business plan for your life

Life123.com

• Home & Garden
• Relationships
• Celebrations

The Best Business VoIP Plans

As the internet permeates all areas of business life, voice communication is one sphere that is poised for complete transformation. The telephone enjoyed a long run of dominance in voice communication for business since its invention in 1878. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology invented in 1973, is now coming of age. Its continued adoption could shrink telephone usage in business in the years ahead.

There are several reasons you want to use VoIP technology in your business. The first is cost. VoIP is transmitted over the internet, eliminating the need for a separate telephone contract. Particularly for long distance or international business calls, VoIP could save your business money in the long run.

A second advantage is the ability to easily scale connections. Unlike with the phone system, you don’t need to build new infrastructure when you want to connect more users to VoIP. Existing internet infrastructure will suffice. Below we take a look at some of the best VoIP plans for business use.

Ring Central

Ring Central’s VoIP plan is among the leaders for businesses both small and big. Starting at just $19.99 a month, the company’s service offering packages multiple services at a single price. Services included in the package include:

• Conferencing
• Virtual numbers
• Instant messaging
• Call recording

In a mobile world, Ring Central has made sure that its plans work with typical mobile devices, making it possible to do business on the go.

Vonage Business

Vonage is a New-Jersey based provider of VoIP and other cloud telecommunication services. The company stands out for the affordability and reliability of its service for businesses. Vonage’s VoIP plans begin at $14.99 per user per month. There are multiple tiers of service, including Mobile, Premium, and Advanced. This allows you to pick the features you need and lower your bill by avoiding features your business will hardly use. Vonage adds to the flexibility of the experience by not requiring contracts.

Recognizing that business VoIP users are busy with other aspects of their business, Nextiva has set out to make VoIP as easy to use as possible.

This means that setup can be completed quickly, with no need for specialist knowledge. Service plans begin at between $19 and $25 per user per month.

Nextiva also provides a beginner friendly guide to cloud phone systems that will help you understand all your options even better.

For enterprise users who value having a complete set of features, Jive is a suitable VoIP solution. It has all the basics covered, including:

• Call routing
• Toll-free numbers
• Auto attendants
• Voicemail to email
• Video conferencing

With call analytics integrated into its package, Jive will allow you to understand your organization’s phone communication performance. If you are running call centers for customers, for example, you can see how well your are attending to customer calls and spot potential improvements.

Ooma Office

Ooma’s business package offers affordable VoIP service with features that rival or eclipse those of more expensive competitors.

Starting at between $15 and $25 per user per month, you can get a business VoIP solution that provides unlimited US calling, conferencing, mobile phone support, and more. The feature pack allows even smaller businesses to look and sound bigger, all at predictable prices.

You can port your existing number to Ooma for free, and there is no need for long-term contracts.

With an uptime guarantee of 99.999%, Intermedia’s VoIP plan will suit businesses that want the best reliability. Service plans begin at around $25 to $30 per user per month. Features like conferencing, video calling, and file syncing enhance the capabilities of its deployments.

While Intermedia enjoys a strong reputation for enterprise level features, smaller businesses will appreciate its mobile phone support. Intermedia stands out for the quality of its customer service.

MORE FROM LIFE123.COM

How to Make a Business Plan for Your Life

What’s the meaning of life? is so rhetorical sometimes, so open to interpretation. It’s a question we ponder—a question that rarely has a concrete answer or solution attached. But what if you change that question to What’s the meaning of my life?

Allison Rimm can help answer that question, and she can do it in eight strategic steps designed to guide readers to realize their life potential and to help them achieve their ultimate goals.

“It is my mission to help others transform their skills and aspirations into a fulfilling life,” she says. “A life where our work is well done, our cherished ones well-loved and our potential realized. That’s what we’re all after, and it doesn’t just happen .”

The Joy of Strategy (biblio motion books + media, September 2013) is a business plan for life. It takes more than pondering the idea of what your life could be; it takes strategy to get to where your life should be.

