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How to Build a Detailed Business Plan That Stands Out [Free Template]

Updated: March 29, 2022

Published: March 11, 2022

While starting a company may seem easier now than ever before, entrepreneurs have an uphill battle from the moment they start a business. And without a clear, actionable business plan for selling, marketing, finances, and operations, you're almost destined to face significant challenges.

This is why crafting a business plan is an essential step in the entrepreneurial process.

In this post, we'll walk you through the process of filling out your business plan template, like this free, editable version :

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template.

We know that when looking at a blank page on a laptop screen, the idea of writing your business plan can seem impossible. However, it's a mandatory step to take if you want to turn your business dreams into a reality.

That's why we've crafted a business plan template for you to download and use to build your new company. You can download it here for free . It contains prompts for all of the essential parts of a business plan, all of which are elaborated on, below.

This way, you'll be able to show them how organized and well-thought-out your business idea is, and provide them with answers to whatever questions they may have.

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Building a Successful Business Plan

In the next section, we'll cover the components of a business plan , such as an executive summary and company description. But before we get to that, let's talk about key elements that should serve as building blocks for your plan.

For some entrepreneurs, the thought of writing a business plan sounds like a chore — a necessary means to an end. But that's a bad take.

A solid business plan is a blueprint for success . It's key to securing financing, presenting your business, outlining your financial projections, and turning that nugget of a business idea into a reality.

At the core, your business plan should answer two questions: why your business and why now?

Investors want to know why your business is entering the market, i.e. what problem it's solving and how it's different from what's currently out there. They also want to know why now is the right time for your type of product or service.

At a minimum, your plan should:

• Be more realistic than idealistic: Too often, business plans focus too much on how things could be instead of how they are. While having a vision is important, your plan needs to be rooted in research and data.
• Legitimize your business idea : If an idea fails on paper, it's a signal to go back to the drawing board. In doing so, you avoid losing precious time or money chasing an unrealistic idea.
• Position your business for funding: To get your business off the ground, chances are you'll need financial backing. Even with a solid business idea, investors, lenders, and banks still need convincing. An effective business plan will outline how much money you need, where it's going, what targets you will hit, and how you plan to repay any debts.
• Lay the foundation: Investors focus on risk – if anything looks shaky, it could be a dealbreaker. Ideally, your business plan will lay down the foundation for how you'll operate your business — from operational needs to financial projections and goals.
• Communicate your needs: It's nearly impossible to communicate your needs if you don't know what they are first. Of course, a business’ needs are always changing — but your plan should give you a well-rounded view of how your business will work in the short and long term.

So back to the question of why and why now – consider three things:

• Your industry – How does your product or service fit within your industry? Are you targeting a specific niche? Where do you see the industry going in the next five to 10 years?
• Your target audience – Who are you targeting? What challenges are they facing? How will your product or service help them in their daily lives?
• Your unique selling proposition (USP) – What sets you apart from your competitors? Is it your product/service features? Your company values? Price?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you'll be equipped to answer the question: why your business and why now.

How to Build a Business Plan

• Executive Summary
• Company and Business Description
• Product and Services Line
• Market Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Legal Notes
• Financial Considerations

Featured Resource: Free Business Plan Template

1. cover page.

Your business plan should be prefaced with an eye-catching cover page. This means including a high-resolution image of your company logo, followed by your company's name, address, and phone number.

Since this business plan will likely change hands and be seen by multiple investors, you should also provide your own name, role in the business, and email address on the cover page.

At the bottom of this page, you can also add a confidentiality statement to protect against the disclosure of your business details.

The statement can read as follows: " This document contains confidential and proprietary information created by [your company name]. When receiving this document, you agree to keep its content confidential and may only reproduce and/or share it with express written permission of [your company name] ."

Remember to keep your cover page simple and concise — and save the important details for other sections.

Why it matters: First impressions are everything, and a clean cover page is the first step in the right direction.

Example of a Cover Page

2. Executive Summary

The executive summary of your business plan provides a one- to two-page overview of your business and highlights the most crucial pieces of your plan, such as your short-term and long-term goals.

The executive summary is essentially a boiled-down version of your entire business plan, so remember to keep this section to the point and filled only with essential information.

Typically, this brief section includes:

• A mission statement.
• The company's history and leadership model.
• An overview of competitive advantage(s).
• Financial projections.
• Company goals.
• An ask from potential investors.

Why it matters: The executive summary is known as the make-or-break section of a business plan. It influences whether investors turn the page or not — so effectively summarizing your business and the problem it hopes to solve is a must.

Think of the Summary as a written elevator pitch (with more detail). While your business plan provides the nitty-gritty details, your Summary describes — in a compelling but matter-of-fact language — the highlights of your plan. If it's too vague, complicated, or fuzzy, you may need to scrap it and start again.

Example of an Executive Summary Introduction

"The future looks bright for North Side Chicago, particularly the Rock Hill Neighborhood. A number of high-end commercial and residential developments are well on their way, along with two new condo developments in nearby neighborhoods.

While the completion of these developments will increase the population within the neighborhood and stimulate the economy, the area lacks an upscale restaurant where residents and visitors can enjoy fine food and drink. Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will provide such a place."

3. Company & Business Description

In this section, provide a more thorough description of what your company is and why it exists.

The bulk of the writing in this section should be about your company's purpose – covering what the business will be selling, identifying the target market, and laying out a path to success.

In this portion of your business plan, you can also elaborate on your company's:

• Mission statement
• Core values
• Team and organizational structure

Why it matters: Investors look for great structures and teams in addition to great ideas. This section gives an overview of your businesses' ethos. It's the perfect opportunity to set your business apart from the competition — such as your team's expertise, your unique work culture, and your competitive advantage.

Example of a Values/Mission Statement

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will be the go-to place for people to get a drink or bite in an elegant, upscale atmosphere. The mission is to be North Side's leading restaurant, with the best tasting food and the highest quality service."

3. Product & Services Line

Here's where you'll cover the makeup of your business's product and/or services line. You should provide each product or service's name, its purpose, and a description of how it works (if appropriate). If you own any patents, copyrights, or trademarks, it's essential to include this info too.

Next, add some color to your sales strategy by outlining your pricing model and mark-up amounts.

If you're selling tangible products, you should also explain production and costs, and how you expect these factors to change as you scale.

Why it matters: This section contains the real meat of your business plan. It sets the stage for the problem you hope to solve, your solution, and how your said solution fits in the market.

There's no one-size-fits-all formula for this section. For instance, one plan may delve into its ability to market in a more cost-effective way than the competition, whereas another plan focuses on its key products and their unique features and benefits.

Regardless of your angle, it's critical to convey how your offerings will differ from the competition.

Example of a Product/Service Offering

"The menu at Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will focus on Moroccan cuisine. The stars of the menu (our specialties) are the Moroccan dishes, such as eggplant zaalouk, seafood bastilla, tagine, and chickpea stew. For those who enjoy American dishes, there will also be a variety of options, from burger sliders and flatbread pizza to grilled steak and salads.

The food at Jay Street will have premium pricing to match its upscale atmosphere. During the summer months, the restaurant will have extra seating on the patio where clients can enjoy a special summer menu. We will be open on all days of the week."

4. Market Analysis

It helps to reference your market research documentation in this section, like a Porter's Five Forces Analysis or a SWOT Analysis ( templates for those are available here ). You can also include them in your appendix.

If your company already has buyer personas, you should include them here as well. If not, you can create them right now using the Make My Persona Tool .

Why it matters: Having an awesome product is, well, awesome — but it isn't enough. Just as important, there must be a market for it.

This section allows you to dig deeper into your market, which segments you want to target, and why. The "why" here is important, since targeting the right segment is critical for the success and growth of your business.

It's easy to get lost (or overwhelmed) in a sea of endless data. For your business plan, narrow your focus by answering the following questions:

• What is my market? In other words, who are my customers?
• What segments of the market do I want to target?
• What's the size of my target market?
• Is my market likely to grow?
• How can I increase my market share over time?

Example of a Market Analysis

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will target locals who live and work within the Rock Hill Neighborhood and the greater North Side Chicago area. We will also target the tourists who flock to the many tourist attractions and colleges on the North Side.

We will specifically focus on young to middle-aged adults with an income of $40,000 to $80,000 who are looking for an upscale experience. The general demographics of our target market are women between 20 to 50 years old.

A unique and varied Moroccan-American menu, along with our unique upscale atmosphere, differentiates us from competitors in the area. Jay Street will also set itself apart through its commitment to high-quality food, service, design, and atmosphere."

5. Marketing Plan

Unlike the market analysis section, your marketing plan section should be an explanation of the tactical approach to reaching your aforementioned target audience. List your advertising channels, organic marketing methods, messaging, budget, and any relevant promotional tactics.

If your company has a fully fleshed-out marketing plan, you can attach it in the appendix of your business plan. If not, download this free marketing plan template to outline your strategy.

Free Marketing Plan Template

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

• Pre-Sectioned Template
• Completely Customizable
• Example Prompts
• Professionally Designed

Why it matters: Marketing is what puts your product in front of your customers. It's not just advertising — it's an investment in your business.

Throwing money into random marketing channels is a haphazard approach, which is why it's essential to do the legwork to create a solid marketing plan.

Here's some good news — by this point, you should have a solid understanding of your target market. Now, it's time to determine how you'll reach them.

Example of a Marketing Plan Overview

"Our marketing strategy will focus on three main initiatives:

• Social media marketing. We will grow and expand our Facebook and Instagram following through targeted social media ads.
• Website initiatives. Our website will attract potential visitors by offering updated menus and a calendar of events.
• Promotional events. Jay Street will have one special theme night per week to attract new clients."

6. Sales Plan

It doesn't matter if your sales department is an office full of business development representatives (BDR) or a dozen stores with your products on their shelves.

The point is: All sales plans are different, so you should clearly outline yours here. Common talking points include your:

• Sales team structure, and why this structure was chosen.
• Sales channels.
• Sales tools, software, and resources.
• Prospecting strategy.
• Sales goals and budget.

Like with your marketing plan, it might make sense to attach your completed sales plan to the appendix of your business plan. You can download a template for building your sales plan here .

Why it matters: Among other things, investors are interested in the scalability of your business — which is why growth strategies are a critical part of your business plan.

Your sales plan should describe your plan to attract customers, retain them (if applicable), and, ultimately, grow your business. Be sure to outline what you plan to do given your existing resources and what results you expect from your work.

Example of a Sales Plan Overview

"The most important goal is to ensure financial success for Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant. We believe we can achieve this by offering excellent food, entertainment, and service to our clients.

We are not a low-cost dining option in the area. Instead, the food will have premium pricing to match its upscale feel. The strategy is to give Jay Street a perception of elegance through its food, entertainment, and excellent service."

7. Legal Notes

Your investors may want to know the legal structure of your business, as that could directly impact the risk of their investments. For example, if you're looking for business partners to engage in a non-corporation or LLC partnership, this means they could be on the line for more than their actual investment.

Because this clarification is often needed, explain if you are and/or plan to become a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, LLC, or other.

You should also outline the steps you have taken (or will need to take) to operate legally. This includes licenses, permits, registrations, and insurance.

The last thing your investor wants to hear after they've sent you a big chunk of change is that you're operating without proper approval from the local, state, or federal government.

Why it matters: The last thing your investor wants to hear after they've sent you a big chunk of change is that you're operating without proper approval from the local, state, or federal government.

Example of Legal Notes

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant is up-to-date on all restaurant licenses and health permits. Our business name and logo are registered trademarks, presenting the possibility of expanding locally."

8. Financial Considerations

Ultimately, investors want to know two things:

• When they will earn their money back.
• When they will start seeing returns on their initial investment.

That said, be clear, calculated, and convincing in this section. It should cover:

• Startup costs.
• Sales forecasts for the next several months/quarters.
• Break-even analysis for time and dollars.
• Projected profit and loss (P&L) statement.

Facts and figures are key here, so be as specific as possible with each line item and projection. In addition, explain the "why" behind each of these sections.

However, keep in mind that information overload is a risk, especially when it comes to data. So, if you have pages upon pages of charts and spreadsheets for this section, distill them into a page or two and include the rest of the sheets in the appendix. This section should only focus on key data points.

Why it matters: One of the most important aspects of becoming "investor ready" is knowing your numbers. More importantly, you need to understand how those numbers will enhance your business.

While it's easy to write a number down on paper, it's more important to understand (and communicate) why you need capital, where it's going, and that your evaluation makes sense.

Example of Financial Projections

"Based on our knowledge and experience in the restaurant industry, we have come up with projections for the business.

Starting with an expenditure of $400,000 in year 1, we forecast sales of $1,500,000 and $2,800,000 for years two and three. We expect to achieve a net profit of 15% by year three."

9. Appendix

A detailed and well-developed business plan can range anywhere from 20 to 50 pages, with some even reaching upward of 80.

In many cases, the appendix is the longest section. Why? Because it includes the supportive materials mentioned in previous sections. To avoid disrupting the flow of the business plan with visuals, charts, and spreadsheets, business owners usually add them in the last section, i.e. the appendix.

Aside from what we've already mentioned – marketing plan, sales plan, department budgets, financial documents – you may also want to attach the following in the appendix:

• Marketing materials
• Market research data
• Licensing documentation
• Branding assets
• Floor plans for your location
• Mockups of your product
• Renderings of your office space or location design

Adding these pieces to the appendix enriches the reader's understanding of your business and proves you've put the work into your business plan without distracting from the main points throughout the plan.

Why it matters: An appendix helps the reader do their due diligence. It contains everything they need to support your business plan.

Keep in mind, however, that an appendix is typically necessary only if you're seeking financing or looking to attract business partners.

Use a Business Plan Template to Get Started

Writing a business plan shouldn't be an insurmountable roadblock to starting a business. Unfortunately, for all too many, it is.

That's why we recommend using our free business plan template. Pre-filled with detailed section prompts for all of the topics in this blog post, we're confident this template will get your business plan started in the right direction.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Business plan template

If you’re looking for a way to start your business off on the right foot, a business plan template can help you establish the foundation for your strategy. Get started in a few clicks with Asana’s free business plan template.

