Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Melissa Houston covers financial issues that affect women in business. Creating a successful business starts with a strong plan.

So you’ve come up with an idea for a business and made the courageous decision to strike out on your own. You’ll get to work on your terms, become your own boss, and hopefully turn a profit by doing ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Writing a business plan is like the architectural plan for a home or a brick-and-mortar building. You need to know what materials you ...