CONFIDENTIAL

BUSINESS PLAN
COMPANY NAME

DATE PREPARED

MM/DD/YYYY

CONTACT

Contact Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip, Country

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Fax: (123) 456-7890
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 3
COMPANY OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 4
PROBLEM & SOLUTION ................................................................................................................... 5
THE PROBLEM ............................................................................................................................................ 5
OUR SOLUTION .......................................................................................................................................... 5

MARKET ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................... 6

MARKET SIZE & SEGMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 6

COMPETITION ................................................................................................................................. 7
CURRENT ALTERNATIVES TARGET BUYERS ARE USING ............................................................................. 7
OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES ............................................................................................................. 7

PRODUCT OR SERVICE OFFERINGS ................................................................................................. 8

PRODUCT OR SERVICE ............................................................................................................................... 8

MARKETING..................................................................................................................................... 9
MARKETING PLAN ...................................................................................................................................... 9

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................... 10

MANAGEMENT AND TEAM: ....................................................................................................................10

MILESTONES & METRICS ............................................................................................................... 11

MILESTONES ............................................................................................................................................11
KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS ..................................................................................................................11

FINANCIAL FORECASTS ................................................................................................................. 12

KEY ASSUMPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................12

FINANCING .................................................................................................................................... 12
SOURCES OF FUNDING ............................................................................................................................12
USE OF FUNDING .....................................................................................................................................12

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The executive summary is - arguably - the most important section of your business plan.
Catch the eye of the reader, summarize the key points of your business plan - and show why
you’re a solid investment which will bring a healthy return. Write this section last to make
sure you capture everything you’ve covered in the business plan in a simple, impactful
summary of 2 pages or less.

Highlights:

What are the main steps you’ll take to be successful?

What is your unique value proposition?

Why should a potential investor, partner or employee keep reading?

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

Start with a high-level introduction to the industry and niche you work in, including any
indication of likely changes and developments in the market. Using data like industry trends
and demographics - and highlighting governmental and economic influences - adds depth.
Move onto an overview of your company in particular, and your place in the industry
landscape you’ve presented.

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PROBLEM & SOLUTION

THE PROBLEM

Use this segment to help your reader see the unmet need you’ve identified - and how you’re
able to help. You’ll go into some of these topics in more depth later - this is an introduction
and summary of your product or service, and how it stands out.

What problem are you solving for the consumer?

How big is the problem?

What solutions are out there currently?

OUR SOLUTION

What can your business do to solve the problem?

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MARKET ANALYSIS

MARKET SIZE & SEGMENTS

Paint a picture of the customer you’re catering to, and the size of the market you’re working
in. By giving a detailed view of the target audience for your company including income
levels, you can show how your product or service will appeal. You’ll also need to describe
existing competitors, and how you’ll either grow the overall market or take market share
from others.

Who is your target customer?

How big is the market for your business?

How can you grow the market or grab market share from competitors?

How much will your target audience pay for your product/service?

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COMPETITION

CURRENT ALTERNATIVES TARGET BUYERS ARE USING

How much competition is out there?

Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

Here you can describe the opportunity you’ve identified, and how your business will attract
and retain customers. Set out the unique features of your business and how this will make
you stand out from the competition.

How is your business solution better than the competitors?

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PRODUCT OR SERVICE OFFERINGS

PRODUCT OR SERVICE

Use this section to add more detail about the product or service you are offering.
Describe how it benefits the buyer, and its unique selling proposition.

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MARKETING

MARKETING PLAN

Show how you’ll connect with customers, encourage repeat sales, and build an impactful
brand reputation.
Go into detail about your marketing objectives and strategy here, including the channels
you’ll use, the likely costs, campaign goals, and your overarching plan of action.

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ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

Here you can cover both the legal structure of your business and give some insight into who
will be leading it. Start with the type of legal entity you have and move into the leadership
team and any other key staff members. Use this to state your overall mission statement and
how it relates to your team and organization.

MANAGEMENT AND TEAM:

Who is working with you?

What experience do they have?

What makes your team qualified to make your business successful?

Who do you need to hire?

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MILESTONES & METRICS

MILESTONES

List your key milestones and the dates that you hope to accomplish them by. If you’ve
already accomplished key goals for your business, list them here as evidence that your
business is getting traction.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

Explain which performance metrics are most important for understanding how your business
is doing.

What does success mean for you, and how will you know it when you see it?

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FINANCIAL FORECASTS

KEY ASSUMPTIONS

Depending on the stage your business is at, this section may include live sales and profit
data - or be more focused on projections. If you’re using existing sales data, include the
detail as an appendix and give highlights here. If you use projections, give details of the
assumptions made to come up with forecasts, such as market research and trend
information.
If available, add key financial information such as your sales forecast, profit and loss
projections, balance sheet and cash flow.

FINANCING

SOURCES OF FUNDING

USE OF FUNDING

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