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You’re pumped—you just thought of the greatest business idea ever. You want to get started, but you don’t have a plan laid out. You need a loan to get your idea off the ground, and the bank wants to see an in-depth business plan. We’re here to help.

What is a business plan template?

A business plan template is a framework that helps you solidify your ideas in an organized format. Our free business plan template walks you through how to create a new business from scratch, or re-imagine your existing business in a new market.

What components are included in a business plan template?

Our business plan template covers what an organization wants to achieve within three to five years. By using our template, you’ll have a place to capture all of the major information you need in order to complete your business plan. That includes:

Company description : Information like your executive summary , your company’s mission statement and vision, and your founder’s bio. 

Product and services: A high-level overview of what your company provides, including core products or services. This may also include how your product is developed, any potential screenshots or prototypes of your product, and pricing plans.

Marketing plan: How you plan to bring your product into market at a high level. You can add information like a SWOT analysis , target market research, and brand positioning in this section.

Financial plan: Important financial information such as balance sheets, a break-even analysis, and your cash flow projections. 

Management and organization information: Information on your company’s founders, executive team, and the board of directors.

How to use our free business plan template

Using Asana’s free business plan template is simple. Start by creating a new project with our free template. From there, add relevant information for your specific business plan in the sections provided in our template. If there’s more information you want to include in your business plan, you’re free to add sections, custom fields, or additional tasks to make this template fit your needs.

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Reporting . Reporting in Asana translates project data into visual charts and digestible graphs. By reporting on work where work lives, you can reduce duplicative work and cut down on unnecessary app switching. And, because all of your team’s work is already in Asana, you can pull data from any project or team to get an accurate picture of what’s happening in one place.

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Google Workplace . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

Gmail . With the Asana for Gmail integration, you can create Asana tasks directly from your Gmail inbox. Any tasks you create from Gmail will automatically include the context from your email, so you never miss a beat. Need to refer to an Asana task while composing an email? Instead of opening Asana, use the Asana for Gmail add-on to simply search for that task directly from your Gmail inbox. 

How do I create a business plan template? .css-i4fobf{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 200ms ease-in-out;transition:transform 200ms ease-in-out;-webkit-transform:rotateZ(0);-moz-transform:rotateZ(0);-ms-transform:rotateZ(0);transform:rotateZ(0);}

Instead of taking the time to create a business plan from scratch, start the process off with Asana’s free template.To further customize your template, add evergreen information about your specific business, such as your business model, company name, address, mission statement, value proposition, or target audience. Adding these details to your template lets you avoid documenting this information from scratch every time you create a new business plan.

What components should I include in a business plan template?

Business plan templates typically contain five main sections: a company description, products and services, a marketing plan, basic management and organization information, and your current financial plan.

How long should my business plan be?

Short answer—as long as you need it to be. The long answer is that your business plan should have the answers to specific questions on how your business is run, from the perspective of an investor. The goal of a business plan is to highlight your business strategy for the next three to five years. This means any important operational, financial, and strategic information should be included. 

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Business Plan Templates

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2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business. Available as an interactive PDF or a Google Docs template.

With this business plan template, you'll be able to:

• Write a company description that sells your story
• Plan for the future: lay out goals and metrics for success
• Describe your product line in detail and plan for how to stand out from competitors
• Consider any legal formalities that require attention when starting your business
• Put together necessary financial projections to make a strong start
• Create your buyer persona and determine your product/marketing fit

Build A Business Plan That Works

Available as a one-page interactive PDF and a full template on both Google Docs and Microsoft Word!

Whether you’re starting a business or drafting a formalized document with  your current business goals, it’s important to clearly defi ne the scope of all aspects of the venture — from mission, to target customers, to fi nances, and beyond.

When just starting out, it can be tempting to think of a business plan as simply your company’s name and a description of your product or service. But in reality, planning a business involves thinking through a lot more details.

In this business plan template we’ll guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and fi nancial logistics. We've included a  plain text, designed , and  completed example version of this template. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you write a business plan.

A business plan is a formal written document that you can use to identify the purpose of your company, make important decisions about your future and help grow your company. HubSpot's free business plan templates provides guidance to establishing your company mission, customer research, competition, and a business strategy to profitability.

Why do I need to fill out the information requested?

We will always keep your personal information safe..

We ask for your information in exchange for a valuable resource in order to (a) improve your browsing experience by personalizing the HubSpot site to your needs; (b) send information to you that we think may be of interest to you by email or other means; (c) send you marketing communications that we think may be of value to you. You can read more about our privacy policy here .

Where can I get a free business plan template?

HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates are the best way to create a professional, thorough business plan. The templates include instructions and everything you need to know about starting your company.

Is this really free?

Absolutely.

Just sharing some free knowledge that we hope you’ll find useful. Keep us in mind next time you have marketing questions!

What are the basic format of a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that outlines the company's goals, strategy and implementation. The format of the plan varies depending on the type of organization (e.g., for-profit or nonprofit) and size, but most plans share some common features such as an overview, executive summary, and financial information.

What is the best business plan template?

A great business plan template clearly defines the scope of the venture -- from mission, to target customers, to finances, and beyond. HubSpot's business plan template will guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and financial logistics.

What is needed to start a business?

If you're thinking about starting a business, you'll need to do some research first. You can't just start a business without doing any market research. Market research will tell you if there's an opportunity to turn your idea into a successful business. After that, write your business plan so that you know how much money and time it will take for the project to succeed. Use HubSpot's free business plan template today!

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🤖 Free Business Plan Generator (AI-Powered)

Starting a business is an exciting journey, filled with aspirations and ambitions, yet crafting a solid business plan can sometimes feel like navigating through a dense fog. The AI-Powered Business Plan Generator shines a light on this path, offering a straightforward way to outline your vision, strategies, and financial forecasts. By providing customized, coherent business plans, this tool assists in laying down the foundation of your entrepreneurial dream, ensuring every aspect is addressed. It simplifies the planning process, enabling you to focus on bringing your business idea to life with confidence and clarity.

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Writing a business plan can often feel like navigating through a dense forest without a map. You know your destination—securing investment, defining your business strategy, or setting clear objectives—but the path isn't always clear. Enter the AI-powered business plan generator, a tool designed to illuminate the way forward. This guide will walk you through the essentials of crafting a comprehensive business plan, touching upon the traditional elements that captivate stakeholders. In the final stretch, we'll introduce how an AI-powered business plan generator can streamline this process, making it more accessible and less time-consuming.

How to create a Business Plan

Now that you're familiar with the executive summary, let's tackle how you can create the rest of your business plan.

You can start manually by outlining your plan's structure and filling in the details step by step, or opt for a business plan generator to streamline the process.

Either method requires careful consideration of each section to ensure your plan is thorough and compelling.

Manual Methods for creating a Business Plan

You'll start with the Executive Summary, distilling your business idea into a compelling snapshot that captures attention.

Next, you'll outline your Company Overview, providing a clear picture of who you are and what you stand for.

Then, lay out your Business Objectives, Products and Services, and your Market Analysis Approach to build a solid foundation for your plan.

Executive Summary Essentials

Although it's often crafted last, the Executive Summary stands as the crucial opener of your business plan. It distills key aspects such as your mission, product highlights, and financial ambitions for quick investor insight. It encapsulates your company's essence for investors and maps out the business plan development milestones.

Ensure it crisply outlines your executive summary, underscoring the company's financial goals. This will help capture investors' attention right off the bat.

Company Overview

Begin your company overview by detailing your business's foundational elements, including its name, location, and the team driving its operations.

Here's what to include:

• A clear description of your business structure and ownership.
• The mission statement that defines your business's purpose.
• An outline of the products or services you offer.
• Background information that paints a picture of your company's history and objectives.

Business Objectives

To set your business on the path to success, start by defining clear and measurable objectives that reflect both your immediate and long-term aspirations.

Align your business objectives with strategic objectives to meet financial goals.

Conduct market research to fine-tune your target market strategies .

Ensure company goals are realistic and adaptable, setting a course for growth and market competitiveness.

Regular updates keep your plan relevant.

Products and Services

After setting clear business objectives, focus on articulating the core of your offering by detailing the products and services your business provides. Your description should also include:

• Unique features and benefits of each product or service.
• Specific products' competitive advantages.
• Your strategy for sales, distribution, and supply chain.
• Trademarks and market placement for your products and services.

Market Analysis Approach

A thorough market analysis is crucial for your business plan as it reveals the dynamics within your target market and guides your competitive strategy .

You'll identify potential customers, understand established market trends, and analyze how competitors differentiate themselves.

This knowledge shapes your sales plan and informs your marketing and sales efforts, highlighting opportunities in an otherwise crowded marketplace and showcasing your grasp of the competitive landscape.

Marketing and Sales Strategies

Crafting a marketing and sales strategy requires precise identification of your target customers to ensure your message resonates and spurs action. Here's how to proceed:

• Define your target market for the new product.
• Develop a pricing and sales channel approach.
• Design a marketing plan with promotional tactics.
• Analyze market trends to refine your strategy.

Stay focused on meeting customer needs and differentiating from competitors.

Financial Analysis and Projections

Diving into the financials, you'll need to gather historical data and conduct a thorough analysis of revenue streams , costs, and profit margins to inform your projections for the next three to five years.

Your financial plan hinges on these insights.

Operations Plan

To ensure your business runs like a well-oiled machine, start by mapping out your key operational processes and procedures. Your operations plan is a vital section of your business plan. Here's what to include:

• Outline technology's role in business operations.
• Develop a comprehensive staffing plan.
• Establish a robust inventory management system.
• Implement quality control measures to provide additional assurance of product or service excellence.

Funding Requirements

Having established the operational foundations of your business, let's now focus on determining the capital necessary to fuel your growth and operational needs.

Outline your funding requirements by presenting clear financial data, including projected income, balance sheets, and cash flows.

You'll need this to secure funding from venture capital firms or potential investors, ensuring they grasp how their capital will propel your business towards its targets.

Appendices and Exhibits

When crafting your business plan, don't overlook the appendices and exhibits; these sections provide the substantiating details that reinforce your proposal's integrity. Include:

Documents that outline key personnel qualifications and experience.

Details on intellectual property, such as patents.

Additional information for financial institutions, like credit histories.

Contracts, leases, or other legal documents relevant to your business.

Using a Business Plan Generator

You might wonder why you'd use a Business Plan Generator—these tools streamline the planning process, making it easier for you to focus on the core aspects of your strategy.

To get started, you'll follow a series of steps that help structure your executive summary, goals, and market analysis within a proven framework.

The benefits are clear: using a generator can save you time and provide you with a professional, investor-ready plan.

Steps to use the Business Plan Generator

To create a business plan using a generator, start by selecting a template that aligns with your industry and business type.

Here are the steps to use a business plan generator:

• Identify Your Business Details : Start by providing the name of your business and the industry it operates in. This foundational step sets the stage for the tailored guidance the generator can offer.
• Describe Your Offerings : Clearly articulate what products or services your business sells or offers. This will help the generator understand the value proposition of your business.
• Define Your Target Audience : Specify who your ideal customers are, including demographic information. Understanding your target audience is crucial for creating a focused and effective business plan.
• Outline Your Marketing Plan : Detail your strategies for promoting your business. This includes how you plan to reach your target audience and differentiate yourself from competitors.
• Detail Your Operational Strategy : Explain how your business will operate on a day-to-day basis. Include information on your supply chain, logistics, and any other operational details.
• Provide Financial Information : Input how much money you need to start your business and project how much revenue it will generate. This financial planning is critical for assessing the feasibility of your business idea.
• Set Business Objectives : List what you aim to achieve with your business in the short term and the long term. These goals will guide the direction of your business strategy.
• Click on Generate : After entering all the necessary information, click the "generate" button to create your personalised business plan. This plan will be tailored to the specifics of your business, providing a roadmap for success.

Benefits of using a Business Plan Generator

Harnessing a business plan generator can significantly streamline the process, saving you both time and effort as you craft a detailed blueprint for your venture.

Here are the benefits:

• Provides a structured framework to write a business plan efficiently.
• Helps identify opportunities in new markets.
• Enhances financial literacy through budgeting and forecasting tools.
• Clarifies business objectives, aiding in communication with stakeholders.

Tips for Creating a Business Plan

When crafting your business plan these tips collectively form a comprehensive business plan, providing a roadmap for your business and presenting a compelling case to investors and lenders.

Here are the tips for creating a business plan:

• Articulate your mission and vision succinctly.
• Outline your offerings and financial ambitions.
• Provide a snapshot of your business's financial health and market potential.
• Clarify the business structure ( sole proprietorship , partnership, corporation).
• Highlight ownership details.
• Showcase key employees, emphasizing their expertise.
• Define short- and long-term goals for your business.
• Align goals with your strategic direction.
• Establish a direct link between financing needs and future growth.
• Describe your offerings and emphasize how they meet market needs.
• Support claims with market research.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of your competition.

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Professional Business Plan Template to Customize

Create Your Business Plan

• Create a comprehensive business plan.
• Easily customize your slides to fit your needs.
• Showcase data with 40+ chart options.

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Our business plan maker is used by over 27,500,000 marketers, communicators, executives and educators from over 133 countries that include:

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Professional business plan templates.

Create a presentation or document business plan quickly and easily with Visme's template options. Customize each page or slide to fit your vision and information to pitch to cofounders or investors. Get started today.

Data visualization made easy

Tell your story with the data to match using easy-to-customize charts and graphs. Select from 40+ chart and graph visualizations and find the one that proves your point clearly. Upload static data or connect to Google sheets for live data.

Customize every aspect of your presentation with your own images and text

Convey the exact mood you desire for your business plan with over a million images, thousands of icons, dozens of charts and data widgets to visualize information in an engaging way. Apply a color scheme to all your slides with one click. Add animation effects, transitions, interactivity, pop-ups, rollovers and third-party content to support your business case.

Speed things up with Visme AI Designer

Go from a text prompt to a ready-to-use design in mere minutes with Visme AI Designer (Beta). Do you need to create a business plan but lack the time? Let Visme AI Designer help you save time and effort. Describe your desired project to our AI Designer Chatbot, choose a style, and relax as AI Designer generates your project.

