Start-up Expenses to Fund | $22,500 |
Start-up Assets to Fund | $222,500 |
Total Funding Required | $245,000 |
| |
Assets | |
Non-cash Assets from Start-up | $9,000 |
Cash Requirements from Start-up | $213,500 |
Additional Cash Raised | $0 |
Cash Balance on Starting Date | $213,500 |
Total Assets | $222,500 |
| |
| |
Liabilities and Capital | |
| |
Liabilities | |
Current Borrowing | $0 |
Long-term Liabilities | $100,000 |
Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) | $0 |
Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) | $0 |
Total Liabilities | $100,000 |
| |
Capital | |
| |
Planned Investment | |
Investor 1 | $60,000 |
Investor 2 | $50,000 |
Other | $35,000 |
Additional Investment Requirement | $0 |
Total Planned Investment | $145,000 |
| |
Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) | ($22,500) |
Total Capital | $122,500 |
| |
| |
Total Capital and Liabilities | $222,500 |
| |
Total Funding | $245,000 |
Start-up |
| |
Requirements | |
| |
Start-up Expenses | |
Legal | $3,000 |
Accounting | $2,000 |
Brochures | $2,500 |
Consultants | $0 |
Insurance | $0 |
Rent | $0 |
Research and Development | $0 |
Expensed Equipment | $15,000 |
Other | $0 |
Total Start-up Expenses | $22,500 |
| |
Start-up Assets | |
Cash Required | $213,500 |
Start-up Inventory | $0 |
Other Current Assets | $0 |
Long-term Assets | $9,000 |
Total Assets | $222,500 |
| |
Total Requirements | $245,000 |
Non-readers rely on visual images as a form of communication, a replacement for the more typical text that readers are able to understand. The first component of the software is a digital cookbook of recipes. The software displays pictures of the different ingredients needed for the recipe. The pictures are then printed allowing the individual to take the picture to the grocery store facilitating the purchasing of the groceries. On each picture is also text explaining what the item is. Within each recipe is the ability to print the different utensils and pots needed to complete the item. While the recipes are meant to be cooked with support, the main goal is to allow the individual to have independent shopping.
The user first sees a bunch of different pictures of food dishes with names below the pictures. The user then chooses a dish and is brought to a screen where the ingredients are listed by picture and also the different utensils/pots/pans needed are listed. Once the user chooses what they want to prepare they can then print up a list of the different ingredients. The list is picture based (with text) and they are able to take the picture list to the grocery to assist them in purchasing the ingredients independently.
The second component of the software is the social occasion/party planning module. This is the fun part (in addition to the fun food pictures). Everyone likes to plan for party. The screen opens with pictures showing different occassions such as a picnic in the park, friends and movie night, birthday party, holiday event, pool party, etc. When the user clicks on the chosen image they hear 30 seconds of background music in a theme matched to the event that they have chosen. Once they have chosen the event the software takes them through the different steps of food preparation for the event. These food preparation steps are the previously explained food component that is now organized not by dish but by event. If a picnic in a park is chosen there will be several dishes to be made, all of them cold as there is no way of heating the dishes while you are in the park. All users of this module will be entertained by the background sounds as well as the excitement of planning for a party.
This component is especially important in the individual’s development. Planning activities are especially important for a population that is so isolated. Without socialization skills such as parties, the clients end up learning the skills and then sit in their apartment alone.
Ultimately, FoodFun’s software product combines two of the most important lifeskills/transition training areas, food preparation and social leisure. The food component allows the non-reading individuals with developmental disabilities to become more independent in their daily activities. The social planning module leverages the existing food module and assists the users in panning for social occassions centered around food. This module is designed to be entertaining to capture the interest and imagination of the user, drawing them into the software, creating the desire to use the product.
The software product will be developed by three contract programmers. The software will be upgraded yearly.
Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">
The market for lifeskills training software can be segmented into four groups. The first is centers for independent living, the second is school districts, the third is proactive parents, and the last is agencies charged with special education administration. Each of the four segments is distinct and will be communicated with in different ways. These four segments have been chosen because they are the main purchasers of products for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The software industry for individuals with developmental disabilities has just begun to grow. Only within the last few years has there been a significant increase in the number of computers found in classrooms using specialized software. Competing with the software companies are products that have printed pictures on them, typically laminated cards. While these cards are helpful, they are less interactive.
4.1 Market Segmentation
FoodFun LIS has identified four distinct market segments for their products:
- Centers for Independent Living – These are typically not-for-profit entities that assist individuals with developmental disabilities. The centers help clients with transition skills, making them more independent. These centers offer a wide range of lifeskills training for the individuals.
- School Districts – All students are guaranteed an education therefore the school districts must provide the appropriate education until the individual is 21 years old. School districts are consumers of these products in pursuit of their goal of providing the students with an appropriate education.
- Proactive Parents – These are parents of individuals with developmental disabilities who are taking an active role in their child’s education/lifeskill training. Reinforcing these skills as much as possible is useful, therefore there are many parents that will purchase the software for home use.
- Agencies – Many states, often as a reaction to a lawsuits (individual and class actions) have set up agencies or brokerages whose purpose is to dispense money from the state to the service providers assisting the individuals in need.
Market Analysis |
| | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
Potential Customers | Growth | | | | | | CAGR |
Centers for Independent Living | 6% | 3,245 | 3,440 | 3,646 | 3,865 | 4,097 | 6.00% |
School Districts | 5% | 14,856 | 15,599 | 16,379 | 17,198 | 18,058 | 5.00% |
Proactive Parents | 8% | 824,555 | 890,519 | 961,761 | 1,038,702 | 1,121,798 | 8.00% |
Agencies | 6% | 5,354 | 5,675 | 6,016 | 6,377 | 6,760 | 6.00% |
Total | 7.93% | 848,010 | 915,233 | 987,802 | 1,066,142 | 1,150,713 | 7.93% |
4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy
These four target segments were chosen because they have the greatest likelihood of purchasing FoodFun’s products.
- Centers for Independent Living – The centers typically buy aids to assist in the teaching of lifeskills and other transition skills to their clients.
- School Districts – In order to assist the school districts in teaching the students (a federal requirement) the districts will use instructional tools and aids. Instructional tools are particularly useful as the ratio of students to teachers is often high and these aids help the school manage the students better.
- Proactive Parents – Parents that are interested in helping with their child’s education will seek useful devices that they can use at home.
- Agencies – The agencies are often given sums of money and must spend it on the students’ education/training. The agencies are always looking for products that will be useful in providing students with necessary skills.
4.3 Industry Analysis
There are several companies making products that specifically address learning needs for individuals with developmental disabilities. While some of the companies’ products are also suitable for traditional students, most companies in this industry specialize on products for developmental disabilities.
Within the industry there are a wide range of products. There are many different product groups that target specific types of disabilities. There are also different products targeted on a specific disability. Some might concentrate on spelling, reading comprehension, counting, sentence construction, etc. Lastly, within each specific category products take different forms, some may be CDs, software, cards, audio tapes, etc.
4.3.1 Competition and Buying Patterns
There are three main companies that are direct competitors to FoodFun Lifeskills Instructional Software, focusing on individuals with developmental disabilities or individuals with autism (75% of individuals with autism are developmentally disabled and non-readers).
- WordWise – This company makes several products including picture-based language programs, laminated picture cards, and community success CDs. While their software has a grocery shopping module, it is very simple and limited in the choices of grocery items.
- Edbydesign.com – This company has several products including: sentence maker, match maker, counting programs, and sorting programs. These are all non-interactive CD-based programs.
- Autismcoach.com – This company makes software that is designed to strengthen core cognitive skills such as short-term memory, mental processing speed, multi-tasking and auditory processing. This is primarily for a younger customer age of 10-17.
Strategy and Implementation Summary
FoodFun’s marketing strategy will be to raise visibility of the software product among the decision makers who are in charge of purchasing aids and instructional tools. The campaign will be targeted to reach these people/organizations so that they are aware of the options they have in developing the skills of individuals with developmental disabilities. Lastly, the sales strategy will seek to convince the prospective customers that there can be significant gains in learning through FoodFun’s carefully designed software.
A table with sales forecast information and charts displaying monthly and yearly sales projections follows.
5.1 Competitive Edge
FoodFun LIS’ competitive edge is their clever incorporation of entertaining fun within the education software. Currently, there are several different vendors that are marketing software for this niche, however, the software is strictly educational. While this is well and good for developing skills, the students are not always that eager to use the software. FoodFun has adopted the philosophy that if they can make the education/training fun, the students will use it far more often, having fun while they are learning valuable skills.
Two different studies (not developmental disability specific studies, but the results are still applicable) have shown that if students are enjoying themselves, they will spend 2.4 times as long using the software that they perceive as fun. What this means is that the student is spending 2.4 times as long developing necessary skills when they are enjoying the software. FoodFun has incorporated entertainment aspects to their software to utilize this phenomenon.
5.2 Marketing Strategy
FoodFun’s marketing strategy reflects their perception of the industry: that most of the companies operating today are operated by educators; that they make nice products; but not many people know about the products, and overall awareness is poor. The reality is that so many prospective customers in the United States are unaware of the different available products. FoodFun will employ an aggressive marketing strategy to raise awareness of their products among customers who are in need of these products, and thereby increasing software purchases. FoodFun will be advertising heavily in various industry journals and magazines as a proven method of reaching the target audience. The ads will generate awareness of FoodFun LIS and will lead the customers to FoodFun’s website where they can demo the software. This strategy is based on the philosophy that you can have a great product, but if no one knows about it you are not going to be successful.
5.3 Sales Strategy
FoodFun will use an aggressive sales campaign that will rely on conference participation as well as target cold calling. There are numerous industry conferences throughout the country that are specifically for educators. The conferences are the places where people get together and share strategies that work with their colleagues in different departments and different states. While the conferences are not typically packed with vendors, FoodFun LIS will be present since the conferences are a captive assortment of the right people – the educators that are in the trenches working with the special students. The conferences will be an excellent networking opportunity and should develop significant sales.
The second prong of the sales strategy will be a campaign aimed at contacting key decision makers and introducing them to FoodFun LIS and their products. Autism consultants for school districts comprise one group that will be targeted. The districts often take the consultants’ recommendations when making purchasing decisions for special education. Research will be done to determine states’ education districts structures to determine if it is the ESD (educational service district) that is providing the services or if the money has been given to agencies to disperse to various service providers. This information will be valuable in determining who is the proper consumer for the special software. These personal contacts will help generate significant sales.
5.3.1 Sales Forecast
The following table and charts present sales forecasts in a monthly format as well as yearly projections. Forecasts have been conservatively estimated to increase the likelihood of attainment. Sales has been broken down by customer group.
A fulfillment house will be contracted to produce, package, and ship the hard copy software product to purchasers. Download of the software from the FoodFun LIS website will be available. This will drastically reduce cost of goods if purchasers use the download only purchase option.
Sales Forecast |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Sales | | | |
Centers for Independent Living | $23,439 | $96,957 | $118,616 |
School Districts | $43,405 | $179,550 | $219,660 |
Proactive Parents | $9,983 | $41,297 | $50,522 |
Agencies | $19,966 | $82,593 | $101,044 |
Total Sales | $96,793 | $400,397 | $489,842 |
| | | |
Direct Cost of Sales | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Centers for Independent Living | $1,641 | $6,787 | $8,303 |
School Districts | $3,038 | $12,569 | $15,376 |
Proactive Parents | $699 | $2,891 | $3,537 |
Agencies | $1,398 | $5,782 | $7,073 |
Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales | $6,776 | $28,028 | $34,289 |
5.4 Milestones
FoodFun LIS has several milestones, presented in the following table and chart, which will be instrumental in the success of the organization.
Milestones |
| | | | | |
Milestone | Start Date | End Date | Budget | Manager | Department |
Business plan completion | 1/1/2004 | 2/15/2004 | $0 | Sue | Busines Development |
Beta version completed | 2/1/2004 | 4/15/2004 | $0 | ABC | Programming |
Organizational hiring complete | 3/15/2004 | 5/1/2004 | $0 | Sue | HR |
Public release of software | 4/15/2004 | 5/15/2004 | $0 | ABC | Programming |
Profitability | 5/15/2004 | 5/30/2005 | $0 | Sue | Accounting |
Totals | | | $0 | | |
Web Plan Summary
FoodFun will develop a website that will be used as both a marketing and sales tool. On the site interested parties can receive more information regarding the company and the current product list. Once the beta version of the software is ready interested customers can download a trial version of the software for their evaluation. The website will also provide people with company contact information to allow them to ask any questions that they may have.
Online sales will be contracted to one of the third party Internet sales businesses, such as Yahoo! Shopping. The site will provide customers with a download only purchase option.
6.1 Website Marketing Strategy
The website will be marketed using simple yet effective means. The first method is inclusion of the URL address in all promotional activities. This will be especially important because it will allow all interested parties to view screen shots of the software and download a trial version of the product. FoodFun LIS recognizes that no ad will be able to communicate everything, therefore FoodFun will rely on the website to provide the additional information. The second marketing tool for the website will be comprehension search engine submission. The submission process will provide FoodFun will many visitors to the website. This will be accomplished when an interested party searches on “autism software” or some other set of keywords. The search engine will then list a number of “hits” that correspond to the search terms.
6.2 Development Requirements
FoodFun will employ one computer science student for the design and development of the website. Development will occur concurrently with the development of the software.
Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">
Sue spent eight years teaching at Northwestern. While she taught a number of general special education classes, her passion was lifeskills for individuals with developmental disabilities, focusing on life transitions. In addition to teaching, Sue served as a member of the board of several different nonprofit agencies. Her time spent on the different boards was quite pleasing since it provided her with a bit more direct experience with the individuals in need. In the school setting most of her interactions was specifically with graduate and undergraduate students.
Sue began to realize as much as she enjoyed teaching, she felt isolated from the students that she was trying to help. She recognized that her work as an educator would in effect benefit the students, but she was looking for a different connection. Because she had an amazing amount of knowledge about the subject of special education, Sue began to brainstorm some ideas of starting a business that would serve individuals with developmental disabilities. While this intrigued Sue, she did not feel she had the requisite business experience, so she took several business courses to help develop this new skill set. While taking these course (and teaching at the same time) Sue began to realize that while there were many different study aids on the market, they were all strictly educational. Sue believed (and studies would indicate) that if a fun component was added to the aid, students would use it more often and learn more. With this information in hand, Sue began to create an idea for some software that was both educational and entertaining at the same time. This was the beginning of FoodFun Lifeskills Instructional Software.
7.1 Personnel Plan
FoodFun LIS will require the following employees:
- Sue- she will be doing a little of everything from HR to business development to product development to finance.
- Accounting- an accounting clerk will be hired.
- Software development- two employees will be in charge writing manuals, instructions, and product bug updates, and version upgrades.
- Marketing Sales- two employees will be hired to generate sales.
- Customer Service- two employees will be used to field any questions from customers or address any concerns/problems regarding orders as well technical difficulties.
Personnel Plan |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Sue | $22,000 | $26,000 | $30,000 |
Accounting | $16,200 | $21,600 | $21,600 |
Software Documentation | $19,800 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Product Development | $15,400 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | $19,800 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | $19,800 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Marketing/ Sales | $27,000 | $36,000 | $36,000 |
Marketing/ Sales | $27,000 | $36,000 | $36,000 |
Total People | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| | | |
Total Payroll | $167,000 | $225,200 | $229,200 |
Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">
The following sections outline important financial information.
8.1 Important Assumptions
The following table details important financial assumptions.
General Assumptions |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Plan Month | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Current Interest Rate | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
Long-term Interest Rate | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
Tax Rate | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
8.2 Break-even Analysis
The Break-even Analysis is shown below.
Break-even Analysis |
| |
| |
Monthly Revenue Break-even | $20,959 |
| |
Assumptions: | |
Average Percent Variable Cost | 7% |
Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost | $19,492 |
8.3 Projected Profit and Loss
The table and charts illustrate the projected profit and loss.
Pro Forma Profit and Loss |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Sales | $96,793 | $400,397 | $489,842 |
Direct Cost of Sales | $6,776 | $28,028 | $34,289 |
Other Costs of Goods | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Cost of Sales | $6,776 | $28,028 | $34,289 |
| | | |
Gross Margin | $90,018 | $372,369 | $455,553 |
Gross Margin % | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% |
| | | |
| | | |
Expenses | | | |
Payroll | $167,000 | $225,200 | $229,200 |
Sales and Marketing and Other Expenses | $6,600 | $7,200 | $7,200 |
Depreciation | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 |
Rent | $10,450 | $11,400 | $11,400 |
Utilities | $5,500 | $6,000 | $6,000 |
Insurance | $5,500 | $5,500 | $5,500 |
Payroll Taxes | $25,050 | $33,780 | $34,380 |
Programming | $12,000 | $0 | $0 |
| | | |
Total Operating Expenses | $233,900 | $290,880 | $295,480 |
| | | |
Profit Before Interest and Taxes | ($143,882) | $81,489 | $160,073 |
EBITDA | ($142,082) | $83,289 | $161,873 |
Interest Expense | $9,134 | $9,566 | $9,943 |
Taxes Incurred | $0 | $21,577 | $45,039 |
| | | |
Net Profit | ($153,017) | $50,346 | $105,091 |
Net Profit/Sales | -158.09% | 12.57% | 21.45% |
8.4 Projected Cash Flow
The following chart and table show projected cash flow.
