1. Learn that the planning process can add significantly to the delivery of customer value.
2. Understand that the proper management of the cash flow of a business can occur only in an environment of comprehensive planning.
3. Understand that although not all businesses will rely on e- business or e-commerce, they should carefully plan their inclusion into a firm’s operations.
The business plan is the backbone of both start-up and existing businesses. The initial business
plan forces one to consider the core issues in detail. These issues directly relate to the themes
that are stressed throughout this text: customer value; cash flow; and digital technologies, e-
commerce, and e-business. Building a good initial business plan requires the author(s) to
seriously consider these three themes. It must be pointed out that these themes must be
reviewed regularly as part of a continuous planning process. A great mistake of many small
businesses is that they may begin with a formal plan, but they abandon the concept after
receiving initial funding. Regardless of the industry or the business size, formally thinking about
these themes in the context of planning is essential.