21 Best Business Plan Books

Rhonda Abrams guides entrepreneurs through researching, writing, and presenting a business plan. Worksheets, sample material, and practical advice connect business strategy with financial planning and the process of explaining a venture to investors or lenders.

Hal Shelton guides entrepreneurs through writing each section of a business plan, with worksheets and examples from his mentoring and investing experience. He also discusses presenting plans to lenders and investors and adapting the process for nonprofit organizations.

Linda Pinson guides readers through the components of a business plan, from an executive summary and company description to marketing and financial documents. Sample plans, forms, and worksheets support the process of developing, presenting, and updating a plan.

Eric Ries proposes developing businesses through repeated experiments, customer feedback, and validated learning. The book explains how entrepreneurs can test assumptions, measure progress, and adjust products and strategy under uncertainty rather than rely entirely on detailed initial plans.

Jim Horan presents a workbook for distilling a business plan onto a single page. Exercises and examples help entrepreneurs define their vision, mission, objectives, strategies, and action plans, using concise statements to connect business ambitions with practical steps.

Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur introduce the Business Model Canvas for describing and designing businesses. This visual handbook combines model patterns, customer insights, prototyping, strategy, and a design process to help organizations rethink how they create and capture value.

Joseph Covello and Brian Hazelgren explain how to assemble a business plan for a new or expanding company. Sample plans illustrate the process, while guidance on organization, financial planning, and presentation helps entrepreneurs prepare a document for potential funders.

Michael Gerber argues that technical expertise does not automatically equip someone to run a small business. He distinguishes entrepreneurial, managerial, and technical responsibilities, outlining a systems-based approach designed to reduce a company’s dependence on its owner.

Guy Kawasaki revises his guide to launching ventures with expanded discussion of social media, crowdfunding, and cloud computing. Advice on innovation, recruitment, financing, and branding helps entrepreneurs and organizational leaders turn ideas into products, services, and workable businesses.

Mike McKeever guides readers through preparing a business plan with financial projections, marketing strategies, and staffing considerations. Instructions and forms cover testing an idea's viability, forecasting cash flow and profits, finding financing, and presenting the plan to potential backers.

Tim Berry explains how to build a business plan through manageable steps, combining text, tables, and charts. Practical examples cover market analysis, sales forecasts, expenses, profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheets, and implementation.

Noam Wasserman examines the choices entrepreneurs face when building startup teams, drawing on years of research. He explores cofounder relationships, equity splits, hiring, investors, and leadership changes, showing how decisions about control and financial rewards can pull founders in different directions.

Ilana Griffo provides a workbook for turning a creative pursuit into a business, drawing on her experience building a design studio. Planning exercises cover customers, branding, products, budgets, legal considerations, online marketing, and long-term growth.

Tim Berry presents business planning as an ongoing process rather than a one-time document. The guide connects strategy, assumptions, milestones, and financial information with regular review, allowing owners to adapt the plan as their business develops.

Carl Schramm challenges common stories about entrepreneurship, drawing on research and accounts of business founders. He examines how companies start and grow, emphasizing work experience, identifying unmet needs, and practical lessons beyond formal business planning.

Veechi Curtis guides readers through evaluating a business idea, identifying competitive advantages, and preparing a plan. The book covers startup budgets, sales forecasts, expenses, cash flow, break-even calculations, risk scenarios, and presenting an elevator pitch.

David Ronick explains how to develop a business idea and present it in a concise pitch deck. Step-by-step guidance and interviews with investors and entrepreneurs address planning, pitching, and revising proposals in response to feedback.

Ken Colwell introduces the fundamentals of launching a small business, drawing on experience with entrepreneurs and new ventures. The guide follows the process from developing an initial concept to identifying customers, delivering value, and establishing a profitable operation.

Allan Dib presents a marketing framework organized into nine sections on a single page. The guide explains attracting new customers, generating more business from existing ones, differentiating an offer, setting prices, and applying direct response marketing within limited budgets.

Arthur DeThomas and his coauthors explain how to organize a business plan for investors and financial institutions. The guide covers business goals, market analysis, sales forecasts, operating and marketing plans, expenses, and the supporting material needed for a financing proposal.

Garrett Sutton explains how to turn a business vision into a plan that potential investors can evaluate. Illustrative stories accompany discussions of financial information, competition, funding, elevator pitches, and using the finished plan to guide a new or existing venture.