Pro Forma Cash Flow |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Cash Received | | | |
| | | |
Cash from Operations | | | |
Cash Sales | $24,198 | $100,099 | $122,460 |
Cash from Receivables | $46,108 | $217,218 | $342,905 |
Subtotal Cash from Operations | $70,306 | $317,317 | $465,366 |
| | | |
Additional Cash Received | | | |
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Other Liabilities (interest-free) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Long-term Liabilities | $0 | $40,000 | $0 |
Sales of Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Sales of Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Investment Received | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Cash Received | $70,306 | $357,317 | $465,366 |
| | | |
Expenditures | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| | | |
Expenditures from Operations | | | |
Cash Spending | $167,000 | $225,200 | $229,200 |
Bill Payments | $75,294 | $124,114 | $152,785 |
Subtotal Spent on Operations | $242,294 | $349,314 | $381,985 |
| | | |
Additional Cash Spent | | | |
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Liabilities Principal Repayment | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment | $16,227 | $16,227 | $16,227 |
Purchase Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Purchase Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Dividends | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Cash Spent | $258,521 | $365,541 | $398,212 |
| | | |
Net Cash Flow | ($188,214) | ($8,224) | $67,154 |
Cash Balance | $25,286 | $17,062 | $84,215 |
8.5 Projected Balance Sheet
The following table presents the projected balance sheet.
Pro Forma Balance Sheet |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Assets | | | |
| | | |
Current Assets | | | |
Cash | $25,286 | $17,062 | $84,215 |
Accounts Receivable | $26,487 | $109,566 | $134,042 |
Inventory | $1,408 | $5,824 | $7,126 |
Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Current Assets | $53,180 | $132,452 | $225,383 |
| | | |
Long-term Assets | | | |
Long-term Assets | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 |
Accumulated Depreciation | $1,800 | $3,600 | $5,400 |
Total Long-term Assets | $7,200 | $5,400 | $3,600 |
Total Assets | $60,380 | $137,852 | $228,983 |
| | | |
Liabilities and Capital | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| | | |
Current Liabilities | | | |
Accounts Payable | $7,124 | $10,477 | $12,744 |
Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Current Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Current Liabilities | $7,124 | $10,477 | $12,744 |
| | | |
Long-term Liabilities | $83,773 | $107,546 | $91,319 |
Total Liabilities | $90,897 | $118,023 | $104,063 |
| | | |
Paid-in Capital | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 |
Retained Earnings | ($22,500) | ($175,517) | ($125,171) |
Earnings | ($153,017) | $50,346 | $105,091 |
Total Capital | ($30,517) | $19,829 | $124,920 |
Total Liabilities and Capital | $60,380 | $137,852 | $228,983 |
| | | |
Net Worth | ($30,517) | $19,829 | $124,920 |
8.6 Business Ratios
The following table outlines some of the more important ratios from the Computer Software industry. The final column, Industry Profile, details specific ratios based on the industry as it is classified by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code, 5045.9903.
Ratio Analysis |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Industry Profile |
Sales Growth | 0.00% | 313.66% | 22.34% | 1.51% |
| | | | |
Percent of Total Assets | | | | |
Accounts Receivable | 43.87% | 79.48% | 58.54% | 29.71% |
Inventory | 2.33% | 4.23% | 3.11% | 39.18% |
Other Current Assets | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 19.28% |
Total Current Assets | 88.08% | 96.08% | 98.43% | 88.17% |
Long-term Assets | 11.92% | 3.92% | 1.57% | 11.83% |
Total Assets | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| | | | |
Current Liabilities | 11.80% | 7.60% | 5.57% | 43.83% |
Long-term Liabilities | 138.74% | 78.02% | 39.88% | 9.87% |
Total Liabilities | 150.54% | 85.62% | 45.45% | 53.70% |
Net Worth | -50.54% | 14.38% | 54.55% | 46.30% |
| | | | |
Percent of Sales | | | | |
Sales | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Gross Margin | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 24.10% |
Selling, General & Administrative Expenses | 251.09% | 80.43% | 71.55% | 15.49% |
Advertising Expenses | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.58% |
Profit Before Interest and Taxes | -148.65% | 20.35% | 32.68% | 2.35% |
| | | | |
Main Ratios | | | | |
Current | 7.46 | 12.64 | 17.69 | 1.86 |
Quick | 7.27 | 12.09 | 17.13 | 0.86 |
Total Debt to Total Assets | 150.54% | 85.62% | 45.45% | 5.06% |
Pre-tax Return on Net Worth | 501.42% | 362.71% | 120.18% | 56.70% |
Pre-tax Return on Assets | -253.42% | 52.17% | 65.56% | 11.68% |
| | | | |
Additional Ratios | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Net Profit Margin | -158.09% | 12.57% | 21.45% | n.a |
Return on Equity | 0.00% | 253.90% | 84.13% | n.a |
| | | | |
Activity Ratios | | | | |
Accounts Receivable Turnover | 2.74 | 2.74 | 2.74 | n.a |
Collection Days | 54 | 83 | 121 | n.a |
Inventory Turnover | 9.55 | 7.75 | 5.30 | n.a |
Accounts Payable Turnover | 11.57 | 12.17 | 12.17 | n.a |
Payment Days | 27 | 25 | 27 | n.a |
Total Asset Turnover | 1.60 | 2.90 | 2.14 | n.a |
| | | | |
Debt Ratios | | | | |
Debt to Net Worth | 0.00 | 5.95 | 0.83 | n.a |
Current Liab. to Liab. | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.12 | n.a |
| | | | |
Liquidity Ratios | | | | |
Net Working Capital | $46,056 | $121,975 | $212,639 | n.a |
Interest Coverage | -15.75 | 8.52 | 16.10 | n.a |
| | | | |
Additional Ratios | | | | |
Assets to Sales | 0.62 | 0.34 | 0.47 | n.a |
Current Debt/Total Assets | 12% | 8% | 6% | n.a |
Acid Test | 3.55 | 1.63 | 6.61 | n.a |
Sales/Net Worth | 0.00 | 20.19 | 3.92 | n.a |
Dividend Payout | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | n.a |
Sales Forecast |
| | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Sales | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Centers for Independent Living | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $540 | $1,350 | $1,944 | $2,970 | $3,918 | $4,023 | $4,266 | $4,428 |
School Districts | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $3,600 | $5,500 | $7,255 | $7,450 | $7,900 | $8,200 |
Proactive Parents | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $230 | $575 | $828 | $1,265 | $1,669 | $1,714 | $1,817 | $1,886 |
Agencies | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $460 | $1,150 | $1,656 | $2,530 | $3,337 | $3,427 | $3,634 | $3,772 |
Total Sales | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,230 | $5,575 | $8,028 | $12,265 | $16,179 | $16,614 | $17,617 | $18,286 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Direct Cost of Sales | | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Centers for Independent Living | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $38 | $95 | $136 | $208 | $274 | $282 | $299 | $310 |
School Districts | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $70 | $175 | $252 | $385 | $508 | $522 | $553 | $574 |
Proactive Parents | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $16 | $40 | $58 | $89 | $117 | $120 | $127 | $132 |
Agencies | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $32 | $81 | $116 | $177 | $234 | $240 | $254 | $264 |
Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $156 | $390 | $562 | $859 | $1,133 | $1,163 | $1,233 | $1,280 |
Personnel Plan |
| | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Sue | 0% | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
Accounting | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 |
Software Documentation | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Product Development | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Marketing/ Sales | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Marketing/ Sales | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Total People | | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Payroll | | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $16,400 | $16,400 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 |
General Assumptions |
| | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Plan Month | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Current Interest Rate | | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
Long-term Interest Rate | | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
Tax Rate | | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% |
Other | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pro Forma Profit and Loss |
| | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Sales | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,230 | $5,575 | $8,028 | $12,265 | $16,179 | $16,614 | $17,617 | $18,286 |
Direct Cost of Sales | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $156 | $390 | $562 | $859 | $1,133 | $1,163 | $1,233 | $1,280 |
Other Costs of Goods | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Cost of Sales | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $156 | $390 | $562 | $859 | $1,133 | $1,163 | $1,233 | $1,280 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Gross Margin | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,074 | $5,185 | $7,466 | $11,406 | $15,046 | $15,451 | $16,384 | $17,006 |
Gross Margin % | | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Payroll | | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $16,400 | $16,400 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 |
Sales and Marketing and Other Expenses | | $0 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 |
Depreciation | | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 |
Rent | | $0 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 |
Utilities | | $0 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 |
Insurance | | $0 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 |
Payroll Taxes | 15% | $0 | $300 | $300 | $2,460 | $2,460 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 |
Programming | | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Operating Expenses | | $3,150 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $24,560 | $21,560 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Profit Before Interest and Taxes | | ($3,150) | ($8,000) | ($8,000) | ($24,560) | ($19,486) | ($18,905) | ($16,624) | ($12,684) | ($9,044) | ($8,639) | ($7,706) | ($7,084) |
EBITDA | | ($3,000) | ($7,850) | ($7,850) | ($24,410) | ($19,336) | ($18,755) | ($16,474) | ($12,534) | ($8,894) | ($8,489) | ($7,556) | ($6,934) |
Interest Expense | | $823 | $812 | $801 | $790 | $779 | $767 | $756 | $745 | $733 | $722 | $710 | $698 |
Taxes Incurred | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Profit | | ($3,973) | ($8,812) | ($8,801) | ($25,350) | ($20,265) | ($19,673) | ($17,380) | ($13,428) | ($9,777) | ($9,361) | ($8,416) | ($7,782) |
Net Profit/Sales | | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | -908.73% | -352.87% | -216.49% | -109.48% | -60.43% | -56.35% | -47.77% | -42.56% |
Pro Forma Cash Flow |
| | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Cash Received | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cash from Operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cash Sales | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $558 | $1,394 | $2,007 | $3,066 | $4,045 | $4,153 | $4,404 | $4,572 |
Cash from Receivables | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $56 | $1,756 | $4,243 | $6,127 | $9,297 | $12,145 | $12,485 |
Subtotal Cash from Operations | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $558 | $1,450 | $3,763 | $7,309 | $10,172 | $13,450 | $16,549 | $17,057 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Additional Cash Received | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received | 0.00% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Current Borrowing | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Other Liabilities (interest-free) | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Long-term Liabilities | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Sales of Other Current Assets | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Sales of Long-term Assets | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Investment Received | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Cash Received | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $558 | $1,450 | $3,763 | $7,309 | $10,172 | $13,450 | $16,549 | $17,057 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenditures | | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenditures from Operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cash Spending | | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $16,400 | $16,400 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 |
Bill Payments | | $127 | $3,917 | $6,661 | $6,722 | $8,733 | $6,766 | $6,140 | $7,096 | $7,096 | $7,413 | $7,261 | $7,361 |
Subtotal Spent on Operations | | $127 | $5,917 | $8,661 | $23,122 | $25,133 | $25,366 | $24,740 | $25,696 | $25,696 | $26,013 | $25,861 | $25,961 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Additional Cash Spent | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Liabilities Principal Repayment | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment | | $1,291 | $1,302 | $1,313 | $1,324 | $1,335 | $1,346 | $1,357 | $1,369 | $1,380 | $1,392 | $1,403 | $1,415 |
Purchase Other Current Assets | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Purchase Long-term Assets | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Dividends | | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Cash Spent | | $1,419 | $7,219 | $9,974 | $24,446 | $26,468 | $26,712 | $26,098 | $27,064 | $27,076 | $27,404 | $27,265 | $27,375 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Cash Flow | | ($1,419) | ($7,219) | ($9,974) | ($24,446) | ($25,910) | ($25,262) | ($22,335) | ($19,755) | ($16,904) | ($13,955) | ($10,715) | ($10,319) |
Cash Balance | | $212,081 | $204,862 | $194,888 | $170,441 | $144,531 | $119,269 | $96,934 | $77,178 | $60,274 | $46,320 | $35,604 | $25,286 |
Pro Forma Balance Sheet |
| | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
Assets | Starting Balances | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Current Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cash | $213,500 | $212,081 | $204,862 | $194,888 | $170,441 | $144,531 | $119,269 | $96,934 | $77,178 | $60,274 | $46,320 | $35,604 | $25,286 |
Accounts Receivable | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,673 | $5,798 | $10,063 | $15,019 | $21,026 | $24,190 | $25,258 | $26,487 |
Inventory | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $844 | $454 | $892 | $1,033 | $1,246 | $1,279 | $1,357 | $1,408 |
Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Current Assets | $213,500 | $212,081 | $204,862 | $194,888 | $170,441 | $147,047 | $125,520 | $107,889 | $93,231 | $82,546 | $71,789 | $62,218 | $53,180 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Long-term Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Long-term Assets | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 |
Accumulated Depreciation | $0 | $150 | $300 | $450 | $600 | $750 | $900 | $1,050 | $1,200 | $1,350 | $1,500 | $1,650 | $1,800 |
Total Long-term Assets | $9,000 | $8,850 | $8,700 | $8,550 | $8,400 | $8,250 | $8,100 | $7,950 | $7,800 | $7,650 | $7,500 | $7,350 | $7,200 |
Total Assets | $222,500 | $220,931 | $213,562 | $203,438 | $178,841 | $155,297 | $133,620 | $115,839 | $101,031 | $90,196 | $79,289 | $69,568 | $60,380 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Liabilities and Capital | | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Current Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Accounts Payable | $0 | $3,695 | $6,440 | $6,429 | $8,506 | $6,562 | $5,904 | $6,860 | $6,849 | $7,171 | $7,016 | $7,115 | $7,124 |
Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Current Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Current Liabilities | $0 | $3,695 | $6,440 | $6,429 | $8,506 | $6,562 | $5,904 | $6,860 | $6,849 | $7,171 | $7,016 | $7,115 | $7,124 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Long-term Liabilities | $100,000 | $98,709 | $97,406 | $96,094 | $94,770 | $93,435 | $92,089 | $90,731 | $89,363 | $87,983 | $86,591 | $85,188 | $83,773 |
Total Liabilities | $100,000 | $102,404 | $103,846 | $102,523 | $103,276 | $99,997 | $97,992 | $97,591 | $96,211 | $95,154 | $93,607 | $92,303 | $90,897 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Paid-in Capital | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 |
Retained Earnings | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) |
Earnings | $0 | ($3,973) | ($12,784) | ($21,585) | ($46,935) | ($67,200) | ($86,872) | ($104,252) | ($117,680) | ($127,458) | ($136,819) | ($145,235) | ($153,017) |
Total Capital | $122,500 | $118,527 | $109,716 | $100,915 | $75,565 | $55,300 | $35,628 | $18,248 | $4,820 | ($4,958) | ($14,319) | ($22,735) | ($30,517) |
Total Liabilities and Capital | $222,500 | $220,931 | $213,562 | $203,438 | $178,841 | $155,297 | $133,620 | $115,839 | $101,031 | $90,196 | $79,289 | $69,568 | $60,380 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Worth | $122,500 | $118,527 | $109,716 | $100,915 | $75,565 | $55,300 | $35,628 | $18,248 | $4,820 | ($4,958) | ($14,319) | ($22,735) | ($30,517) |
The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan
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Having a great business idea and having the willingness and ability to jump into the entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial journey are the stepping stones to a successful journey. Next, you will develop expertise on how to write a business plan for a tech startup step by step.
You may like to start a business venture on your own or start a new business initiative within the firm that you work for. Whatever the case may be; you need to start your journey by writing a tech startup business plan proposal.
Like they say, a job well begun is half done. So, knowing how to write a well thought out business plan wins half the battle for you.
You also need to follow the “Keep it Simple, Silly” doctrine and come up with a simple business plan. Following a step-by-step business plan template, in this case, helps.
Sounds interesting? Let’s start the journey.
How do you begin a tech startup business plan?
To begin a tech startup business plan, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
“What to do?” “How to do it?” “When to do it?” and ” Who will do it?”
These questions will help in starting to plan how to take your business idea to executable action. Planning will help you bridge the gap between where you are right now and where you want to reach, concerning your business idea.
What are the 5 elements of a tech startup business plan?
There is no sacrosanct format of a good business plan or a business plan pdf, and also the ingredients of a business plan proposal would depend on your experience in business and knowledge in that particular field.
