Business Plan Template for Free

I’m going to give you a great business plan template free. Beware of  ”experts” who think you need to write books and spend months on your plan.

Let’s explode that myth right away. The best plans are concise, focused and practical – and not hard to write. OK?

I’ve also put together many tips on business plans in our start up guide. It’s totally free – you’ll find them in the section on business planning! You can get it right here.

Your business plan is one of the foundations of your success. A good plan will help you stay focused, manage your business, raise cash and avoid critical mistakes.

Remember that most business plans or for one year. It’s hard to predict 3 years out, particularly when you’re just starting your business.

So let’s look at business plan template free, that you’ll find really useful. I’ve created a series of areas that you’ll need to fill out. You’ll go step by step and be surprised how easy it really is.

1. Table of contents – You’ll fill this out last of all
2. Executive summary – Your plan on a single page. if you’re going to ask for a loan or an investment this should be the first thing they will read. So make it attractive to read, be enthusiastic, but not overly optimistic. You should write this when you’ve completed the
3. Description – What is your business, it’s products and service? What are your goals over the next year and how are you going to achieve them? We recommend three goals, not a laundry list! Finally, what are the keys to your success?
4. The market – Your market and competition. It’s not just about your business. You need to think about the environment in which you’ll be working. The best plans have estimates of size of the market and their competitors, including a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each major competitor.
5. The consumer – Who are they and what are they like(target). What do they want and why are you relevant (product benefits)? How will you get your product to them (distribution)?
6. Operations – This should cover your supply chain and employees. Identify the risks you foresee.
7. Financials – Most investors skip straight to this section. Ultimately, there are two documents you need. First, there are revenue and cost assumptions that will yield profitability. Second is a cash flow analysis that will show how much cash you need for the period.

I looked at one template and it was 31 pages of different sections. It would take you months to complete and you’d have ended up with something bigger and more complex than the plans Rob developed when he ran a multi billion dollar business.

One of the main reasons for investing the time in preparing a thoughtful business plan is that you’ll get to understand your business, your market and the challenges ahead. That’s important, it’s not just a chore!

A well focused, concise plan is easier to you to work with and will be easier for potential investors as well. This is your business plan template free sample.

Let me know if you have any questions.