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Your first draft will help you work out:
Your first draft will not be your final essay; think of it as raw material you will refine through editing and redrafting. Once you have a draft, you can work on writing well. StructureStructure your essay in the most effective way to communicate your ideas and answer the question. All essays should include the following structure. Essay paragraphsA paragraph is a related group of sentences that develops one main idea. Each paragraph in the body of the essay should contain:
Tips for effective writing
See next: Referencing your essay
If you need help understanding the question, please check with your tutor. We may also be able to help: We all have a novel in us, or so they say. The problem is, for most people, writing a novel isn't that easy. So, how do you get the ideas from your head onto paper and into some kind of useable format? Of course, there's no magical formula that fits every single writer – what works for one is another's nightmare. But, most writers agree that planning your novel is essential to prevent major plot and character mishaps. Planning helps prevent this from happening so, follow the tips given below and you'll not go far wrong. Step 1 – The One Sentence SummaryStart by writing a one-sentence summary of your novel. Don't concern yourself with the names of the characters at this stage, just describe the character e.g. "a retired tennis star". So, the sentence could read something like this, "A retired tennis star becomes embroiled in a mafia hit plot after agreeing to coach the mob boss's daughter". Take care when writing this sentence as, when you come to write your book proposal for publishers or agents, this sentence will be a prominent feature – it'll act as the hook to sell you novel. Step 2 – Describe the storyNow you need to expand the sentence you've just created into a paragraph of about five sentences. A popular way to structure novels is to have a three-act structure: Use the beginning (the first act) to lead your reader in, introducing the main characters, setting up the main conflict and confirming the time of the book. Use the middle (the second act) to develop your themes and reveal more about the main characters. But, make sure you have enough conflict and tension here or it can start to drag. In the end section (the third act), the story needs to go up a gear; this is where it should reach a climax. Eventually, you should tie-up most of the loose ends, but there's nothing like a few unresolved problems to get your readers demanding a sequel! Step 3 – CharactersNow you need to turn your attentions to one of the most important part of the story – the characters. For each major character write a one page summary that includes:
End with a one-paragraph summary of the whole storyline for this character. These are working drafts so changing them as you go is normal. Remember, writing a book typically involves extensive planning and revising as part of the process. Step 4 – ExpandingNow you should expand each of the five sentences you've created for Step 2 into a paragraph. By the time you've completed this you should have a one-page description of your book – it'll still only be the bare bones but it will give you a good idea as to whether the story works or not. If not, you can change it now, before your start writing in earnest. Step 5 – Back to the charactersNow go back to your characters and write a one-page synopsis for each of them. It's useful to write this from the viewpoint of the character. This will help you get to know your characters, see where their story is going and, ultimately, whether they should be in the story or not. Learn how to write a novel to suit your audience, with our structured novel writing courseFound these tips useful? Then sign up to receive more writing tips and course offers.
"My debut novel, Hate To Love You, by Elise Alden (my pen name for contemporary and historical romance), received three offers of publication. I went with Harlequin Carina Press. "So, thank you Writers Bureau, to which I am extremely grateful. The Novel and Short Story course gave me the tools I needed to write my first novel." Lizbeth Crawford
A business plan documents your objectives and the strategies and structures you have in place for achieving them. Your business plan should explain how you will manage all the important aspects of your business, from products and services to operational plans and finances. On this page Watch our video on why you should write a business plan for your new or current business. Topics include: Use a business plan to:
A business plan is a 'living' document, so it should evolve and change—think of it as an operating guide for your business throughout the start-up, operations and succession phases.
Download our free full business plan template and use the guidelines below to write a plan for your business. There are also other templates available that may better meet your needs—visit business.gov.au. You should customise your chosen template to suit your business and industry. We explain below how you can start with a 1-page business plan to ease you into the process of completing the full business plan.
The elements of your business plan will vary depending on:
Every business plan will be different, but they will generally include similar elements. The sections of our business plan template are listed below—use these as a guide when completing it or as a reference when creating your own.
At the start of your business plan, include the following business details:
Read about choosing a business structure and getting the right licences and registrations.
