What's the difference between a business plan and goals?

[achiro]

If you add action steps to your goals, what exactly is the difference? I've never written an actual business plan myself but was told that it can take months in some cases.

[Widescreen]

Goals are those things that you can never attain. A business plan is your strategy to try and fail to achieve those goals. YWIA!

[Vaevictis]

Compared to a simple list of goals, business plans also often provide evidence to support the notion that those goals are achievable, as well as some vague notions on how you're going to achieve them.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Stan had a five year plan and goals.

But poor Stan had old balls.