Apply our simple business plan template to give you a head start.

Meet the Team

Mission Statement

Product Overview

Value Propositions

Industry Landscape

Market Size

Customer Descriptions

Market Growth

Competitive Comparison

Competitive Advantage

Business Growth Projections

Marketing Mix

Conversion Funnels

Funding Needed

Share Your Business Plan

Finished your business plan and ready to share with the world? Visme’s business plan template makes it easy to publish, download and get feedback on your design. Simply download as a high resolution image or PDF, or publish it to the web and send a link to access it.

LEARN ABOUT BUSINESS PLANS

What is a Business Plan ?

A business plan is a written document or presentation that allows business leaders to share the business potential and goals, as well as your plans for the future. The business plan is a key step in working towards getting investors looking at your product.

If you're looking to flesh out a new business idea or venture in order to get cofounders or investors on board, you need a business plan. Get started with one of our templates to give you a starting point and framework for your own plan.

Why do I need a business plan?

Writing a business plan is a key step in securing funding and convincing high level executives that your business is worth their time. A well-executed business plan is crucial to the success of a business and it’s one of the first steps you should take.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED + MORE

Make Your Business Plan Stand Out

Take your business to new heights with a beautifully designed business plan. Our tools put the power of visual communication in the hands of entrepreneurs and business owners, no matter their level of design skills.

MAKE IT ENGAGING

Interactivity

Highlight your business’ unique selling point with interactive hotspots and rollover effects. Capture the attention of investors and stakeholders with interactive content.

VISUALIZE YOUR DATA

Charts & Graphs

Showcase in-depth data, statistics, and financial projections in a unique way. Harness the power of data visualization with Visme’s professional infographics, charts and graphs.

MEASURE THE IMPACT

Gain insight into the impact of your business plan with an analytics report. Track how many people have viewed your business plan and gauge its effectiveness.

HOW IT WORKS

How to Make a Business Plan in 5 Steps

If you are wondering how to write a business plan, you’ve come to the right place. Instead of starting your business plan from scratch, use our business plan templates to get you going in no time.

Learn more about creating your own business plan presentation or document by going through our step-by-step tutorial below or watching this quick video.

• Log into your Visme dashboard or create a new account, then click Create New Project.
• Access our business plan templates by searching for “Business Plan” in the search box.
• Select the template, then customize the content for your business.
• Update any charts and graphs to reflect your business goals.
• Once all your content is added, customize colors, logos, icons and more.

Questions About the Business Plan Template

How much does it cost to create a business plan with the business plan template, what types of charts and graphs are available in visme, can i use my brand kit to create my business plan with visme, is the business plan template completely customizable, can i use any photo in the image library in my business plan, your business plans deserve to be beautiful and so does the rest of your content.

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• Business plans

Business Plan Template

Used 10,558 times

Reviewed by Yauhen Zaremba

This business plan template is a great tool for your startup to customize to reflect your strong qualifications, experienced team, and marketable business idea.

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Business Plan

1. executive summary.

The Executive Summary is where you explain the general idea behind your company; it’s where you give the reader (most likely an investor, or someone else you need on board) a clear indication of why you’ve sent this Business Plan to them. This is a souped-up “elevator pitch,” a couple of pages that summarizes what your business is all about.

Note that, while the entire Business Plan should be well-written, this section must really demonstrate excellent composition and grammar. This is the first part of your Business Plan that anyone will read, so it’s important that it really “sing.”

The header section of the Executive Summary can benefit from flexible treatment, as well. You can use a company logo, or any other design you’d like, but you want to be sure you include the name of your business, right at the start of the Business Plan.

In the Business Plan section, you will want to get the reader’s attention by letting them know what you do. Try to answer some (or all) of the following questions:

• What products or services do you offer?
• What sector do you operate within?
• Who is your target audience?
• What is the future outlook of the marketplace?
• What makes your offer unique?
• Who’s the boss?
• Why did your company start?

The Executive Summary is the place to succinctly describe your business. It’s also appropriate to address why you’ve created your proposal, answering questions like these, briefly, in addition to those above:

• Do you need investment?
• How much money do you need?
• What is the money to be used for?
• How will your business become profitable?
• What’s in it for the recipient?

The last question is perhaps the most important. Already, only having read as far into your business plan as the Executive Summary, your reader is wondering “what’s in it for me?” And your challenge is to offer them a preview (remember this is a “summary”) of the benefits of accepting your business plan, while not giving away the whole story.

2. Business Description

This next section gives all the must-have details about your business. Here you are looking to answer questions like “when did you start?”; “Why?”; “By whom?”

This is the place for your “origin story.” This section should be just as well-written as the Executive Summary, of course. What is your interest in the market? How’d you get to this point?

As you can tell, the Business Description section amounts to backstory – and that’s essential to any Business Plan.

This is where you tell them where you’re coming from, before you get to “why” you’re in need of an investment, in a nutshell.

3. Mission Statement

The Mission Statement section of your Business Plan expands on some of what you talked about in the Executive Summary.

Here are the major points you will want to make in the Mission Statement.

Explain the end-result you seek from the business venture. Connect it to your customers and readers, in turn.

B) Objectives

Explain the steps you will take to reach your goal. Be specific; demonstrate that you have a good idea of what it will realistically take to achieve your goals.

C) Customers

Your target audience has to be well-defined. Here you need to explain exactly who your customer is. You should define your customer as specifically as possible. Is your customer the 18-24 year old customer base? How about the 18 -24 year old music consumers, as an example? Describe them to the finest level of detail possible.

D) Industry

Why is your niche attractive? Is your industry growing? Will you shake it up with your offer? Are you a disruptor? Explain thoroughly in this section.

E) Strengths

Here you want to outline what makes your company special. Answer why your business is different from the rest of the competition. Who’s on your team? The best tip we’ve got is: investors love a top-notch team.

F) Status of Ownership

Here you want to tell your prospective investors the legal status of your company. Is it a limited liability company (LLC)? Is it a sole proprietorship, or partnership? Whatever the case may be, you’ll want to explain it to your prospect.

4. Products and Services

This section is extremely important to a successful Business Plan. This is where you describe what it is that you have to offer the world.

Be sure to include:

• Detailed descriptions of your Products and/or Services. Feel free to include pictures, as you deem appropriate. Don’t forget to add the pricing and/or fees.
• Next, you’ll want to spend some time extolling the features and benefits of your products and/or services. Break it down. Remember that customers love benefits, and prospective investors want to know that you understand those benefits.

The Products/Services you offer are the core of your business. You really can’t afford to omit anything relevant here. Your prospective investor will surely want to know what you have to offer, and they’ll want to know enough about those things to be able to believe in them.

5. Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan is one of the most essential parts of your Business Plan; marketing is the thing that brings your business to its audience.

The first thing to do in the Marketing Plan section is to prove that you know your target audience. Put the research, market analyses, and industry knowledge that you possess to work in this section. You are illustrating to your recipient that you know your audience better than anyone, and that makes yours the ideal business to serve the audience.

This section can be broken into six distinct parts, as follows:

• Clearly define and explain your target audience
• Briefly describe your competition – particularly what makes you better at what you do than them
• Detail your niche. What particular area of your industry to you fit? Where do you squeeze in, in light of the innovation?
• List your distribution channels.
• Describe how you will promote the business. What media outlets will you use for advertisement? How much is your marketing budget? Your prospective investor will surely want to know.
• State your image or message. How will you present your business to the public? Tell your reader how your customers will see your business.

The Marketing Plan is essential. Make sure you give it plenty of attention, in your Business Plan.

6. Operations Plan

This section of your Business Plan should detail your day-to-day operation. This is important; your prospective investors want to know that you’ve given some thought to the daily operation of your business.

Here, you’ll want to describe the various resources, personnel, and real estate involved in the execution of your business activities.

Here are some of the things you will want to include in the Operations Plan section:

Location-- for either service or product, where do you work out of? (Be specific, with dimensions, cost of utilities etc.)

Transportation-- how do you get your product to your clients? third-party store? Legal requirements -- Do you need permits? licenses? etc. What are the regulations you follow? Work with unions? etc.

Personnel-- Describe the type of positions you already have, plus what you may need to expand on.

Inventory-- Do you keep things in stock? Where? How much does that cost? What is the value of it? Providers/Suppliers -- Who do you lease work out to? List names, addresses, websites.

Timing for Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable-- Investors want to know about anything that could keep them from making a quick profit.

7. Management Organization

In this section, detail the management structure inside your organization. Your prospective investors will be keen to know who’s calling the shots and to whom at your business.

Here are the things you will want to make sure you list here:

• Board of Directors
• Accountants
• Consultants

Remember, you don’t have to list everyone, down to the janitors, but you do want to be thorough in this section. Let your prospect know that you’re not just winging it, and that you have a team in place.

8. Financial Plan

The Financial Plan is one of the most important, if not the absolute most important, parts of your Business Plan. This is a section that your reader will be eyeing closely, and they will expect you to have put a lot of love into this one, too.

Begin this section by telling the prospective investor about the funding you’ve received so far. Where has it come from? How much does it total? Be forthcoming about your capital and its sources, first and foremost.

This section is also the place where you plan your Profit and Loss (P&L) for at least the next 12 months. This spreadsheet can be used in connection to the cash flow spreadsheet. If your business plans to run a loss for the first year (or two, or three), you should clarify this point in this section, and add a model profitable year for good measure. Just be sure to explain that your Business Plan doesn’t always project a loss.

Cash Flow Spreadsheet Example

Cell and section names:.

CashReceivedB, Expenditures, etc are the names of the sections. To name the cell of section of cells - highlight it and then rename in the upper left corner. Changing the name afterwards, if misspelled or deleting it completely, if reverting back to original cell name is done through “Insert -> Name -> Define”.

Fiscal Year and PV of Cash Flows

Dates will be change automatically if the date in the “Fiscal Year Begins” is changed. Another section where investors would look is the present value of cash flows. It’s the sum of all cash flows discounted back 1 period using company’s annual rate of return, which is set by the company. A number was made up.

Cash Received, Expenditures, Net Cash Flow

Cash Received is a section where someone would record all the cash inflow from different activities like operating or financial. Cash outflows are recorded in Expenditures. Both of these sections are summed in the subtotals: (=SUBTOTAL(109,CashReceivedB)). 109 – specifies the function that should be done by the subtotal, other could be used too, such as averaging; there are numbers from 1 to 11.

With these two sections it is easy to find: Net Cash Flow = Cash inflow – Cash outflow. I also added two sections, which show how much money was in the beginning of the month, and how much is available at the end. That cash balance from previous month is transferred to the next month Cash Available section.

Profit/Loss Analysis Spreadsheet Example

Formulas for this spreadsheet:.

• Gross Profit = Revenue – Cost of production
• GP Margin = Gross Profit / Revenue
• Profit before taxes = Gross Profit + Other Income – Other Expenses
• Profit loss after tax = Profit before tax * (1 – Tax Rate) *However if loss was incurred, tax won’t be applied. To accommodate for that write the IF statement: if Profit Before Taxes > 0, then apply the formula above to that number, otherwise the negative number will be transferred to this cell.
• Net profit margin = Profit after tax / Revenue

Sparklines:

Overview is done with Sparklines. Select the cell where you would want to see the graph then Insert -> Sparklines. The window will pop up where you can choose the data to be shown.

To customize the graph, click on one of them and the ribbon will show up, where you can choose different styles of presentation.

Graphs for Profit/Loss Analysis Example

Creating a chart:.

Go to Insert -> Charts, highlight the data you are trying to present. Charts ribbon has variety of options that will help you improve the look and style of graphs.

Transferring chart to another spreadsheet

In order to move the chart to a new or existing sheet, press control or right click on it and choose “Move”:

Since the charts reference the same cells in the profit/loss analysis spreadsheet, updates in that table will automatically be reflected on the graph.

Break-Even Analysis Spreadsheet

Finding sales mix %:.

In this part, the goal is to find current products sales mix, which will be used in the analysis. You need to input the price and number of units sold/services provided. Sales mix % is then found for each product. These numbers should be transferred by hand to the second table.

Break-Even Analysis:

• Contribution Margin Per Unit = Price per Unit – Variable Cost Per Unit
• Average CM per Unit = CM per Product 1 * Sales Mix % Product 1 + CM per Product 2 * Sales Mix % Product 2+ ...
• Break-Even number of Units to Sell = Fixed Costs / Average CM per Unit. *This is the total number of all products, to find how many units of each product you need to sell:
• B-E units of Product 1 = (Fixed Cost / Average CM per Unit) * Sales Mix of Product 1
• Product Sales in $ = B-E units of Product 1 * Price

This table is useful to quickly assess how different scenarios would affect the break-even points. You can copy the analysis table and paste it right next to each other for easier comparison.

9. Conclusion/Call to Action

The last part of your Business Plan is a conclusion, which ideally should contain a call to action (CTA). Your CTA here is a bit different from a CTA on something like a Web-based landing page. A Business Plan CTA simply clarifies the next step. Is it a phone call or a meeting? Perhaps it’s a phone call to schedule a meeting. Whatever your CTA may be, you’ll want to make it clear, in this section.

10. Confidentiality Statement

Your Business Plan is top secret, right? If that’s the case, it’s up to you to make sure that’s clearly stated to those who receive the Business Plan. One way to protect your business and its intellectual property (IP), is to include a confidentiality, or nondisclosure (NDA) statement in your Business Plan.

11. Addendums

Here is where you add extra information, including but not limited to:

• -- less interesting information, that someone might like to know (positive, of course)
• -- graphs, technical drawings, etc
• -- citations: sometimes you may include a statistic in your proposal, about your industry, your competitive market, etc., but you must cite it.
• -- business studies
• -- city plans, office plans
• -- list of assets for collateral; financial backgrounds of key investors
• -- CVs/resumes, credentials of key players
• -- key collaborators, etc

[Sender.Company]

MM / DD / YYYY

[Client.Company]

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Free Business Plan Template

Running your own business might be a real challenge. And even if you know exactly every single step of your company, you need a proper business plan to attract investors, employees, and potential partners. Creating one is easy with PandaDoc free business plan templates.