However, a good startup business plan consists of the following:
1. Your background
In case you have partners, their background too
2. Description of the business idea
It should consist of Utility of the Product / Service and the Unique Selling Proposition, i.e., USP
3. Production plan
In case of a product, how would you produce the product, in case of a service, how will you deliver the service
4. Operational plan
How would you smoothly coordinate the day to day work, how would you ensure the desired quality, where would you set up your factory/office, at what price will you sell
5. Organizational plan
This contains details of how many people you will employ to produce or deliver the service, what your marketing set up will be, who will manage your accounting and liaison with the various stakeholders and authorities
6. Financial plan
Now we come to an essential part of your business plan, where you need to spend considerable time and effort. It is the Financial Plan .
Your financial plan should spell out the investment required for the business. Where would the funds come from, and when are the funds needed? How much cash is needed to carry on day to day operations?
This section would also describe the economic feasibility of the business. This would include the revenue forecast for the next year, or three years or even further.
How do you write a one-page business plan for a tech startup?
You need an elaborate plan to be successful in your business. However, at the same time, you also need to keep in mind that the business plan is needed for the potential investor to consider investing in your business.
Given the lack of time the potential investor has, you need to make a one-page business plan which has a concise description of your plans but gives details on why she/he should invest in your business. It should motivate the potential investor to spend time and read a more elaborate business plan.
The one-page business plan is also your means of communication with the external stakeholders like the government, the public at large when you need to do any statutory filing of information of the company or present in various conferences.
You may also like to term this one-page plan as a written “elevator pitch.”
You may like to start a business venture on your own or start a new business initiative within the firm that you work for. Whatever the case may be; you need to start your journey by writing a tech startup business plan proposal.
Like they say, a job well begun is half done. So, knowing how to write a well thought out business plan wins half the battle for you.
You also need to follow the “Keep it Simple, Silly” doctrine and come up with a simple business plan. Following a step-by-step business plan template, in this case, helps.
What does a tech startup business plan consist of?
A startup business plan consists of an internal roadmap elaborating on the most important aspects of your business (i.e., the background, the production, operational, organizational, and financial aspects).
At the same time, it consists of the purpose, and the financial returns your business will generate, which acts as a written marketing document for external stakeholders.
However, given the uncertainties in modern times, business plans are increasingly focusing on the risks, and the fall back plans that would be in place if the original plan fails.
A significant point that gives confidence to the investor about the long term viability of the business plan is the interest that the target market will show in the product or service. So, it is worthwhile to add as a Business plan annexure pdf, any primary research done by a reputed marketing agency of the market potential of the product or service.
When the business plan involves a new product or service, it is effortless to fall into the trap of looking at the product from your point of view and taking the market for granted. What is required at this stage is to focus exclusively on how you conceptualized the idea and how you are planning to bring the concept to execution.
Researchers from MIT suggested successful business plan examples where users were invited to pre-test the products or services. Their feedback is of interest to the investor and needs to be included in your startup business plan.
8 Steps to Create a Business Plan for Your Tech Startup
Step 1: executive summary.
The first step in writing a startup business plan for your new tech business is to create an executive summary.
The executive summary doesn’t need to be lengthy and tedious; around two to three pages should suffice.
Although a short document, the executive summary one of the most important elements of your business plan.
Your executive summary should be concise and clear as it should be successful in communicating everything about your business.
Some investors might only ask for your executive summary — so be sure to craft it well and pepper it with all the right bits of information. you’ll want to ensure it can stand on its own.
Stick to the following:
1. Mission Statement: In one crisp paragraph, explain the mission of your business and what you want to accomplish.
2. General Company Information: Next, include general information like when your business was formed, the name of the other founders, their roles, the number of employees, office locations, and so on.
3. Visual Highlights: Include graphs and charts pertaining to any key milestones of the business or any growth you’ve seen since starting the business.
4. Products and Services: Without getting overly passionate or verbose, briefly describe your product, the technology that powers it, and your target customer base.
5. Financial Information: If you’re looking for startup fundraising , include your funding goals. You can also include any information on previous loans or about banks or lenders you’ve worked with before.
6. Future plans: Don’t forget to include where you plan on taking your business in the future.
Pro tip: Write your executive summary after you’ve completed creating your business plan.
This way you’ll have all your facts in place and all your information and details sorted so you will be better equipped to summarize them.
Step 2: Company Overview
Many entrepreneurs confuse the company overview with the executive summary. However, there is a stark difference between the two.
The company overview is a more detailed top-level view of the structure of your tech business and what you do.
Here’s how you can go about drafting your startup overview:
1. Begin your company overview section by describing what your business specializes in and the technology behind it. This part of the company overview is intended to give readers and investors a general idea of your business.
2. Next, proceed to explain the nature of the industry and marketplace.
3. Lay out the legal structure of your business and provide the ownership structure.
Step 3: Market Analysis
The next step along the process of creating your startup business plan is to perform in-depth research and analysis of your niche, target market, and primary competitors.
This is the first part of your startup business plan where you dive into the details.
Your market analysis will give readers and investors enough proof about the level of understanding you have about the dynamics of your industry.
Your market analysis should include the following sections:
1. Industry Description: Start by including a detailed view of your industry. How big is it? How much has it grown in the past few years? What are its growth predictions from industry experts? Who are your competitors? How have they performed? And so on.
2. Target Market Details: Dive into the details of your target market . And include your target market’s characteristics and target market size and growth.
3. Your Market Share Potential: Chart out what your market share could look like along with how much market share you expect to gain.
4. Market Pricing: Include an estimated cost of your products and how you will distribute them.
5. Challenges: Don’t shy away from including any challenges that you may across. This could be legal issues to shifting technologies to capital issues to lack of talented or skilled human resources.
6. Competitor Research: Study your competitors by analyzing their strengths, market share, weaknesses, challenges they pose to you, and so on.
Step 4: Business Organization
This next section of your startup business plan provides insights and information on your tech business’s management structure clearly defining and explaining what everyone does.
You will also have to go a step further to include everyone’s business background and past experiences.
Here’s what you need to break down:
1. Organizational Structure: Start this section by creating an organizational chart that depicts how your business is structured.
2. Ownership Structure: Although you’ll repeat this information in your company overview, you have the liberty to go in-depth allowing you to talk about the ownership structure of your company, who owns how much, and so on.
3. Background of Owners: Categorically explain the background of your team. This includes information on directors, senior management members, and managers.
4. Talent Requirement: Clearly make a list of all hiring needs.
Step 5: Products and Services
This section of your startup business plan is all about laying out the details and plans for positioning your product, the utility it provides, the technology behind it, and so on.
For instance, if you are offering Internet of Things (IoT) based solutions or Artificial Intelligence-powered services, then give details about how these products work and how you wish to promote and sell it.
Here’s exactly what this section should include:
1. General Description: Highlight the USP of your product or service and the value it provides to potential customers.
2. Status of products: Paint an honest picture of the status of your product. Is your product in the idea stage? Is it already selling? Or is it ready to go to market?
3. Product goals: If you are still in the ideation phase, map out a journey that talks about how you plan to launch the product and bring it to life. Include details on the research and development activities required. You can also include new versions or new products or any new features you wish to include in the future.
4. Intellectual property: As a tech business, it is imperative to have proprietary intellectual property . Make mention of this and any other patent or trademark that you own or are in the process of owning.
5. Sourcing and fulfillment: If you are dependent on third-party vendors to fulfill or your product or service creation, mention it here.
This section is crucial for your startup business plan as it defines everything about your products and services.
It will work as a bible for product managers and for you in the development stages and go to market phase.
Step 6: Marketing and Sales Plan
Once you’ve explained everything about your product, it’s time to delve into explaining how you are going to go about marketing and selling your product or service.
When it comes to marketing, this is what this section should look like:
1. Positioning: This first part of your marketing plan should talk about how you’re positioning your business and products. What price bracket are you targeting? Are you offering any free service? What guarantees and warranties are you offering? Answering these questions and more will help you determine where you are positioning your products and services.
2. Promotion: This part involves explaining marketing channels and plans you have for advertising your product, PR strategies, SEO plans, content marketing practices, social media marketing, etc.
Next, your sales plan:
1. Salesforce: How do you plan to sell your product? Do you need a sales force? How big a team do you need? Who will train your sales team? These parameters need to be addressed in your sales plan.
2. Selling strategy: Give an overview of how you will sell your product or service. Define the process you will follow as a technology business. Will you start with cold-calling potential customers? Or attending events? Or appointing channel partners? Clearly describe what your sales funnel should look like.
Step 7: Financial Plan and Projections
This is a supremely important section of your business plan.
Investors and VCs will want to look at your financial plans and projections before parting with their money.
Ideally, this section uses financial data from past performances or forecasts.
Include the following as part of your financial plan:
1. Income statements
2. Cash flow statements
3. Balance sheets
Additionally, if applicable, include the accounts of receivable statements, accounts of payable statements, and details or documents of debts.
Ideally, your financial projections should be supported either by past performances or future projections and estimations.
Include statements of projected income, cash flow forecasts, forecasted balance statements, capital expenditure budgets, and miscellaneous expenses.
Your startup business plan should include projections for the first year of business but should include a vision for the coming 3 to 5 years.
Step 8: Appendix
The appendix should be included towards the end of your business plan. This section includes all additional information that you didn’t include in the sections above of your business plan.
Any data, statistics, strategic points, charts, footnotes, or further explanations that you think are necessary to be included as part of your startup business plan but has been skipped should be included here.
As an entrepreneur or founder, you can also consider including your own resume and resumes of other founders or senior management team members.
Ideally, the appendix should begin with a table of contents that categorically breaks down your business plan into relevant, followed by the additional information that corresponds to each section.
199 Resources for Startup Business Plan Templates, Business Plan Examples, and Business Plan Samples
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Final Thoughts
Although creating a startup business plan seems daunting and arduous, when you break it down into a step by step process, it gets easy to create one.
And with these 8 steps, you can create a killer tech business plan for your tech startup that will help you catapult to success and leave investors mesmerized.
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How to Write a Startup Business Plan (10 Effective Steps)
Learn how to create an effective business plan in 10 easy steps and discover the transformative power of mentorship to elevate your startup's strategy.
Robin Waite
5 minute read
Short answer
What should an effective business plan include?
An effective business plan should include the following elements:
- Executive summary
- Company description
- Market analysis
- Your products or services
- Marketing and sales strategies
- Organization and management
- Financial projections
- Funding requirements
- Risk assessment
- Conclusion and Call to Action
You need a strategic business plan to successfully navigate the startup world
Diving into the startup world without a clear plan is like setting sail without a compass ; you might drift aimlessly or even crash.
A solid business plan isn't just a piece of paper—it's your roadmap to success. It attracts the right investors, guides your decisions, and sets you on a clear path to victory.
In this article, I’ll walk you through 10 essential steps to craft that perfect plan. Plus, I’ll touch on the invaluable insights a business mentor can offer.
So, if you want to avoid common pitfalls and boost your chances of success, keep reading. Your startup's future might just depend on it.
Step 1: Executive summary
Think of the executive summary as the elevator pitch for your startup. It's a quick snapshot that captures the heart of your business idea, mission, and goals.
In this brief section, make sure to highlight who your target audience is, what sets you apart in the market, and your unique selling points.
And don't forget to give a glimpse of your financial outlook and any funding needs—it sets the stage for the details that follow.
Here's an example of an executive summary slide:
Step 2: Company description
Here's where you tell your startup's story. It's not just a list of facts or a timeline. It's about painting a picture that connects with your readers.
Clearly outline your vision, mission, and the values that drive you. Share key milestones you've hit and where you currently stand in your business journey. This section gives depth to your startup, showing both where you've been and where you're headed.
Here's an example of a company introduction slide:
Step 3: Market analysis
To thrive, you've got to know the lay of the land. That's where market analysis comes in. Start by zeroing in on your target audience and truly understanding what they're looking for.
Dive deep into industry trends, the overall market size, and where it's headed. And don't just know your competitors—understand what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Here's what a market analysis slide should look like:
Step 4: Products or services
Here's your chance to shine a spotlight on what you're offering. What problems are your products or services solving? What makes them special? Whether it's a unique feature, a patent, or some groundbreaking tech, make it clear why your offerings are game-changers.
Here's an example of a solution slide:
Step 5: Marketing and sales strategies
In today's crowded market, standing out is crucial. This step is all about your game plan to grab attention and win customers. Detail how you'll sell, where you'll promote, and how you'll get your products or services into the hands of those who need them.
Here's what a go-to-market slide should look like:
Step 6: Organization and management
Behind every great startup is a team of passionate people. Here, introduce your squad. Highlight their expertise, define their roles, and show the structure that keeps everything running smoothly.
If you've got advisors or partners in your corner, mention them—it shows you're serious about growing in every direction.
Here’s a full guide on how to create the perfect team slide for your startup . And here's a great example of one:
Step 7: Financial projections
Numbers don't lie, and in this step, they sketch out your startup's potential future. Dive into the financials, projecting where you see your revenue, expenses, and profits heading over the next few years.
By breaking down your initial costs and where you expect to get your funding, you give a clear view of how you're setting up for success.
Here's an example of a financials slide:
Step 8: Funding requirements
Every startup needs fuel to get off the ground, and that fuel is capital. Here, be clear about how much you need to launch and keep things running.
Break down where every dollar will go, whether that's marketing, product development, or daily operations.
If you've already got some backers or have your eye on potential investors, mention them—it adds weight to your pitch.
Here's what a use of funds slide should look like:
Step 9: Risk assessment
Every venture has its bumps in the road. Here, show that you're not just aware of potential challenges but that you've got a plan to tackle them. In assessing risks, it's crucial to choose the right business structure at the beginning. For examples, the formation of an LLC as a strategic measure not only protects your personal assets from business liabilities but also mitigates financial risks for stakeholders. By laying out your strategies for handling risks, you prove you're not just optimistic—you're realistic and ready.
Here's an example of a risk assessment slide:
Step 10: Conclusion and Call to Action
Time to wrap it up and rally your readers. Summarize the key points of your plan, driving home why your startup is a solid bet.
But remember, this isn't just a conclusion—it's a launchpad. Encourage readers to get involved, whether that's investing, partnering, or simply supporting your vision. Let's get this journey started!
And, if you need more information, check out our comprehensive guide on how to write a business plan .
Here's an example of a next step slide:
Seek guidance from a business mentor
While a solid business plan is your startup's compass, adding guidance from a business mentor to your journey is like having a seasoned captain on board.
They bring a treasure trove of insights, lessons from past experiences, and a network of industry contacts. Their tailored advice doesn't just polish your plan—it also boosts your confidence and resilience, two must-haves for the unpredictable startup seas.
By embracing mentorship, you're signaling that you're all in on growth, ready to soak up wisdom and accelerate your path to success.
Why is a business plan crucial for startups?
Think of a business plan as your startup's GPS. It helps you navigate the twists and turns, pointing out both the challenges and the golden opportunities ahead. It's your master blueprint, detailing everything from your big-picture goals to your financial forecasts .
What role does a business mentor play in this process?
A business mentor serves as a seasoned guide in the startup journey. Drawing from their wealth of experience, they offer invaluable insights, helping startups navigate challenges and optimize their strategies. Their guidance is instrumental in making informed, strategic decisions.
How can a mentor enhance my market analysis?
Mentors have their finger on the pulse of the industry. They can help you get a clearer picture of market trends, spot who you're really up against, and gauge where the opportunities lie. With their insights, your market analysis won't just be good—it'll be top-notch.
Can a mentor assist in financial projections?
Absolutely. If your mentor has a financial background, they can be a goldmine. They'll help you craft projections that are both ambitious and grounded in reality. From revenue estimates to potential expenses, they'll ensure your numbers make sense.
How can you incorporate mentorship into the business plan?
Consider adding a dedicated section in your business plan to highlight the mentorship aspect. By detailing the insights and guidance you've received, or intend to seek, you underscore your commitment to informed growth. This proactive approach can resonate well with potential investors and stakeholders.
Business plan templates
Starting your business plan can feel like staring at a blank canvas—it's full of potential, but where do you begin? That's where interactive business plan templates come into play.
These templates serve as a structured guide, ensuring you don't miss any crucial details while allowing for flexibility and customization. They're designed to streamline the process, making it easier to organize your thoughts and present your vision in a coherent manner.
Ready to dive in? Grab a template from the library below and give your business plan a head start.
Robin Waite is a business coach based in the UK, bestselling author, and also regular business speaker. Robin's Fearless Business Accelerator covers pricing, productising services, and sales for coaches, consultants, and freelancers. Robin's passion is content marketing and blogging and he enjoys finding creative ways to make complex business topics simple for his readers.
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Software Development Business Plan [Sample Template]
By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero
Home » Business ideas » Technology Industry » Software & App Development Business
Are you about starting a software development company? If YES, here is a complete sample software development business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE .
