How to Write a Business Plan: A Comprehensive Guide
Are you thinking of starting a business? If so, you will need to create a business plan, i.e., a comprehensive guide outlining your business goals and strategies. This document is useful for onboarding new people or securing financing from investors or banks.
Since it's often the key to securing funding, we will walk you through everything you need to know about a business plan and when you will use it. Most importantly, we'll show you how to write a business plan and break down the typical components of a business plan template, so you don't get overwhelmed. And, as always, we'll provide you with tips for creating a successful one.
What Is a Business Plan?
A business plan is a document laying out a business's objectives and the planned tactics for achieving them. In short, this business strategy outline is your roadmap for success. While there is no one-size-fits-all business plan, there are certain elements that all successful programs should include.
So, what does a business plan look like? It typically includes an executive summary, company overview, market analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecasts.
However, it's important to remember that a business plan is not set in stone. As your business grows and evolves, you will need to revisit it and make adjustments. Think of it as a living document that will continue to evolve as your business does.
When Is a Business Plan Useful?
Using a business plan as a roadmap streamlines business growth. A company can always reference it, i.e., use it as a guide to prioritize tasks and objectives, and form future strategies. These are just some of the reasons it’s worth taking the time to write a business plan.
However, as mentioned before, a business plan is not set in stone - it should be updated regularly, improved when needed, and adjusted to maintain usefulness. It can only be as valuable as businesses make it. Some companies might go for an extremely detailed document, while others might opt for a brief business plan outline focusing on financials to present to investors.
In the same vein, it’s a valuable tool for communicating with potential business partners, customers, and venture capitalists, as well as hiring new employees. Everyone would rather work with an established business with a developed business model, so a good business plan is often crucial to establishing these relationships.
Why Is a Business Plan Important for Investors?
A business plan is essential for securing investments, as it outlines the company's goals, strategies, and the procedures to achieve them.
Creating a business plan is essential for presenting your business to investors because it
- allows them to see the big picture,
- understand the risks and potential rewards involved,
- evaluate whether the company is a good fit for their portfolios.
A well-crafted and detailed business plan shows you've done your homework and are serious about making your business a success. It also demonstrates you're aware of the risks involved and have thought through how to overcome them. In short, a business plan is a foundation upon which a successful investment deal can be built.
So, if you're looking for an initial investment, make sure to create a business plan. It will make the difference between getting funded and getting rejected.
The Components of a Business Plan and How to Write Them - a Step-by-Step Guide
It's time to break down the components of a business plan. As mentioned, there is no one-size-fits-all template to use. However, all successful plans should include certain elements, so here is how to write a business plan, step by step.
Executive Summary
This is a brief overview of your business, its products or services, market, and financials.
The summary is the first (and often only) chance to make a good impression on potential investors. It is vital to ensure that the summary is well written and free of errors.
How to Write an Executive Summary?
Here are a few tips for writing a practical executive summary:
- Start with a bang: The first sentence of the summary should be attention-grabbing and give a brief overview of the business.
- Keep it short and sweet: The summary part of a business plan should be no longer than one page.
- Focus on the essentials: The executive summary should highlight the critical points of the business plan, including the company's mission, products or services, target market, and financial projections.
- Use simple language: Avoid jargon and technical terms in the executive summary. Stick to plain language all readers can understand.
- Proofread carefully: Proofread the executive summary before sending it off to potential investors to secure funding. Use a reliable grammar and spelling checker to fix every mistake to make your business look more professional.
Company Description
This covers your company description, history, structure, and management team.
When writing the company overview section in a business plan, there are a few things to consider. First, it's important to briefly describe the company's history and how it got to where it is today. This will give readers a better understanding of the company's mission and values.
Second, it's essential to describe its current structure and management team. This will help potential investors see that the company is well-organized and has a solid foundation.
Finally, it's important to highlight any recent accomplishments or awards that the company has received. This will show that the company is growing and thriving.
Product or Service Description
This is a detailed description of the product or service you are offering, and is an indispensable aspect of every well-researched business plan.
Every business plan needs a description of the products or services the company intends to sell. This part of the business plan is often called the Value Proposition or Unique Selling Proposition.
The product or service description should be clear, concise, and confident. It should explain what needs the product or service fulfills and how it’s better than other options on the market. This section of the business plan is your chance to sell your idea, so make sure to put your best foot forward.
Remember that the product or service description is not a sales pitch - it should be an honest and accurate representation of what you are offering.
