Prepare to develop a business plan. BENCHMARKS Identify the purpose of the business plan, eg: planning for a new business venture planning for an existing business Identify the components required in the business plan, eg: marketing analysis marketing plan operations plan management plan financial plan Identify and document goals, objectives, and budget to include in the business plan, eg: customer needs or marketing projections proposed size and scale market focus Research the market needs and estimate the market size for the planning period