The following links are categorized by sample plans, articles, business sites and site for entrepreneurs, and they all offer free resources for business plans, templates and models. They also offer reasons to build a business plan (or not) and some sites even offer free advice in person or by phone. The links within each category are listed alphabetically by article title or by Web site name to show readers that we do not favor one resource over another.

Sample Plans

1. Build Your Business Plan: Offered by Grand Valley State University, this Word document can provide a template for your business plan. Layout includes key elements, including market and financial analysis.
2. Business Plan for a Startup Business [PDF]: Provided by Tulane University, this document outlines a business plan and narrates the information that needs to go into each category.
3. Business Plan Template: This template includes a 40-age template built in MS Word along with ten Excel spreadsheets.
4. Business Plans – Templates and Samples: The Canadian government offers this page filled with templates to help you begin to write a business plan. You may learn there is not much difference in business plans across most countries.
5. Business Plans and Profiles Index: The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh provides a great resource for business owners. They link to a number of actual business plans used by businesses and that you can use as a reference to build your own plan.
6. Chamber Case Studies: Three basic fictitious company plans from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for a manufacturer, a service provider and a retailer.
7. Excel Financial Plan (Business Plan) Template for Product Manufacturing Business: Offered by Spreadsheet 123, this business plan is fully customizable and can be modified to requirement of almost any product manufacturing business.
8. Free Excel Spreadsheets: Matt Evans, a CPA, offers free spreadsheet templates that range from capital budgeting to buyout analysis and financial charting.
9. Free Excel Templates And Business Plan Templates: Download these PDF files to learn more about how to create a start-up business plan, how to grow an established business and more from this small business resource.
10. Free, Handy, and Educational Excel Templates: Corporate Training Partners offers Excel templates for financial forecasts, price analysis, break-even visualizer and a few more for the small business owner.
11. Free Sample Business Plan: This offer is made by a group that offers plans for a charge. View each component of this plan through a visual concept as well as through tutorials.
12. Free Sample Business Plan Template: Jian software offers a free PDF template download for a sample business plan.
13. Learning Systems, Inc. [PDF]: This example shows how a plan might look for an online education business. Includes a profit and loss statement, exit strategy and funding.
14. More Business: This page includes links to a variety of business plans, from a bike shop to a fast food restaurant.
15. NEBS Business Plan Tool: Use this online tool to create your business plan and save it in a word processing program on your hard drive.
16. NPower [PDF]: This example offers great ideas for anyone who wants to start a nonprofit business.
17. Restaurant Business Plan Template: This download is offered by Restaurant Owner, a site that focuses on the restaurant business.
18. Sample Business Plan: Jaxworks provides an online example of a business plan for a surveying and equipment company.

Articles

19. 10 Great Business Plan Ideas: This article is one of many offered for free by Business Plan Master.
20. A Step-by-Step Business Plan Workbook [PDF]: MasterCard has provided a 31-page document that helps you avoid the most common mistakes and that can help you keep your focus on key points.
21. Avoiding strategic errors in your small business plan: Learn some tips from this article about small business plans.
22. Business plan development tips and template for online ventures: This article covers business plans for those who want to develop online-only businesses.
23. Business plans and marketing strategy: Learn more about how and why to build a business plan through this article.
24. Critical Steps to Writing a Business Plan: Learn more about why you might need a business plan and how to slant it to a specific audience.
25. Developing Your Business Plan: This article contains a business plan outline, plus plenty of resources (see the links at the bottom of the article).
26. How to Make a Business Plan: GrowThink offers ideas on how to write a business plan, including a sample download.
27. How to Write a Business Plan: Offered by PlanWare, this article provides information on how to write a plan, including an outline.
28. Nonprofit Incorporating – The Business Plan [PDF]: This article covers every aspect on how to create a nonprofit business, an article that is a must-read before you build the nonprofit business plan.
29. Sample Business Plan and Business Plan Tutorial: The plan is an outline, but the article is worth noting for its attitude about going into business without a plan.
30. The Tactics of Creating a Business Plan [PDF]: This article takes an in-depth look into why you need to create a business plan and how to execute one from beginning to end.
31. The Zen of Business Plans: Social network guru Guy Kawasaki puts his spin on business plans.
32. Your Business Plan: From Concept to Reality: Learn how and why you might need a business plan, and gain insight through this Small Business outline for a plan.

