Making plans: create a business plan that will grow along with your company

Entrepreneur, August, 1997 by Cassandra Cavanah

This product is more appropriate for people who have created business plans in the past or who are relying heavily on a book or other source and just need a basic guide to get them through the process.

If I was creating a business plan today, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase Business Plan Pro. Though I like HeadStart's treatment of financial data, I found it lacked the intuitive nature of Business Plan Pro. Likewise, I appreciated Power Business Plans' use of the familiar Office programs but felt it didn't have the same degree of data and information that Business Plan Pro offers.

REPORT CARD

4: EXCELLENT 3: GOOD 2: FAIR 1: POOR

BUSINESS PLAN PRO 2.0 LIST PRICE: $99 PALO ALTO SOFTWARE (800) 229-7526 WWW.PALO-ALTO.COM Pluses: Easy to use, step-by-step process Minuses: None of note

BUSINESS HEADSTART LIST PRICE: $89.95 PLANET CORP. (508) 757-2840 WWW.PLANET-CORP.COM Pluses: Strong financial Data input Minuses: Not extremely intuitive

POWER BUSINESS PLANS LIST PRICE: $49.95 THE LEARNING COMPANY INC. (800) 227-5609 WWW.LEARNINGCO.COM Pluses: Strong product for Microsoft Office users Minuses: Lacks instructions and advice of other products

HOT DISKS

NEW AND NOTABLE SOFTWARE

* Image Trax Express: Losing track of your company's important records can be a fatal mistake. Document Control Solutions' ImageTrax Express ($47.95) is a computerized bar-code tracking system for file folders that was designed to assist companies in getting a handle on their filing systems. This product makes it easy to locate a folder you want, to perform an audit trail on a folder and even to create a waiting list for a folder. To create a new folder, users simply print out a bar code or color-coded sticker, scan it into the system, and enter the folder's tracking information. Call (714) 738-6131 or visit www.docsolutions.com for more information.

* WebEx: Though Netscape and Microsoft might have the corner on Web-browsing technology, there are other products that might be worth considering. Traveling Software's WebEx 2.0 ($49.95) is designed for the on-the-road professional. With WebEx, you can download entire Web sites to your hard drive so you can take them on the road. The site can then be searched by keyword and even be e-mailed to colleagues. For more information, call (800) 343-8080 or visit www.travsoft.com.

* Proven Edge: Finding all the software you need to run your small business can be an overwhelming task. If you prefer one-stop shopping, check out Proven Edge ($399) by Proven Edge Inc. This product promises to give users all the functionality they need in one easy-to-use package. Proven Edge includes accounting and inventory, contact and project management, word processing, reporting and payroll modules. Call (888) 877-6836 or visit www. provenedge.com for a free trial copy.

Cassandra Cavanah is a contributing editor of Portable Computing Direct Shopper magazine and has reported on the computer industry for eight years.