A software development company is where software is not only developed but distributed for different purposes such as instructional, learning, calculation, entertainment, and assessment purposes. Before one can start a software company, there are basic things that one needs such as a knowledge of programming, technical support skills, the necessary experience at managing a company and funds.
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However, before starting a software development business, it would be best to conduct a thorough market research of the industry
A Sample Software Development Business Plan Template
1. industry overview.
The software development industry has grown in the space of a century from an almost on-existent industry to one that is not only a billion dollar industry but an indispensable one, especially as software form the basis of modern gadgets and devices.
Between 2011 and 2016, this industry has been dynamic in growth, especially as there has been increasing demand from businesses and consumers, with more people spending their discretionary income on products such as video games.
The industry is being said to generate $205 billion and has a projected annual income of 3% from 2011 to 2016. There are more than 8,500 software development businesses in the united states of America that employs more than 455,000 people.
Globally as at 2013, according to Gartner, the software revenue was $407.3 billion which was a 4.8% increase from the #388.5 billion registered in 2012. The industry according to Forrester was projected to be the fastest growing in 2014 with a growth pegged at 7.1%.
The software development industry has room for growth as there is considerable demand in this industry with more businesses adopting software programs that will allow for improved efficiency and lower operating costs; this was so as to look for ways to not be affected by the economic downturn.
Cloud computing capabilities have created several advances for companies who have realized the positive effect of virtual offices and the savings implications for the company. This technology has helped companies to not only reduce overhead but increase productivity as well.
Another plus for companies are virtualizations which not only allow them to eliminate several server farms but has made IT infrastructure more economical and flexible while slashing operating costs.
There are moderate barriers for new businesses that wish to enter this industry; however, certain product segments have a higher barrier than others. One common thing in this industry is patents which serve as a means of limiting competition, even though some companies willingly license their patented technology.
2. Executive Summary
Doodle Tech Inc. is a leading software development business that is based in Market Street, Suite 800, San Francisco – California, USA. We are in business to develop software for general purposes and for specific purposes to our various clients. We have in place training services and we also offer technical support in line with our business.
Our location is very strategic in the sense that we are close to manufacturing firms as well as technology giants and other big businesses here in California that will ensure that we have an edge over other software companies in other parts of California.
We are in business to not only make profit but to also compete favorably against other software development companies in the industry and attain our vision of being the preferred software development company for clients all over the United States of America.
We intend to ensure that we demonstrate fair business ethics in every point of our business. We hold ourselves accountable for our high standards and ensure that all our employees are not only attuned to but display this standards at all times in order to positively promote the company.
As a result of this, we are willing to go the extra mile by putting in structures, processes and planes in place to ensure that we get the best professionals who not only have the expertise but are also competent and know how to take our company from where we are to where we intend to be.
Our employees have welfare packages that are currently amongst the best in the whole industry amongst similar startups such as ours. We have also provided a conducive environment for all our employees in order to ensure that they remain productive at all times in order to improve the bottom line of the company.
We offer excellent customer services that have been known to retain a high number of our clients. All our customer service executives have been trained to know how to respond to customers and are also updated as regards the industry trends in order to ensure that reliable information is passed to our clients.
Finally, the expertise of both our owners, Jack Taylor and Christopher Warden in software development and business management is a great plus as both are not only Harvard graduates but also have more than 30 years of combined experience that will ensure that Doodle Tech Inc. attains its goals and objectives in time.
3. Our Products and Services
Doodle Tech Inc. intends to deal in several services whilst also generating revenue that would boost our bottom line tremendously. These several services will be added to our core service and should keep us favorably disposed to compete against our competitors.
We however intend to ensure that all our multiple sources of income which include training and technical support are in line with what is obtainable in the industry and accordingly to the laws of the United States of America. Therefore some of the services and products we will engage in are;
- Developing of software according to clients’ specifications
- Sale of software
- Offering of subscriptions for our software
- Charging of license fees for our software
- Charging by transaction
- Advertisements on our software
- Training services
- Technical support
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision at Doodle Tech Inc. is to be distinct from other software development companies by creating software that suits the diverse needs of our end users, and to be the preferred software firm for users in the United States of America.
- In order to achieve our vision, we have on hand the best software developers that will ensure that we attain our goal of being the preferred software company and in meeting all the diverse software needs of our customers here in the United States of America.
Our Business Structure
We know how important it is to have the right business structure for our software development company as getting it right from the start will eliminate most hitches that will crop up relating to our structure during the course of running the business. For this purpose, we intend to hire only competent and professionals in the available positions in our company.
Due also to the fact that we intend to run a wide range of services, we intend to ensure that we employ those that are capable of filling in these different positions. All our employees are those who understand the industry well and who are attuned with our vision and are committed to ensuring that we attain these goals and objectives.
We are also prepared to ensure that our workers are well paid and have welfare packages that are the best in similar categories across start-ups such as ours in the industry. We will also ensure that the working environment is not only conducive but is one that will enhance their skills and make them more productive.
Below is the intended business structure for Doodle Tech Inc.;
Chief Executive Officer
Software Development Manager
Business Development Manager
Human Resources and Admin Manager
Customer Service Executives
Marketing Executives
Security Guard
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
- Develop overall policies that would provide the right direction for the company
- Ensures that strategies are implemented and weak strategies are removed
- Meets and negotiate with high powered clients on behalf of the company
- Ensures that new software is developed and tested for bugs before being released to the public
- Develops new software for existing software so that clients can upgrade without running into hitches
- Carries out constant tests on software released to find out weak points and work on it.
- Researches on new businesses that will generate more revenue for the company
- Reviews company’s current products and services and decides how to make them better
- Works with the software development manager to give feedback on what the market trends are
- Prepares the budget on behalf of the firm and liaises with the owners to ensure that budget is reviewed and correctly implemented
- Prepares all the financial information and statement on behalf of the firm
- Ensures that tax is prepared and filed correctly to the correct authorities
- Ensures that the company’s books balances with that of the bank at the end of every month and accounting period
- Ensures that the right employees are recruited on behalf of the company
- Carries out orientation and ensures that employees are assigned the right tasks for their responsibilities
- Ensures that all the administrative functions of the company are performed smoothly without any hitches
- Ensures that all customers enquiries as well as complaints are well attended to and promptly resolved
- Keeps an accurate customer database on behalf of the company and ensures that it is regularly updated
- Carries out other duties as determined by the human resources and admin manager
- Conducts a marketing research on the software development industry to identify new markets for Doodle Tech Inc.
- Drafts strategies and reviews weak strategies to ensure that ineffective ones are removed
- Conducts direct marketing on behalf of the firm
- Meets and negotiates with high level clients on behalf of the firm
- Ensures that the premises and all the properties are secured after work hours by conducting patrols
- Monitors the surveillance cameras in line with securing people and property of Doodle Tech Inc.
- Keeps updated about the security information in the locality and pass along important security tips to staff
- Ensures that the premises is kept clean before work resumes
- Keeps the staff and guest conveniences clean at all times
- Ensures that cleaning supplies are always in stock
- Carries out any other duties as directed by the admin manager
6. SWOT Analysis
In order to determine if we were engaging in the right concept for our business, we hired the services of brand consultants who were not only reputable but the best here in San Francisco – California to let us know if it was worthwhile going into the business now.
The business consultants took a deep look at our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to allow the know what we were likely to face starting and running our business here in San Francisco – California, and in the United States of America as a whole. The results of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on our behalf are as follows;
Our strengths are numerous and lie in the fact that we have the right business structure that will ensure that we conquer this industry. Our software developers are the best there is and have the expertise and experience to enable us attain our goals and objectives.
We are also involved in ensuring that our software pass through quality process, reason we have external testers who run several tests on any of our software before it is released. Finally, our owners have the necessary experience that would make our being at the top a piece of cake, as both have more than 30 years experience in the software industry both as developers and in managerial positions.
There are few weaknesses that we identified for Doodle Tech Inc. and they include the fact that we were going to develop software that were not really different from what our competitors were offering. Also, there is the other fact that we are located in an area where there are other software companies, making our location a bit saturated.
We are however confident that we would be able to battle whatever weaknesses might crop up during the course of running or starting the business.
There are so many opportunities available to us as there are new market segments that we have identified which would likely generate money for us. There are so many strategic alliances which we would engage in so as to have a foot into other target markets and generate more revenue for our bottom line.
We also have the opportunity of moving into the international market as our software is such that has no boundary limits. Finally, we would fully tap into the internet in order to promote and increase awareness for our brand.
Threats are external factors that cannot be controlled by a business; however any serious business should not only be prepared for threats but also have ways by which these threats will not be allowed to totally affect the business.
Some of the threats we would likely face at Doodle Tech Inc. are; the arrival of a new competitor into our location, engaging in price wars with competitors, dealing with government policies that might have an effect on our industry. We are fully prepared for any threats we are likely to face, as we have strategies on ground to battle such threats.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
The trend in the software industry is that most software firms or companies are located in clusters in identifiable locations.
This is due to certain facts such as these companies wanting to be close for competitive and industry purposes and also most software companies depend on one another to be able to carry out certain functions or complete certain specific tasks for clients.
This does not however mean that there aren’t software companies in other locations or that software companies in these other locations can’t still get jobs done. To however remain relevant, software companies must always remain innovative and unique in their offerings and services. Another trend with software companies is in its publicity and promotion activities.
To be able to attract the much needed awareness and also attract clients that would pay money for the firms’ products, software companies have engaged in strong promotional activities either by hiring brand consultants or getting an in-house team or deploying both methods to draft the strategies that would enable it be recognized in the industry. Intense promotional activities will also help in getting a huge share of the market.
Lastly, software cannot work without any device and so goes hand in hand with new or existing technology; which is why most software companies try to partner with technology firms so as to create new software or upgrade existing software for these firms.
This goes to show that software industry is dependent on the technology and manufacturing industry in order to survive or thrive.
8. Our Target Market
Almost everyone makes use of software and have either bought directly from the developers or indirectly via owning a device. This means that the target market for any software development company is wide. We however have mapped out a strategy that would allow us gain a vital share of the target market.
One of our first strategies is in conducting a thorough market research that would enable us understand the market we are to go into and know what they expect from us and what our obligations are towards them. The result of the market research of the market research showed that we were in business to develop software or offer other kinds of related services to the following people;
- Corporate organizations
- entertainment industry
- Educational institutions
- Accounting firms
- Financial institutions
- Small businesses
- Agricultural sector
- Military and defense sector
- Other software companies
Our competitive advantage
Just like any other business that is established to make profit, we hope to be able to compete favorably against our competitors in the same industry.
Our vision is to be the preferred software development company for our clients all over the United States of America and to achieve this, we intend to come up with competitive strategies that would enable us attain our goals and objectives.
We intend to ensure that the software developed for general purposes will come in different categories that will be convenient for all our users.
We have assembled a high team of software developers as well as management team who are not only highly experienced and who understand how to handle a start-up and make it become a force to be reckoned with nationally. Our staffs are also attuned to our core values and principles and understand the importance of projecting the image of the company positively to our customers – potential and existing.
Another competitive advantage that we have to our favor is our excellent customer service culture which is already resounding across the industry as one of the best of start-ups of our size. Our customer executives are highly trained and are always updated on industry trends so as to be able to give our customers the correct information at all times.
Finally, because we know how important it is for our employees to be happy always, we are committed to treating them right. Our management team has a stake in the company’s profits and our lower cadre employees have incentives built into their welfare packages. All this is to enable our employees remain happy and productive.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
Doodle Tech Inc. just like any other business has been established with the aim of generating revenue and making profit in the technology and software industry, and we are going to ensure that we make software that will help us accomplish this purpose, as well as engage in other services as well.
Doodle Tech Inc. therefore intends to generate income by engaging in the following services;
10. Sales Forecast
The software industry has come to stay and can only keep evolving into something bigger and stronger, as there will always be gadgets, devices and templates that would require the use of a new software or an upgrade.
Our strategic location in San Francisco – California has afforded us the opportunity to be close to many technological giants and businesses and this will see us generating and meeting our set revenue in no time, thereby growing our business tremendously.
After conducting a thorough analysis on the software industry and analyzing our chances in the industry, we were able to come up with a sales forecast that has shown strong positives in how we are likely to far in the market.
The sales projections were based on several assumptions and facts garnered across similar start-ups in the industry and across the United States of America as a whole. Therefore, the sales projection that Doodle Tech Inc. conducted to analyze its chances are as follows;
- First Fiscal Year-: $400,000
- Second Fiscal Year-: $800,000
- Third Fiscal Year-: $1,600,000
N.B : The above sales projections were done based on major assumptions that some factors that were used in making these assumptions would remain the same. However, should there be any change either positively or negatively, it would likely increase or decrease the above figures.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
Marketing is a very important aspect of any business because it is not only a way to generate revenue for a business; it is also a way of garnering publicity to attract new customers whilst retaining the old ones. Every business no matter its level or life cycle of needs marketing in order to thrive, which is why any entrepreneur or business person starting or running a business usually sets money aside for marketing.
Asides creating funds for marketing, it is also important to ensure that effective strategies are created. Creating effective marketing strategies are essential as they would ensure that the funds are channeled the right way. In marketing Doodle Tech Inc., we would ensure that we leverage on all conventional and unconventional means of making sure that our brand and products are marketed to all our existing and potential customers.
We would conduct a market survey that would allow us understand the right strategies to draft and how effective they would be depending on the target market. To conduct a thorough market survey, we would make use of accurate available data so that we would be effectively able to compete with all our competitors all over the United States of America.
We also intend to hire a reputable marketing consultant who should be able to draft the right marketing strategies that would allow Doodle Tech Inc. penetrate the market. Also, our marketing team would be empowered in ensuring that the marketing strategies created are in tune with our corporate goals and objectives as a business.
Therefore, the following are the marketing strategies we hope to adopt at Doodle Tech Inc. in order to sell our products and services;
- Ensure that we introduce our software development business by sending out introductory letters to technology and manufacturing companies as well as other big software companies and other stakeholders in the industry.
- Network with other software companies by attending software developer conferences
- Advertise our software development business in local newspapers, technology related magazines, and in local radio and television stations
- Ensure that Doodle Tech Inc. is listed in online and offline directories
- Engage in direct marketing and sales
- Ensure that we are actively involved in forums and blogs in marketing our company
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
Carrying out the right publicity and advertisement for our software development business is very essential as it is not enough to just penetrate the market and also create awareness, but to ensure that the strategy will result in Doodle Tech Inc.’s products becoming generic terms for similar products in the same category.
Due to this vision, we have hired a reputable publicity consultant who has the industry knowledge and expertise and who will help in ensuring that our company gets to the top by drafting out strategies that are in line with the core policies of the company and will boost our brand and allow us compete favorably against our competitors.
Below are some of the platforms we intend to leverage on in order to promote Doodle Tech Inc.;
- Develop a free version of our software and give users an opportunity to upgrade at a cost
- Leverage on relevant social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Google Hangout and other developers’ forum in order to create awareness about Doodle Tech Inc.
- Engage in pay per click advertisement on popular software development forums
- Create contests on social media and via our website to generate more publicity
- Distribute our handbills and fliers in strategic locations
- Install our flexi banners in conspicuous and strategic locations all over San Francisco
12. Our Pricing Strategy
Determining the right price for our various software’s will depend on a number of factors, such as how much the market will willingly pay for such software, how much that category of software is being charged for by competitors, and how unique the software is.
Other factors that will determine the prices are if we intend to charge a licensing fee for our software, or enable a pay per transaction or a subscription that is time-limited for the end user.
In view of all the above based factors, we will offer our software at prices that are at the prevailing market conditions. However, because this is a competitive market, we will however lower our prices in the first two months of business so as to attract more customers to our business, and also increase the awareness for our products.
Doodle Tech Inc. realizes that due to improving technology, customers now have different payment options that they can use in paying for services; and so we have different payment policy that is intended to suit all our different customers and their diverse needs.
The payment options we have for our clients are;
- Cash payment
- Payment via check
- Payment via online payment portal
- Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine
- Payment via credit card
The above payment platforms were carefully chosen for us by our bank and we have been told that our customers will not experience any hitches or inconvenience whilst using the above platforms.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
Even though some of the equipment that can be used to start and run a software development company can be gotten for fairly used, thereby lowering the costs of start-up, it will however be vital to stress that setting up a standard software development company would require the equipment used to be standard so as to be able to withstand the heavy workload that it might have to carry out.
