PLANNING & WRITING BUSINESS PLANS Writing and editing business plans is a very time consuming and difficult task ... especially if the result is not understood or worse, it is simply not read. Nothing is more depressing than receiving back a negative form letter from a venture firm or from your boss after you've just spent three months sweating over your plan. We really understand business plans. Each year, we review over 500 plans. We are actively involved in the creation or editing of another 75-100. We author, as co founders, another 10. A lot of work which is sometimes exhilarating and sometimes dull depending on the business idea and the style of writing that has been provided to us, but in each case, the plans reflect the beliefs, the dreams and the visions of the entrepreneur. As a result of this experience and through our active involvement on the boards of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, the Smaller Business Association of New England, and the Association of Corporate Growth, we have come to understand ... and create ... the rules of writing highly effective business plans. Additionally, Jack teaches at MIT on the subject of creating business plans. Our publication, Writing the Winning Business Plan, which we have written and continually update as a result of our experiences, can be requested by gaining entrance to our Knowledge Center. Reading the Rules of the Road is the beginning part of the process. Very similar to your learning how to drive or how to play a particular sport, reading the rules was usually not good enough for you to become an expert. At those various times in your life, you needed a coach. Writing business plans is no different. If you are already an expert, then Writing the Winning Business Plan will provide you a tune up. If you are not, then you are typical of the business manage with whom we work. Derby Management was with us at the very beginning of our new business, We worked hand in hand on the business plan, engaging in active debates at every decision point. The plan was rock solid and delivered. As the business grew at a meteoric rate passing the $100 million dollar mark, our management team had to assume increasing responsibilities - yet they'd only been on the job for two years. Derby Management was there for us again, driving home the systematic approach to business planning and critical on-time execution of the plan. Ellen Frank, CEO, Serono Derby Management 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 Tel: 617-292-7420 Bondville, VT 05340 Tel: 802-297-2766