The important points that must be addressed in your business plan, and therefore the functions you must find in the software for your business plan, are the details of implementation and analysis of cash flow. Cash flow is one of the most vital parts of a company and its business plan and software designed to keep track of the cash flow helps resolve the difficulties in following its path. Cash is often misunderstood as a profit figure, but they are not one and the same. Business plan software helps you differentiate and keep track of each. After all, profit from your business does not necessarily mean your company will have cash in the bank. There are many profitable companies that fail because they have problems with cash flow. Business plan software can help prevent this issue. Business plan software helps record, organize and follow implementation details. These are the things that make good things happen for your business. You may have the most brilliant of strategies and the most beautifully crafted plans and documents but until you use your business plan software to assign responsibility, record dates and document your business budget, your ideas are just theory. Business plan software also helps you follow up with the assigned folks for each responsibility and task, and track the business results. Business plans and the software dedicated to them are about getting business results and improving your firm and its bottom line. The standard business plan software includes assistance with the drawing up of your business plan’s executive summary, a description of the company, a description of the products and services your company offers, the details of market research and analysis, and any focus groups; strategy and implementation, the backgrounds and biographies of the firm’s management team, and your financial planning. The latter should include a profit and loss statement if the company has been in business long enough to have one, a cash flow statement, a balance sheet and a company analysis of its break even point. Source: http://www.bplans.com/dp/article.cfm/41