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.
Strategy (2)
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...
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%...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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:...
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?
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...
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!
2 min read
A Brief, Non-Boring History of Franchises
Ever dreamt of escaping your cubicle and becoming your own boss?
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...