Entrepreneurs, business owners, acquirers, and business school students need business plans. Business plans are crucial for external and internal audiences. A business plan attracts investors before a company has a track record. It also helps banks lend.
A business plan can help an executive team agree on strategic actions and meet goals. Every business needs a plan, but new ones benefit the most. The plan should be reviewed periodically to reflect goals achieved or changed. An established business that changes direction may need a new business plan.
In this post, we’ll define a business plan, explain why you need one, list different types, and discuss what to include.
Business Plans
A company’s business plan describes its operations, industry standing, marketing goals, and financial projections. Its data can aid company management. It can also help attract investors and get bank financing.
Business Plan Goals
The following reasons are likely why someone is writing a business plan:
Investor financing
Business plans are used to raise capital because they explain how companies succeed, break even, and profit. An entrepreneur uses this document to show investors and lenders how their money will grow the business.
Documenting a company’s strategy and goals
Business plans should be exhaustive. Business plans can be dozens or hundreds of pages, allowing their authors to explain a company’s goals and strategy.
Business idea validation.
Everyone has a great business idea—until they write it down and realize it’s not feasible. An aspiring entrepreneur’s business plan proves a business idea worth pursuing.
Business class A
Personal experience suggests you’re here for Business 101 class project business plan ideas.
How to Write a Business Plan
A business can benefit greatly from a well-planned and written plan. Avoid generic business plans by using templates. The plan should describe the industry the business will operate in. It should explain how the company will stand out.
You can write your business plan without following a template or outline. Use only the sections relevant to your business. Traditional business plans combine the sections below. Your plan may include funding requests. Keep your plan’s body to 15–25 pages.
Business Plan Elements
Each business plan is different in length. Consider a 15- to 25-page summary. Then, important but space-consuming elements like patent applications can be referenced in the main document and included as appendices.
As mentioned, business plans are unique. However, they share elements. Business plans typically include the following.
Executive summary
This section describes the company’s mission, leadership, employees, operations, and location.
Products and services
The company can list its products, services, pricing, lifespan, and consumer benefits here. This section may include production, manufacturing, patents, and proprietary technology. Include R&D information here.
Market research
A company must understand its industry and market. The plan will describe a company’s competitors, industry position, and strengths and weaknesses. It will also describe consumer demand for a company’s products or services and how difficult it may be to take market share from incumbents.
Marketing strategy
This section describes how the company will attract and retain customers and reach them. Define a distribution channel. The section details advertising and marketing campaign plans and media.
Financial planning
A company’s financial planning and projections should go here. Established businesses may include financial statements, balance sheets, and other information. Startups will list initial goals and investors.
Budget
Every business needs a budget. Staffing, development, manufacturing, marketing, and other business expenses should be included here.
Team
You have great goals, a good business opportunity, and a ready market. Who delivers on all this high-level talk? Your business plan’s “team” section answers that question by describing each goal’s roles. As you seek investor funding, knowing what roles to fill is helpful.
Business plan types
Since there are many types of businesses, no one business plan fits all. Every business needs a customized business plan, from startups with one founder to established brands that must stay competitive. Common business plans are listed below.
Startup Business Plan
Startup business plans are for new ventures. Business success is built on this plan. Writing a startup business plan from scratch is the biggest challenge. Startup business plans use industry data. They explain unique business strategies and go-to-market plans.
Business Feasibility
This business plan emphasizes the product or service. It can be part of a startup business plan or an existing company’s plan. Some companies conduct feasibility studies to evaluate ideas and select the best product. These studies precede the feasibility business plan. That product or service becomes the feasibility plan.
Internal Business Plan
Leaders communicate strategy, goals, and performance with internal business plans. This aids business goal-setting.
Strategic Business Plan
Strategic business plans set long-term goals. They usually last three to five years. Unlike a typical startup business plan, this covers the first three years. This plan targets mostly internal stakeholders.
Acquisition Plan
Investors buy existing businesses with business plans. Business acquisition plans may include costs, schedules, and management. Data will be acquired. The business plan should also explain why it’s for sale.
Business Repositioning Plan
CEOs or owners create repositioning plans to avoid acquisition, rebrand, or try something new. Market trends and customer needs change, prompting businesses to reposition themselves.
Expansion or Growth Business Plan
A growth business plan helps you reach goals as your company grows. A growth business plan can help a successful company expand. It may mean the business needs to target a new market or raise more capital.
Starting Your Business Plan
A business plan describes a business idea and why it will succeed. The more you plan, the better your business will do.
Research, team or board feedback, and a good template will help you write your business plan. Start with HubSpot’s Free Business Plan Template below.