“Because we’re not after just any success,” Rimm says. “We want soul-satisfying success.”

So, first thing’s first. Get organized—get strategic. These are Rimm’s steps for a life plan that balances all of the important things, like a career; relationships; and mind, body and spirit:

1. Mission: Find your purpose

“Your personal mission is nothing short of your purpose here on earth, and you’ll start your personal plan by spelling it out,” she says. She acknowledges that it sounds lofty, but she says the questions What do I love to do? and What am I good at? are a start to finding your mission.

2. Vision: Imagine the sweet smell (sound, look and feel) of success

“You can’t figure out what stands between where you are and where you want to be and how you’ll travel the distance until you can clearly see your destination.”

3. Name your critical success factors: What you need to succeed

“By writing it all down, you are taking a tangible step toward making your vision a reality.”

4. Find your sweet S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)

“This is the point in the strategic planning process where we finish looking at who we are and prepare to think about what we do.”

5. Set goals: What you need to do to get the results you desire

“Your goals and priorities represent what you want to do in the short-, medium- and long-term. When you complete this step, you will have a well-balanced view of what you want to achieve and how you would like to be spending your time.”

6. Perform a time and emotion study           

“A strategic plan for your life requires being mindful about what you want to achieve in your heart of hearts and deliberately using your limited resources (time, money, energy and attention) to get the results you want.”

7. Select successful strategies

“When there’s not enough time to do everything, it’s important to put your efforts toward those activities that are most efficient, effective and enjoyable.”

8. Get going! Your simplementation plan

“You will take one small step at a time until you build up some momentum and become an unstoppable force moving toward your vision.”

Rimm wants everyone to be able to look back on life and feel joy and total satisfaction. She says you don’t have to, and shouldn’t, leave your dreams to chance.

“The beauty of this process is that it meets you where you are and takes you where you want to go.”

Jessica Krampe

Jessica Krampe is the digital managing editor for SUCCESS.com. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, Jessica has worked for news, entertainment, business and lifestyle publications. Outside of the daily grind, she enjoys happy hours, live music and traveling.

• Jessica Krampe https://www.success.com/author/jessica-krampe/ 10 Simple Tips to Improve Your Time Management Skills
• Jessica Krampe https://www.success.com/author/jessica-krampe/ Keep a Classic Approach to Your Brand
• Jessica Krampe https://www.success.com/author/jessica-krampe/ What is the Leaders Eat Last Leadership Philosophy?
• Jessica Krampe https://www.success.com/author/jessica-krampe/ How Michael J. Fox Finds Ways Around Life's Obstacles
• Jessica Krampe https://www.success.com/author/jessica-krampe/ Victor Arocho on Creating an Elite Selling Team

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Contact Info

6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 700 Bethesda , MD 20817 Map and Directions

Phone: (301) 214-6700 Fax: (301) 214-6653

[email protected]

Quick Links

• Where We Do Business
• When do you need a will?
• SFA At a Glance
• The Nautilus Group®
• Newsletters
• Eagle Strategies, LLC
• Individual Planning
• Events on Wall Street
• Our Involvement
• Resources for Professional Advisors
• Our Location
• Planning Process
• Will you pay the AMT?
• Should you tap retirement savings to fund college?
• Risk Management Planning
• Retiring the 4% Rule
• Where is the market headed?
• What Smart Investors Know
• The Richest Man in Babylon
• Safeguard Your Digital Estate
• A Bucket Plan To Go With Your Bucket List
• The Rule of 72
• The Investment Process
• Our Strategic Partnerships
• Executive Planning & Benefits
• Estate Management 101
• Video Learning Library
• Estate & Legacy Planning
• Group Benefits
• Concept Pieces on Planning Strategies
• Life Plan for your Business

Check the background of this investment professional

• Our Professionals
• Nautilus Professionals
• Wealth Management Solutions
• Investment Advisory Services
• The Risk Aware Investment Process
• Investment Portfolio Design
• The Holistic Planning Process
• Retirement Planning
• Life Insurance Planning
• Disability Insurance Planning
• Education Planning
• Estate Planning
• What We Offer
• Fiduciary Liability Management
• Vendor Selection
• Executive Benefits Planning
• Buy-Sell/Key-Man Planning

Benefits Advisory Services

Our resource, eagle strategies.