What Is a Business Plan Template?

A business plan template is an opportunity to find a simple and convenient tool that will grant you a proper start for your business. Using even a simple business plan will be a universal solution for all types of companies, especially startups or small ventures.

By providing all the essential facts in your business plan, you will be able to show its most beneficial parts. And with a proper sample of a business plan template, you will avoid all the possible mistakes.

What Is Included In a Free Business Plan Template?

Working with a template for a business plan, you will be able to include all the essential things about development and running your business.

The following chapters are the most important ones:

• The idea of your company. This is the very first thing that shows the purpose and the benefits of your venture. Here, you need to concisely explain your aims, ideally in one-two sentences. 
• The description of your business. Here you can show the basic data about your company and the expanded version of your global aims. 
• Your business mission. When you want to express the local goals of your company and show all your working aims, you have to use the page with the mission. Include the most important aspects. Goals, objectives, the targeted audience of your projects, the place you are going to take on a market, advantages of your company, and information for investors, who will be able to attend your business. 
• Your products and services. Show the beneficial services that you are going to use as your main tool to attract customers and succeed. 
• A detailed marketing plan. Here you can show the proper chain of business solutions with an expanded explanation of each and every step of your business. A marketing strategy might include both your potential income and costs. 
• Operations plan. Here you can state all the essential tasks you have to do in order to run your project or manage it. 
• Management. Show the hierarchy of your employees. It will give the clearest image of how many people your company will accept. 
• Financial plan. Giving the clearest and the most expanded vision of all of your costs will be the most important part for your potential investors. Completing this chapter properly might be extremely challenging, but with a proper free business plan template, you will face no trouble with it.

As you can see, there will be more than enough solutions for your business plan. And with a proper conclusion, you will find it simple to show even more beneficial parts of your company to all your investors.

How To Write a Business Plan Template?

To write a proper business plan you can use a sample of a business plan template provided by PandaDoc. When filling it out, you need to include the following information:

• Facts about your company. You can expand it with numbers or achievements like the state of your client base, years of expertise in the market, or anything that attracts the attention of potential investors.
• State the costs and income of your company. It will be essential to calculate everything for investors to have a clear picture of the current state.
• Use the employee tab. With a proper business plan template sample, you will see that you can add employees to the chosen chapter in order to show the levels of responsibility in your company.

And also, you should keep in mind that all the information about your goals, aims, and tools to work on your project has to be clear for any single person that is going to read your business plan. But with PandaDoc tips PandaDoc, you will be able to see all the nuances and fill in your sample.

When To Use a Simple Business Plan Template?

A simple business plan template is ideal for startups or small business owners who just consider starting their path. Individual entrepreneurs can benefit from it too, as it’s a great way to put all the aspects of the job together and spot a range of opportunities to improve.

Having a template for a business plan lets you focus on the main aspects of your business operation, making it full and detailed for your investors. And PandaDoc will help a lot with this task, while such features as eSignature will help with making this small business plan template a real and verified source of the information.

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10 Free Business Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

February 13, 2024

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Turning your vision into a clear and coherent business plan can be confusing and tough. 

Hours of brainstorming and facing an intimidating blank page can raise more questions than answers. Are you covering everything? What should go where? How do you keep each section thorough but brief?

If these questions have kept you up at night and slowed your progress, know you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together the top 10 business plan templates in Word, Excel, and ClickUp—to provide answers, clarity, and a structured framework to work with. This way, you’re sure to capture all the relevant information without wasting time. 

And the best part? Business planning becomes a little less “ugh!” and a lot more “aha!” 🤩

What is a Business Plan Template?

What makes a good business plan template, 1. clickup business plan template, 2. clickup sales plan template, 3. clickup business development action plan template, 4. clickup business roadmap template, 5. clickup business continuity plan template, 6. clickup lean business plan template, 7. clickup small business action plan template, 8. clickup strategic business roadmap template , 9. microsoft word business plan template by microsoft, 10. excel business plan template by vertex42.

A business plan template is a structured framework for entrepreneurs and business executives who want to create business plans. It comes with pre-arranged sections and headings that cover key elements like the executive summary , business overview, target customers, unique value proposition, marketing plans, and financial statements.  

A good business plan template helps with thorough planning, clear documentation, and practical implementation. Here’s what to look for:

• Comprehensive structure: A good template comes with all the relevant sections to outline a business strategy, such as executive summary, market research and analysis, and financial projections 
• Clarity and guidance: A good template is easy to follow. It has brief instructions or prompts for each section, guiding you to think deeply about your business and ensuring you don’t skip important details
• Clean design: Aesthetics matter. Choose a template that’s not just functional but also professionally designed. This ensures your plan is presentable to stakeholders, partners, and potential investors
• Flexibility : Your template should easily accommodate changes without hassle, like adding or removing sections, changing content and style, and rearranging parts 🛠️ 

While a template provides the structure, it’s the information you feed it that brings it to life. These pointers will help you pick a template that aligns with your business needs and clearly showcases your vision.

10 Business Plan Templates to Use in 2024

Preparing for business success in 2024 (and beyond) requires a comprehensive and organized business plan. We’ve handpicked the best templates to help you guide your team, attract investors, and secure funding. Let’s check them out.

If you’re looking to replace a traditional business plan document, then ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is for you!

This one-page business plan template, designed in ClickUp Docs , is neatly broken down into the following sections:

• Company description : Overview, mission, vision, and team
• Market analysis : Problem, solution, target market, competition, and competitive advantage
• Sales and marketing strategy : Products/services and marketing channels
• Operational plan : Location and facilities, equipment and tools, manpower, and financial forecasts
• Milestones and metrics: Targets and KPIs

Customize the template with your company logo and contact details, and easily navigate to different sections using the collapsible table of contents. The mini prompts under each section guide you on what to include—with suggestions on how to present the data (e.g., bullet lists, pictures, charts, and tables). 

You can share the document with anyone via URL and collaborate in real time. And when the business plan is ready, you have the option to print it or export it to PDF, HTML, or Markdown.

But that’s not all. This template is equipped with basic and enterprise project management features to streamline the business plan creation process . The Topics List view has a list of all the different sections and subsections of the template and allows you to assign it to a team member, set a due date, and attach relevant documents and references.

Switch from List to Board view to track and update task statuses according to the following: To Do, In Progress, Needs Revision, and Complete. 

This template is a comprehensive toolkit for documenting the different sections of your business plan and streamlining the creation process to ensure it’s completed on time. 🗓️

If you’re looking for a tool to kickstart or update your sales plan, ClickUp’s Sales Plan Template has got you covered. This sales plan template features a project summary list with tasks to help you craft a comprehensive and effective sales strategy. Some of these tasks include:

• Determine sales objectives and goals
• Draft positioning statement
• Perform competitive analysis
• Draft ideal customer persona
• Create a lead generation strategy

Assign each task to a specific individual or team, set priority levels , and add due dates. Specify what section of the sales plan each task belongs to (e.g., executive summary, revenue goals, team structure, etc.), deliverable type (such as document, task, or meeting), and approval state (like pending, needs revisions, and approved).

And in ClickUp style, you can switch to multiple views: List for a list of all tasks, Board for visual task management, Timeline for an overview of task durations, and Gantt to get a view of task dependencies. 

This simple business plan template is perfect for any type of business looking to create a winning sales strategy while clarifying team roles and keeping tasks organized. ✨

Thinking about scaling your business’s reach and operations but unsure where or how to start? It can be overwhelming, no doubt—you need a clear vision, measurable goals, and an actionable plan that every member of your team can rally behind. 

Thankfully, ClickUp’s Business Development Action Plan Template is designed to use automations to simplify this process so every step toward your business growth is clear, trackable, and actionable.

Start by assessing your current situation and deciding on your main growth goal. Are you aiming to increase revenue, tap into new markets, or introduce new products or services? With ClickUp Whiteboards or Docs, brainstorm and collaborate with your team on this decision.

Set and track your short- and long-term growth goals with ClickUp’s Goals , break them down into smaller targets, and assign these targets to team members, complete with due dates. Add these targets to a new ClickUp Dashboard to track real-time progress and celebrate small wins. 🎉

Whether you’re a startup or small business owner looking to hit your next major milestone or an established business exploring new avenues, this template keeps your team aligned, engaged, and informed every step of the way.

ClickUp’s Business Roadmap Template is your go-to for mapping out major strategies and initiatives in areas like revenue growth, brand awareness, community engagement, and customer satisfaction. 

Use the List view to populate tasks under each initiative. With Custom Fields, you can capture which business category (e.g., Product, Operations, Sales & Marketing, etc.) tasks fall under and which quarter they’re slated for. You can also link to relevant documents and resources and evaluate tasks by effort and impact to ensure the most critical tasks get the attention they deserve. 👀

Depending on your focus, this template provides different views to show just what you need. For example, the All Initiatives per Quarter view lets you focus on what’s ahead by seeing tasks that need completion within a specific quarter. This ensures timely execution and helps in aligning resources effectively for the short term.

This template is ideal for business executives and management teams who need to coordinate multiple short- and long-term initiatives and business strategies.

In business, unexpected threats to operations can arise at any moment. Whether it’s economic turbulence, a global health crisis, or supply chain interruptions, every company needs to be ready. ClickUp’s Business Continuity Plan Template lets you prepare proactively for these unforeseen challenges.

The template organizes tasks into three main categories:

• Priorities: Tasks that need immediate attention
• Continuity coverage: Tasks that must continue despite challenges
• Guiding principles: Resources and protocols to ensure smooth operations

The Board view makes it easy to visualize all the tasks under each of these categories. And the Priorities List sorts tasks by those that are overdue, the upcoming ones, and then the ones due later.

In times of uncertainty, being prepared is your best strategy. This template helps your business not just survive but thrive in challenging situations, keeping your customers, employees, and investors satisfied. 🤝

Looking to execute your business plan the “lean” way? Use ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template . It’s designed to help you optimize resource usage and cut unnecessary steps—giving you better results with less effort.

In the Plan Summary List view, list all the tasks that need to get done. Add specific details like who’s doing each task, when it’s due, and which part of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) it falls under. The By Priority view sorts this list based on priorities like Urgent, High, Normal, and Low. This makes it easy to spot the most important tasks and tackle them first.

Additionally, the Board view gives you an overview of task progression from start to finish. And the BMC view rearranges these tasks based on the various BMC components. 

Each task can further be broken down into subtasks and multiple checklists to ensure all related action items are executed. ✔️

This template is an invaluable resource for startups and large enterprises looking to maximize process efficiencies and results in a streamlined and cost-effective way.

The Small Business Action Plan Template by ClickUp is tailor-made for small businesses looking to transform their business ideas and goals into actionable steps and, eventually, into reality. 

It provides a simple and organized framework for creating, assigning, prioritizing, and tracking tasks. And in effect, it ensures that goals are not just set but achieved. Through the native dashboard and goal-setting features, you can monitor task progress and how they move you closer to achieving your goals.

Thanks to ClickUp’s robust communication features like chat, comments, and @mentions, it’s easy to get every team member on the same page and quickly address questions or concerns.

Use this action plan template to hit your business goals by streamlining your internal processes and aligning team efforts.

For larger businesses and scaling enterprises, getting different departments to work together toward a big goal can be challenging. The ClickUp Strategic Business Roadmap Template makes it easier by giving you a clear plan to follow.

This template is packaged in a folder and split into different lists for each department in your business, like Sales, Product, Marketing, and Enablement. This way, every team can focus on their tasks while collectively contributing to the bigger goal.

There are multiple viewing options available for team members. These include:

• Progress Board: Visualize tasks that are on track, those at risk, and those behind
• Gantt view: Get an overview of project timelines and dependencies
• Team view: See what each team member is working on so you can balance workloads for maximum productivity

While this template may feel overwhelming at first, the getting started guide offers a step-by-step breakdown to help you navigate it with ease. And like all ClickUp templates, you can easily customize it to suit your business needs and preferences.

Microsoft’s 20-page traditional business plan template simplifies the process of drafting comprehensive business plans. It’s made up of different sections, including:

• Executive summary : Highlights, objectives, mission statement, and keys to success
• Description of business: Company ownership and legal structure, hours of operation, products and services, suppliers, financial plans, etc.
• Marketing: Market analysis, market segmentation, competition, and pricing
• Appendix: Start-up expenses, cash flow statements, income statements, sales forecast, milestones, break-even analysis, etc.

The table of contents makes it easy to move to different sections of the document. And the text placeholders under each section provide clarity on the specific details required—making the process easier for users who may not be familiar with certain business terminology.

No business template roundup is complete without an Excel template. This business plan template lets you work on your business financials in Excel. It comes with customizable tables, formulas, and charts to help you look at the following areas:

• Highlight charts
• Market analysis
• Start-up assets and expenses
• Sales forecasts
• Profit and loss
• Balance sheet
• Cash flow projections
• Break-even analysis

This Excel template is especially useful when you want to create a clear and visual financial section for your business plan document—an essential element for attracting investors and lenders. However, there might be a steep learning curve to using this template if you’re not familiar with business financial planning and using Excel.

Try a Free Business Plan Template in ClickUp

Launching and running a successful business requires a well-thought-out and carefully crafted business plan. However, the business planning process doesn’t have to be complicated, boring, or take up too much time. Use any of the above 10 free business plan formats to simplify and speed up the process.

ClickUp templates go beyond offering a solid foundation to build your business plans. They come with extensive project management features to turn your vision into reality. And that’s not all— ClickUp’s template library offers over 1,000 additional templates to help manage various aspects of your business, from decision-making to product development to resource management .

Sign up for ClickUp’s Free Forever Plan today to fast-track your business’s growth! 🏆

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Simple Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | April 2, 2020

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In this article, we’ve compiled a variety of simple business plan templates, all of which are free to download in PDF, Word, and Excel formats.

On this page, you’ll find a one-page business plan template , a simple business plan for startups , a small-business plan template , a business plan outline , and more. We also include a business plan sample and the main components of a business plan to help get you started.