How to Write a Product or Service Description
With that in mind, here are a few tips for writing a solid product or service description when making a business plan:
- Know your audience. The product or service description should be tailored to your target market. What needs does your target market have that your product or service can address? What pain points can you solve?
- Keep it simple. The best product or service descriptions are clear and to the point. Avoid using technical jargon or overly complicated language - you want your audience to understand why what you are offering is valuable.
- Be confident. This is not the time to be modest - highlight the unique selling points of your product or service and why it is the best option on the market.
Market Analysis
This is a deep dive into your desired market, including an analysis of other businesses in your niche, and you shouldn’t skip it when you build a business plan.
This analysis is a breakdown of the industry the business will operate in. This includes an examination of the current market landscape and an exploration of the potential opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
How to Write It?
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Do your research. Before you can write this part, you need to perform market research. Be sure to examine both the current landscape and the potential future trends that could impact your business.
- Know your audience. It's always important to keep your audience in mind, especially when starting a business plan. After all, not everyone will be familiar with the ins and outs of your industry. As such, it's essential to make your market research and its findings both informative and accessible.
- Keep it concise. Analyses are integral to any business plan, but they shouldn't be overly long or convoluted.
Competitive Analysis
No business exists in a vacuum, and understanding other companies in your niche is critical for pinpointing competitive advantages and crafting a winning strategy.
But what exactly should this part of the business plan format include? In essence, it should provide an overview of the key players in your field and assess their strengths and weaknesses. It should also identify any gaps in the market your business could exploit and use within its marketing and sales.
While this may sound like a lot to cover, don't worry - with a bit of planning, you can easily produce an analysis that will impress potential investors and help you start your business off on the right foot.
Financial Forecast
Whether you're starting a new business or forecasting for an existing one, the process of writing a financial forecast is essentially the same. However, if you haven’t written one before, we suggest using a business plan template to guide you through the writing.
The first step is to gather historical data, if available. This could include sales data, financial statements, expenses, inventory levels, and everything else that can help you gauge your business' financial health. If you are a small business and don't have any historical data to work with, don't worry - you can still produce a reliable forecast using market analysis and industry trends.
Once you have your data, it's time to start creating your forecast. Begin by estimating the net income you expect your business to generate in the upcoming year. Then, evaluate your expenses and investment needs. Finally, use your estimates to calculate your desired profit margin.
When writing a financial forecast to create a business plan, it is important to be realistic and conservative. Include all expected sources of revenue and expenses, including one-time costs, such as new equipment purchases. Be sure to include a buffer for unexpected payments, such as repairs or slowdowns in sales.
Finally, don't forget to account for seasonal fluctuations. If your business is dependent on the holiday season, make sure to account for that in your forecast.
Business Goals
Every business plan should have a section dedicated to goals. You’ll often find this section marked last on most business plan examples. This is where you lay out what you hope to achieve in the short- and long-term. However, simply stating your goals is not enough. The goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART):
- Specific: Vague goals are of little use, especially to you. Instead, focus on specific targets you can realistically achieve. For example, rather than setting a goal of “increasing sales,” good examples of business plans will aim for a more specific target like “boosting sales by 10% within the next year.”
- Measurable: A good goal is something that can be measured. This way, you will know whether you are on track to achieve it. For example, rather than setting a goal of “improving customer satisfaction,” go for something like “reducing customer complaints by 25%.”
- Achievable: Ensure your goals are realistic and attainable, in line with your resources and timeline. For example, you can write something along the lines of: "Increase year-over-year sales by 20% by Q4 2022."
- Relevant: Make sure your goals are relevant to your business's overall mission and strategy. If your business is based on subscriptions, "Increase the number of subscribers" could be a better goal than "increasing daily sales" in the business plan, for example.
- Timed: Giving yourself a deadline will keep you focused and motivated. Without a deadline, it is all too easy to put off taking action on your goals. For example, rather than setting the goal of “launching a new product” whenever, aim for a specific timeline.
Types of Business Plans
Your company can rely on different business plans, depending on its stage of development and needs. The most common types of programs are:
The Operational Plan
An operational plan covers all aspects of how a business will operate on a day-to-day basis. These business plans include everything from a company's organizational structure to its operating procedures.
Operational plans are important for small businesses because they provide a presentable roadmap, which is especially helpful if you're seeking funding from investors or lenders. After all, it shows them you clearly understand your business and its operations.
Operational plans are also important for internally managing a business. They can be used to track progress and ensure everyone is on the same page, working towards the same goals.