Advisory Team

Click Here to learn how we can collaborate with your attorney to make sure all your plans are in alignment.

Click here to learn how we can collaborate with your CPA to improve your tax efficiency and make tax time easier.

• Professional Services
• The Nautilus Group ©

Private Wealth Management

Holistic planning.

• Tax Planning & Risk Management
• Life Insurance

Retirement Plan Consulting

• Group Benefits Planning
• Department Overview
• Health Care Reform
• Voluntary Benefits
• HR Solutions

24 Best Sample Business Plans & Examples to Help You Write Your Own

Published: August 17, 2023

Free Business Plan Template

The essential document for starting a business -- custom built for your needs.

• Outline your idea.
• Pitch to investors.
• Secure funding.
• Get to work!

Thank you for downloading the offer.

Reading sample business plans is essential when you’re writing your own. As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, you’ll learn how to write one that gets your business off on the right foot, convinces investors to provide funding, and confirms your venture is sustainable for the long term.

hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(53, 'e9d2eacb-6b01-423a-bf7a-19d42ba77eaa', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"});

But what does a business plan look like? And how do you write one that is viable and convincing? Let's review the ideal business plan formally, then take a look at business plan templates and samples you can use to inspire your own.

Business Plan Format

Ask any successful sports coach how they win so many games, and they’ll tell you they have a unique plan for every single game. The same logic applies to business. If you want to build a thriving company that can pull ahead of the competition, you need to prepare for battle before breaking into a market.

Business plans guide you along the rocky journey of growing a company. Referencing one will keep you on the path toward success. And if your business plan is compelling enough, it can also convince investors to give you funding.

With so much at stake, you might be wondering, "Where do I start? How should I format this?"

Typically, a business plan is a document that will detail how a company will achieve its goals.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Fill out the form to get your free template.

Most business plans include the following sections:

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary is arguably the most important section of the entire business plan. Essentially, it's the overview or introduction, written in a way to grab readers' attention and guide them through the rest of the business plan. This is important, because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

Most executive summaries include:

• Mission statement
• Company history and leadership
• Competitive advantage overview
• Financial projections
• Company goals

Keep in mind you'll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. So, keep the executive summary clear and brief, including only the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template:

And the executive summary below tells potential investors a short story that covers all the most important details this business plan will cover in a succinct and interesting way.

Image Source

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

• Clearly define a problem, and explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
• Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
• Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
• Customize your summary to your audience. For example, emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists.

Check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary for more guidance.

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market. Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will your product fill that gap?

In this section, you might include:

• The size of the market
• Current or potential market share
• Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
• Where the gap is
• What caused the gap
• How you intend to fill it

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, and SOM analysis and perform market research on your industry. You may also benefit from creating a SWOT analysis to get some of the insights for this section.

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

This example uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

• Focus on demand and potential for growth.
• Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
• Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
• Refer to reliable sources.
• Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape

Speaking of market share, you'll need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are. After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you'll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another. Performing a competitive analysis can help you uncover:

• Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing
• Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle
• Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points
• The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

The competitive landscape section of the business plan below shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are. It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location, which shows useful experience in this specific industry. This can help build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

• Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
• Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
• Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
• Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
• Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
• Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

This section will describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience?

If your immediate answer is "everyone," you'll need to dig deeper. Ask yourself:

• What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
• What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
• Why are your offerings valuable to them?

It can be helpful to build a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear on why you're targeting them.

