About us

NDABA MDHLONGWA, Marketing Director for OUT OF YOUR MIND…AND INTO THE MARKETPLACE ™ has been with the company for six years. Ndaba also assists with many of the publishing projects. He developed one of the three example business plans published in Anatomy of a Business Plan, and was instrumental in the development of the new integrated spreadsheet financial workbook introduced in AUTOMATE YOUR BUSINESS PLAN 11.0. Most recently Ndaba worked in conjunction with Linda Pinson to develop Instructors' Manuals for our three-book entrepreneurial series: Anatomy of a Business Plan, Steps to Small Business Start-Up and Keeping the Books. Ndaba specializes in writing and preparing professional end-to-end business plans with in-depth research and analysis for start-up and existing companies seeking funding.

In 1998, Ndaba founded Business Plan Solutions, a business plan and management-consulting specializing in small business development. Since that time, he has written business plans for companies nationwide in diverse industries.

Ndaba Mdhlongwa's experience includes working with the Small Business Development Center and the Micro Business Development Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Small Business Development Center at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA. He has also worked with Louisiana Department of Economic Development in helping small and emerging businesses with business plan and consulting needs. Mr. Mdhlongwa continues to provide consulting services for other consultants and business professionals in the areas of business plan development, financial analysis, formatting hypothetical pro forma financial information, and conducting market research.

Additional Bio Information:
Ndaba holds an undergraduate degree in business and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. He participated in intercollegiate athletics in track and field and was a five time All-American and the 1995 outdoor NCAA champion in the triple jump. He is also a two-time Olympian having participated in the 1992 and 1996 Barcelona and Atlanta Olympic Games, respectively. In 2003, Ndaba was honored with induction into the University of Louisiana Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ndaba Mdhlongwa
972-241-1144
ndaba@bizplanningresources.com

LINDA PINSON, is a nationally-recognized business planning expert and educator. She is the author of nine business books and the developer/publisher of the popular business plan software program, Automate Your Business Plan for Windows®. Her book, Anatomy of a Business Plan (winner of the Ben Franklin Award for "Best Business Book of the Year") has been utilized by over 1 million business owners. Linda's 23-year-old entrepreneurial publishing company, Out of Your Mind...and Into the Marketplace™ was named Small Press Publisher of the Year. Linda was also selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration in Washington D.C. to write its government business plan publication (How to Write a Business Plan - MP52), recently slated to come out in a newly revised edition. Her books are in libraries and bookstores throughout the U.S. and have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and other languages for foreign use. The books and business planning software are currently used as course material in universities, colleges, SBDCs, BICs, technical colleges and economic development agencies. Customized versions of the Automate Your Business Plan software have been developed for corporations including Dale Carnegie® Training Centers Worldwide and the American Bar Association.

Linda was Home Front columnist for Small Business Start-Ups Magazine and has written numerous business features for magazines newspapers and for the Internet (including Time Magazine). She has repeatedly been the featured guest expert on television, radio shows, newspapers and magazines including CNBC, PCTV, The LA Times, The Orange Co. Register, Inc. Magazine, Salt Lake Tribune, Philadelphia Enquirer, Home Office Computing, Investor's Business Daily, and others. Linda has been the invited speaker at many national conferences and association trade and industry shows (National SBDC Conference, LA Times Small Business Conference, Outdoor Retailers Marketplace, Hispanic Finance Forum, etc.) She has conducted professional development training for prestigious institutions including Rutgers University and Dale Carnegie® Training Centers Worldwide.

Linda is a nationally-recognized speaker, educator, and business consultant specializing in business financial management and small business curriculum development. Recent clients include MSN, Visa, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Linda also teaches business planning to independent publishers and is a member of the annual Publishing University faculty.

Additional Bio Information:
Linda's dedication to the development of educational materials for the small business community led to her award as NAWBO Education Advocate of Year. She has also been named SBA Regional Women in Business Advocate of the Year. She served for two years as the California State President of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Linda has taught advanced business planning at the University of California at Fullerton and is on the CSUF Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. She currently serves on the California State SBFDC Board of Directors and Loan Committee as well as the Tri-County SBDC Board of Directors. For three years, she chaired the "It's Your Business Small Business" Conference in Orange County CA. Linda was appointed by Governor Wilson to a seat on his California Council to Promote Women Business Owners. She has worked extensively for over 20 years with the U.S. SBA Santa Ana District office and is the recipient of a special SBA award for support of small business. Linda was also an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business.