This section provides an overview of the business concept. It should be attention-grabbing and succinct—the content will be covered in more detail in future sections. While this is the first section of the plan, it can often help to write it last after the other sections have been finalised. This helps to ensure that the executive summary covers all the key information within the plan. It should define:
Refer to the corresponding sections in our free business plan template:
In this section, you should highlight your business products and services and describe what makes them unique, such as their:
You can also include details of any plans your business has to introduce new products and services. Your market analysis should describe your target market (e.g. local, international) and target customers. Add in the research you have done about your industry and the market trends. In this section, you will also complete a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Find out more about researching your market:
Refer to the corresponding sections in our free business plan template:
A business plan should include a high-level summary of your market research and analysis. Starting with your current situation, complete your marketing objectives and analysis around your target market and your competitiveness. Complete your customer and competitor profiles and develop a 1-page brand strategy. These will help you prepare your marketing plan in section 3 of the template. Your plan will include marketing tactics and an action plan. You will identify how you will set KPIs and report on your marketing effectiveness. Learn about:
Refer to the corresponding sections in our free business plan template:
Explain your sales forecasts and targets in this section, and how you will manage customer records and payments. You should understand what sales strategies will work for you and the best channels to market your products or services. You will also need to know what your current sales, volume and market share are and what you expect them to be for the next 2 years. Learn about cash flow, invoices and payments and how to collect and store customer information for help with managing customers.
Regardless of your business or industry, you will need to prepare for operating some of your business online. Note your digital and customer and data-protection strategies in your business plan. You could also include:
Complete a digital health check and learn how to create a digital strategy for your business.
Refer to the corresponding sections in our free business plan template:
This section will cover all you know about how you do things in your business—for example, your standard operating procedures and how to ensure the quality of your products and services. To better understand your business operations, read about:
Refer to the corresponding sections in our free business plan template:
This section helps you note your current workforce structure and plan for the workforce you will have in the future as you grow, and for potentially passing the business to a successor. Your business plan will detail your business's organisational structure (proposed or actual)—this is often shown as a diagram representing the business hierarchy, different roles within the business and how they relate to one another. You should also consider succession planning, even if you haven't thought about how you would sell or pass on the business. Learn about:
Refer to the corresponding sections in our free business plan template:
Your business plan should include your business finance details—there is a separate business finance template you can also complete. Summarise your key financial details, including:
You can assess the financial performance of your business using financial ratios.
The final section of the business plan should include a set of actions to take before you review your business plan next, and check your progress. This should be over a 6–12 month period, based on the business goals outlined in your plan. Set a regular review date for the actions and the business plan. Assess which actions have been completed, which remain outstanding and which require updating to help your business plan remain relevant. Read about skills for running a business to consider ways to improve your time management and leadership.
While not essential, the following can supplement your business plan. Business vision statement and business valuesA comprehensive business vision statement defines what your business does and why it is important. This could be added in more detail in your business plan and referred to in your executive summary. Find out how to create a business vision. Business values are the principles, beliefs, and standards of behaviour that guide your business. Including this in your plan will better reflect your goals for the business. Customer journey strategyThis section could include details of your business's key customer service strategies. Consider mapping out the intended customer journey—the intended path customers will follow when interacting with your business.
A 1-page business plan can be a good place to start your business planning. It can cover only high-level information about your business value proposition (i.e. why a customer would want to buy your products and services) and business model. A one-page plan can include details about:
You can search online for tools that can help you create this plan—for example, a value proposition canvas or business model canvas. Once you are satisfied with this short business plan, you can use it as the basis for your full business plan.
Communicating your business plan to your staff and stakeholders is essential for implementing it and achieving your business goals, even when starting out with a small team. Some practical tips for communicating the plan include:
Read about skills for running a business for tips on developing your communication skills. Learn about managing people through change. Review and update your business planYou will need to regularly review your business plan to ensure that it is relevant, achievable and up to date with any changes in your business. Consider reviewing your business plan: To help you review your own plan, ask yourself the following questions:
Business planning resources and toolsThe following planning resources and tools below can help you compile and update your business plan to ensure your business is on track to meet its goals. Resources for finding licences, permits and codes of conductUse the Business Launchpad to discover all your licensing needs, compiled in your own customised guide. You can also search for licences, permits and codes of practice using the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS). Learn about codes of conduct and codes of practices from:
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