Target Audience Business Plan Example

The example below uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

• Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
• Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience , then show why your product is a useful solution.
• Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
• Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
• Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
• Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you'll discuss how you'll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. You might consider including information on:

• The brand positioning vision and how you'll cultivate it
• The goal targets you aim to achieve
• The metrics you'll use to measure success
• The channels and distribution tactics you'll use

It can help to already have a marketing plan built out to help you with this part of your business plan.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler. It offers a comprehensive picture of how it plans to use digital marketing to promote the community.

Tips for Writing Your Marketing Strategy

• Include a section about how you believe your brand vision will appeal to customers.
• Add the budget and resources you'll need to put your plan in place.
• Outline strategies for specific marketing segments.
• Connect strategies to earlier sections like target audience and competitive analysis.
• Review how your marketing strategy will scale with the growth of your business.
• Cover a range of channels and tactics to highlight your ability to adapt your plan in the face of change.

6. Key Features and Benefits

At some point in your business plan, you'll review the key features and benefits of your products and/or services. Laying these out can give readers an idea of how you're positioning yourself in the market and the messaging you're likely to use . It can even help them gain better insight into your business model.

Key Features and Benefits Business Plan Example

The example below outlines products and services for this business, along with why these qualities will attract the audience.

Tips for Writing Your Key Features and Benefits

• Emphasize why and how your product or service offers value to customers.
• Use metrics and testimonials to support the ideas in this section.
• Talk about how your products and services have the potential to scale.
• Think about including a product roadmap.
• Focus on customer needs, and how the features and benefits you are sharing meet those needs.
• Offer proof of concept for your ideas, like case studies or pilot program feedback.
• Proofread this section carefully, and remove any jargon or complex language.

7. Pricing and Revenue

This is where you'll discuss your cost structure and various revenue streams. Your pricing strategy must be solid enough to turn a profit while staying competitive in the industry. For this reason, you might outline:

• The specific pricing breakdowns per product or service
• Why your pricing is higher or lower than your competition's
• (If higher) Why customers would be willing to pay more
• (If lower) How you're able to offer your products or services at a lower cost
• When you expect to break even, what margins do you expect, etc?

Pricing and Revenue Business Plan Example

This business plan example begins with an overview of the business revenue model, then shows proposed pricing for key products.

Tips for Writing Your Pricing and Revenue Section

• Get specific about your pricing strategy. Specifically, how you connect that strategy to customer needs and product value.
• If you are asking a premium price, share unique features or innovations that justify that price point.
• Show how you plan to communicate pricing to customers.
• Create an overview of every revenue stream for your business and how each stream adds to your business model as a whole.
• Share plans to develop new revenue streams in the future.
• Show how and whether pricing will vary by customer segment and how pricing aligns with marketing strategies.
• Restate your value proposition and explain how it aligns with your revenue model.

8. Financials

This section is particularly informative for investors and leadership teams to figure out funding strategies, investment opportunities, and more. According to Forbes , you'll want to include three main things:

• Profit/Loss Statement - This answers the question of whether your business is currently profitable.
• Cash Flow Statement - This details exactly how much cash is incoming and outgoing to give insight into how much cash a business has on hand.
• Balance Sheet - This outlines assets, liabilities, and equity, which gives insight into how much a business is worth.

While some business plans might include more or less information, these are the key details you'll want to include.

Financials Business Plan Example

This balance sheet example shows the level of detail you will need to include in the financials section of your business plan:

Tips for Writing Your Financials Section

• Growth potential is important in this section too. Using your data, create a forecast of financial performance in the next three to five years.
• Include any data that supports your projections to assure investors of the credibility of your proposal.
• Add a break-even analysis to show that your business plan is financially practical. This information can also help you pivot quickly as your business grows.
• Consider adding a section that reviews potential risks and how sensitive your plan is to changes in the market.
• Triple-check all financial information in your plan for accuracy.
• Show how any proposed funding needs align with your plans for growth.

As you create your business plan, keep in mind that each of these sections will be formatted differently. Some may be in paragraph format, while others could be charts or graphs.