Business Sites

33. Bplans: Use this site to find business plan templates and outlines for all types of businesses. The site also includes how-to articles, blogs and more.
34. Center for Business Strategy: The site provides sample business plans, guidelines, Web resources and other tools that can help you hone a business plan to its core essentials.
35. Family Business Experts: If you want to build a family business, you might want to check out this site. It includes advice, sample business plans and other tools geared specifically toward a family-grown business.
36. JBV’s Competitive Edge: View this site’s latest business plan guide and learn more about how to start a business from this site’s knowledge base.
37. Mplans: A sister site to Bplans listed above, this site is geared toward accompanying marketing plans for your business. the site includes sample plans, marketing tools, articles and resources.
38. My Own Business: This free business course is geared toward the entrepreneur who wants to start his or her own business and to the individual who has an established small business and would like to see that business grow and expand.
39. Score: The counselors for America’s small businesses offers a page filled with generic business plans for start-ups, small businesses and nonprofits as well as a site filled with help and suggestions.
40. Small Business Administration: This link leads to the portion of the site where you can manage a business from its start to its success.
41. Small Business Trends Radio: This site offers podcasts, a chance to become a guest on a podcast and many other tools for start-ups and small businesses.
42. The Small Business Institute: This organization helps to meet the needs of ethnically diverse small business. they will help you develop a business plan and other preliminary documents.

For Entrepreneurs

43. Entrepreneur: A name that many small business owners have come to trust. Learn about small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit here, and gain access to business plans, articles and other tools that can build your business.
44. Entrepreneurs-Journey: This site is geared directly to Internet business and blogging with useful articles podcasts for Web entrepreneurs that focus on business strategies.
45. Entrepreneurship: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) have formed a new public-private partnership focused on leveraging best practices in entrepreneurial leadership to advance economic growth around the world. Take advantage of the offerings and resources offered by this partnership.
46. Evan Carmichael: Visit this site to learn from famous entrepreneurs. Scroll down the page to gain access to links that can help you define a business and write it down on paper.
47. Forbes Entrepreneurs: A world-famous business magazine offers articles, tips, advice and much more for the entrepreneur.
48. Ladies Who Launch: A site for women who want to start a business. You can find a start-up package here as well as a great networking opportunity.
49. Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner: View videos, listen to podcasts and browse content organized by themes and keywords.
50. Young Entrepreneur: No matter if you’re chronologically young or simply young at heart — this site provides great information, including business plan ideas and a forum.

Each link within the following categories is listed alphabetically to show readers that we do not favor one blog over another.

Accounting Bloggers

1. Accounting Tomorrow: This blog has an eye on the young, up-and-coming accountant and focuses on the ever-evolving generational dynamics in firms today.
2. Accounting Web: Read all about accounting from a variety of bloggers in every topic under the accounting rainbow. You have a UK and/or a US option for reading insights.
3. BookMarkLee: Mark provides insight, jokes, links and quotes related to accountants and accounting from a UK perspective. He also is Chairman of the Tax Advice Network and a past Chairman of the ICAEW’s Tax Faculty. He also writes Accountant Jokes and Fun. Some jokes may not be funny unless you are an accountant.
4. CPA Trendlines: Rick Telberg probably best known currently for his work at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, but he brings his insights on accounting, tax and finance community to the public at large in this blog.
5. Forensic Accounting Today: Learn more about investigative accounting, fraud examination, ethics violations and compliance, financial investigation and more from the world of forensic accounting at this blog.
6. Jr. Deputy Accountant: A blog from an accounting enthusiast, hipster artist, mother, authorized snark distributor, “disbeliever in government, believer in regulation, potty mouth.”
7. NumberInsights: A CPA in Nebraska, who is studying for a master’s degree in economics, shares interests in business development, technology, finance, economics, valuation, accounting and more.
8. Skeptical CPA: This Texas CPA with an MBA from the University of Chicago provides good reading into current news as well as advice based upon all his mistakes.
9. The Accounting Onion: Tom Selling peels away financial reporting issues “one layer at a time” on his blog with deliciously long and detailed entries.
10. The Eyeshade: This blog offers a different view of the accounting professions, looking beyond the profession to tackle current events.
11. The Exuberant Accountant: Tired of all the doom and gloom? Visit this blog to get a dose of news on the ‘up’ side, clever puns and more. this accountant is passionate about sharing what he learns.
12. The Fraud Files: Learn more about white-collar crime, financial statement fraud, embezzlement, tax and insurance fraid from Tracy Coenen, a foresic accountant and fraud examiner.
13. Where Every Penny Matters: Nicholas J. Pennewell, CPA, well versed in the studies of accounting and finance. He uses his blog to help others keep up-to-date on accounting issues.