The Strategic Plan
A strategic plan is a high-level roadmap for a company's overall goals and how it plans to achieve them. This vital aspect of small-business plans is the basis for building an operational plan and assigning daily tasks according to long-term objectives.
Strategic plans are important for businesses of all sizes because they guide decisions about where to allocate resources and how to prioritize initiatives. Strategic plans are also useful for communicating a company's direction to its employees, shareholders, and other stakeholders.
The Marketing Plan
A marketing plan provides an outline for how you will promote and sell your products or services. It can also be a standard part of a regular business plan format. Marketing plans are essential for businesses of all sizes but can be especially helpful for small businesses that have yet to establish their sales strategies.
These could include overall company plans but also go into detail. For example, you can write down which website builder your business should use, or add "selling advertising space" as a goal. Marketing plans can also be used to track progress and measure results over time.
The Financial Plan
A financial plan outlines a company's financial goals and how it plans to achieve them. Financial plans are an essential part of any business plan, and outline how you will generate revenue and manage expenses. If your results aren’t in line with your financial plan, chances are, you’re in trouble.
Special Business Plans
While the plans listed above are used to navigate the business strategies and quickly onboard new people in any company, some documents are specific to a type of business or one of its purposes. Let’s discuss those briefly as well.
Lean Startup Business Plan
A lean business plan is a shortened, more agile version of a traditional business plan. Lean startup business plans are designed for businesses that are moving quickly and need to adapt their strategies on the fly.
It’s typically around 20 pages long, whereas your typical traditional business plan would contain about 50 pages. The lean one focuses on the company's value proposition, its market, and its financials.
This type of business plan is especially helpful if you're a startup or have a new business idea because it allows you to quickly adapt your methods as you learn more about your customers and market. On the other hand, traditional business plans don't leave as much room for growth in their outlines.
Venture Capital Business Plan
A venture capital business plan is a document that describes a new business venture, typically one with high growth potential. The plan should include information on the company's products or services, target market, team, and financial projections.
For example, all plans should have a clear mission statement about the problem the company is solving. This is followed by a description of the proposed solution, overview of the market opportunity, and detailed plan for how the company will reach its goals.
The last section of venture capital business plan forms is typically a financial analysis, which shows how much money the company will need to get started and how it expects to generate revenue.
While VC business plans can vary significantly in length and format, they all share the same goal: Persuading investors to provide funding for the new venture.
Micro-Business Business Plan
A micro-business business plan is a document that outlines a small business's goal, strategies, and tactics. This type of business plan should include the following aspects:
- Business's mission and vision
- Market opportunity
- Target market
- Company competitive advantage
- Sales and marketing strategy
- Operational plan
- Financial projections
A micro-business plan should be updated regularly as the business grows and changes. It is an essential tool for any small-business owner.
Tips on How To Write a Business Plan
Now that we've gone over the different business plans, let's look at some tips you might benefit from.
- Set realistic goals: It's essential to set realistic goals for your business, both in the short and long term. Be specific about what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it.
- Do your research: This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's important to do your research before writing your business plan. You need to understand your industry, market, and competition clearly.
- Keep it concise: A business plan should be clear and concise. No one wants to read a 50-page document, so focus on the most important information.
- Make it visually appealing: When you build a business plan, it pays to make it beautiful. A well-designed business plan is more likely to be read and remembered. Include charts, graphs, and other visuals to make your pitch more engaging.
- Get feedback: Before you finalize your business plan, it's important to get feedback from people you trust. This could be a mentor, advisor, or even a friend who has invested in businesses before.
Final Thoughts
Writing a business plan may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. By following the tips above, you can create a well-written, concise, and visually appealing business plan to help you achieve your goals.
If you're still unsure where to start writing a business plan, there are plenty of online resources, like templates, samples, and tutorials. Once you get started, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to write one. And, who knows? You may even find that you enjoy it.
There are four types of special business plans: Traditional, lean startup, venture capital, and micro-business. Each type has its own unique set of characteristics and is designed for a specific purpose. A micro-business plan, for example, is typically created to serve as the roadmap for the growth of a small business. In contrast, a venture capital plan for a business is geared toward getting the investments a business needs to develop.
There is no one answer to this question, as every business plan is different. However, there are a few key things that all business plans should include, such as a description of the business, its products and services, and its target market. Additionally, business plans should outline the company's goals and strategies for achieving them.
While it is possible to start a business without a business plan, it is not recommended. A business plan serves as a roadmap for the company and to gain investments, so it is crucial to figure out how to write a business plan and create one before you start your business.
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