This book is for a business minded person who wants to start a business but first wants to be sure the risk is worth taking. Will it pay off? Most books about business planning teach you how to WRITE a business plan. It often seems that entrepreneurs need a plan only to convince potential investors. This is not true. This book is also about business planning, but not about writing a “winning business plan”. How to WRITE a plan is not important – what is important is how to PLAN your business. The real value of the planning process is not having the document on your desk. It’s the process of researching and thinking, analysing and evaluating. With the help of this book you are going to turn your brilliant idea into reality. In this book, all aspects of starting a business are covered. It will seem like the author is leading you step-by-step through the planning process in a friendly way. She will also give you one of her own business plans as an example. And of course, if it turns out that your business is going to be successful, the plan will be suitable to show investors as well. Ülle Pihlak has been advising entrepreneurs for 25 years and has helped to compile more than 1,000 business plans. She has been an independent consultant in business strategy and planning for such a long time that now she teaches this to the students of Estonian Business School. Besides a PhD, she also has a master’s degree in mathematics, physics, and business administration.