"You must have a DREAM because if you don't have a dream, then, how will you know when your dreams have come through"

The same can be said of your business Plan as you must have a plan in order to be successful like: "Bill gates started with a dream and he quickly turned that dream into a business plan "WINDOWS" which in turn has made him a he zillionaire". "Oprah Winfrey started with a dream which she has quickly turned into a business plan "TALK SHOW HOST EXTRODINAIRE" which in turn has elevated her into a she zillionaire"

WHO
Yes you should have a business plan stating your education, business experience and volunteer experience so that you will be able to plan on who to hire in order to carry out this plan. Remember that you cannot be all things to your business as you will need to hire the right people to help you achieve your goals. Here, too you should have a financial plan as to your current finances, source of additional financing and time frame.

WHAT
The type of service, product or both which you plan to sell. The revenue and expenses which will be associated with your business along with a marketing plan.

WHERE
Location is everything and having the right equipment required to run your business efficiently and effectively.

WHEN
You must have an idea as to when or the time frame for launch as this is most critical for your business if you want attract investors or have others involved in your plan.

WHY
So, you are building a WIDGET, then explain why your widget would be best suited to your business. Prepare a list of your competitors and state why you believe that your widget is a better widget than your competition.

By having a plan, you will have some idea of where you are going, how you are gonna get there and when you are gonna get there. It also gives you the ability to be flexible and to tweek that plan if you have met your goal or to adjust your plan if you have not met your objectives. Structured guidelines as to how much to spend and in turn how much revenue will your business make.

It means you make decisions on when to purchase new equipment, to hire staff, to seek financing etc. You now have a business compass which can lead directly to success. In so doing, you must surround yourself with the best possible help as you should not be everything to your business. The very successful business planners delegate very well.

YOUR BUSINESS PLAN SHOULD CONSIST OF:

1. Cover page and table of contents
2. Executive summary
3. Business description
4. Business environment analysis
5. Industry background
6. Competitive analysis
7. Market analysis
8. Marketing plan
9. Operations plan
10. Management summary
11. Financial plan
12. Attachments and milestones

SOURCE for 12 items of which your business must consist is
http://www.bdc.ca/en/my_project/Projects/starting_business.htm

Additional sources on a business plan writing/start-up:
http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca
http://www.canadabusiness.ab.ca