Business Plan Types

The formats above apply to most types of business plans. That said, the format and structure of your plan will vary by your goals for that plan. So, we’ve added a quick review of different business plan types. For a more detailed overview, check out this post .

1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas.

If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business. You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business's product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. Internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

Another business plan that's often for sharing internally is a strategic business plan. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company's acquisition or repositioning strategy.

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

Sample Business Plan Templates

Now that you know what's included and how to format a business plan, let's review some templates.

1. HubSpot's One-Page Business Plan

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template..

The business plan linked above was created here at HubSpot and is perfect for businesses of any size — no matter how many strategies we still have to develop.

Fields such as Company Description, Required Funding, and Implementation Timeline give this one-page business plan a framework for how to build your brand and what tasks to keep track of as you grow. Then, as the business matures, you can expand on your original business plan with a new iteration of the above document.

Why We Like It

This one-page business plan is a fantastic choice for the new business owner who doesn’t have the time or resources to draft a full-blown business plan. It includes all the essential sections in an accessible, bullet-point-friendly format. That way, you can get the broad strokes down before honing in on the details.

2. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

We also created a business plan template for entrepreneurs.

The template is designed as a guide and checklist for starting your own business. You’ll learn what to include in each section of your business plan and how to do it. There’s also a list for you to check off when you finish each section of your business plan.

Strong game plans help coaches win games and help businesses rocket to the top of their industries. So if you dedicate the time and effort required to write a workable and convincing business plan, you’ll boost your chances of success and even dominance in your market.

This business plan kit is essential for the budding entrepreneur who needs a more extensive document to share with investors and other stakeholders. It not only includes sections for your executive summary, product line, market analysis, marketing plan, and sales plan, but it also offers hands-on guidance for filling out those sections.

3. LiveFlow’s Financial Planning Template with built-in automation

This free template from LiveFlow aims to make it easy for businesses to create a financial plan and track their progress on a monthly basis. The P&L Budget versus Actual format allows users to track their revenue, cost of sales, operating expenses, operating profit margin, net profit, and more.

The summary dashboard aggregates all of the data put into the financial plan sheet and will automatically update when changes are made. Instead of wasting hours manually importing your data to your spreadsheet, LiveFlow can also help you to automatically connect your accounting and banking data directly to your spreadsheet, so your numbers are always up-to-date.

With the dashboard, you can view your runway, cash balance, burn rate, gross margins, and other metrics. Having a simple way to track everything in one place will make it easier to complete the financials section of your business plan.

This is a fantastic template to track performance and alignment internally and to create a dependable process for documenting financial information across the business. It’s highly versatile and beginner-friendly. It’s especially useful if you don’t have an accountant on the team. (We always recommend you do, but for new businesses, having one might not be possible.)

4. ThoughtCo’s Sample Business Plan

One of the more financially oriented sample business plans in this list, BPlan’s free business plan template dedicates many of its pages to your business’s financial plan and financial statements.

After filling this business plan out, your company will truly understand its financial health and the steps you need to take to maintain or improve it.

We absolutely love this business plan template because of its ease-of-use and hands-on instructions (in addition to its finance-centric components). If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of writing an entire business plan, consider using this template to help you with the process.

6. Harvard Business Review’s "How to Write a Winning Business Plan"

Most sample business plans teach you what to include in your business plan, but this Harvard Business Review article will take your business plan to the next level — it teaches you the why and how behind writing a business plan.

With the guidance of Stanley Rich and Richard Gumpert, co-authors of " Business Plans That Win: Lessons From the MIT Enterprise Forum ", you'll learn how to write a convincing business plan that emphasizes the market demand for your product or service. You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of our favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

7. HubSpot’s Complete Guide to Starting a Business

If you’re an entrepreneur, you know writing a business plan is one of the most challenging first steps to starting a business. Fortunately, with HubSpot's comprehensive guide to starting a business, you'll learn how to map out all the details by understanding what to include in your business plan and why it’s important to include them. The guide also fleshes out an entire sample business plan for you.

