Anyone looking to launch a new venture, however experienced they are, will need a business plan. And if you are in any doubt as to what such a plan might include, this comprehensive and rigorous book leaves you in no doubt. Friend and Zehle tackle what is anyway a rather dry subject without much humour, but with a bracing rigour that creates the only guide to the subject you are likely to need.

If you can't turn your proposed idea into a workable and attractive business plan using this book, the chances are that you're either missing something or the prospects of your planned venture succeeding are not high. The fact that this is all achieved in fewer than 250 pages demonstrates an impressive ability to be concise.

At times the humourless brevity combined with a desire to leave nothing out can result in a slightly hectoring tone, but as the next paragraph is likely to cover a vital point you might have forgotten, it's easy to forgive. If you think you need to write a business plan and want to know what to include and how to lay it out, present it and then implement it, this book is for you.