Business Plan Pro® is the world’s most popular business planning software , outselling all of its competitors combined.

The deal, which entitles Business Plan Pro® users to exclusive services and discounts on the Scribendi.com website, will connect the Chatham-based company to more than 250,000 worldwide registered users. “This agreement with Palo Alto Software will help bring Scribendi.com’s services to hundreds of thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs, which is fantastic,” says company vice-president Terence Johnson. “Essentially, our editors will have the opportunity to help assist some of the world’s brightest minds as they begin planning their next big venture, and that is a responsibility we plan to take very seriously.”

The Business Plan Pro® software package provides business owners and entrepreneurs with dozens of expert features including prebuilt spreadsheets and templates, and more than 500 sample business plans. The software is recommended by The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Inc.com. Business Plan Pro® has also helped more than one million businesses plan for success since 1994, including more than half of the existing Fortune 500 companies.

“Having a polished business plan is crucial, whether your business is just getting started or already established,” remarks Johnson. “When you’re looking for investors, the last thing you want for them to see is poor grammar. Our specialized editing and proofreading service will help Business Plan Pro® users put their very best plan forward.”

About Palo Alto Software, Inc.
Palo Alto Software, Inc. develops, publishes, and markets software products for use with personal computers. Palo Alto Software was founded in 1988 and is a privately-owned corporation based in Eugene, Oregon.

About Scribendi, Inc.
Scribendi, Inc. (scribendi.com) is a global leader in the online professional editing and proofreading industry. Founded in 1997, Scribendi Inc. is a privately-owned corporation based in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Scribendi Inc. provides document revision services to individuals, corporations, NGOs, and government organizations.

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Events throughout Oregon helped to highlight the giveaway. In the morning in Eugene for example, around 100 people gathered at 9 AM to see Palo Alto chief executive officer Sabrina Parsons, and founder and president Tim Berry, launch the OSBB. Also present at the event was Kitty Piercy, mayor of Eugene, who commented at the launch, “The economic crisis we have been facing around the world and right here in Eugene has had enormous impact on us. We’re here today to acknowledge what Oregonians do best; we take care of each other in difficult times… This is what we call grassroots business leadership.” A video of the Eugene event can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxNiESvXMnI.

“These efforts could not have come at a better time for Oregon,” said Susie Stevens, executive director of Opportunity Knocks.

Rose Alsbery, event coordinator for the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce, added, “We know this will help many new and current businesses learn to thrive and succeed.”

In the afternoon at Portland City Hall, dignitaries including Harry DeWolf, Oregon district director of the US Small Business Administration, Randy Leonard, Portland city commissioner, and Roy Jay of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon and Oregon Business Network turned out to greet entrepreneurs.

“Our goal was to help as many small businesses grow as possible, with the long-term view of creating new jobs in small businesses to help lower Oregon’s high rate of unemployment at present,” stated Berry. “This giveaway has helped provide a useful tool for many small businesses and entrepreneurs, but at the end of the day it is up to them to make use of this and the other tools available to really make their business succeed.”

More than 5,000 copies of the software have already been installed. Residents who picked up the software varied widely in terms of demographics, and type of business. Of those who have already registered the software, 51% already had an existing business, with the remainder either in startup mode or just thinking about starting a business. Participants included owners of businesses ranging from gardening to ecommerce websites to financial services.

“There has been a great response to this offer and we truly feel that it will have a real effect on the economy in Oregon,” said Parsons. “Even assuming a conservative average salary of $35,000, if just ten percent of the existing companies that have installed the software so far benefit enough from better planning to hire just one new employee, we will add over $4 million to the state economy; and if only 3% of the startups that have installed it hire an average of 5 employees, that would add over $10 million.”

Other sponsors of the OSBB include the Oregon Entrepreneur Network, Oregon Small Business Development Center Network, EdCo, Smartups, Lane Business Center, and the Eugene Chamber of Commerce.

About Palo Alto Software, Inc.
Palo Alto Software, Inc. develops, publishes, and markets software products for use with personal computers. Business Plan Pro is the best-selling business-planning software in the U.S. retail market, according to NPD Intelect. Palo Alto Software’s marketing-planning product is Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing. This combined product line offers “know-how” solutions that have made Palo Alto Software the market leader in its category.

Palo Alto Software was founded in 1988 and is a privately-owned corporation based in Eugene, Oregon. For more information about Palo Alto Software products, visit, www.paloalto.com.

Thank you Palo Alto Software for all the un-wavering and generous support you have given the Clackamas College Small Business Development Center, and to the Oregon SBDC Network in general.

Over the past 10 years I have been able to use Business Plan Pro to effectively train both new and seasoned business owners in developing plans for a variety of uses including financing proposals, marketing plans, strategic planning and even making the decision to not go into business.

As a presenter and exhibitor Palo Alto has been a great resource for the annual Portland Small Business Fair which is now in its 15th year. Further, I am always impressed with the forward thinking the company, and Tim Berry, do around the concept of business planning…the new “plan as you go” strategy is brilliant!

I should also add that when clients come in with plans created with Business Plan Pro these plans are always ahead of the pack in quality, thoughtfulness and thoroughness….it makes it much easier to help them implement and achieve their goals.

—Tim Shea, Clackamas College Small Business Development Center

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—Ray Sacks, Contemporary Business Services

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- William Med, Business Plan Pro user

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Jessican Hallman Van Clifton, Business Plan Pro user

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- Rebecca Matthews, Business Plan Pro user

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I’ve produced about 10 business plans over the last three years and all with Word and Excel. This is great software, a real help, and will save us 30 man hours next week alone.

We are amazed at what Business Plan Pro does for us – it is so easy to use but so effective with multiple output options. It really only took twenty minutes to get the hang of it and about six hours to generate our draft one plan.

I’ve spent 16 years as a programmer, analyst, technical author and software tester (including four years with Hyperion Software inc. as a consultant) and this is the best planning tool I’ve come across, including software costing thousands of pounds. We are going to get the marketing version and upgrade to pro when our accountant has had a look.

- Richard Hough, Business Plan Pro user

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- Bob Hornbeck, Business Plan Pro and Marketing Plan Pro user

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- Richard Nahabedian, Business Plan Pro user

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