The best-relaid plans ... when investors ask you for a growth plan, they want a growth plan. A cleaned-up, rehashed business plan isn't going to do the job.(Raising Money)

SOMEWHERE IN YOUR OFFICE, IN A DARK closet on a dusty shelf, sits a yellowing tome you call your business plan. Once, this mighty document was a map to lead you through the difficult terrain of product development, business models and marketing strategies.

But now it's gathering dust because your challenges are about growth. Now, you are more likely to worry about optimizing output, budgeting for capital equipment and opening new locations.

If you're looking for growth capital, it could be tempting to dust off that yellowing plan and head right out on the road to find funding. But be forewarned, the document you will need to secure growth financing may not resemble the one you made for your startup-stage business.

What's the Difference?

First and foremost, a growth-stage funding plan is different in tone and purpose from a start-up business plan, says Jim Horan, author of The One Page Business Plan (One Page Business Plan Co.). "In start-up, we're in a highly chaotic, creative mode," says Horan. "But creativity is overrated in most [later-stage] companies." Instead, the growth plan should emphasize how you will reproduce your previous success.

"As soon as you find out what works, you want to move from creativity to conformity," suggests Horan. Rather than hypothesize about potential new markets or products, a growth-stage entrepreneur needs to think about making his or her operation conform to rigorous financial and operating standards while implementing repeatable policies and procedures.

Where the start-up plan may have a few sections on research and development, a growth plan should focus on your company's rollout and expansion. A fundable growth plan will be heavy on operational details such as staffing, sales, marketing and production.