If you need further guidance on starting a business, HubSpot's guide can teach you how to make your business legal, choose and register your business name, and fund your business. It will also give small business tax information and includes marketing, sales, and service tips.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of starting a business, in addition to writing your business plan, with a high level of exactitude and detail. So if you’re in the midst of starting your business, this is an excellent guide for you. It also offers other resources you might need, such as market analysis templates.

8. Panda Doc’s Free Business Plan Template

PandaDoc’s free business plan template is one of the more detailed and fleshed-out sample business plans on this list. It describes what you should include in each section, so you don't have to come up with everything from scratch.

Once you fill it out, you’ll fully understand your business’ nitty-gritty details and how all of its moving parts should work together to contribute to its success.

This template has two things we love: comprehensiveness and in-depth instructions. Plus, it’s synced with PandaDoc’s e-signature software so that you and other stakeholders can sign it with ease. For that reason, we especially love it for those starting a business with a partner or with a board of directors.

9. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers several free business plan templates that can be used to inspire your own plan. Before you get started, you can decide what type of business plan you need — a traditional or lean start-up plan.

Then, you can review the format for both of those plans and view examples of what they might look like.

We love both of the SBA’s templates because of their versatility. You can choose between two options and use the existing content in the templates to flesh out your own plan. Plus, if needed, you can get a free business counselor to help you along the way.

Top Business Plan Examples

Here are some completed business plan samples to get an idea of how to customize a plan for your business. We’ve chosen different types of business plan ideas to expand your imagination. Some are extensive, while others are fairly simple.

Take a look.

1. LiveFlow

One of the major business expenses is marketing. How you handle your marketing reflects your company’s revenue. We included this business plan to show you how you can ensure your marketing team is aligned with your overall business plan to get results. The plan also shows you how to track even the smallest metrics of your campaigns, like ROI and payback periods instead of just focusing on big metrics like gross and revenue.

Fintech startup, LiveFlow, allows users to sync real-time data from its accounting services, payment platforms, and banks into custom reports. This eliminates the task of pulling reports together manually, saving teams time and helping automate workflows.

When it came to including marketing strategy in its business plan, LiveFlow created a separate marketing profit and loss statement (P&L) to track how well the company was doing with its marketing initiatives. This is a great approach, allowing businesses to focus on where their marketing dollars are making the most impact.

"Using this framework over a traditional marketing plan will help you set a profitable marketing strategy taking things like CAC, LTV, Payback period, and P&L into consideration," explains LiveFlow co-founder, Lasse Kalkar .

Having this information handy will enable you to build out your business plan’s marketing section with confidence. LiveFlow has shared the template here . You can test it for yourself.

2. Lula Body

Sometimes all you need is a solid mission statement and core values to guide you on how to go about everything. You do this by creating a business plan revolving around how to fulfill your statement best. For example, Patagonia is an eco-friendly company, so their plan discusses how to make the best environmentally friendly products without causing harm.

A good mission statement should not only resonate with consumers but should also serve as a core value compass for employees as well.

Outdoor clothing retailer, Patagonia, has one of the most compelling mission statements we’ve seen:

"Together, let’s prioritise purpose over profit and protect this wondrous planet, our only home."

It reels you in from the start, and the environmentally friendly theme continues throughout the rest of the statement.

This mission goes on to explain that they are out to "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to protect nature."

Their mission statement is compelling and detailed, with each section outlining how they will accomplish their goal.

4. Vesta Home Automation

This is the kind of business plan you need when applying for business funds. It clearly illustrates the expected future of the company and how the business has been coming along over the years.

This executive summary for a smart home device startup is part of a business plan created by students at Mount Royal University . While it lacks some of the sleek visuals of the templates above, its executive summary does a great job of demonstrating how invested they are in the business.

