Whether you're looking for a modest loan, a significant venture investment or trying to woo highly-skilled employees, a well-written business or marketing plan is a first step to success. While a good plan alone doesn't guarantee a good result, a poorly-written document guarantees trouble.

Business and marketing plans constitute your best shot to make your case and explain why your business will succeed in a competitive marketplace. In the case of executive committees of venture firms or angel investors, a solid plan is a prerequisite to getting a meeting. No matter how great your idea is, if you don't excel at communicating it in writing, you might as well just keep your day job. Click on the thumbnail to see an excerpt of a business plan we wrote for an entrepreneur who was trying to get a significant VC investment (pdf reader required).