We tested the PlanWrite for Business version and it has a very user friendly interface and all sections of the business plan can be completed with ease. The outline is comprehensive and customizable. The plan sections are intuitive, but make sure you turn on the plan outline while writing the plan. The toolbar is easy to use with most features available at the click of a button. There were some sections of the plan that could have benefited from the addition of tables.  For example, the different market segments are placed into tables but then you are required to make your own breakdown of the market size within each segment using the word processor. The 3-7 page executive summary is almost as comprehensive as the full plan. Overall, the narrative portion is well ahead of the pack, aside from our small nigglings.

The financial projections are completed interview style, meaning you answer a series of questions and fill out spreadsheets that are sections or subsections of the full sets of projections. There are some real plusses here including a graphical sales projector allowing for visual seasonality adjustment, customizable loan terms such as interest only payments, full functioning cells that allow the user to input formulas, and built-in ratio analysis for dozens of industries. The downside here is limited to “nit picks” including the lack of monthly projections beyond year one and the fact that custom cell formulas do not flow through to the next year or to the scenario analysis.

The program is packed with educational tidbits and we felt did the best job of ensuring entrepreneurs get the most out of the learning part planning process. The end product was average and was missing some essentials such as contact information on the cover page.  As it stands it is a solid choice for just about any type of planning need as it does most everything above average.

Highs: Interface, Projections have Interview Simplicity + Spreadsheet Customization

Lows: Needs better feature integration, not quite as polished but hits all the highpoints of functionality

Bottom Line: The Well Rounded Choice for most any entrepreneur.