When starting a new business, one can easily feel overwhelmed. Small business entrepreneurs often find themselves asking: "Where do I start?" or, "Do I need a business plan?" In short, the answer is yes. Starting off with a good business plan is a worthwhile investment of time and effort. A business plan should serve as a baseline for what you plan to do and how you plan to accomplish it. Laying out your thoughts in a formal structure and developing out a well written plan can help you organize yourself, achieve focus in your business purpose, and enhance your chances of having success in accomplishing your business objectives. In this post, we outline a basic business plan for small businesses and start-ups to follow.