Before you get your business license, find a location or buy supplies, it's important to plan out your business. This will help you understand how much money you will need and how much money you will make over the next few years. Having a business plan can prevent you from going into credit card debt and or experiencing other kinds of financial hardship.
Business Plan Tools and Templates
- SCORE
- SBDC - organized by type of business
- SBA
- Centro Community Partners (affiliated with Kiva)
- Bank of America
- Wells Fargo
- Pathways Learning Resources (includes mentoring)
Local Business Plan Classes and Advisors
- East Bay SBDC
- SCORE East Bay Chapter
- AnewAmerica - serving immigrant and minority entrepreneurs
The City of Oakland's business development staff can also help you learn more about your potential market including:
- Demographic reports
- Industry sector reports
- Traffic counts
- Sales tax trends
- Local taxes and costs
- Labor force information
- Major employer information