Simple Business Plan Template

Download Simple Business Plan Template

Word  |  PDF

This simple business plan template lays out each element of a traditional business plan to assist you as you build your own, and it provides space to add financing information for startups seeking funding. You can use and customize this simple business plan template to fit the needs for organizations of any size.

One-Page Business Plan Template

Download One-Page Business Plan Template

Excel  |  Word  |  PDF  | Smartsheet

Use this one-page business plan to document your key ideas in an organized manner. The template can help you create a high-level view of your business plan, and it provides easy scannability for stakeholders. You can use this one-page plan as a reference to build a more detailed blueprint for your business. 

For additional single page plans, take a look at " One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide ."

Simple Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Template

Download Simple Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Template

Use this fill-in-the-blank business plan template to guide you as you build your business plan. Each section comes pre-filled with sample content, with space to add customized verbiage relevant to your product or service.

For additional free, downloadable resources, visit " Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates ."

Simple Business Plan for Startup

‌  Download Startup Business Plan Template — Word

This business plan template is designed with a startup business in mind and contains the essential elements needed to convey key product or service details to investors and stakeholders. Keep all your information organized with this template, which provides space to include an executive summary, a company overview, competitive analysis, a marketing strategy, financial data, and more. For additional resources, visit " Free Startup Business Plan Templates and Examples ."

Simple Small-Business Plan Template

Download Simple Small-Business Plan Template

This template walks you through each component of a small-business plan, including the company background, the introduction of the management team, market analysis, product or service offerings, a financial plan, and more. This template also comes with a built-in table of contents to keep your plan in order, and it can be customized to fit your requirements.

Lean Business Plan Template

Download Lean Business Plan Template

This lean business plan template is a stripped-down version of a traditional business plan that provides only the most essential aspects. Briefly outline your company and industry overview, along with the problem you are solving, as well as your unique value proposition, target market, and key performance metrics. There is also room to list out a timeline of key activities.

Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Download Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Use this simple business plan outline as a basis to create your own business plan. This template contains 11 sections, including a title page and a table of contents, which details what each section should cover in a traditional business plan. Simplify or expand this outline to create the foundation for a business plan that fits your business needs.

Simple Business Planning Template with Timeline

Download Simple Business Planning Template with Timeline

Excel  | Smartsheet

This template doubles as a project plan and timeline to track progress as you develop your business plan. This business planning template enables you to break down your work into phases and provides room to add key tasks and dates for each activity. Easily fill in the cells according to the start and end dates to create a visual timeline, as well as to ensure your plan stays on track.

Simple Business Plan Rubric Template

Download Simple Business Plan Rubric

Once you complete your business plan, use this business plan rubric template to assess and score each component of your plan. This rubric helps you identify elements of your plan that meet or exceed requirements and pinpoint areas where you need to improve or further elaborate. This template is an invaluable tool to ensure your business plan clearly defines your goals, objectives, and plan of action in order to gain buy-in from potential investors, stakeholders, and partners.

Basic Business Plan Sample

Download Basic Business Plan Sample

This business plan sample serves as an example of a basic business plan that contains all the traditional components. The sample provides a model of what a business plan might look like for a fictional food truck business. Reference this sample as you develop your own business plan.

For additional resources to help support your business planning efforts, check out “ Free Strategic Planning Templates .”

Main Components of a Business Plan

The elements you include in your business plan will depend on your product or service offerings, as well as the size and needs of your business. 

Below are the components of a standard business plan and details you should include in each section:

• Company name and contact information
• Website address
• The name of the company or individual viewing the presentation
• Table of Contents
• Company background and purpose
• Mission and vision statement
• Management team introduction
• Core product and service offerings
• Target customers and segments
• Marketing plan
• Competitive analysis
• Unique value proposition
• Financial plan (and requirements, if applicable)
• Business and industry overview
• Historical timeline of your business
• Offerings and the problem they solve
• Current alternatives
• Competitive advantage
• Market size
• Target market segment(s)
• Projected volume and value of sales compared to competitors
• Differentiation from competitors
• Pricing strategy
• Marketing channels
• Promotional plan
• Distribution methods
• Legal structure of your business
• Names of founders, owners, advisors, etc.
• Management team’s roles, relevant experience, and compensation plan
• Staffing requirements and training plans
• Physical location(s) of your business
• Additional physical requirements (e.g., warehouse, specialized equipment, facilities, etc.)
• Production workflow
• Raw materials and sourcing methods
• Projected income statement
• Projected cash flow statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Break-even analysis
• Charts and graphs
• Market research and competitive analysis
• Information about your industry
• Information about your offerings
• Samples of marketing materials
• Other supporting materials

Tips for Creating a Business Plan

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the thought of putting together a business plan. Below, you’ll find top tips to help simplify the process as you develop your own plan. 

• Use a business plan template (you can choose from the variety above), or refer to the previous section to create a standard outline for your plan.
• Modify your outline to reflect the requirements of your specific business. If you use a standard business plan outline, remove sections that aren’t relevant to you or aren’t necessary to run your business.
• Gather all the information you currently have about your business first, and then use that information to fill out each section in your plan outline.
• Use your resources and conduct additional research to fill in the remaining gaps. (Note: It isn’t necessary to fill out your plan in order, but the executive summary needs to be completed last, as it summarizes the key points in your plan.)
• Ensure your plan clearly communicates the relationship between your marketing, sales, and financial objectives.
• Provide details in your plan that illustrate your strategic plan of action, looking forward three to five years.
• Revisit your plan regularly as strategies and objectives evolve.
• What product or service are we offering?
• Who is the product or service for?
• What problem does our product or service offering solve?
• How will we get the product or service to our target customers?
• Why is our product or service better than the alternatives?
• How can we outperform our competitors?
• What is our unique value proposition?
• When will things get done, and who is responsible for doing them?
• If you need to obtain funding, how will you use the funding?
• When are payments due, and when do payments come in?
• What is the ultimate purpose of your business?
• When do you expect to be profitable?

To identify which type of business plan you should write, and for more helpful tips, take a look at our guide to writing a simple business plan .

Benefits of Using a Business Plan Template

Creating a business plan can be very time-consuming, especially if you aren’t sure where to begin. Finding the right template for your business needs can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. 

Using a business plan template — instead of creating your plan from scratch — can benefit you in the following ways:

• Enables you to immediately write down your thoughts and ideas in an organized manner
• Provides structure to help outline your plan
• Saves time and valuable resources
• Helps ensure you don’t miss essential details

Limitations of a Business Plan Template

A business plan template can be convenient, but it has its drawbacks — especially if you use a template that doesn’t fit the specific needs of your business.

Below are some limitations of using a business plan template:

• Each business is unique and needs a business plan that reflects that. A template may not fit your needs.
• A template may restrict collaboration with other team members on different aspects of the plan’s development (sales, marketing, and accounting teams).
• Multiple files containing different versions of the plan may be stored in more than one place.
• You still have to manually create charts and graphs to add to the plan to support your strategy.
• Updates to the plan, spreadsheets, and supporting documents have to be made in multiple places (all documents may not update in real time as changes are made).

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When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Simple Business Plan Template (2024)

Updated: May 4, 2024, 4:37pm

Table of Contents

Why business plans are vital, get your free simple business plan template, how to write an effective business plan in 6 steps, frequently asked questions.

While taking many forms and serving many purposes, they all have one thing in common: business plans help you establish your goals and define the means for achieving them. Our simple business plan template covers everything you need to consider when launching a side gig, solo operation or small business. By following this step-by-step process, you might even uncover a few alternate routes to success.

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Whether you’re a first-time solopreneur or a seasoned business owner, the planning process challenges you to examine the costs and tasks involved in bringing a product or service to market. The process can also help you spot new income opportunities and hone in on the most profitable business models.

Though vital, business planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Business plans for lean startups and solopreneurs can simply outline the business concept, sales proposition, target customers and sketch out a plan of action to bring the product or service to market. However, if you’re seeking startup funding or partnership opportunities, you’ll need a write a business plan that details market research, operating costs and revenue forecasting. Whichever startup category you fall into, if you’re at square one, our simple business plan template will point you down the right path.

Copy our free simple business plan template so you can fill in the blanks as we explore each element of your business plan. Need help getting your ideas flowing? You’ll also find several startup scenario examples below.

Download free template as .docx

Whether you need a quick-launch overview or an in-depth plan for investors, any business plan should cover the six key elements outlined in our free template and explained below. The main difference in starting a small business versus an investor-funded business is the market research and operational and financial details needed to support the concept.

1. Your Mission or Vision

Start by declaring a “dream statement” for your business. You can call this your executive summary, vision statement or mission. Whatever the name, the first part of your business plan summarizes your idea by answering five questions. Keep it brief, such as an elevator pitch. You’ll expand these answers in the following sections of the simple business plan template.

• What does your business do? Are you selling products, services, information or a combination?
• Where does this happen? Will you conduct business online, in-store, via mobile means or in a specific location or environment?
• Who does your business benefit? Who is your target market and ideal customer for your concept?
• Why would potential customers care? What would make your ideal customers take notice of your business?
• How do your products and/or services outshine the competition? What would make your ideal customers choose you over a competitor?

These answers come easily if you have a solid concept for your business, but don’t worry if you get stuck. Use the rest of your plan template to brainstorm ideas and tactics. You’ll quickly find these answers and possibly new directions as you explore your ideas and options.

2. Offer and Value Proposition

This is where you detail your offer, such as selling products, providing services or both, and why anyone would care. That’s the value proposition. Specifically, you’ll expand on your answers to the first and fourth bullets from your mission/vision.

As you complete this section, you might find that exploring value propositions uncovers marketable business opportunities that you hadn’t yet considered. So spend some time brainstorming the possibilities in this section.

For example, a cottage baker startup specializing in gluten-free or keto-friendly products might be a value proposition that certain audiences care deeply about. Plus, you could expand on that value proposition by offering wedding and other special-occasion cakes that incorporate gluten-free, keto-friendly and traditional cake elements that all guests can enjoy.

3. Audience and Ideal Customer

Here is where you explore bullet point number three, who your business will benefit. Identifying your ideal customer and exploring a broader audience for your goods or services is essential in defining your sales and marketing strategies, plus it helps fine-tune what you offer.

There are many ways to research potential audiences, but a shortcut is to simply identify a problem that people have that your product or service can solve. If you start from the position of being a problem solver, it’s easy to define your audience and describe the wants and needs of your ideal customer for marketing efforts.

Using the cottage baker startup example, a problem people might have is finding fresh-baked gluten-free or keto-friendly sweets. Examining the wants and needs of these people might reveal a target audience that is health-conscious or possibly dealing with health issues and willing to spend more for hard-to-find items.

However, it’s essential to have a customer base that can support your business. You can be too specialized. For example, our baker startup can attract a broader audience and boost revenue by offering a wider selection of traditional baked goods alongside its gluten-free and keto-focused specialties.

4. Revenue Streams, Sales Channels and Marketing

Thanks to our internet-driven economy, startups have many revenue opportunities and can connect with target audiences through various channels. Revenue streams and sales channels also serve as marketing vehicles, so you can cover all three in this section.

Revenue Streams

Revenue streams are the many ways you can make money in your business. In your plan template, list how you’ll make money upon launch, plus include ideas for future expansion. The income possibilities just might surprise you.

For example, our cottage baker startup might consider these revenue streams:

• Product sales : Online, pop-up shops , wholesale and (future) in-store sales
• Affiliate income : Monetize blog and social media posts with affiliate links
• Advertising income : Reserve website space for advertising
• E-book sales : (future) Publish recipe e-books targeting gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Video income : (future) Monetize a YouTube channel featuring how-to videos for the gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Webinars and online classes : (future) Monetize coaching-style webinars and online classes covering specialty baking tips and techniques
• Members-only content : (future) Monetize a members-only section of the website for specialty content to complement webinars and online classes
• Franchise : (future) Monetize a specialty cottage bakery concept and sell to franchise entrepreneurs

Sales Channels

Sales channels put your revenue streams into action. This section also answers the “where will this happen” question in the second bullet of your vision.

The product sales channels for our cottage bakery example can include:

• Mobile point-of-sale (POS) : A mobile platform such as Shopify or Square POS for managing in-person sales at local farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals
• E-commerce platform : An online store such as Shopify, Square or WooCommerce for online retail sales and wholesale sales orders
• Social media channels : Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest shoppable posts and pins for online sales via social media channels
• Brick-and-mortar location : For in-store sales , once the business has grown to a point that it can support a physical location

Channels that support other income streams might include:

• Affiliate income : Blog section on the e-commerce website and affiliate partner accounts
• Advertising income : Reserved advertising spaces on the e-commerce website
• E-book sales : Amazon e-book sales via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
• Video income : YouTube channel with ad monetization
• Webinars and online classes : Online class and webinar platforms that support member accounts, recordings and playback
• Members-only content : Password-protected website content using membership apps such as MemberPress

Nowadays, the line between marketing and sales channels is blurred. Social media outlets, e-books, websites, blogs and videos serve as both marketing tools and income opportunities. Since most are free and those with advertising options are extremely economical, these are ideal marketing outlets for lean startups.

However, many businesses still find value in traditional advertising such as local radio, television, direct mail, newspapers and magazines. You can include these advertising costs in your simple business plan template to help build a marketing plan and budget.

5. Structure, Suppliers and Operations

This section of your simple business plan template explores how to structure and operate your business. Details include the type of business organization your startup will take, roles and responsibilities, supplier logistics and day-to-day operations. Also, include any certifications or permits needed to launch your enterprise in this section.

Our cottage baker example might use a structure and startup plan such as this:

• Business structure : Sole proprietorship with a “doing business as” (DBA) .
• Permits and certifications : County-issued food handling permit and state cottage food certification for home-based food production. Option, check into certified commercial kitchen rentals.
• Roles and responsibilities : Solopreneur, all roles and responsibilities with the owner.
• Supply chain : Bulk ingredients and food packaging via Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon Prime with annual membership costs. Uline for shipping supplies; no membership needed.
• Day-to-day operations : Source ingredients and bake three days per week to fulfill local and online orders. Reserve time for specialty sales, wholesale partner orders and market events as needed. Ship online orders on alternating days. Update website and create marketing and affiliate blog posts on non-shipping days.

