Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Melissa Houston covers financial issues that affect women in business. Creating a business plan is a critical first step for any entrepreneur.

When disaster strikes, a well-crafted business continuity plan can mean the difference between seamless recovery and ...

A written document describing the nature of the business, the sales and marketing strategy, and the financial background, and containing a projected profit and loss statement A business plan is ...

Check out Entrepreneur's first-annual "Champions of Small Business" list, a guide to incredible resources being offered by big businesses. Leaving Google, struggling to find a technical co-founder ...