Once you’ve had your “lightbulb moment” and come up with an original idea that you believe will make for a brilliant business, it can be hard to know how to take it from the initial stages of brainstorming to a lucrative company.

If, like many entrepreneurs, your background is not in business, the prospect of starting an SME can be daunting. Martin Zwilling, CEO and founder of Startup Professionals Inc, receives a number of queries about writing business plans, and how they can benefit business owners. He replies: “A business plan is needed more by you than investors as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics.”

In fact, going into business without a structured plan could be likened to setting off on a journey without clearly knowing what route you’re going to take, says Alan Woods, director of accountancy firm Woods Squared.

But while many entrepreneurs might be aware of the benefits of creating a solid business plan, getting it right can be a challenge for startups. What information should you include? How can you come up with accurate forecasts? Is there a particular format which works best in specific industries?

We will be addressing all of these questions and more on Wednesday 23 January, when a panel of business planning experts will be on hand between 1pm and 3pm to answer all your questions about how to get your startup business plan right. You can now post your thoughts and queries in the comments section below.

Here is this week’s panel:

Martin Racher is the area director for Bristol and Somerset at Lloyds TSB Commercial and has more than 30 years industry experience with Lloyds Banking Group.

Stuart Morris is a lecturer in entrepreneurship at Henley Business School, Reading University and has been involved in startup businesses for more than 15 years.

Emma Jones is the founder of Enterprise Nation, a company which aims to provide support to startups and small businesses

Simon Duffy is the co-founder of Bulldog, a men’s natural skincare brand which launched in 2006.

Greg Cook is the COO of Twenty Recruitment Group. He is also a qualified chartered accountant and has worked for a variety of companies in the recruitment sector since 2003.

Derek Fisher is a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme, which gives support and funding to help young people start their own business.

Neil Infield is the manager of the Business and IP Centre at the British Library, which supports more than 300,000 entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Geraldine Abrahams is the director of TWM Productions, which launched its first infant development product, Tummy With Mummy, just over a year ago and now sells it around the world.

Rosie Wolfenden is the managing director and co-founder of Tatty Devine, a jewellery company that now has two stores in the UK and a manufacturing workshop.

Paul Lancaster is the SEO and inbound marketing specialist at Sage One, which designs software for small businesses.

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