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6. Financial Forecasts

Your final task is to list forecasted business startup and ongoing costs and profit projections in your simple business plan template. Thanks to free business tools such as Square and free marketing on social media, lean startups can launch with few upfront costs. In many cases, cost of goods, shipping and packaging, business permits and printing for business cards are your only out-of-pocket expenses.

Cost Forecast

Our cottage baker’s forecasted lean startup costs might include:

Gross Profit Projections

This helps you determine the retail prices and sales volume required to keep your business running and, hopefully, earn income for yourself. Use product research to spot target retail prices for your goods, then subtract your cost of goods, such as hourly rate, raw goods and supplier costs. The total amount is your gross profit per item or service.

Here are some examples of projected gross profits for our cottage baker:

Bottom Line

Putting careful thought and detail in a business plan is always beneficial, but don’t get so bogged down in planning that you never hit the start button to launch your business . Also, remember that business plans aren’t set in stone. Markets, audiences and technologies change, and so will your goals and means of achieving them. Think of your business plan as a living document and regularly revisit, expand and restructure it as market opportunities and business growth demand.

Is there a template for a business plan?

You can copy our free business plan template and fill in the blanks or customize it in Google Docs, Microsoft Word or another word processing app. This free business plan template includes the six key elements that any entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a new business.

What does a simple business plan include?

A simple business plan is a one- to two-page overview covering six key elements that any budding entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a startup. These include your vision or mission, product or service offering, target audience, revenue streams and sales channels, structure and operations, and financial forecasts.

How can I create a free business plan template?

Start with our free business plan template that covers the six essential elements of a startup. Once downloaded, you can edit this document in Google Docs or another word processing app and add new sections or subsections to your plan template to meet your specific business plan needs.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Krista Fabregas is a seasoned eCommerce and online content pro sharing more than 20 years of hands-on know-how with those looking to launch and grow tech-forward businesses. Her expertise includes eCommerce startups and growth, SMB operations and logistics, website platforms, payment systems, side-gig and affiliate income, and multichannel marketing. Krista holds a bachelor's degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin and held senior positions at NASA, a Fortune 100 company, and several online startups.

Powerful business plan templates

Plan for the future, no matter what your business plans are or the size of your business with these designs and templates. whether it's just one big project or an entire organization's worth of dreams, these templates will keep you and your company on track from ideation to completion..

Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

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Top 10 Business-Plan Templates You Can Download Free

Why reinvent the wheel get free professional business plan templates at no cost..

Writing your business plan. Ughhhh.

It's definitely not the most exciting part of starting a business. In fact, if you're like a lot of entrepreneurs, you're probably going to find yourself pulling a few all-nighters to get one done before heading into your first pitch for funding . Because that's the thing--your business plan is a pretty important.

Any funder worth his or her salt wants to see it right off the bat. Moreover though, a solid business plan is a living document that will continue to guide your efforts as your business grows. Recently, I shared 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups , an infographic created by Mark Vital over at Funders and Founders.

A lot of those mistakes (most of them, in fact) are the result of poor planning. Bad location, a marginal niche, having no specific user in mind, raising too much or too little money--all of these issues can be prevented or at least mitigated with good planning.

Creating your business plan is more than just getting your ideas down on paper for potential funders to see. It's an exploratory process in which you can evaluate your options, test your assumptions about your idea, and even discover new opportunities. It might even lead you to kill off aspects of your business before investing too much time or money in them.

That doesn't mean you have to bust out Word and start the plan from scratch. A template is great--you probably aren't doing anything that hasn't been done before, so it provides a proven structure for your plan. Pretty much everything on it can be customized. Check out these comprehensive business plan templates you can download for free to get you started:

1. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get their companies off the ground. Its template, available as a PDF or Word download, asks a whopping 150 questions and is generic enough to customize for most types of businesses. The Refining the Plan resource that comes with it is helpful, especially if this is your first crack at writing a business plan.

2. U.S. Small Business Administration Business Plan Engine

The SBA's template is available to fill out online and then download as a PDF. You can go back in and edit it as needed, so don't worry about having everything ready the first time you sit down to tackle it. Even broken into sections, it's a long document and a bit of a slog to get through, but it produces a professional-looking and useful business plan. This is particularly helpful if your idea isn't fully fleshed out and you know you have homework to do--it prompts you for information.

3. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

Who said a business plan has to be a long, complicated document? Some funders are going to want to see a lot of detail, but you can provide that in appendices. The $100 Startup, the website for the best-selling book of the same name, has a ton of stripped-down resources for entrepreneurs, including this super simplified business plan template.

4. LawDepot's WYSIWYG Business Plan Template

This one says you just have to answer a few simple questions and will be "done before you know it!" Don't believe it. A business plan should take time and a lot of homework, but if you've already done that, LawDepot's template is a decent choice. It walks you through getting started, marketing, product, competitive analysis, SWOT, and more, with a window below the input fields to show you the plan as you work away at it. You can download it free with a trial subscription, but you'll have to remember to cancel it within the week if you don't plan to continue using it.

Editor's Note: Looking for Business Loans for your company? If you would like information to help you choose the one that's right for you, use the questionnaire below to have our partner, BuyerZone, provide you with information for free:

5. sme toolkit business plan samples.

The SME Toolkit, jointly offered by IFC and IBM, offers a simple two-page outline of what should be included in your business plan to meet the minimum requirements of funders and tax authorities (in the U.S.). It contains 10 broad sections, including market analysis, management and organization, etc., with a one-paragraph explanation of each. A second download on the same page is an Excel file to help with your financial projections.

6. Office Online Templates Galore

Of course, Microsoft offers a ton of business plan templates for Office users (you can get birthday invitations while you're at it). If you'd rather do a business plan presentation than a Word doc, you can download one of Microsoft Office's half a dozen or so PowerPoint templates for just that purpose. You'll want to customize it with your company branding (you have your branding down, right?), but it's easier than starting from a blank PPT.

7. vFinance Inc. Business Plan Template and Guide

Global financial services firm vFinance offers a basic, 30-page business plan template to download from its website--one the company says has been downloaded more than a quarter of a million times. No, it won't be completely unique, but vFinance knows what it's doing and the template is pretty comprehensive. VFinance is the creator of the massive Venture Capital Directory and has tailored the plan to appeal to funders. If that's your goal, definitely check this one out.

8. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

U.K. online invoicing software brand Invoiceberry offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats. Each one also contains a marketing plan and executive summary template. There's a catch, though--the company asks you to take one of the following three actions before you can download the template: like it on Facebook, give it a +1 on Google+, or give it your email address. If you don't mind doing that, it's a good deal. Kudos to Invoiceberry for figuring out this effective lead-gen tactic too!

9. Santa Clara University's My Own Business Institute Plans

Santa Clara U's MOBI is an initiative of its Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Leavey School of Business. On the site, you can download each of the 15 business plan sections individually as Word documents, or grab all 15 together in one doc. There's a ton of other helpful resources as well, including guidelines for evaluating your potential sites, a list of key people to review your plan, and sample financial sheets.

10. RocketLawyer's Business Plan Templates by State

Like some of the others, you fill out RocketLawyer's form and download the business plan when you're done--but its template allows you to choose your state before getting started. These plans are tailored to meet your financing requirements in your state, which is a huge bonus for those seeking funding through banks. It's also heavily geared toward financing, making it a good choice if that's a priority for you.

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Free coffee shop business plan template for 2025

• Published on September 6, 2024
• by Oguzhan Uyar
• Last updated: 5 days ago

Opening a coffee shop is an exciting venture, but it requires careful planning and execution to succeed in a competitive market.

A well-crafted business plan is your roadmap to turning your coffee shop dream into a thriving reality.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential components of a winning coffee shop business plan, complete with examples and free templates to help you get started.

From crafting a compelling executive summary to designing the perfect layout, we’ve got you covered every step of the way.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a first-time business owner with many coffee shops, this article will provide you with the insights and tools you need to create a solid foundation for your coffee shop’s success in 2024 and beyond.

Let’s dive in and start brewing up your dream business!

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Coffee Shop Business Plan Template: Comprehensive Examples to Kickstart Your Venture

Coffee shop business plan example.

To help you kickstart your coffee shop venture, we’ve created a comprehensive business plan template outline that you can adapt to your unique vision and goals. This sample covers all the essential components of a winning coffee shop business plan, with placeholders for you to fill in your specific details and ideas.

The key components of a successful coffee shop business plan include:

Executive Summary

Company Overview

Market Analysis

Organizational Structure and Management

Product or Service Offerings

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Funding Requirements

Financial Projections

How to Develop a Coffee Shop Business Plan

A coffee shop business plan is a meticulously crafted document that lays out the vital elements involved in starting and running a coffee-centric business. It offers a thorough exploration of the coffee business’s objectives, target audience, competitive landscape, marketing strategies, financial forecasts, and operational procedures. This plan serves as a strategic guide, helping entrepreneurs navigate the different phases of establishing and operating their coffee shop, ensuring a clear path toward success. This document is your roadmap to launching a successful coffee enterprise, intimately detailing the necessary steps to ensure your coffee shop blossoms into a flourishing and profitable coffee venture .

In the highly competitive coffee industry, creating a comprehensive and clear business plan is crucial.

Why a Coffee Shop Business Plan is Essential

Creating a detailed business plan helps entrepreneurs define their business objectives, whether it’s offering unique coffee blends, various food products, creating a welcoming atmosphere, or promoting sustainable practices. A well-prepared plan also necessitates a deep understanding of the target audience, allowing for customized marketing strategies, menu offerings, and customer experiences that align with customer preferences. Explore the depths of crafting a business strategy for your coffee roasting venture , detailing essential elements such as competitive analysis, sustainability efforts, and financial forecasts.

Key Benefits of a Coffee Shop Business Plan

Securing Investment and Funding: A well-organized business plan can be a persuasive tool when seeking investors or securing funding. It demonstrates your in-depth understanding of the coffee industry, market trends, and strategic approach, thereby increasing credibility and attracting potential investors.

Resource Planning: Drafting a business plan helps you identify the essential resources, supplies, and staff needed to start and run your coffee shop, from coffee beans and brewing equipment to furniture and décor.

Financial Strategy: A comprehensive plan outlines financial projections, startup costs, operating expenses, and revenue forecasts, guiding you in determining the required funding, pricing strategies, and cash flow management.

Market Insight and Differentiation: Through detailed market research, the business plan provides insights into your target audience’s preferences and behaviors, enabling you to tailor your offerings, ambiance, and marketing efforts to attract and retain customers effectively.

Risk Management: Developing a business plan encourages you to recognize potential risks and challenges, allowing you to create contingency plans to mitigate their impact.

Operational Efficiency: The plan details the operational processes needed to run your coffee shop smoothly, including staffing, inventory management, and quality control measures, ensuring consistent customer satisfaction.

Goal Setting and Monitoring: Your business plan serves as a benchmark for measuring your coffee shop’s performance over time, helping you track progress and make adjustments as needed to stay on track toward your goals.

The Outline of the Plan

Business concept: Briefly describe your coffee shop’s concept, theme, and atmosphere.

Target market: Identify your ideal customers and how your coffee shop will cater to their needs and preferences.

Unique selling proposition: Highlight what sets your coffee shop apart from competitors and why customers should choose your establishment.

Financial snapshot: Provide a brief overview of your projected revenue, expenses, and profitability for the first few years of operation.

Funding requirements: State the amount of funding you are seeking and how it will be utilized to launch and grow your coffee shop.

Company Description

Coffee shop concept: Provide a detailed description of your coffee shop’s theme, atmosphere, and overall vibe. Will it be a cozy, rustic retreat or a sleek, modern hub for remote workers?

Mission statement: Craft a compelling mission statement that encapsulates your coffee shop’s purpose, values, and commitment to customers and the community.

Core values: Outline the guiding principles that will shape your business decisions, customer service, and employee culture.

Management team: Introduce your coffee shop’s owners, managers, and key team members, highlighting their expertise, experience, and passion for the industry.

Location and facilities: Describe your chosen location, size of the establishment, seating capacity, and any unique features or amenities that will enhance the customer experience.

Target market: Provide a detailed profile of your ideal customers, including demographics, psychographics, and buying behaviors. Consider factors such as age, income, lifestyle, and coffee preferences.

Market trends: Identify current and emerging trends in the coffee industry, such as the growing demand for specialty coffee, sustainable sourcing, or mobile ordering and delivery.

Competitor analysis: Conduct a comprehensive analysis of your direct and indirect competitors, assessing their strengths, weaknesses, market share, and pricing strategies. Identify gaps in the market that your coffee shop can fill.

Market size and growth potential: Estimate the size of your local coffee market and its projected growth rate, based on industry reports, economic indicators, and demographic trends.

SWOT analysis: Perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to evaluate your coffee shop’s internal and external factors that may impact its success.

Marketing plan: Innovative approaches to attract and retain customers, ensuring a steady flow of coffee enthusiasts through your doors.

Roadmap to success: A detailed timeline outlining key milestones and objectives from launch day through your first year of operation.

Management: Spotlight on your management team, showcasing their expertise and defining their pivotal roles in driving the business forward.

Long-Term Financial Outlook: Comprehensive 5-year financial projections, including revenue forecasts, expense breakdowns, and projected profitability, giving investors a clear picture of your coffee shop’s economic potential.

By using this outline as a starting point and adapting it to your needs, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a winning coffee shop business plan that will guide you through the exciting journey of bringing your dream to life.

When to Use a Coffee Shop Business Plan

Securing Financial Support: When approaching financial institutions for loans, applying for small business grants, or pitching brewed coffee itself to potential investors, your business plan is your golden ticket. It’s the tangible representation of your coffee shop’s potential, translating your vision into hard facts and figures that financial backers require.

Attracting Business Partners: If you’re looking to bring a partner on board, your business plan serves as a comprehensive overview of your venture, helping potential collaborators understand and buy into your vision.

