about. An important read for all entrepreneurs
Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki
What does it take to turn ideas into action? What are the elements of a
perfect pitch? How do you win the war for talent? How do you establish
a brand without bucks? These are some of the issues everyone faces when
starting or revitalizing any undertaking, and Guy Kawasaki, former
marketing leader at Apple Computer.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert T. Kiyosaki
As above. Are you an employee, self-employed, a business owner or an investor?
Art of War, Sun Tzu
One
of the best reads on strategy of all time. Written nearly 2,500 years
ago, The Art of War contains not only wisdom on war, but also on the
science and skill of maneuver and strategy that are relevant today in
business.
The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual, Rick Levine
A look at how technology is changing business
Crossing the Chasm: Marketing & Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers, Geoffrey A. Moore
A must-read for anyone with an interest in marketing.
Unleashing the Idea Virus, Seth Godin
How do you get the word out about your widget?
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell
An interesting read on why major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly
Wikinomics, Don Tapscott
How technology is influencing business.
Business Plan Competitions
There are many competitions you may want to enter. Here is a partial list:
Small Business BC
This is a "real world" business plan competition that offers $40K in cash and in-kind prizes. It is free to enter, so what do you have to loose?
Enterprize
A university busienss plan competition based in Vancouver that is also billed as Canada's largerst. Offers "six figures" in prizes!
Links
I have selected these links because I feel they provide answers to
many of the questions you will need answers to during the class. What's
an elevator pitch? An executive summary? How does an advisory board
work?
Executive Summary
Executive summary writing
Hints and tips for an executive summary. Entertaining video!
Executive Summary Examples
From a vendor of software that helps you to create business plans. Thank you Sarah Vefghi.
Executive Summary and Related How-Tos
From About.com on Canadian Small Business. Thank you Sarah Vefghi.
Comparison of Good and Bad Executive Summaries
From UniLearning, an Austrailian website dedicated to good writing. Thank you Sarah Vefghi.
Other Useful Resources
Elevator Pitch
Hints and tips for perfecting your elevator pitch
Investor Pitch
Hints and tips for honing your investor pitch
Advisory Boards
Hints and tips on how to structure a Board of Advisors
Advisory Boards
Don't Go It Alone: Create an Advisory Board from Business Week.
The Role and Value of An Effective Advisory Board
Ivey School of Business.
Your best research tool
If in doubt, ask Google. Save time by learning how to use advanced searches
Business Networking in Vancouver
Vancouver Angel Forum
Forum for Angel investors. Got money and want to invest in early stage companies? Need money to finance your business?
Vancouver Enterprise Forum (VEF)
A good resource for things financial in British Columbia
Small Business BC
Downtown Vancouver resource for help with business startup issues.
Articles
30 Top Young Entrepreneurs
Stories about young entrepreneurs from Inc. magazine. Thanks to Rodney Noriega.
Newsletters