Right away, they mention they’ve invested $200,000 into the company already, which shows investors they have skin in the game and aren’t just looking for someone else to foot the bill.

5. NALB Creative Center

This fictional business plan for an art supply store includes everything one might need in a business plan: an executive summary, a company summary, a list of services, a market analysis summary, and more. Due to its comprehensiveness, it’s an excellent example to follow if you’re opening a brick-and-mortar store and need to get external funding to start your business .

One of its most notable sections is its market analysis summary, which includes an overview of the population growth in the business’ target geographical area, as well as a breakdown of the types of potential customers they expect to welcome at the store. This sort of granular insight is essential for understanding and communicating your business’s growth potential. Plus, it lays a strong foundation for creating relevant and useful buyer personas .

It’s essential to keep this information up-to-date as your market and target buyer changes. For that reason, you should carry out market research as often as possible to ensure that you’re targeting the correct audience and sharing accurate information with your investors.

6. Curriculum Companion Suites (CSS)

If you’re looking for a SaaS business plan example, look no further than this business plan for a fictional educational software company called Curriculum Companion Suites. Like the business plan for the NALB Creative Center, it includes plenty of information for prospective investors and other key stakeholders in the business.

One of the most notable features of this business plan is the executive summary, which includes an overview of the product, market, and mission. The first two are essential for software companies because the product offering is so often at the forefront of the company’s strategy. Without that information being immediately available to investors and executives, then you risk writing an unfocused business plan.

It’s also essential to front-load your company’s mission if it explains your "Why?" In other words, why do you do what you do, and why should stakeholders care? This is an important section to include if you feel that your mission will drive interest in the business and its offerings.

7. Culina Sample Business Plan

Culina's sample business plan is an excellent example of how to lay out your business plan so that it flows naturally, engages readers, and provides the critical information investors and stakeholders need. You can also use this template as a guide while you're gathering important details. After looking at this sample, you'll have a better understanding of the data and research you need to do for your own business plan.

8. Plum Sample Business Plan

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

How to Write a Powerful Executive Summary [+4 Top Examples]

19 Best Sample Business Plans & Examples to Help You Write Your Own

What is a Business Plan? Definition, Tips, and Templates

Maximizing Your Social Media Strategy: The Top Aggregator Tools to Use

The Content Aggregator Guide for 2023

7 Gantt Chart Examples You'll Want to Copy [+ 5 Steps to Make One]

The 8 Best Free Flowchart Templates [+ Examples]

15 Best Screen Recorders to Use for Collaboration

The 25 Best Google Chrome Extensions for SEO

Professional Invoice Design: 28 Samples & Templates to Inspire You

2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business

100% Free CRM

Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software.

With over $20 million dollars in sales and having supported thousands of ambitious women’s businesses, I want to help you…

achieve your

First 7-figure year with my proven ceo growth method., discover how to, less than 2% of women ever get their businesses past the million-dollar mark.

Seven figures in revenue. Ask most female entrepreneurs… And they’ll tell you – that’s the dream. Being able to grow your business past the six-figure mark alone is a massive accomplishment. But what most business experts won’t tell you is that true, sustainable growth happens once you push beyond that six-figure ceiling. …and the businesses that really “make it” (think: hire a full-time team, get acquired, have industry recognition) are all at the seven-figure mark and beyond. But you know that. That’s why you’re here. The problem is…

I didn’t think twice. I put the $10k on my credit card + decided to invest in myself when nobody else would. And it paid off. Working with my coach literally changed the trajectory of my life. Within a few weeks – my inner world started to change. I was feeling more abundant, coming back to my own inner power, standing firm in who I was… And then hopping on a plane across the country to a Brendon Burchard event. If saying yes to my coach was the first domino – the Brendon Burchard event was the moment all the other pieces started to fall into place. I had no idea what to expect. I arrived at the event wide-eyed, wondering if I could maybe start a business “one day.” I left with a new friend and the beginnings of our business idea… Then the momentum started to build. Within 5 months of the event, we launched our business. Within minutes of launching, we had doubled our launch goal. Within our first year of business, we had hit $1.4 million in sales. I was a millionaire by the age of 30.