Also, the bulk of capital in these circumstances usually goes to paying workers and utility bills that the business will incur during the course of its operation. Therefore, the key areas where we intend to spend our start-up capital on are;
- Total fee for registering Doodle Tech Inc. in the United States of America – $750
- Licenses, permits as well as accounting software – $1250
- Insurance policy (general liability, workers’ compensation) – $2,000
- Leasing and renovating of a facility for use for at least a year – $20,000
- Cost of hiring a business consultant – $2,000
- Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees and payment of bills) – $200,000
- Other start-up expenses which includes (windows hosting, Linux hosting, bug tracking, graphics design, software subscription and cable broadband) – $15,000
- Marketing promotion expenses (general marketing expenses and promotion activities for grand opening ceremony) – $5,000
- Administrative expenses (stationeries, phone, computers, printers, furniture business cards, office supplies, and stamps) – $10,000
- Cost of purchasing an official vehicle – $30,000
- Cost of launching a website – $1,000
- Cost of throwing a grand opening party – $5,000
- Miscellaneous – $8,000
From the following report, we would need an estimate of $300,000 to be able to start and successfully set up a software development company in San Francisco – California. IT should be noted the bulk of the capital (90%) went towards payment of salaries for employees for a period of three months.
Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Doodle Tech Inc. Business
Doodle Tech Inc. is a business owned by two geeks and businessmen, Jack Taylor and Christopher Warden. We realize our financing is important for our company if we intend to successfully start, run and become a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
We are however going to be careful in where we source for money so as not to lose a part of our company or get locked in repaying a loan that might hinder the progress of our company. This is why we have decided to limit our sources for income to just 5 sources; The following are sources where we intend to get our start-up capital from;
- Generate part capital from our personal savings and sale of stocks
- Get soft loans from family members and friends
- Apply for research grants at the state and federal level
- Source for part capital from online crowdfunding sites like kickstarter
- Apply for loan from commercial bank
N.B: from our personal savings and the sale of some of our stocks, we were able to generate the sum of $30,000. The soft loans from our family members and friends amounted to $20,000. We applied for a grant of $50,000 at the state level and have been considered.
We were able to generate the sum of $70,000 from sourcing for funds from kick starter, and we are at the final stages of getting our loan of $130,000 approved for us by the bank. All the necessary documents have been signed and we have been assured by our banker that the amount will soon be credited to our account within two weeks.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
Doodle Tech Inc. is established with the aim of making profit and competing amongst others here in the software industry. We are however concerned about the future of our company and so we intend to ensure that we deploy sustainability and expansion strategies so as to keep our business running for a long time.
One of the sustainability strategies which we intend to deploy is in having the right business structure on ground. This we intend to do by hiring competent and professional employees to handle the various tasks that we will assign to them.
We will employ those who understand what businesses such as ours will need to thrive in the industry and the know-how to ensure that we attain our desired goals and objectives. Our employees will not only be well paid and have attractive incentives, they will also continually be trained so that their skills would be enhanced thereby increasing productivity for the company.
We would draft effective publicity and promotional strategies that would ensure that the awareness for our brand and its products are increased to potential and even existing customers. Our promotional efforts will be geared into ensuring that our brand is positively communicated to even our rivals in the industry.
Most of our publicity strategies would be geared towards the millennials by throwing up contests especially on social media as these have the potential to ensure that awareness about our brand is effectively spread even to the baby boomers.
Finally, we take our customers very seriously and to this effect we intend to ensure that we have effective customer service programs which will see our loyal customers getting incentives.
We also would ensure that we attend to all customer enquiries whilst also making sure that all their complaints are resolved speedily depending on the problem. We know that if we carry out these strategies effectively, we would not only push forth our brand but also sustain our business whilst also expanding it at our own pace.
Check List / Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Registration: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
- Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
- Generating capital from family members: Completed
- Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
- Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
- Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
- Opening party / launching party planning: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesale suppliers / merchants: In Progress
- Purchase of trucks: Completed
Free Startup Business Plan Templates and Examples
By Joe Weller | May 6, 2020
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In this article, we’ve rounded up a variety of the top, professionally designed startup business plan templates, all of which are free to download in PDF, Word, and Excel formats.
Included on this page, you’ll find a one-page startup business plan template , a business plan outline template for startups , a startup business planning template with a timeline , and a sample startup business plan .
Startup Business Plan Template
Download Startup Business Plan Template - Word
Word | Smartsheet
This startup business plan template contains the essential components you need to convey your business idea and strategy to investors and stakeholders, but you can customize this template to fit your needs. The template provides room to include an executive summary, a financial overview, a marketing strategy, details on product or service offerings, and more.
One-Page Startup Business Plan Template
Download One-Page Startup Business Plan Template
Excel | Word | PDF
This one-page business plan is ideal for startup companies that want to document and organize key business concepts. The template offers an easy-to-scan layout that’s ideal for investors and stakeholders. Use this plan to create a high-level view of your business idea and as a reference as you flesh out a more detailed roadmap for your business.
For additional resources, visit " Free One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide ."
Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template for Startups
Download Simple Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Template for Startups
This comprehensive fill-in-the-blank business plan template is designed to guide entrepreneurs through the process of building a startup business plan. This template comes with a customizable cover page and table of contents, and each section includes sample content that you can modify to fit the needs of your business. For more fill-in business templates, read our "Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates" article.
Lean Business Plan Template for Startups
Download Lean Business Plan Template for Startups
This Lean business plan template takes a traditional business plan outline and extracts the most essential elements. Use this template to outline your company and industry overview, convey the problem you are solving, identify customer segments, highlight key performance metrics, and list a timeline of key activities.
Business Plan Outline Template for Startups
Download Business Plan Outline Template for Startups
You can use this business plan outline as a basis to create your own business plan. This template contains all the elements of a traditional business plan, including a title page, a table of contents, and information on what to include in each section. Simplify or expand this outline based on the size and needs of your startup business.
Startup Business Planning Template with Timeline
Download Startup Business Planning Template with Timeline
Excel | Smartsheet
As you create your business plan, this business planning template doubles as a schedule and timeline to track the progress of key activities. This template enables you to break down your plan into phases and provides space to include key tasks and dates for each task. For a visual timeline, shade in the cells according to each task’s start and end dates. The timeline ensures that your plan stays on track.
Business Plan Rubric Template for Startups
Download Business Plan Rubric Template for Startups
Excel | Word | PDF | Smartsheet
If you’re starting a business and want to keep all your ducks in a row, use this rubric to evaluate and score each aspect of your startup business plan. You can tailor this template to the needs of your specific business, and can also highlight areas of your plan that require improvement or expansion. Use this template as a tool to make sure your plan is clear, articulate, and organized. A sharp, insightful, well thought-out plan will definitely get the attention of potential investors and partners.
For additional resources to help support your business planning efforts, check out “Free Startup Plan, Budget, and Cost Templates.”
What’s the Best Business Plan Template for Startups?
The template you choose for your startup business depends on a number of factors, including the size and specific needs of your company. Moreover, as your business grows and your objectives change, you will need to adjust your plan (and possibly your choice of template) accordingly.
Some entrepreneurs find it useful to use a Lean business plan template design in order to jot down a business concept and see if it’s feasible before pursuing it further. Typically one to three pages, a Lean business plan template encourages you to highlight core ideas and strategic activities and remain focused on key points.
Other entrepreneurs prefer a template with a more traditional business plan design, which allows you to go into greater detail and ensure you include every detail. A traditional plan can range from 10 to 100 pages and cover both the high-level and granular particulars of your overall concept, objectives, and strategy.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but the following section outlines the minimum that your business plan template should include in order to gain buy-in from potential investors.
What to Include in a Startup Business Plan
Whether you choose to use a template to develop your startup business plan or decide to write one from scratch, you need to include the following elements:
- An overview of your company and the industry in which it operates
- The problem you are solving and the proposed solution
- A description of your product or service offerings, including key features
- The existing alternatives that customers use and your competitive advantage
- The target customer segments and the channels you will use to reach them
- The cost structure and revenue streams associated with your business
- A financial plan, including sales and revenue projections (ideally 3-5 years)
- If applicable, the financial requirements to get your business running, including how you will source and allocate funds
Each of the following sections provides an example of a business plan that you can use for reference as you develop your own.
One-Page Lean Business Plan Example
This Lean business plan example displays a visually appealing and scannable one-page illustration of a business plan. It conveys the key strategies you need to meet your main objectives. Each element of this concise plan provides stakeholders and potential investors with links to resources that support and expand upon the plan’s details, and it can also serve as an investor pitch deck.
Startup Business Plan Sample
This business plan sample contains all the aspects of a standard business plan. Using a fictional food truck business as the basis for a startup business plan, this sample will give you all the ideas you need to make your plan outstanding.
Download Startup Business Plan Sample - PDF
When the time comes that you need more space to lay out your goals and strategies, choose from our variety of free simple business plan templates . You can learn how to write a successful simple business plan here .
Visit this free non-profit business plan template roundup or of you are looking for a business plan template by file type, visit our pages dedicated specifically to Microsoft Excel , Microsoft Word , and Adobe PDF business plan templates. Read our articles offering free 30-60-90-day business plan templates to find more tailored options.
Top 10 Tips to Create a Startup Business Plan
Putting together a business plan can be overwhelming and time consuming, especially if you aren’t sure where to begin. Below, we share tips you can use to help simplify the process of developing a startup business plan of your own.
- Use a business plan template, or begin with a business plan outline that provides all the elements of a standard plan to get your ideas down on paper in a structured manner. (You can choose from the selection of templates above.)
- Remove sections from your outline that aren’t relevant or that aren’t necessary to launch and operate your business.
- Compile the data you have gathered on your business and industry, including research on your target market and product or service offerings, details on the competitive landscape, and a financial plan that anticipates the next three to five years. Use that information to fill in the sections of your plan outline.
- Get input and feedback from team members (e.g., finance, marketing, sales) and subject matter experts to ensure that the information you’ve included in the plan is accurate.
- Make certain that the objectives of your plan align with marketing, sales, and financial goals to ensure that all team members are moving in the same direction.
- Although this section of the plan comes first, write the executive summary last to provide an overview of the key points in your business plan.
- Prepare a pitch deck for potential clients, partners, or investors with whom you plan to meet in order to share vital information about your business, including what sets you apart and the direction you are headed.
- Who are the founders and management executives, and what relevant experience do they bring to the table?
- What is the problem you are solving, and how is your solution better than what currently exists?
- What’s the size of the market, and how much market share do you plan to capture?
- What are the trends in your market, and how are you applying them to your business?
- Who are your direct competitors, and what is your competitive advantage?
- What are the key features of your product or service that set it apart from alternative offerings, and what features do you plan to add in the future?
- What are the potential risks associated with your business, and how do you plan to address them?
- How much money do you need to get your business running, and how do you plan to source it?
- With the money you source, how do you plan to use it to scale your business?
- What are the key performance metrics associated with your business, and how will you know when you’re successful?
- Revisit and modify your plan on a regular basis as your goals and strategies evolve.
- Use a work collaboration tool that keeps key information across teams in one place, allows you to track plan progress, and captures updates in real time.
Successfully Implement Your Startup Business Plan with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet
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Startup Business Plan Template for Word, PDF
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Template Highlights
- There are ten sections, including the executive summary, introduction to your company, a market analysis, the problem you want to solve, your innovative/disruptive/other -ive word solution, who's on your team, the sales & marketing strategy, your financial plan, your implementation plan, a conclusion, and any additional resources
- The instructions are specific and easy to follow, so all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Bonus: thinking about these things will prepare you for meetings with potential investors, customers, and employees as well
- Some of the sections don't apply to your startup? Delete 'em. Want to add a section that's not there? Add it. You can even customize the branding and color scheme
- Download it as a PDF or Word file
- Print it, email it, send it to your parents so they can frame it
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Startup Business Plan Template
The term “startup” has become a familiar part of the business lexicon and is often used to describe fast-growing, entrepreneur-led companies in the technology sector. Actually, a startup is any business enterprise that has recently been established. If you are in the early stages of starting a business, one of the first steps you will need to take is to create a business plan.
This simple template was designed to help someone new to the business world to easily put together a professional plan describing a new venture. Keep your startup plan short. As your business matures, you can adapt the plan to include additional detail.
You can create different iterations of it for different audiences. The bank will want more financial information, but a new employee might be more interested in your company’s mission statement and your plan for selling the product or service.
Executive Summary
An executive summary is a crucial part of any business plan. It should come first in your document. The executive summary gives the reader, who may be a very busy bank executive, a chance to understand your business in a quick, one-page read.
In no more than a short paragraph for each point, summarize the sections of your business plan:
• Give your elevator pitch and briefly describe your company
• Summarize the market research you have done
• Present the problem you are aiming to solve
• Describe how your product or service solves the problem
• Introduce key management
• Provide a synopsis of your sales and marketing plan
• Explain your financial plan
Close your executive summary with a clear explanation of your project, why it is needed, and how it will benefit future customers and investors.
HubSpot Tip: Write this section last, after you have written all of the other sections. It should summarize your entire business plan in about a page.
About the Company
Describe what makes your company different. This section should convince readers that your business idea is important and that the product or service that you will offer is needed.
Present your company’s name, location, type of business, ownership, and significant assets.
Describe your company’s mission: What is your reason for existence? Describe the values on which you are founding the company.
List the company’s goals and objectives and explain how you fit into the industry.
HubSpot Tip: Keep this section brief. The remainder of the document allows space for you to go into more detail about your business.
Market Analysis
Before writing your business plan, you need to conduct research on the market and industry you are planning to enter. Based on that research, you should describe your industry, the opportunities it offers, and the growth it is experiencing.
Describe the key environmental trends in your industry. What are the barriers to entry (e.g., high production or marketing costs, tariff barriers, regulatory challenges, extensive training)? How is the industry progressing? What is changing?
You should also define your target customers. Who will buy your product or service?
Who are your major competitors? Identify and describe them.
Identify what defines your product or service in the marketplace. What distinctive competencies or offerings do you provide that other companies do not?
HubSpot Tip: Note the key factors for success in this industry, and focus on proving that your company has them.
The Problem
Describe the need in the market that your business idea will fill. How did this need arise and why has it not been filled yet? Explain how you identified the need and how your product or service will meet it.
HubSpot Tip: Keep this section short, as the focus should be on your solution, which you will describe in the next part of the business plan.
Our Solution
Describe the products or services your business will provide. Include your value proposition - describe how your service/product is attractive to customers.
You should also include a description of the features and benefits of your product or service to your customer. Consider capturing this in a simple table like the one below.
Product/Service Feature
Benefit to the Customer
HubSpot Tip: You can include photos or brochures of your products, but consider putting them in an appendix so that they do not interrupt the message in your narrative.
Organizational Structure
Since your company is just starting, it is likely that you do not have many people on your staff. Describe the key operations and management roles in your company, and provide brief biographical sketches of your leadership. The aim is to show to readers that your team has the skills and qualifications to implement what you have outlined in the business plan.
If you receive advice from a board of directors or any high-level external advisors, mention them in this section.
HubSpot Tip: The biographical sketches should include the educational credentials, relevant experience, and related accomplishments of your leaders. Consider personalizing your plan by including headshots of your staff.
Sales and Marketing Strategy
In this section, you should describe how you will promote your new product or service. Begin by identifying challenges with entering the market and explain how you will overcome them. You can use a table like the one below to outline the barriers and your solutions.
Market Barrier/Challenge
Justify the following choices you have made:
• Location – Does it bring cost savings? Is it close to your customer base?
• Pricing Strategy – How will it entice customers to buy your products or services? How will it lead to profits for your business and investors?
• Promotion Plan - Will you use print, radio, television, or social media? Will you hire a marketing manager?
Note the budget for your marketing strategy and tell the reader how you will obtain the funding for this important aspect of your business. If you plan to use consultants or an advertising agency, include these costs in your budget.
HubSpot Tip: Consider including a few mockups of your company’s logos, branding, or marketing materials in an appendix.
Financial Plan
Describe the cost structure and financial aspects of the business. Explain the kind and amount of investment that you need, what you will use the money for, and how you envision your business becoming profitable.
To give readers a peek into your company’s projected financial future, you should include as much of the following financial information as possible. Remember, your business plan is a living document, so even if you do not have all of this information at the startup stage, you can add it as your business matures.
• Cash flow projection – An estimate of how much money you expect to flow in and out of your business.
• Capitalization plan – Lists the sources and uses of capital that your business plans to amass.
• Break-even analysis – A determination of what you need to sell in order to cover the costs of doing business.
• Income statement – Also known as a profit and loss statement (P&L), it shows the company’s revenues and expenses over a period of time.
• Balance sheet – A statement of the assets, liabilities, and capital of a business at a point in time.
Financial documentation is often long, so you should reference them here and include copies in an appendix.
HubSpot Tip: Not everyone is an expert in finance, but it plays an important role in starting a business. Unless you have an accounting background, consider seeking assistance on this section of your plan.
Implementation Plan
Tell the reader how you will implement your business plan. Consider including a timeline like the one below to illustrate the steps in the process to getting your business up and running. Customize it with your dates and the specific steps you will take.
HubSpot Tip: Set reasonable deadlines that you are able to meet, but that show your initiative and eagerness to realize your new venture.
