This business tool will help you set goals and achieve them…and win friends at the bank by Ed Dunnavant Business Plan Basics JLC ??JANUARY 1990 easily for inclusion in such packages. Toward that end, these three key elements are good starting points: Part I: Company overview. This is a summary of jobs you have completed and lessons you have learned from your successful and not-so-successful endeavors. The trained business people who review your plan, whether they are lenders or suppliers, understand that we often learn more from our failures than from our successes. They also are likely to know about your less-than-successful ventures and will appreciate your candor. Include personal and professional references in this section and update them regularly. It's handy to have a current reference list. Remind yourself to