Building the Ultimate Business Plan

How to Write an Effective Business Plan

Business plans are an essential tool for any small business owner. Whether starting a new business, raising funds or growing your business, making sure you have the right business plan for the task at hand is the key to achieving your goal. The Florida SBDC at USF can help in more ways than one. Check out our Business Plan resources.

No-cost Business Plan Consulting Services

Our certified business consultants have the experience necessary for putting you on the right track. Need a business plan to secure financing from a bank? Schedule an appointment with a consultant today.

Learn to Create the Ultimate Business Plan

The Florida SBDC at USF offers low-cost training monthly in a variety of topics, including “Building the Ultimate Business Plan with LivePlan.” Attend the training to receive all the tools necessary to complete a practical business plan, including a six-month subscription to the LivePlan web-based business planning software. Our expert advice simplifies conducting necessary research to make decisions and develop financial projections.

Certified Instructor(s):

  • Kyle King

    Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa

    Specialty: Hospitality, Management, Marketing

    Kyle King provides consulting and teaches seminars in the areas of starting a small business, marketing, and business planning. Before joining the Florida SBDC at USF, King had a successful career in the franchise hospitality and craft beer industries. As an area manager for an international hospitality company, King directed the local training efforts for all levels of the organization. He also planned and implemented grassroots marketing efforts to coordinate with national activation campaigns. King led his area of operators in an effort to elevate the level of financial and operational intelligence through a continual education program. As a general manager and business owner, King has years of hands-on business operations including but not limited to social media, human resources, business planning and detailed financial review. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, Google Fundamentals of Digital Marketing certification, and Strategic Management Performance System certification. As an entrepreneur himself, he has owned and operated a food truck and catering business in the Tampa Bay area. King also serves as executive director for a local non-profit.

    Read More

  • Mitch Lairmore

    Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa

    Specialty: International Trade, New Technologies, Business Planning, SBIR/STTR, Marketing

    Mitch Lairmore comes to the Florida SBDC at USF with a strong background in business development, strategic planning and market research. He has extensive experience with product development teams and small companies in the commercialization of technology. For the past eight years he has worked as a staff consultant, providing commercialization assistance to small companies in the SBIR/STTR program for a very diverse range of technology development projects sponsored by the US Navy, Department of Energy (DoE), National Science Foundation, Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security. Prior to that time, he formed a sole proprietor and was a subcontractor to a prime contractor for the National Institute of Health, DoE and Environmental Protection Agency.

    Earlier in his career, he served as a business development director at Eastman Kodak, where his responsibilities included creating strategic plans for new products, development of intellectual property licensing plans and collaboration with partners. Lairmore was a co-founder of a venture team that progressed to the development phase within the Kodak New Opportunity Development initiative. He was marketing manager for a multimillion dollar data storage product development effort and secured corporate partners and three funding rounds. In addition, he served as a board member for a portfolio company of Kodak Ventures Group that transitioned to profitability. Lairmore holds a Certified Global Business Professional certification through NASBITE International, is a Certified LivePlan Expert Advisor, and Strategic Management Performance Systems certified. He has assisted small businesses in exporting efforts by helping them identify and develop business relationships with international partners. He also assists clients in developing credible business plans for startup or growth. He holds an MBA from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Iowa.

    Read More