CRAIG S. McKIBBEN JR./Sun-Gazette Matthew Henderson of the Lock Haven Small Business Development Center visits Virtuous Women, a Williamsport beauty salon and supplies shop, to consult with the owner.

A business plan is the most crucial part of a business surviving and succeeding, according to Matthew Henderson, business consultant for the Lock Haven University’s Small Business Development Center. “People who develop and use a business plan have a 300 percent better chance of being successful,” Henderson said. But where do you start when it comes to creating a business plan? Henderson says the answer is to start at the Small Business Development Center located at Lock Haven University or the outreach center in Williamsport at the Trade and Transit Centre, 100 W. Third St. Henderson helps people who are thinking about starting a business by giving them a packet which can help them start to develop a business plan. “We help them and we give them a packet of information that walks them through creating a business plan, licensing and registration.” Most successful businesses have business plans and large corporations such as Nike and Microsoft have them also, Henderson said.