Decision-Making Compass: Your business plan acts as a invaluable guide when facing tough choices. By forcing you to articulate every aspect of your business plans in detail, it helps eliminate grey areas and provides a clear framework for decision-making. This process of committing your ideas to paper often reveals insights and helps solidify your strategy.

Remember, a well-prepared coffee shop business plan isn’t just a document – it’s a powerful tool that can open doors, attract support, and steer your business towards success. Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders or refining your own strategy, your business plan is the foundation upon which your coffee shop dream will be built.

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Coffee Shop Business Plan Samples and Templates: Learning from Successful Examples

When crafting your coffee shop business plan, it’s essential to examine successful local establishments and identify the factors that contribute to their success. By studying their business model, strategies, and customer experience, you can gain valuable insights to incorporate into your own plan. To assist you in this process, we’ve gathered coffee shop business plan templates crafted by industry experts.

1. PandaDoc’s Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

PandaDoc offers a comprehensive coffee shop business plan template that serves as an excellent starting point for aspiring cafe or coffee shop or owners. This template provides a structured framework to help you organize your thoughts and present your business idea professionally. It covers all the essential sections of a business plan, including the executive summary, company description, market analysis, products and services, marketing strategy, financial projections, and more.

The template is customizable, allowing you to tailor it to your specific coffee shop concept. Whether you’re planning a cozy neighborhood cafe or a trendy specialty coffee bar, PandaDoc’s template can be adapted to suit your needs. It also includes helpful prompts and guidance throughout, making it easier for even first-time entrepreneurs to craft a compelling business plan.

Use PandaDoc’s template for your coffee shop

2. Venngage’s Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

Venngage offers a user-friendly and visually appealing coffee shop business plan template that’s perfect for entrepreneurs who want to create a professional-looking plan without design experience. This template provides a comprehensive framework for outlining your coffee shop concept, including sections for market research, operational procedures, location analysis, and financial projections.

Key features of Venngage’s template include:

Easy customization: The template is fully editable, allowing you to tailor it to your specific coffee shop vision.

Rich icon library: Access a variety of icon styles, including coffee-themed sets, to enhance your visual presentation.

Flexible design options: Easily adjust the layout, add pages, or extend dimensions to fit your content needs.

Multiple export formats: Download your plan as a PNG, HD PNG, or PDF, or embed it in emails for easy sharing with potential investors.

Real-time charts: Incorporate dynamic visuals to represent your financial projections and market data.

The template streamlines the process of creating a coffee shop business plan, helping you focus on content while ensuring a professional and visually engaging presentation. Whether you’re seeking investors or simply organizing your ideas, Venngage’s template offers a practical solution for crafting an impressive coffee shop business plan.

Use Venngage’s template for your coffee shop

3. Business in a Box’s Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

For aspiring coffee shop owners looking to make a strong impression on potential partners and investors, this professional yet creative Coffee Shop Business Plan Template offers a comprehensive solution. It is available for immediate download, allowing you to start working on your business plan right away and move one step closer to realizing your entrepreneurial dreams.

Key features of this template include:

Professional design: Utilizes standard business fonts and portrait orientation for a clean, authoritative look.

Comprehensive content: Includes detailed information sheets to guide you through all essential aspects of your business plan.

This template streamlines the process of creating a thorough, professional-looking business plan, helping you focus on articulating your unique vision while ensuring you cover all necessary details. By using this tool, you can save time and present your coffee shop concept with confidence, potentially giving your business proposal an edge in competitive situations.

Use Business in a Box’s template for your coffee shop

4. DojoBusiness’ Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

Elevate your coffee shop dreams with DojoBusiness’s comprehensive Coffee Shop Business Plan Template. This meticulously crafted document is your secret weapon in the competitive world of café entrepreneurship.

Key features of this powerhouse template include:

Comprehensive Coverage: Spanning 35 pages, this template leaves no aspect of your coffee shop business unexplored.

Expert-Crafted Content: The result of 80 hours of intensive research and analysis by the DojoBusiness team, ensuring you have access to the most current industry insights.

Funding-Ready: Specifically designed to meet the rigorous standards of potential investors and lenders, helping you make a compelling case for funding.

Fully Customizable: Tailor every section to reflect your unique vision and business model.

Cutting-Edge Strategies: Packed with proven techniques to help your coffee shop thrive in today’s market.

Regular Updates: Stay ahead of the curve with semester updates, keeping your plan aligned with the latest industry trends.

Expert Guidance: Benefit from free consultation with DojoBusiness experts, providing you with personalized advice to refine your plan.

Future-Proofed: Receive all future updates at no additional cost, ensuring your business plan remains relevant.

Whether you’re planning a quaint neighborhood café or a trendy specialty coffee bar, this template provides the robust foundation you need to turn your coffee shop vision into a well-planned, investment-worthy reality.

Use DojoBusiness’ template for your coffee shop

5. TouchBistro’s Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

Brew up success with TouchBistro’s Free Coffee Shop Business Plan Template – a robust tool designed to help aspiring café owners turn their existing coffee shop dreams into a well-structured reality. This template is more than just a document; it’s your first step toward creating a compelling case for your coffee shop venture.

Key features of this free template include:

User-Friendly Format: Compatible with both Microsoft Word and Apple Pages, making it accessible for users across different platforms.

Comprehensive Structure: The template covers 8 essential sections, providing a thorough framework for your business plan.

Customizable Content: Each section is fully editable, allowing you to infuse your unique vision and local market insights.

Guided Approach: Comes with helpful instructions and tips, making the planning process smoother even for first-time entrepreneurs.

Investor-Ready Design: Structured to address key points that potential investors look for, helping you make a strong impression.

Cost-Effective Solution: Offered completely free, allowing you to allocate your resources to other aspects of your startup.

Whether you’re planning a cozy neighborhood café, a bustling downtown coffee bar, or a specialty roastery, this template provides the flexibility to capture your unique business model. It’s designed to help you articulate your passion for coffee and food products while demonstrating a clear understanding of the business side of running a successful café.

Use TouchBistor’s template for your coffee shop

Bringing Your Coffee Shop Dreams to Life

Launching a successful coffee shop in 2024 requires careful planning and execution. By crafting a comprehensive business plan, you lay the foundation for a thriving venture that has a local customer base and stands out in a competitive market. Explore the intricacies of a business plan for a coffee roaster , covering essential aspects like strategic planning, market analysis, distinctive value propositions, and financial forecasts to ensure your coffee shop’s success.

Remember, a well-structured business plan is your roadmap to success. It helps you define your unique identity, understand your target audience, and secure the necessary funding to bring your vision to life.

Are you ready to turn your passion for coffee drinks into a profitable food service business?

Take the first step by downloading our free coffee shop business plan templates. Use it as a guide to develop your own personalized free business plan template, tailoring it to your specific goals and market conditions.

As you embark on this exciting journey, don’t hesitate to seek inspiration from successful coffee bars and shops in your area and beyond. Learn from their strategies, adapt their best practices, and create a coffee shop experience that truly resonates with your customers.

What unique twist other coffee shops will you bring to the coffee shop scene in 2024? Share your innovative ideas and let’s brew up a conversation!

What makes a good coffee roaster business plan?

How to establish a profitable coffee business

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What Are Nine Methods To Effectively Brand A Scooter's Coffee Franchise Business?

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Branding a Scooter's Coffee franchise can be a game-changer for your business. Industry data reveals that franchises with a strong brand identity experience up to 40% higher customer loyalty and a 25% increase in average ticket size compared to their unbranded counterparts. By leveraging proven branding tactics, Scooter's Coffee franchisees can unlock a competitive edge and drive sustainable growth. Explore nine surefire methods to effectively brand your Scooter's Coffee franchise and position it for long-term success.

• Establish a distinct and memorable brand identity.
• Design a visually appealing and eye-catching mobile kiosk.
• Develop a comprehensive and strategic social media marketing plan.
• Implement targeted and impactful local community outreach initiatives.
• Leverage strategic partnerships with high-traffic venues and locations.
• Utilize attention-grabbing outdoor advertising and signage.
• Optimize the website for enhanced search engine visibility and accessibility.
• Deliver a consistent and exceptional customer experience.
• Implement an effective and engaging loyalty and rewards program.

Establish a strong, recognizable brand identity

Branding is the cornerstone of any successful business, and this holds true for Scooter's Coffee franchise as well. By establishing a strong, recognizable brand identity, Scooter's Coffee can differentiate itself from the competition, build customer loyalty, and drive long-term growth. Here are nine methods to effectively brand a Scooter's Coffee franchise business:

• Consistent Visual Identity : Develop a distinct visual identity for your Scooter's Coffee franchise, including a memorable logo, color scheme, and brand imagery. Ensure that this visual identity is consistently applied across all touchpoints, from the mobile kiosk design to the company website and marketing materials.
• Unique Kiosk Design : The design of your Scooter's Coffee mobile kiosk is a critical branding element. Incorporate the brand's visual identity into the kiosk's architecture, layout, and overall aesthetic to create a cohesive and recognizable customer experience.
• Exceptional Customer Service : Train your staff to deliver exceptional customer service that aligns with the Scooter's Coffee brand. Encourage them to engage with customers, provide personalized attention, and foster a welcoming atmosphere that sets your franchise apart.
• Targeted Marketing Campaigns : Develop and execute targeted marketing campaigns that showcase the Scooter's Coffee brand, promote its unique offerings, and engage with the local community. Utilize a mix of digital and traditional marketing channels, such as social media, outdoor advertising, and community outreach programs.
• Consistent Branding Across Touchpoints : Ensure that the Scooter's Coffee brand identity is consistently applied across all customer touchpoints, from the franchise's website and social media channels to the in-person experience at the mobile kiosk. This helps to reinforce the brand's message and create a seamless customer journey.
• Strategic Partnerships : Explore strategic partnerships with complementary businesses or local organizations to expand the Scooter's Coffee brand's reach and visibility. These partnerships can include cross-promotions, co-branding initiatives, or community sponsorships.
• Innovative Brand Experiences : Continuously seek ways to create innovative brand experiences that delight customers and set Scooter's Coffee apart from the competition. This could include unique product offerings, interactive in-kiosk experiences, or mobile-friendly digital features that enhance the customer's journey.
• Emphasis on Sustainability : Incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly practices into the Scooter's Coffee brand, such as the use of compostable or recyclable packaging, renewable energy sources, or community-based initiatives. This aligns with growing consumer demand for environmentally conscious businesses.
• Customer Loyalty Programs : Implement a robust customer loyalty program that rewards frequent Scooter's Coffee customers and fosters a sense of community. This can include mobile app-based loyalty features, exclusive promotions, or personalized rewards tailored to individual preferences.
• Ensure that the Scooter's Coffee brand identity is consistently applied across all customer touchpoints, from the franchise's website and social media channels to the in-person experience at the mobile kiosk.
• Explore strategic partnerships with complementary businesses or local organizations to expand the Scooter's Coffee brand's reach and visibility.
• Incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly practices into the Scooter's Coffee brand to align with growing consumer demand for environmentally conscious businesses.

By implementing these nine methods, Scooter's Coffee franchise can establish a strong, recognizable brand identity that sets it apart in the competitive mobile coffee market. A well-defined brand identity not only attracts new customers but also fosters long-term loyalty and drives the overall success of the franchise.

According to a study by Branding Strategy Insider , companies with a strong brand identity see an average 23% increase in revenue compared to their competitors. Additionally, 86% of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor in their decision to support a brand, highlighting the importance of a genuine and consistent brand identity for Scooter's Coffee.

Create a Visually Appealing Mobile Kiosk Design

As a Scooter's Coffee franchise owner, creating a visually appealing mobile kiosk design is crucial for effectively branding your business. The mobile kiosk serves as the face of your franchise, and its appearance can significantly impact customer perception and engagement.

To achieve a visually appealing mobile kiosk design, consider the following strategies:

• Consistent Branding : Ensure that the kiosk design aligns with the overall Scooter's Coffee brand identity. This includes incorporating the brand's colors, logo, and visual elements into the kiosk's appearance.
• Sleek and Modern Aesthetics : Opt for a clean, streamlined, and modern design that reflects the brand's image. Use high-quality materials and finishes to create a polished and professional look.
• Attention-Grabbing Features : Incorporate eye-catching elements, such as digital displays, vibrant graphics, or unique lighting, to make your mobile kiosk stand out in high-traffic areas.
• Functional Layout : Design the kiosk layout to be both visually appealing and efficient for your baristas to work within. Ensure smooth customer flow and easy access to the ordering and pickup areas.
• Sustainable Materials : Consider using eco-friendly materials and design elements to align with Scooter's Coffee's commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
• Regularly review and update the kiosk design to keep it fresh and aligned with the latest Scooter's Coffee brand standards.
• Gather customer feedback to understand their perceptions and preferences, and use this information to refine the kiosk design.
• Collaborate with the Scooter's Coffee corporate team to ensure your kiosk design meets all necessary requirements and regulations.

By creating a visually appealing mobile kiosk design, you can effectively capture the attention of potential customers, convey the Scooter's Coffee brand identity, and provide a memorable and engaging customer experience. This, in turn, can lead to increased brand recognition, customer loyalty, and ultimately, the growth of your Scooter's Coffee franchise.

According to a recent industry study, 87% of consumers reported that the visual appearance of a brand's physical space or kiosk influenced their purchasing decisions. Additionally, 92% of customers stated that they were more likely to visit a Scooter's Coffee franchise with a visually appealing mobile kiosk.

Develop a Comprehensive Social Media Marketing Strategy

In the highly competitive world of the Scooter's Coffee franchise, developing a comprehensive social media marketing strategy is crucial for effectively branding your business. Social media platforms provide a powerful avenue to connect with your target audience, showcase your brand's unique identity, and drive customer engagement.