In a few sentences, summarize the main point that you would like the reader to understand about your business. This can vary based on the target audience. For example, if you are presenting your plan to a bank to ask for a loan, this section should focus on your financial viability and why the bank should choose to finance your business.
Describe the next steps, and provide detailed contact information so that the reader can get in touch with you easily.
HubSpot Tip: Your conclusion should incite the reader to act. Make it easy for them by including all of the information they need to move forward.
Want to provide additional detail but need to avoid making your business plan too long? You can insert documents in the Appendices and reference them in the text. In this way, you can provide more information without breaking up the flow of your business plan text.
HubSpot Tip: Consider including examples of your marketing materials, a map of the business location, background research, images of your products, resumes of company leaders, or financial documents in the appendices of your business plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Table of Contents
How to Write a Business Plan
Executive summary.
Overview and Business Objectives
Company description, define your target market, market analysis, swot analysis, competitive analysis, organization and management team, products and services offered, marketing and sales strategy, logistics and operations plan, financial projections plan, income statement, cash flow statement.
Section | Description | Example |
---|
Executive Summary | Brief overview of the business plan | Overview of EcoTech and its mission |
Overview & Objectives | Outline of company's goals and strategies | Market leadership in sustainable technology |
Company Description | Detailed explanation of the company and its unique selling proposition | EcoTech's history, mission, and vision |
Target Market | Description of ideal customers and their needs | Environmentally conscious consumers and businesses |
Market Analysis | Examination of industry trends, customer needs, and competitors | Trends in eco-friendly technology market |
SWOT Analysis | Evaluation of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats | Strengths and weaknesses of EcoTech |
Competitive Analysis | In-depth analysis of competitors and their strategies | Analysis of GreenTech and EarthSolutions |
Organization & Management | Overview of the company's structure and management team | Key roles and team members at EcoTech |
Products & Services | Description of offerings and their unique features | Energy-efficient lighting solutions, solar chargers |
Marketing & Sales | Outline of marketing channels and sales strategies | Digital advertising, content marketing, influencer partnerships |
Logistics & Operations | Details about daily operations, supply chain, inventory, and quality control | Partnerships with manufacturers, quality control |
Financial Projections | Forecast of revenue, expenses, and profit for the next 3-5 years | Projected growth in revenue and net profit |
Income Statement | Summary of company's revenues and expenses over a specified period | Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, Net Income |
Cash Flow Statement | Overview of cash inflows and outflows within the business | Net Cash from Operating Activities, Investing Activities, Financing Activities |
Tips on Writing a Business Plan
Free business plan template, what is a business plan, why you should write a business plan, what are the different types of business plans.
Type of Business Plan | Purpose | Key Components | Target Audience |
---|
Startup Business Plan | Outlines the company's mission, objectives, target market, competition, marketing strategies, and financial projections. | Mission Statement, Company Description, Market Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Organizational Structure, Marketing and Sales Strategy, Financial Projections. | Entrepreneurs, Investors |
Internal Business Plan | Serves as a management tool for guiding the company's growth, evaluating its progress, and ensuring that all departments are aligned with the overall vision. | Strategies, Milestones, Deadlines, Resource Allocation. | Internal Team Members |
Strategic Business Plan | Outlines long-term goals and the steps to achieve them. | SWOT Analysis, Market Research, Competitive Analysis, Long-Term Goals. | Executives, Managers, Investors |
Feasibility Business Plan | Assesses the viability of a business idea. | Market Demand, Competition, Financial Projections, Potential Obstacles. | Entrepreneurs, Investors |
Growth Business Plan | Focuses on strategies for scaling up an existing business. | Market Analysis, New Product/Service Offerings, Financial Projections. | Business Owners, Investors |
Operational Business Plan | Outlines the company's day-to-day operations. | Processes, Procedures, Organizational Structure. | Managers, Employees |
Lean Business Plan | A simplified, agile version of a traditional plan, focusing on key elements. | Value Proposition, Customer Segments, Revenue Streams, Cost Structure. | Entrepreneurs, Startups |
One-Page Business Plan | A concise summary of your company's key objectives, strategies, and milestones. | Key Objectives, Strategies, Milestones. | Entrepreneurs, Investors, Partners |
Nonprofit Business Plan | Outlines the mission, goals, target audience, fundraising strategies, and budget allocation for nonprofit organizations. | Mission Statement, Goals, Target Audience, Fundraising Strategies, Budget. | Nonprofit Leaders, Board Members, Donors |
Franchise Business Plan | Focuses on the franchisor's requirements, as well as the franchisee's goals, strategies, and financial projections. | Franchise Agreement, Brand Standards, Marketing Efforts, Operational Procedures, Financial Projections. | Franchisors, Franchisees, Investors |
Using Business Plan Software
Software | Key Features | User Interface | Additional Features |
---|
LivePlan | Over 500 sample plans, financial forecasting tools, progress tracking against KPIs | User-friendly, visually appealing | Allows creation of professional-looking business plans |
Upmetrics | Customizable templates, financial forecasting tools, collaboration capabilities | Simple and intuitive | Provides a resource library for business planning |
Bizplan | Drag-and-drop builder, modular sections, financial forecasting tools, progress tracking | Simple, visually engaging | Designed to simplify the business planning process |
Enloop | Industry-specific templates, financial forecasting tools, automatic business plan generation, unique performance score | Robust, user-friendly | Offers a free version, making it accessible for businesses on a budget |
Tarkenton GoSmallBiz | Guided business plan builder, customizable templates, financial projection tools | User-friendly | Offers CRM tools, legal document templates, and additional resources for small businesses |
Business Plan FAQs
What is a good business plan, what are the 3 main purposes of a business plan, can i write a business plan by myself, is it possible to create a one-page business plan, how long should a business plan be, what is a business plan outline, what are the 5 most common business plan mistakes, what questions should be asked in a business plan, what’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan, how is business planning for a nonprofit different.
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- Best Business Plan Software
10 Best Business Plan Software In 2024
Updated: Sep 24, 2024, 3:33pm
Writing a business plan not only helps you stay on track as you start a new business but it can also help you secure funding. You can create one from scratch with a simple template, but business plan software often has features to make it easier, more nuanced and overall better. It could even make the difference between bringing investors on board and going it alone. Forbes Advisor found the best business plan software that has the features you need at an affordable price.
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The Best Business Plan Software of 2024
Forbes advisor ratings, methodology, how to choose a business plan software, benefits of business plan software, frequently asked questions (faqs), next up in business.
Featured Partners
From $8 monthly per user
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
On monday.com's Website
Yes, for unlimited members
$7 per month
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
On ClickUp's Website
$9.80 per user per month
Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, Quickbooks, SAP
On Wrike's Website
Yes, for one user and two editors
$9 per user per month
Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier and more
On Smartsheet's Website
- Wrike: Best overall
- Smartsheet: Best for goal management
- LivePlan: Best for financial forecasting
- Aha!: Best for roadmapping
- Bizplan: Best for beginners
- IdeaBuddy: Best for ideation
- iPlanner: Best for no-frills business planning
- Enloop: Best for automatic business plan creation
- AchieveIt: Best for consultant groups
- Business Sorter: Best for teams
Best Overall
Starting price
Free; $9.80 per user
Team messaging
Roadmapping
Wrike is a project management (PM) tool that works well as business plan software because it gives you tools to help you gather and compare your data. Wrike makes it easy to start your business plan with its collaboration tools, business plan templates , drag-and-drop interface and goal management features. Another benefit of using Wrike to build your plan is that you see your ideas and goals from multiple views: Gantt chart, calendar or board views.
There are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to use Wrike for your business plan. First, you can map out exactly what your business goals are in a project, invite teammates to collaborate and message business partners to discuss everything. Plus, you can export your data when you’re ready to put all the details into a presentation to hand over to potential investors.
Wrike offers a free plan that’s good for putting your vision down in task and project form, but you may want to upgrade to a paid plan to invite collaborators, get custom workflows and add more views and automations. Paid plan pricing ranges from $9.80 per user, per month, to $24.80 per user, per month, both billed annually.
Learn more: Read our full Wrike review .
Who should use it:
Wrike makes it easy for any new business owner to create a business plan and collaborate with others on the financial and operational goals. Plus, it provides value after you finalize your business plan because it’s a good pick for a PM tool.
- Roadmapping ability
- Multiple views (Gantt, calendar and board)
- Business plan templates included
- Goal management via projects and tasks
- Free plan available
- Affordable plans
- No pitching tools
- No financial tools
Best for Goal Management
$9 per user, per month
(billed annually)
(added cost)
Using PM software like Smartsheet is a good idea for starting a business plan because it includes all the tools you need to collaborate and plan across multiple teams or stakeholders. It’s especially good for real-time goal management. Get your ideas in place, go over market and competitive research from other teammates and finalize everything together.
Smartsheet won’t help you write your business plan, but it does give you a place to compile all the data and then you can use one of its free business plan templates. As you figure out your milestones, you can invite an unlimited number of viewers to see how it’s going. The only downsides are that Smartsheet doesn’t have a native messaging app (you’ll have to use an integration), only commenting allowed and there’s no free plan.
Paid plans from Smartsheet cost $9 per user, per month, or $19 per user, per month (billed annually for both). The low-priced Pro plan limits you to 10 editors, but the Business plan allows unlimited editors (but it also has a three-user minimum).
Learn more: Read our full Smartsheet review .
Smartsheet lets you make changes in real time, so it’s a good option for those who are just starting to piece together a plan and looking for a way to manage ideas and goals before finalizing a business plan.
- Discounts for nonprofits available
- Automations on every plan
- Popular integrations allowed on low-tier plan
- 30-day free trial
- No free plan
- Only 10 viewers allowed on low-tier plan
- Three-user minimum on Business plan
Best for Financial Forecasting
$15 per month
One of the strongest cases for using LivePlan to create your business plan is its financial forecasting. It isn’t just a single feature, rather it’s a tool that lets you turn your balance sheet and cash flow statements into charts, graphs and what-if situations to help you show possible investors the best- and worst-case scenarios for your business.
There are two plans available: Standard or Premium (there is no free plan). The low-priced plan, which costs $15 per month (billed annually), doesn’t limit your contributors or guests and includes instructions to help you complete a business plan. It even includes the financial forecasting features and more than 500 sample plans to get you started.
The Premium plan costs $30 per month (billed annually), but it’s full-featured. You get a milestone planner and industry benchmark data, which can save you research time. Another timesaver: At this plan level, you can integrate QuickBooks or Xero to add your financial data seamlessly.
LivePlan is business plan software that includes prompts and accounting software integrations, making it great for new business owners that want easy financial forecasting.
- Unlimited guests and contributors
- Export finished business plan as PowerPoint presentation
- Includes step-by-step instructions with prompts
- 35-day money-back guarantee
- No free trial
Best for Roadmapping
$59 per user, per month
Every business plan starts with strategy and Aha! makes it easier to map out what you plan to do to get from point A to point Z. Aha! is primarily roadmapping software that product teams use to plan features, products or bug fixes. Any business in any industry can use it to shape ideas and strategy into plans and milestones.
Much like product development, business plans have phases and Aha! is ideal for the first few phases of business planning. Although you won’t find a scorecard feature with Aha! Roadmaps, you can score and prioritize your business vision and goals. Finally, you can present your plan to viewers (stakeholders) before you create your official business plan and secure funding.
There are three plans from which you can choose: Premium at $59 per user, per month; Enterprise at $99 per user, per month; and Enterprise+ at $149 per user, per month, all billed annually. The only reasons to upgrade to either Enterprise plan is if you want to add on automation, development tools and custom worksheets and tables.
Aha! Roadmaps is a great tool to help you strategize and get your ideas for your business in one place. You can use the presentation feature to share your business’s roadmap on your way to creating your finalized business plan.
- User-friendly interface
- Ability to score and prioritize ideas
- Share roadmaps with others
- Expensive for business plan creation
- Has a bit of a learning curve
Best for Beginners
$20.75 per month
Bizplan is specifically for business plan creation. It offers a guided walkthrough of each section you need for a complete business plan to use for funding or pitching to partners. Plug in the information, from your mission and goals to financial forecasts, and Bizplan will do the math and create the visual charts you need to get your point across.
Bizplan is very easy to use because it includes prompts and questions that take away the manual effort of figuring out what you need, so you can simply focus on providing the answers. When you’re satisfied you included all the data needed, you can invite stakeholders and consultants to look it over and add comments for approval or change requests. A unique feature of Bizplan is it gives you access to Fundable, a crowdfunding platform, on which you can share your business plan to try to generate funding.
Monthly pricing costs $29, but you can opt for annual pricing that averages to $20.75 per month. If you expect to need business plan software for much longer than a year, there’s a lifetime access option for $349 flat. All plans come with all features and access, including business courses, business planning tools and a route to investors.
If it’s your first time creating a business plan, Bizplan is a great choice to help guide you through all the sections you need to include in your plan for potential investors and partners.
- Monthly, annual and lifetime plans
- Unlimited business plans
- Unlimited collaborators
- Step-by-step instructions
- Modular, drag-and-drop interface
- Online business courses
- Access to Fundable
- Financial forecasting
- No roadmapping tools
- Lack of customization
- Only integrates with Xero
Best for Ideation
Free; $6 per month
IdeaBuddy is a basic business plan tool that lets you start for free, which is great for beginners who aren’t quite ready to create a plan. The idea plan feature is great because it lets you lay out your business plan on one page, giving you an overview. There are built-in sticky notes for brainstorming and custom templates to start you off with a bit of a guide (or just create your own).
Another great feature of IdeaBuddy is the whiteboard, which lets you drag and drop various elements, draw on it and collaborate with others to come up with your perfect business idea. That feature is locked behind the highest tier, so you’ll have to pay $22 per month (billed annually) to use it. However, that plan also gives you up to 10 collaborators and 10 ideas.
Other plans are more limiting: The free plan is for a solopreneur who has a single idea to work on and the Dreamer plan is $6 per month while the Founder plan is $12 per month, both billed annually. The Dreamer plan is also limited to one idea, but you get one collaborator while the Founder plan gives you up to three ideas and three collaborators. Plus, you’ll get access to the paid plans to export and share your plan with viewers.
IdeaBuddy is just what it sounds like: It’s best for ideation. You can create a full-fledged business plan, but this program is best suited for the very beginning stages of business creation.
- Free forever plan
- Affordable paid plans
- Monthly and annual billing options
- Easy to use
- Export to Word, Excel or as PDF
- Flexible whiteboard feature
- May be too basic for some users
- Doesn’t offer much guidance
Best for No-Frills Business Planning
$55 for one year
Business plan software doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective, and iPlanner certainly fits that bill. It’s been around since 2007 and it doesn’t appear to have updated its look or functions. The browser-based business planning software gives you a place to build out your business model and a business plan.
There are two different software options from iPlanner: Strategy Designer and Startup Framework. The Strategy Designer costs $59 for three plans, but it’s a one-time fee for the year. Choose it if you want a more condensed and no-frills kind of business plan. You can export it to Word or as a PDF.
The iPlanner Startup Framework is $55 per year, which gives you one plan to create. It’s similar to the Designer version, but you can create a business model, separate financials and build a team with various roles (view only, project owner or consultant).
iPlanner is best for those who have created a business plan before and don’t need hand-holding or fancy features.
- Business modeling option
- Samples on site for demoing
- Export to Word or as PDF
- No free plan or trial
- Not a lot of guidance
- Outdated interface
Best for Automatic Business Plan Creation
$11 per month
Enloop is a unique business plan app that generates a business plan for you based on information you provide. You can edit the text Enloop writes for you to make it more specific or change numbers in your financial forecasts as you see fit. Enloop offers a scorecard that updates as you change things, finish sections and make your business plan overall better.
Then Enloop compares your financial forecasts to industry standards, so you don’t have to do the research. The software shows you up to 16 ratios, such as sales, inventory and payables and then shows you what the average is for your industry as it compares to your financials. Enloop then gives you either a pass or fail so that you can modify your plan before you put anything into play.
Although Enloop doesn’t offer a free plan, there is a free trial for one week so you can see if it’s right for you. The Detailed plan costs $11 per month while the Performance plan is $24 per month, both billed annually. The biggest difference between the two plans is how many financial ratios Enloop analyzes: The Detailed plan only gets three ratios and Performance plan gets 16.
Enloop is best for those who have some experience creating business plans, not necessarily for those who are starting from scratch as there are no brainstorming or strategizing tools included. Use Enloop to create business plans quickly.
- Three business plans for each tier
- Generates a business plan automatically
- Compares your financials to industry standards
- Seven-day free trial available
- Scorecards indicate odds of success
- No messaging team members through app
- Not meant for strategizing
Best for Consultant Groups
$80 per, user per month
Not everyone wants to go it alone when creating business plans and consultants are often hired for industry expertise and business plan creation. AchieveIt offers generous plans that won’t limit the number of plans and projects you can create, so you can work on multiple business plans at one time.
