Make Your Business Plan Sparkle
In recent months, my company BookMark Online has created business plans for the new Over-the-Rhine clothier 4 U Urban Fashion Boutique located on 12th Street, in addition to other businesses like Sorella which is scheduled to open in West Chester and Matrix Performance, which provides fitness training in Northern Kentucky.

Business plans have long been a catalyst for obtaining startup capital for new and small businesses. And there is no doubt that the Greater Cincinnati area entrepreneurs are capitalizing on well sculpted business plans to secure the appropriate amount of financing in addition to maintaining a healthy business model.

But just as with resumes, business plans need to capture the attention of their reviewers. Often time, the entire plan is never read and there have been occasions when the fate of a business is dependent on the few moments that reviewer's eyes go over your plan.

This being said, you should never skimp on the quality of your small business plan, but there are some areas of the plan which should be tweaked to spark interest and hold the attention of its reviewer.

Don't Mess with the Exec's:
The Executive Summary is the bread and butter of your business plan. Business plans are fashioned with upwards to 10 or 15 sections and your Executive Summary section should succinctly summarize all of those sections. Traditionally, this is the very first thing that a review will set their eyes on. If poorly written, this section and throw a major wrench into your entire operation.

Management Profile:
Lenders not only want to see that your plan is solid, but they also want to make sure that those who are managing the business possess the know-how to make the business venture stay operating above water. Not only should the manager's experience and abilities be briefed in the Executive Summary, but they should be further exemplified in the Management section. Throwing in a resume or two could not hurt your cause either.

The Bottom Line:
Another important part of your plan is showing a viable sales projection and that those sales will sustain your business. Some would say that this should go without saying, I could not tell you the number of times that I have fixed resumes where the fact that their monthly sales were less than then monthly expenditures, which had gone unnoticed by the entrepreneur.  Keep your business plan interesting while stating the correct facts.

The implementation of gambling centers like casinos and horse racing tracks have had a wide and varied reception from the local communities in which they are placed. It was no different here in Cincinnati when legalized gaming was accepted in 2009.  Some communities embraced the entrance of the new tax payer with open arms while other areas attempted to ward off the looming gambling option as if it were the second coming of the Black Plague. 

It was a classic case of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard), but for valid reasons.  Though casinos have had a proven positive economic impact on local economies, casinos have long had a reputation of attracting not-so-favorable clientele.  Personally, I attribute this line of thinking to the popularity of films like Casino or Ocean's 11, but you can't blame all bad sentiment on a baby-faced Brad Pitt can you?

Whatever the case, this social phenomenon of NIMBY was exemplified in last year's election where a majority of the voting districts here in Cincinnati chose to bring legalized gambling to the State of Ohio EXCEPT for the one residential community which is adjacent to the casino site. 

The good news is that the communities surrounding the site seem to be embracing its new neighbor. Bridging Broadway took on the charge to help facilitate the casino's inception into Cincinnati entertainment scene. With a mission of connecting people and places to promote a new downtown entertainment district in Cincinnati, the organization plans to take its message to the community by way of Bridging Broadway Dialogues.  These forums plan to engage feedback from the various stake holding groups in the Broadway Commons area to include land owners, developers, and residents.

In addition, just after Issue 3 passed last year, I created the blog "Ante-Up Cincinnati" for anyone who would like to stay informed about Cincinnati casino development and continues to serve as a forum where anyone can express their opinions pertaining to the casino's development.

Also, Cincinnati's residential neighborhood of Pendleton, which is adjoined to the future casino site at its northern border, has established an advisory committee within its own community council that meets regularly to address issues pertaining to the forthcoming casino.   

Needless to say, with this type interest surrounding the casino, I foresee great things in the near future.