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The battle between the Silicon Valley greats isn't typical corporate warfare.

For some businesses, social impact can be measured by the size of the checks they write. For others, the mission is woven directly into the business. The Classic Example Founded in 1988, Seventh Generation started as a mail-order company for green household products

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit can still generate earned income. And plenty do. The National Center for Charitable Statistics estimates that nearly 70 percent of the $1.4 trillion generated by nonprofits in 2008 came from the sale of goods and services.

When the topic of business plans comes up, it tends to polarize people into two separate camps: those that think business plans are worth the effort to put together and those that think that unless you're trying to raise money, writing a business plan is a waste of time . For Ellen Rohr, a business consultant and founder of Bare Bones Biz , the answer lies somewhere in between. "The primary purpose of a business plan is to help you gain clarity and hold yourself accountable for moving in the direction of what you want," she says