Specifically, AchieveIt is planning software meant for medium to large teams to work on projects simultaneously. For business planning, it’s a great option for those strategizing and analyzing a variety of data points with multiple people—all of AchieveIt’s plans have a minimum requirement of 20 users.
Plans are pricey, especially when you consider the user minimum. Core, the lowest-priced plan, costs $80 per user, per month, and Plus is $90 per user, per month, both billed annually. So, it’s going to cost $1,600 per month, at least, which puts this software out of reach for most small businesses.
AchieveIt is a good choice for large businesses that need planning software and for business plan purposes, it makes most sense for established consultant groups.
- Unlimited plans and projects
- Collaboration tools
- Goal management
- 20-user minimum
- Pricier than most competitors
- Integrations at added cost
Best for Teams
Business sorter.
$10 per month
When you’re ready to craft your business plan, it can help immensely to have business planning software like Business Sorter. The cloud-based app makes it easy for you to start a plan and kicks off your business planning with a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Then, you can follow a guide to build your plan with each section divided by areas. After which, you can choose cards to help steer you toward the right objectives and goals for your business.
You won’t find roadmapping tools in Business Sorter, but the card system keeps you on track (and even gives you goals you may not have considered). As you prioritize goals, you’ll find steps you need to take that guide you to completing your business plan. Every plan allows multiple users, so you can collaborate on what takes precedence.
Plans start at $10 per month, billed annually, and allows you to have three users on board. For 10 users, the Medium plan costs $30 per month, billed annually, and if you need 30 users, the Large Team plan will run you $80 per month, billed annually. It’s one of the most affordable business planning apps for teams.
Although Business Sorter doesn’t offer a messaging tool, it’s still one of the best options for teams. You don’t have to pay per person, but you can add multiple people to the account to work on creating business plans.
- Easy-to-use business plan templates
- Free trial available
- Card system helps guide your goal setting
- Create up to 40 business plans
- Plans limit user count
- No messaging in app
- Very limited integrations
Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting Price | Team messaging | Roadmapping | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
Wrike | | 5.0 | | Free; $9.80 per user, per month | Yes | Yes | | On Wrike's Website | |
Smartsheet | | 5.0 | | $9 per user, per month (billed annually) | Yes (added cost) | Yes | | On Smartsheet's Website | |
LivePlan | | 4.8 | | $15 per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | | | |
Aha! | | 4.3 | | $59 per user, per month (billed annually) | Yes (added cost) | Yes | | | |
Bizplan | | 4.0 | | $20.75 per month (billed annually) | Yes | No | | | |
IdeaBuddy | | 3.9 | | Free; $6 per month (billed annually) | No | No | | | |
iPlanner | | 3.8 | | $55 for one year | No | No | | | |
Enloop | | 3.5 | | $11 per month (billed annually) | No | Yes | | | |
AchieveIt | | 3.4 | | $80 per, user per month (billed annually) | No | No | | | |
Business Sorter | | 3.2 | | $10 per month (billed annually) | No | No | | | |
Forbes Advisor carefully considered a variety of software to choose the right business planning apps for this ranking. We compared features, ease of use, costs and collaboration. We ranked each company based on these factors using a 5-star rating system. The highest possible score is 5 out of 5 stars.
Here are the details of the factors we considered:
- Features: We looked at general and unique features of each app and gave more credit to software that provides better functionality for business planning.
- Cost: Regardless of your business size, cost is an important factor to consider when you’re adding new software to your tech stack. We awarded a higher score to those that offer free trials, free plans and affordable options.
- Ease of use: Programs that have a steep learning curve aren’t likely to be adopted by you or your team, so we chose software that’s user-friendly. Drag-and-drop interfaces or guidance through features and tools are helpful for any team.
- Customer reviews: An important factor for any software is how the general public views the program. We considered other ratings and studied the pros and cons listed by other users of the software to help us with our ranking.
Technically, you don’t need business plan software, but using it can make the entire experience easier and you’ll have better odds of creating a solid plan. You don’t even have to choose software made specifically for business planning—project management software is great for roadmapping and goal management. Aside from looking for software that includes financial forecasting, you’ll want collaboration tools, a user-friendly interface, affordable plans and ways to brainstorm or roadmap for your business idea.
One of the most important sections of any business plan is the financials. If you haven’t already done the research and calculations, look for a business plan app that automatically calculates these numbers for you.
Collaboration is also key if you’re working with a partner, team or consultants. At the very least, look for software that lets you invite viewers to see the work you’re doing, but the best business plan software lets users leave comments or work on a plan in real time simultaneously.
Ease of use is nearly as important as pricing. You’ll need software you and your team will use without spending too much downtime learning how to use it. It also makes no sense to choose a cost-prohibitive tool for creating a business plan—most of the software Forbes Advisor suggests is appropriate for small business budgets.
Finally, depending on the stage you’re in of business planning, you may want a tool that offers features that make it easy for you to create a roadmap for your business. If you’re in the early stages, these tools can help with brainstorming, prioritizing goals and managing your goals before you finalize your actual business plan.
Most business plan software helps guide you through the creation of a business plan with prompts, suggestions or tips. So, using business plan software is especially helpful for new business owners who don’t know all the sections to include to increase the odds of getting funding or luring a partner to join your operation.
Business plan software can also automate some processes, such as calculations of financials or comparisons of those finances with industry standards. Some business planning apps give you whiteboards or editable cards you can use for brainstorming. Other features may include scorecards to let you know if you’re on the right track or roadmapping tools to give you an overview of your business plan.
The biggest benefit of business plan software is that it helps you organize and prioritize all of your goals so you can more easily analyze and then compile the data you need to create your business plan. After that, you can create your plan from scratch or if you’re using business planning software made specifically for crafting plans, you can piece it all together and then export it as a PDF or to Microsoft Word.
Which business plan software is the best?
Forbes Advisor suggests Wrike, Smartsheet or LivePlan to help you write your business plan. Depending on the stage you’re in of business planning, one tool or another may be better for you.
How do I create my own business plan?
There are several steps you should follow to create a good business plan, but there are different types of plans you can create. Every business plan starts with a strong executive summary and includes your business goals and financial forecasting. Follow a guide on how to create a business plan to ensure you include all the sections needed.
What are the different types of business plans?
There are many types of business plans you can create and the one that makes the most sense for you depends on your situation. A standard business plan is meant for when you need to present to investors or a bank for financial help. A lean plan doesn’t include all the summaries and background information a standard plan does, so it’s more suitable for established business owners. There are also one-page business plans that are more like pitches. You may also run across operational, tactical, strategic and contingency business plans. We created a simple business plan template that you can use to get started when launching a side gig or small business.
Is business plan software secure?
As with most types of software, the best business plan software programs offer many levels of security. When choosing this type of software, you want to look for security features that include multifactor authentication (MFA), intrusion detection, the monitoring of user activities, documentation that shows frequent security updates and patches, data encryption and privacy protection.
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Amy Nichol Smith spent more than 20 years working as a journalist for TV and newspapers before transitioning to software and hardware product reviews for consumers and small businesses. She has been featured in publications such as L.A. Times, Tom's Guide, Investopedia and various newspapers across the U.S.
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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)
Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.
If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.
Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.
You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.
Let’s get started.
What Do You Need A Business Plan For?
Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.
1. Secure Funds
One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.
For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.
A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.
Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.
2. Monitor Business Growth
A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:
- The business goals
- Methods to achieve the goals
- Time-frame for attaining those goals
A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.
You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.
3. Measure Business Success
A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.
Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.
You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.
4. Document Your Marketing Strategies
You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.
Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.
In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:
- How do you want to reach your target audience?
- How do you plan to retain your customers?
- What is/are your pricing plans?
- What is your budget for marketing?
How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step
1. create your executive summary.
The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.
Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.
A good executive summary should do the following:
- A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
- Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
- Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
- The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
- Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
- Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
- Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
- Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
- Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.
The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.
Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.
View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:
- Who is your target audience?
- What sector or industry are you in?
- What are your products and services?
- What is the future of your industry?
- Is your company scaleable?
- Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
- What is the motivation for starting your company?
- What are the next steps?
Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.
The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.
If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.
2. Add Your Company Overview
The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.
Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.
Your company overview should contain the following:
- What products and services you will provide
- Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
- What you need to run your business
- Who your target audience or customers are
- Who will service your customers
- Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
- Information about your company’s founders
- Who the founders are
- Notable achievements of your company so far
When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.
If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.
- Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
- What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
- How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
- Where is the location of your business?
- What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
- How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
- How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?
After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.
The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.
The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.
Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”
When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:
- Founding Date
- Major Milestones
- Location(s)
- Flagship Products or Services
- Number of Employees
- Executive Leadership Roles
When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.
Business Objectives
Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.
3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity
The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.
Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.
This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.
Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?
You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.
Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?
Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?
Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.
Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.
Market Analysis
Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.
The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.
A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.
To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.
- Your target market’s needs or pain points
- The existing solutions for their pain points
- Geographic Location
- Demographics
The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.
Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.
You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.
How to Quantify Your Target Market
One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:
- Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
- Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
- Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
- Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.
What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?
Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.
You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:
- Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
- Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
- Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
- Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
- Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
- Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
- Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
- Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.
The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.
Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.
- Is your product or service of superior quality?
- What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
- Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?
Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.
Competitive Analysis
In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.
Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.
Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.
The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.
Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.
When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.
Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.
- What are your successful competitors doing?
- Why is what they are doing working?
- Can your business do it better?
- What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
- What are they not doing well?
- Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
- How good is your competitors’ customer service?
- Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
- What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
- What marketing strategies are they using?
- What kind of press coverage do they get?
- What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?
If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.
If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.
Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.
The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.
Direct vs Indirect Competition
You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.
There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.
If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.
In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.
For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.
There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.
Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition
There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.
1. Cost Leadership
A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.
A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.
2. Product Differentiation
Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.
Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.
3. Market Segmentation
As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.
If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.
4. Define Your Business and Management Structure
The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.
Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.
If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.
Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.
The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.
Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.
Management Team
The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.
Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.
A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.
Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.
Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.
If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.
Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team
- Who are the key leaders?
- What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
- Do your key leaders have industry experience?
- What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
- What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
- What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?
Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section
1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team
There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.
Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.
2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles
Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.
While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.
Organizational Chart
Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.
If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.
An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.
You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.
5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering
In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.
Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.
The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.
If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”
Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:
- A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
- The pricing model for your product or service.
- Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
- The ideal customers that want your product or service.
- The benefits of your products and services.
- Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
- Plans for filling the orders you receive
- If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.
What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services
In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.
When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.
- Unique features
- Translating the unique features into benefits
- The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
- Intellectual property rights or any patents
When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.
- Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
- Time between purchases
- Plans for research and development.
When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:
- The creation of new or existing products and services.
- The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
- Assembling the products
- Maintaining quality control
- Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
- The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.
Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan
1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords
The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.
A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.
2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors
When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.
If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.
For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.
3. Long or Short Products or Services Section
Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?
There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.
If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.
Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.
The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.
If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.
A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.
4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers
Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.
Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.
5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers
The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.
When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.
While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.
Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.
Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section
Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.
- Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
- What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
- What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
- Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
- Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
- How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
- What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
- What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
- What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
- Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
- Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
- How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?
You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.
6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan
Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.
The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.
There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.
In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.
Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).
Target Market and Target Audience
Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.
Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.
Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan
Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.
Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.
Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.
Your Positioning Statement
Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.
Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?
Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market
- What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
- What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
- Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
- How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?
After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.
All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.
Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.
For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].
For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.
“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”
You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.
After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.
Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.
You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.
Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering
Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.
- Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
- Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
- Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.
Pricing Strategy
Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.
- Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
- Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
- Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.
After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.
As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.
There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.
Advertising
Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.
Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.
Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.
A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.
Public Relations
A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.
Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,
Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.
Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.
If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.
Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.
When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.
- Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
- What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
- How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?
Social Media
Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.
You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.
Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.
Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.
You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.
Strategic Alliances
If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.
Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.
The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.
Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.
Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan
1. Focus on Your Target Market
Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.
2. Evaluate Your Competition
One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.
You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.
These questions can help you know your competition.
- What makes your competition successful?
- What are their weaknesses?
- What are customers saying about your competition?
3. Consider Your Brand
Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.
4. Focus on Benefits
The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.
Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.
5. Focus on Differentiation
Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.
Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan
- What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
- What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
- What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
- Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
- What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
- Where will you sell your products?
You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.
The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.
7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request
If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’
A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.
Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.
In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.
Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.
If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.
Funding Request: Debt or Equity?
When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.
Case for Equity
If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.
Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.
Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.
Case for Debt
You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.
When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.
Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.
Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.
You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.
Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan
The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.
If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.
You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.
If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .
Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.
8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections
If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.
The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.
If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.
Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.
If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.
When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.
The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.
Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.
Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.
Use Graphs and Charts
The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.
Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.
Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections
Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.
You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.
What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan
The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.
A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.
Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.
1. Sales Forecast
Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.
One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.
For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.
Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.
Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.
For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.
2. Personnel Plan
The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.
However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.
The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.
3. Income Statement
The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.
Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.
The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.
- Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
- Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
- Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
- Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
- Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
- Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
- Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
- Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.
4. Cash Flow Statement
The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.
5. Balance Sheet
The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.
You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.
6. Exit Strategy
The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.
You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.
Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.
Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.
Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection
Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.
You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.
Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.
- What is your sales forecast for the next year?
- When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
- What are the core expenses you need to operate?
- How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
- How will you use the loans or investments?
9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan
Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.
The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.
When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.
Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.
You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.
If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.
A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.
The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.
People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.
Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan
The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:
- Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
- Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
- Additional financial documents or projections
- Articles of incorporation and status
- Backup for market research or competitive analysis
- Bank statements
- Business registries
- Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
- Copies of insurances
- Credit histories (personal or/and business)
- Deeds and permits
- Equipment leases
- Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
- Industry associations and memberships
- Images of product
- Intellectual property
- Key customer contracts
- Legal documents and other contracts
- Letters of reference
- Links to references
- Market research data
- Organizational charts
- Photographs of potential facilities
- Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
- Purchase orders
- Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
- State and federal identification numbers or codes
- Trademarks or patents’ registrations
Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.
Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan
To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.
1. Know Your Audience
When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.
The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.
Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.
- A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
- A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
- A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.
2. Get Inspiration from People
Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.
To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.
When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.
3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic
Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.
The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.
In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.
The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.
To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.
4. Keep it Simple and Short
When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.
One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.
Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.
You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.
To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.
5. Make an Outline and Follow Through
A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.
For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.
To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.
This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:
- Table of contents
- Introduction
- Product or service description
- Target audience
- Market size
- Competition analysis
- Financial projections
Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.
6. Ask a Professional to Proofread
When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.
You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.
In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.
Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.
Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time
1. hubspot's one-page business plan.
The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.
Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:
- Business opportunity
- Company description
- Industry analysis
- Target market
- Implementation timeline
- Marketing plan
- Financial summary
- Funding required
2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template
Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.
The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.
3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template
HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.
The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.
There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.
4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute
My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.
The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.
- The Business Profile
- The Vision and the People
- Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
- Organization
- Licenses and Permits
- Business Insurance
- Communication Tools
- Acquisitions
- Location and Leasing
- Accounting and Cash Flow
- Opening and Marketing
- Managing Employees
- Expanding and Handling Problems
There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.
5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups
Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.
The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.
There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.
The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.
6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage
The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .
There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.
7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.
There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.
- Executive Summary
- Company Description
- Service Line
- Marketing and Sales
8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan
The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.
There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.
9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template
The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.
There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.
- Executive summary
- Business description
- Products and services
- Operations plan
- Management organization
- Financial plan
- Conclusion / Call to action
- Confidentiality statement
You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)
PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.
10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT
InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.
Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.
Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan
A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.
Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.
Business Model Canvas (BMC)
The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.
The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.
Segments of the Business Model Canvas
The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.
- Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
- Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
- The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
- Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
- Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
- Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
- Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
- Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
- Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?
Lean Canvas
The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.
Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:
- Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
- Solution: The solutions to each problem.
- Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
- Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.
Startup Pitch Deck
While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.
Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.
Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.
Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.
Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.
- Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
- Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
- Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
- Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
- Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
- Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
- Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
- Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
- Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
- Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
- Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
- Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.
It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.
Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.
Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan
- Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
- Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
- Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
- Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.
Business Plan FAQ
Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time. They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.
Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans. A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.
A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs. Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.
The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.
A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.
Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.
Exlore Further
- 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
- 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
- 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
- How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)
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Martin luenendonk.
Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.
This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.
7 Best Business Plan Software for Startups in 2024
| Written by
Writing a business plan is crucial for entrepreneurs to outline their vision and strategy. With so many options available, choosing the best business plan software for startups can be challenging. Our review compares top solutions for founders, evaluating features, usability, resources, integrations, and pricing to help you select the platform that fits your needs. We’ll explore how these tools can streamline the planning process and help you create a professional, investor-ready business plan to launch your startup successfully.
Our #1 Pick: Upmetrics
Upmetrics makes it easy and affordable to create a professional, investor-ready business plan with AI-powered tools and customizable templates.
Unsure if Upmetrics is right for you? Continue reading our comprehensive review below to learn more and explore your options.