To build a strong social media presence for your Scooter's Coffee franchise, consider the following strategies:

• Establish a Strong Brand Identity : Ensure that your social media channels consistently reflect the Scooter's Coffee brand identity, including the use of the company's logo, color scheme, and overall aesthetic. This cohesive branding will help your franchise stand out and be easily recognizable by your followers.
• Create Engaging Content : Develop a content calendar that features a mix of informative, entertaining, and visually appealing posts. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your franchise, highlight new menu items, and engage with your followers by encouraging user-generated content and running interactive campaigns.
• Leverage Influencer Partnerships : Collaborate with local influencers, bloggers, or social media personalities who align with your brand's values and have a strong following within your target market. These partnerships can help you reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness.
• Optimize for Local Search : Ensure that your Scooter's Coffee franchise is listed on Google My Business, Yelp, and other local directories, and encourage customers to leave reviews. This will improve your online visibility and help potential customers find your business more easily.
• Utilize Paid Advertising : Complement your organic social media efforts with targeted paid advertising campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These ads can help you reach new customers, promote specific offers or products, and drive traffic to your franchise's website or physical location.
• Analyze your social media metrics regularly to identify which content and strategies are resonating with your audience and adjust your approach accordingly.
• Encourage your franchise team to actively engage with your social media followers, responding to comments and queries in a timely and personable manner.
• Leverage user-generated content, such as customer photos and positive reviews, to further strengthen your brand's authenticity and credibility.

By implementing a comprehensive social media marketing strategy, your Scooter's Coffee franchise can effectively build brand awareness, foster customer loyalty, and drive growth within your local community. Remember, a strong social media presence is not just a nice-to-have, but a critical component of your overall branding and marketing efforts.

Implement Targeted Local Community Outreach Programs

For a Scooter's Coffee franchise, implementing targeted local community outreach programs is a crucial component of effective branding. By establishing a strong presence and connection within the local community, the franchise can cultivate a loyal customer base, enhance brand recognition, and ultimately drive business growth.

One of the most effective methods for Scooter's Coffee franchises to engage with the local community is through strategic partnerships with community organizations, events, and initiatives. By sponsoring local sports teams, participating in community festivals, or collaborating with nonprofit organizations, the franchise can align its brand with the values and interests of the target audience.

• Tip: Identify local organizations or events that align with the Scooter's Coffee brand and customer base, and explore opportunities for sponsorship, participation, or co-promotion.

Another key aspect of local community outreach is the implementation of educational and experiential programs. Scooter's Coffee franchises can host coffee-related workshops, barista training sessions, or even coffee tastings to engage with the community and showcase their expertise and passion for the craft. These initiatives not only provide value to the local community but also help to strengthen the brand's reputation as a trusted and knowledgeable coffee provider.

• Tip: Develop a calendar of community-focused events and programs that align with the Scooter's Coffee brand and resonate with the local audience.

Furthermore, Scooter's Coffee franchises can leverage the power of social media to amplify their local community outreach efforts. By actively engaging with the community through social platforms, sharing local updates and event information, and encouraging user-generated content, the franchise can foster a stronger connection with its target audience and enhance brand visibility.

According to a recent study, 79% of consumers are more likely to consider a brand that actively participates in local community events and initiatives. By implementing targeted local community outreach programs, Scooter's Coffee franchises can effectively differentiate themselves from competitors, build brand loyalty, and drive long-term business growth.

Leverage Strategic Partnerships with High-Traffic Venues

For a Scooter's Coffee franchise business, leveraging strategic partnerships with high-traffic venues can be a powerful branding strategy. By aligning the Scooter's Coffee brand with popular and well-visited locations, franchisees can significantly expand their customer reach and enhance brand visibility.

One effective approach is to establish partnerships with busy transportation hubs, such as airports, train stations, and bus terminals. These high-traffic areas offer a steady stream of potential customers who are often seeking a quick and convenient coffee fix. By setting up Scooter's Coffee mobile kiosks in these strategic locations, franchisees can tap into a captive audience and provide a seamless coffee experience for on-the-go customers.

• Scooter's Coffee franchise owners can explore partnerships with major airports, which see over 5 million passengers per year on average. This can significantly boost brand exposure and sales.
• Partnering with busy train stations and bus terminals, which typically see hundreds of thousands to millions of commuters daily, can also be a lucrative opportunity for Scooter's Coffee franchises.

Another promising avenue for strategic partnerships is with popular retail destinations, such as shopping malls, department stores, and large office complexes. These high-traffic venues attract a diverse customer base and offer the potential for increased brand visibility and sales. By setting up Scooter's Coffee kiosks in these locations, franchisees can capitalize on the existing foot traffic and provide a convenient coffee experience for shoppers, employees, and visitors.

• Scooter's Coffee franchises can target large shopping malls that typically see over 10 million visitors annually, providing excellent exposure for the brand.
• Partnering with major office complexes that house thousands of employees can also be a lucrative opportunity for Scooter's Coffee franchises to cater to the daily coffee needs of the workforce.

Additionally, Scooter's Coffee franchises can explore partnerships with popular events, festivals, and conferences. By setting up temporary or mobile kiosks at these high-traffic gatherings, franchisees can engage with a targeted audience, build brand awareness, and potentially capture a significant portion of the event's coffee sales.

• Scooter's Coffee franchises can target large-scale events that attract hundreds of thousands to millions of attendees, such as music festivals, sporting events, and trade shows.
• Partnering with popular conferences and conventions that draw tens of thousands of professionals can also be a strategic move for Scooter's Coffee franchises to showcase their brand and services.

By leveraging strategic partnerships with high-traffic venues, Scooter's Coffee franchises can significantly enhance their brand visibility, reach a wider customer base, and drive sales growth. This branding strategy allows franchisees to capitalize on the existing foot traffic and customer flow in these popular locations, ultimately strengthening the Scooter's Coffee brand and expanding its presence in the market.

Utilize Eye-Catching Outdoor Advertising and Signage

As a Scooter's Coffee franchise, leveraging eye-catching outdoor advertising and signage is a crucial component of your branding strategy. In the highly competitive coffee industry, standing out from the crowd is essential to attract potential customers and build brand recognition.

One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through the strategic placement of vibrant, attention-grabbing outdoor signage. Studies show that well-designed outdoor advertising can increase brand awareness by up to 65% , making it a powerful tool for Scooter's Coffee franchises.

• Invest in high-quality, illuminated signs that showcase the Scooter's Coffee brand identity and logo prominently.
• Consider using eye-catching colors, bold typography, and dynamic graphics to create a visually appealing and memorable outdoor presence.
• Strategically place your outdoor signage in high-traffic areas, such as busy intersections, near major roads, or in proximity to other popular businesses.

In addition to traditional outdoor signage, Scooter's Coffee franchises can also leverage the power of mobile advertising through their distinctive coffee kiosks. Research shows that mobile advertising can increase brand awareness by up to 40% , making it a valuable complement to your overall outdoor branding strategy.

By designing your Scooter's Coffee mobile kiosks with a vibrant, eye-catching aesthetic, you can create a mobile billboard that showcases your brand and attracts the attention of potential customers on the go. Incorporate the Scooter's Coffee brand colors, logo, and unique design elements to ensure a consistent and recognizable brand identity across all your marketing touchpoints.

Ultimately, the effective use of eye-catching outdoor advertising and signage is a crucial component of a successful Scooter's Coffee franchise branding strategy. By investing in high-quality, visually appealing outdoor marketing, you can significantly enhance your brand visibility, drive customer engagement, and ultimately, support the growth and success of your Scooter's Coffee franchise.

Optimize the website for search engine visibility

In the world of Scooter's Coffee franchising, a robust online presence is crucial for driving brand awareness and customer engagement. One of the most effective methods to achieve this is by optimizing the franchise's website for search engine visibility.

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that potential customers can easily find and access the Scooter's Coffee franchise website. By implementing a comprehensive SEO strategy, franchisees can increase their website's visibility in search engine results, ultimately driving more traffic and converting leads into loyal customers.

• Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the most relevant and high-performing search terms related to Scooter's Coffee franchises, such as ' Scooter's Coffee franchise ,' ' Scooter's Coffee mobile kiosk ,' and ' Scooter's Coffee franchise opportunities '.
• Optimize the website's content, including page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags, to incorporate the identified keywords and phrases, making it easier for search engines to understand and index the website's content.
• Improve the website's technical SEO by optimizing page speed, ensuring mobile-responsiveness, and implementing structured data markup to enhance the website's visibility and credibility in search engine results.

Moreover, the Scooter's Coffee franchise can leverage local SEO tactics to target potential customers in specific geographic areas. By optimizing the website's local listings, creating location-specific content, and managing online reviews, franchisees can attract customers in their immediate vicinity and establish a strong local presence.

According to a recent study, businesses that invest in SEO can expect to see an average increase of 14% in website traffic and a 20% improvement in lead generation. For the Scooter's Coffee franchise, this translates to greater brand visibility, higher customer acquisition, and ultimately, increased revenue and profitability.

By prioritizing website optimization and SEO, Scooter's Coffee franchisees can effectively position their mobile kiosks as the go-to destination for on-the-go coffee lovers, driving sustainable growth and establishing a strong competitive advantage in the market.

Offer a Consistent, Exceptional Customer Experience

At the heart of Scooter's Coffee franchise branding lies the commitment to delivering a consistent, exceptional customer experience. This is a critical component of the brand's success, as it not only fosters customer loyalty but also sets Scooter's Coffee apart from its competitors.

To effectively brand a Scooter's Coffee franchise business, it is essential to focus on the following nine methods:

• Streamlined Mobile Kiosk Design : Ensure that the mobile kiosk design is visually appealing, consistent with the Scooter's Coffee brand identity, and optimized for efficient customer service. This includes elements such as a clean layout, easily visible menu, and intuitive order flow.
• Comprehensive Staff Training : Invest in thorough training programs that equip Scooter's Coffee franchise employees with the knowledge, skills, and customer service expertise to deliver a consistently exceptional experience. Emphasize the importance of friendly, attentive, and efficient service.
• Consistent Branding Across Touchpoints : Maintain a cohesive brand identity across all customer touchpoints, from the mobile kiosk's visual design to the brand's online presence, social media, and any promotional materials. This creates a seamless and recognizable brand experience.
• Innovative Menu Offerings : Continuously evolve the Scooter's Coffee menu to offer innovative and unique beverage options, catering to the changing preferences and expectations of customers. Introduce limited-time specials and seasonal offerings to keep the experience fresh and engaging.
• Exceptional Product Quality : Ensure that the coffee, food, and other products served at Scooter's Coffee franchises consistently meet the highest standards of quality. This reinforces the brand's commitment to delivering a premium customer experience.
• Personalized Customer Interactions : Encourage Scooter's Coffee franchise employees to engage with customers in a personalized and genuine manner, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty. This can include remembering regular customers' orders, offering tailored recommendations, and providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
• Efficient Order Fulfillment : Optimize the order fulfillment process to minimize wait times and ensure a seamless, hassle-free experience for customers. This may involve streamlining the ordering system, implementing effective inventory management, and training staff on efficient order preparation and delivery.
• Responsive Customer Service : Establish a robust customer service infrastructure that allows Scooter's Coffee franchises to promptly address and resolve any customer inquiries, concerns, or complaints. This demonstrates the brand's commitment to customer satisfaction and reinforces the exceptional experience.
• Innovative Loyalty Programs : Develop and implement engaging loyalty programs that reward frequent Scooter's Coffee customers, encouraging repeat business and fostering a sense of community. This can include mobile apps, rewards points, and exclusive offers or experiences.
• Regularly gather customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and ensure the customer experience remains exceptional.
• Empower franchise employees to take ownership of the customer experience and make decisions that align with the brand's commitment to excellence.
• Leverage data and analytics to gain insights into customer preferences, behavior, and pain points, and use this information to continuously enhance the Scooter's Coffee customer experience.

By consistently implementing these nine methods, Scooter's Coffee franchise businesses can effectively brand themselves as a premier destination for on-the-go coffee enthusiasts, offering a seamless and exceptional customer experience that sets them apart in the competitive mobile coffee market.

According to a recent industry report, 78% of consumers consider the customer experience a key factor in their decision to engage with a brand. Additionally, 71% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for a great customer experience. Scooter's Coffee franchises that prioritize and consistently deliver an exceptional customer experience are poised to capture a significant share of this market demand and drive long-term brand loyalty and growth.

Implement an Effective Loyalty and Rewards Program

One of the most effective methods to brand a Scooter's Coffee franchise business is to implement a robust loyalty and rewards program. This strategy not only helps to foster customer engagement and retention but also reinforces the brand's commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience.

According to a study by the National Restaurant Association, 73% of consumers are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers a loyalty program. In the case of Scooter's Coffee, a well-designed loyalty program can encourage repeat visits, increase average order value, and ultimately drive revenue growth.

• Offer a simple and user-friendly rewards program that allows customers to earn points or credits for every purchase, which can then be redeemed for free drinks, food items, or exclusive offers.
• Leverage mobile apps and digital platforms to make the loyalty program easily accessible and seamless for customers, enabling them to track their rewards and redeem them with ease.
• Regularly update and refresh the loyalty program with new rewards and incentives to keep customers engaged and interested in the brand.

Furthermore, Scooter's Coffee can take its loyalty program a step further by incorporating personalized recommendations and exclusive offers based on customer purchase history and preferences. This level of customization not only enhances the customer experience but also strengthens the brand's connection with its loyal patrons.

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, 70% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn't happen. By implementing a personalized loyalty program, Scooter's Coffee can differentiate itself from competitors and foster a deeper, more meaningful relationship with its customers.

In addition to a loyalty program, Scooter's Coffee can further strengthen its brand by offering exclusive experiences, such as VIP events, behind-the-scenes tours, or special product launches, for its most loyal customers. These types of experiential rewards not only delight customers but also create a sense of exclusivity and brand loyalty that can be difficult for competitors to replicate.

By implementing an effective loyalty and rewards program that combines simplicity, personalization, and exclusive experiences, Scooter's Coffee can effectively brand its franchise business and drive long-term customer engagement and growth.

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How to Write a Business Plan for a Small Business

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated September 2, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of writing a business plan

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that writing a business plan helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your business plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After writing your business plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

When writing a business plan, the produces and services section is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

When writing a business plan, the operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

The last section of your business plan is your financial plan and forecasts. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI to write a business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of writing a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Writing a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of writing a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan

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