Tax Issues

14. Confessions of a CPA: This blog contains a tax manager’s thoughts on life in public acocunting and on life in general.
15. MauledAgain: This is Professor Edward Maule’s commentary on tax law, legal education and other topics related to taxes, accounting and accountability.
16. Our Taxing Times: Trish talks about U.S. taxes, the tax system and the tax preparation business from her perspective.
17. P.C. Tax Update Blog: Roth & Company offers their perspectives on current tax issues.
18. The Summa: A professor relays thoughts on higher accounting education, financial accounting and its regluation and accounting humor and movies.
19. Tax Girl: A tax law fanatic provides her insights into tax law and policy at her blog.
20. Taxable Talk: No blog flash here – just straight talk on taxes from Russ Fox, E.A., of Clayton Financial and Tax of Irvine, CA.
21. The Wandering Tax Pro: Follow this New Jersey tax professional’s advice, news, resources and commentary about New Jersey tax policies.

Tech Talk

22. ACCMan: Dennis Howlett concentrates on innovation for professional accountants with a strong leaning towards the technologies that drive client value.
23. CPA Technology Blog: Brian Tankersley, CPA.CITP blogs on technology issues and news for all types of accountants.
24. Linked CPA: This blog is sponsored by a company that offers client portals, document management, instant messaging and workflow management systems. But, unlike other business blogs, this one provides more food for the reader rather than a focus on the company.
25. Power Abacus: Learn more about how to use Excel, Peachtree and QuickBooks to their fullest potentials through this blog.
26. TAWPI Blog: While not focuse entirely on accounting, this blog does bring insights into that field along with business management, all blended with technology.
27. The TechGap: Follow this blog to gain insight and ideas about the mix between public accounting and technology.
28. Wall Street & Technology: A Web site and blog provided by TechWeb, the focus here is on banking, insurance, Wall Street and technology as well as financial news.

Investing and Financial

29. 10Q Detective: The 10Q Detective offers insights into businesses’ 8-K and 10-Q SEC filings, looking for financial statement ’soft spots,’ that may materially impact Quality of Earnings.
30. Audit Trail: Provided by the marketers at Approva, this blog covers news from the world of audit, compliance and controls.
31. FEI Financial Blog: This is a popular financial reporting blog written by employees at Financial Executives International for CFOs and other senior finance executives.
32. Going Concern: This blog focuses on news and information for CFOs, accountants and financial executives.
33. The AAO Weblog: The Accounting Observer provides updated information on accounting issues and current events as they relate to investment analysis practices.
34. The Aleph Blog: David Merkel helps readers learn more about better investing through risk control, and how to tie all of the markets into a coherent whole.
35. The Auditors: This blog focuses on changes in the accounting profession and the ability to (or, to not) safeguard shareholder interests.

CPA Tests, Recruiting and Management

36. Accounting Elf: This blog looks at the CPA exam and recruiting.
37. Exam Cram: The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants provides a blog filled with tips and ideas on how to take the CPA exam.
38. Golden Practices: Creative ideas & practical advice for accounting services and other professions from Michelle Golden, president of Golden Practices Inc.
39. Jobs in the Money: This is a series of blog entries, part of a larger job site for financial careers, that help accountants and other financial experts find new or better jobs.
40. Management Accountant Blog: Santosh covers management and financial accounting topics as well as technology and auditing issues.
41. Possibilities for CPA Firm Leaders: Learn about practical ideas, mistakes made and lessons learned in the world of CPA firm management, human resources, administration, marketing and technology.
42. The CPA Exam Blog: This blog is about overcoming failures, circumstances, laziness, excuses and “passing the CPA Exam – no matter your age – no matter how long it takes – no matter what people say.”

Organizations and SOX

43. AGA Blog: The Association of Government Accountants (AGA) supports the careers and professional development of government finance professionals working in federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector and academia.
44. Corporate Compliance Insights: Corporate Compliance Insights is knowledge-sharing forum designed to educate and encourage informed interaction within the corporate compliance community.
45. CPA Success: The Maryland Association of CPAs runs this blog about accounting issues, relevant news and more — even if you don’t reside in Maryland.
46. IAS Plus: The International Accounting Standards Board is an independent, private-sector body that develops and approves International Financial Reporting Standards. The blog is sponsored by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein.
47. Inside Sarbanes-Oxley: This blog is dedicated to finding the best sources of news and information on the changing landscape of Sarbanes Oxley and compliance.
48. Nonprofit Accounting: You can find materials, resources and information related to the California Association of Nonprofits’ finance and accounting programs and CAN’s Accounting Boot Camps at this blog.
49. NYSSCPA Blog: This blog belongs to the New York State Society of CPAs, and provides readers with both state and national financial news.
50. TSCPA Governmental Affairs Blog: The Texas Society of CPAs provides their perspective on current affairs. You don’t need to be a member to read or comment.