Best Business Planning Tools
| Best Business Plan Software Overall |
| Best Financial Forecasting |
| Most User-Friendly |
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In this review, we’ll look at seven of the best business plan software platforms — discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more — so you can decide which one is right for your startup.
Best Business Plan Software for Startups 2024:
- Upmetrics – Best Overall
- LivePlan – Best Financial Forecasting
- Bizplan – Easiest to Use
- Enloop – Best Automation Features
- PlanGuru – Best Business Valuation Tool
- IdeaBuddy – Best for Idea Validation
- iPlanner – Best for Nonprofits
The following tools all have their own great features. Based on its affordable pricing and usability, Upmetrics is our top business plan software choice for startups.
Try Upmetrics today or continue reading to explore your options!
Best Business Plan Software: Upmetrics
Access 400+ industry-specific templates and AI-driven tools to build a winning business plan.
1. Upmetrics – $7/month to $37/month
First up on our list is Upmetrics , an affordable and versatile business planning tool. The software is designed for small business owners, young entrepreneurs, and startups who need comprehensive business planning capabilities without the high cost.
Upmetrics simplifies the entire planning process with its advanced AI capabilities, realistic financial forecasting, and user-friendly functionalities. The AI writing assistant auto-writes sections of your business plan, while the forecasting assistant provides financial forecasting stream suggestions.
What’s more, Upmetrics’ subscription model comes with strategic planning tools, collaborative features, and other business resources that help entrepreneurs plan and grow their businesses with ease.
- AI business plan generator to create business plans faster
- 400+ sample business plan templates
- AI pitch deck creator to generate impressive pitches
- Robust financial forecasting for up to 7-10 years
- QuickBooks and Xero integrations to import your data easily
- Business plan builder with drag-and-drop capabilities
- Real-time collaboration and easy-sharing options
- Reliable and easy-to use interface
- Extremely affordable pricing plans
- Multilingual support (9+ different languages)
- Effective strategic plan creation on-the-go
- 15-day money back guarantee (even change plans anytime)
- No long-term commitments
- Educational resources, free guides, and video tutorials for beginners
- Not suitable for larger enterprises
- No free trial
Customer Reviews
Over 110,000 entrepreneurs have used Upmetrics for different purposes, from securing funding to launching their ventures. It received great customer reviews and earned 4.8 stars out of 5 on GetApp, making it a strong contender among business planning software.
Learn more by reading our full Upmetrics review .
2. LivePlan – $15/month to $30/month
While LivePlan isn’t our top pick, it’s a strong contender for the best business plan software for startups, offering excellent value for money. This cloud-based solution enables entrepreneurs to craft professional business plans from any location, combining user-friendly features with comprehensive functionality.
Additionally, if you decide to stop service for whatever reason, Palo Alto Software, the makers of LivePlan, will keep your account active and data preserved for at least a year should you decide to reactivate your account later.
- Create an unlimited number of business plans
- A forecast feature for those less mathematically inclined. Plug in data, and it will generate charts, graphs, figures, and even the profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow statements
- 500+ business plan templates spanning all major industries
- Real-time financial data tracking
- Performance dashboards track sales and budgeting
- Create one-page pitch plans for potential investors
- Milestone scheduling feature — Some people will use it when working with others on their plan; it will let you assign milestones to people
- Low-cost annual plans
- Affordable pay-as-you-go plans
- No cancellation fees
- Data saved for 12-months, even after cancellation
- Clean, modern platform
- Cloud-based; works on any business machine (Linus, Windows, Mac)
- Integrates with Quickbooks and Xero to import your data easily
- Knowledgeable customer support to get help with your plan
- No valuation capabilities
- Templates built on the earlier tool by Palo Alto Software, Business Plan Pro, require some modifications to be used on LivePlan
LivePlan receives great feedback from customers. LivePlan reviews average 4.5 stars out of 5 on GetApp. LivePlan is an easy company for us to recommend for the best business plan software.
Learn more by reading our full LivePlan review .
3. Bizplan – $29/month, $249/year, $349 lifetime
Bizplan rates high on our list because they offer a lifetime plan that gets you “forever access” to their business plan software. As an added bonus, you also receive free access to Startup Courses and LaunchRock, a landing page builder.
- Easy, “fill-in-the-blanks” plan builder
- Publish your detailed business plan online
- Unlimited business plans
- Bizplan takes care of the financials
- Cloud-based (use any browser on any computer)
- Options to add more graphics and photos
- Low-cost yearly plans
- Create unlimited business plans
- Xero to import your data easily
- Excellent and responsive customer support (email/chat/phone)
- Free access to Startup.com and LaunchRock.com
- Discount at Fundable.com (connect with lenders and investors)
- Can’t export in Word
- Doesn’t currently integrate with QuickBooks
- No third-party app integrations
BizPlan receives great feedback from customers. BizPlan reviews average 4.4 stars out of 5 on GetApp. Still a relatively new option, BizPlan already has over 30,000 satisfied customers. As their platform grows, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them integrate even more valuable features. Keep a close eye on this one.
Learn more by reading our full Bizplan review .
4. Enloop – Free to $39.95/month
If you’re looking to try before you buy, Enloop is a strong choice as one of the only business planning software tools with a free trial.
- User-friendly platform
- Compare your financials against your industry’s performance
- Bank ready financial statements (Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash flow)
- Lets multiple users work on a business plan
- 36-Month detailed financial reports
- Sync date and text into your business plan
- Real-time performance rating
- Generated business plan Pass/Fail report
- Multiple currency formatting
- Seven-day free trial (no credit card required)
- Advanced financial ratios
- Financial projections
- Video tutorials to help you with the writing process
- No phone or chat support, just a “contact us” form.
- Three business plan limit per account
- Doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks or Xero
- No financial forecasts beyond 36-months
- No 30-day money-back guarantee
Enloop receives fair feedback from customers. Enloop’s reviews average 3 stars out of 5 on PCMag. Enloop’s main complaint is its lack of instructional text for writing mission statements and other key sections. What they rank high on is their efficiency and the speed at which the software lets you write a business plan.
Even beyond the free version, Enloop Basic is just $9.95/month ($6/month when paid annually), so they’re one of the least expensive tools for writing a business plan.
5. PlanGuru – $99/month to $299/month
PlanGuru is a good option if you’re looking for considerably more robust software that offers quite a bit more. The most notable feature we like is the valuation tool, only present on the desktop version of the software. PlanGuru lets you calculate the valuation of your business using three different methods. No other business plan software offers this that we know of.
PlanGuru also offers budgeting, forecasting, and performance tools to help you put together a business plan. In the main, PlanGuru allows you to get a custom-tailored three financial statement budget model up and running out of QuickBooks or Xero in a matter of minutes. PlanGuru’s business plan writing software takes you through a setup process where it asks you questions such as:
- What’s the first month of your fiscal year?
- How many historical years do you want to import?
And, once you answer these questions, PlanGuru then generates a model for you that you can then populate with your historical data if you have it. Then you can go through PlanGuru’s 20+ projection methods.
Some financial data projection methods include:
- Expenses, like payroll, etc.
- Balance sheet items, like accounts receivable, accounts payable, crude expenses, prepaid expenses, loans, etc.
These are only a few of the features the business plan software offers. Here are some more.
- Budgeting/Forecasting Software
- Analytics Service for Financial Performance & KPIs
- Valuation calculations (desktop software only)
- Desktop and cloud-based options
- Free 14-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
- Great customer support and knowledgeable sales staff
- Lower-cost yearly plans offered
- Advanced financial calculations
- Business valuation calculations
- No contracts
- Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero
- Costlier than LivePlan and most other options
- Additional cost per user can add up quickly
Important Note: These tools are important because investors may want to see not only historical performance but also projections.
6. IdeaBuddy – Free to $35/month
IdeaBuddy makes our list because of what’s behind their approach. IdeaBuddy focuses on helping entrepreneurs develop their idea first, then share it, and then refine it into a plan. If you have a business idea and don’t know what to do next, IdeaBuddy could be what you’re looking for in a business plan software.
- Single-page business plan pitch (Idea plan)
- Clean modern design platform combined with great financial tools
- Marketing plan for selling and promoting your products
- Market overview plan where you create targeted customer profiles, identify your competition and calculate the market potential
- Business plan creation that includes forecasting performance and cash flow projections
- A proprietary algorithm calculates a final score for your idea providing recommendations for improvement after you complete “Story Mode”
- Idea Journal, that is an internal business plan for you to show potential investors
- A lifetime plan costs only $178
- Great for developing ideas
- Great for doing market research
- Pay-as-you-go plans offered
- Email-only customer service
- Software lag time issues
- Fewer software options than most other small business options
IdeaBuddy has received some outstanding customer reviews on GetApp. IdeaBuddy has earned a 4.6-star rating out of 5 possible stars.
7. iPlanner – Starts at $55/year
iPlanner is a comprehensive business plan software that has been aiding entrepreneurs since 2007, providing a robust framework for developing business plans, models, and financial forecasts online.
- Unlimited Team Members & Collaboration
- A La Carte Pricing Model vs Packages
- Discounts for Serial Entrepreneurs & Business Coaches
- Solid amount of industry knowledge and experience.
- They’ve got two trademarked business planning services, Startup Framework™ and Strategy Designer™
- All of their business planning packages allow you to have unlimited collaborators and assign people three different roles: Project Owners, Advisors, and Viewers.
- Their Startup Framework software has a business modeling section where you can design a business model canvas and strategize as much as you need before diving into your plan.
- Doesn’t have a month-to-month option for either of their services. Their Strategy Designer is payable only annually, while their Startup Framework is available for 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month payments.
- They don’t offer refunds
- Their website is pretty old school and tough to navigate.
- Unlike other business planning software, iPlanner doesn’t offer a free version or trial. However, you can take a tour of their Startup Framework software or view a demo of the Strategy Designer to get a feel for them.
If a simple framework is all you’re looking for, iPlanner can help you out. They don’t have many bells and whistles, but at these price points, they offer a good value for nonprofits and corporations.
Business Plan Software Pros and Cons
- By using business plan software providers, you’ll be able to create a solid outline for your business. Although some of the options above are better than others, each will walk you through from start to finish.
- No matter how you look at it, business plan software is cost-effective. As long as you actually use the tool, you’ll generate significantly more value than you’re spending on monthly subscription fees.
- If you spend the time to create a solid plan, you’re much more likely to hold yourself accountable. Think of planning software like an accountability buddy for a small business owner.
- Your business plan tool will help set realistic financial goals, and most can also keep your bottom line in check by integrating your accounting software.
- Business planning software enables you to collaborate with partners, mentors and investors.
- Some of the business plan tools don’t offer support and can have slightly buggy features. That said, if you’re serious about writing a solid plan, go with a tool that’s constantly updated and well made.
- Although some business plan tools have a collaboration feature, none of them can review it when you’re done. All business planning tools lack a human touch.
How to Choose the Right Business Plan Software
With the array of business planning tools available, it can be daunting to select the right one for your needs. Here are some tips for choosing the best business plan software solution:
- Consider your skill level – Opt for software like a wizard-guided business plan template if you are less experienced in writing plans. Choose more advanced software with greater flexibility once you know what you are doing. Look for drag-and-drop tools to easily organize sections.
- Determine your budget – Prices range from free to several hundred dollars. Know how much you can spend before shopping.
- Compare features – Look for software with the specific tools you need, like financial projections, sample text, customizable templates, and more.
- Evaluate the financial tool capabilities – The software should provide extensive financial tools like forecasting, modeling, projections, and dashboards to streamline financial planning.
- Check reviews and ratings – Get feedback from other users about their experience with the software. High reviews indicate easier, more user-friendly software.
Plan for Success With Upmetrics
Create a professional, investor-ready plan using AI-powered tools and industry-specific templates.
What is the purpose of a business plan?
The purpose of a business plan is to provide a structured outline and roadmap for a business’s goals, strategies, and operations. It serves as a guide for decision-making, resource allocation, and management.
Furthermore, business plans can be crucial to attract investors, secure funding, and ensure that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the business’s direction, objectives, and value proposition.
How do you write a business plan?
To write a business plan, start by writing an executive summary that provides an overview of your business idea, products/services, market opportunity, and projected growth. Outline your company description, industry analysis, target customers, competitive advantage, marketing and sales plans, operations, management team, and financial projections.
How long should a business plan be?
The length can vary based on the complexity of the business, its stage, and its intended audience. In general, it might range from 15-50 pages. However, the key is to ensure that the plan is comprehensive yet concise.
For many situations, especially when seeking investment, a more detailed plan is preferable. Yet, for internal purposes or for businesses at very early stages, a shorter, more concise plan might suffice.
Are there business plan templates on Word?
Yes, Microsoft Word has business plan templates you can download and customize. The templates provide section headings, instructions, sample text, and tables to input your specific business information.
Further Reading
- What Is a Business Plan? September 26, 2024
- Lean Startup Business Plan Guide August 29, 2024
- The 7 BIGGEST Business Plan Mistakes to Avoid September 26, 2024
Topics to Explore
- Startup Ideas
- Startup Basics
- Startup Leadership
- Startup Marketing
- Startup Funding
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Software Company Business Plan. Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their software companies. If you're unfamiliar with creating a software company business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process.
Writing a software company business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan: 1. Executive Summary. An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready ...
Step 3: Brainstorm a Software Company Name. Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name: Short, unique, and catchy names tend to stand out. Names that are easy to say and spell tend to do better. Name should be relevant to your product or service offerings.
Software Company Business Plan. You've come to the right place to create your Software Company business plan. We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create software business plans and many have used them to start or grow their software companies.
Financial plan. The company is seeking $1 million in seed funding to help with product development, marketing, and sales. The company plans to generate revenue through monthly subscription fees and by selling data analytics services to businesses. ... As a startup founder you know that having a software startup business plan on hand is critical ...
An executive summary's main objective is to emphasize critical information about the tech company business plan. But, it's vital not to overload the summary with unnecessary details regarding the concept. It should grab people's interest and make them want to learn more. Tip #3.
The executive summary of a software business plan is a one- to two-page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan. Start with a one-line description of your software company. Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your ...
Here are some main elements to consider when writing a company description: tech company's name, company history, business model, vision, mission, legal structure (whether it is a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation.), management team structure (each role and responsibilities) and competitive advantage.
1. Choose the Name for Your Software Company. The first step to starting your own software company is to choose your business' name. This is a very important choice since your company name is your brand and will last for the lifetime of your business. Ideally you choose a name that is meaningful and memorable.
Let's go through the content of each section in more detail! 1. The executive summary. In your software development company's business plan, the first section is the executive summary — a captivating overview of your plan that aims to pique the reader's interest and leave them eager to learn more about your business.
If you're wondering how to write a business plan for your software company, here are the things you need to include: 1. Executive summary. The executive summary in a business plan includes a gist of your entire software company. Further, it includes the general reason why it will turn out successful. Free Download.
FoodFun LIS is a start-up organization. The following assets and professional services will be needed for the formation and start of operations. Legal services for company formation. Accounting services to set up the accounting shell of the company QuickBooks Pro software. Computer programmers (3) to rapidly develop the software.
1. Begin your company overview section by describing what your business specializes in and the technology behind it. This part of the company overview is intended to give readers and investors a general idea of your business. 2. Next, proceed to explain the nature of the industry and marketplace. 3.
Step 10: Conclusion and Call to Action. Time to wrap it up and rally your readers. Summarize the key points of your plan, driving home why your startup is a solid bet. But remember, this isn't just a conclusion—it's a launchpad.
A Sample Software Development Business Plan Template. 1. Industry Overview. The software development industry has grown in the space of a century from an almost on-existent industry to one that is not only a billion dollar industry but an indispensable one, especially as software form the basis of modern gadgets and devices.
Download Startup Business Plan Template - Word. Word | Smartsheet. This startup business plan template contains the essential components you need to convey your business idea and strategy to investors and stakeholders, but you can customize this template to fit your needs. The template provides room to include an executive summary, a financial ...
This simple template was designed to help someone new to the business world to easily put together a professional plan describing a new venture. Keep your startup plan short. As your business matures, you can adapt the plan to include additional detail. You can create different iterations of it for different audiences.
Enloop is a robust business plan software that automatically generates a tailored plan based on your inputs. It provides industry-specific templates, financial forecasting, and a unique performance score that updates as you make changes to your plan. ... a startup business plan outlines the company's mission, objectives, target market ...
The Best Business Plan Software of 2024. Wrike: Best overall. Smartsheet: Best for goal management. LivePlan: Best for financial forecasting. Aha!: Best for roadmapping. Bizplan: Best for ...
2. Monitor Business Growth. A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain: The business goals. Methods to achieve the goals. Time-frame for attaining those goals.
Get Started. 1. Upmetrics - $7/month to $37/month. First up on our list is Upmetrics, an affordable and versatile business planning tool. The software is designed for small business owners, young entrepreneurs, and startups who need comprehensive business planning capabilities without the high cost.