And I’m not okay with that. You’ve put your time, energy, money and resources into your business… You KNOW you could make an impact in your own world and disrupt your entire industry if you were given the opportunity… But you don’t know how. And what really keeps you up at night is wondering if all the success you’ve experienced so far is just some weird accident. You’re worried it could all slip away tomorrow if you stop hustling so hard, lose a client, or get swept away in the economic downturn. Which – I get. It makes sense because I’ve been in your shoes EXACTLY. But it doesn’t HAVE to be this way. Because there’s actually a simple way to risk-proof your business – inviting predictability, stability and ultimately – the ability to scale. To be a part of that 2% of female entrepreneurs who scale past 7 figures. And to be a part of a movement that grows that number past just 2% because – that’s too low. Thousands of business experts have been gatekeeping the secrets to real growth for far too long. But not me. Not anymore

You can bet on yourself and see what you can really do. 

You can stay where you are and stay stagnant…

I’m known as one of the leading female entrepreneurs in the industry, paving the way for other female entrepreneurs to achieve wealth. I’m the co-founder of bossbabe with my business partner, Natalie Ellis. A few years ago, I was making $70k a year as a chiropractor in my small town in the UK. I was burned out, exhausted and wondering if this was all that my life was going to amount to. Even worse…my family life was suffering and I was stuck in a relationship that drained me. Every day after work, I’d come home and Google, "how to start a business." I knew I wanted more and let these 5-9 Google searches give me hope that somewhere in my future – things could change…for the better. One night, I got an advert for a local business coach who was accepting new clients for a limited time. The investment? $10k. Which was nearly 15% of what I was making at the time so…  …yeah. It felt like (and was!) lot of money for 28-year-old, Danielle the Chiropractor. But something tugged at my heart, and – despite what I knew my friends and family would think of me spending that much money on a coach…  I couldn’t shake the feeling on a gut level that this is what I was meant to do. As if the Universe was presenting me with a choice:

It Just Takes One Decision To Change Your Business (And Your Life).

My story is proof this is true. And so are the thousands of female entrepreneurs I have supported over the years. Entrepreneurs who started from zero, grew to six figures, then scaled far past that. I’m talking about people like… Brenda Chen. Brenda's business was successful by all accounts. She had her income in the low-six-figures, a goal many women dream of. But at the same time...she knew she was made for more.  Cut to: she's now invested in, founded and even acquired multiple businesses and reached the high six-figure mark in <12 months time. 

"Having Danielle as a mentor was the ultimate up-level! I went from a coach with a dream to a business leader confidently running a company that has now served hundreds of clients. The best part is that the skills I learned to scale my business are timeless. I’ve been able to continue to implement them and refine as I continue grow my income and my impact."

Or Justine Steel – who was running her own coaching business with dreams of growing her income and impact.  The problem was – she had no idea what steps she needed to take to hit the next milestone, and continue to grow after that. When she started working with Danielle as her coach, she immediately started to see results. And the best part is – she now has a business-building toolbox that CONTINUES to serve her – even years later. 

"I was a part of Danielle's Mastermind and it completely transformed me! I was able to scale my income from low to high 6 figures (something that would normally take years and years!). I was confident to go after what I wanted because of the support I got from the coaches and community. Since then, I became an investor and founded/acquired multiple businesses. Forever grateful to Danielle and the bossbabe community!"

And, we can’t forget about Yuh Ying –  who was doing great until she just…hit that invisible revenue ceiling we’re all familiar with. No matter how much website traffic/new leads/qualified customers were coming through the doors – nothing seemed to do the trick.

Until – after <6 months of applying our formulas – she was able to grow from $20k months to $80k months…and maintain that consistently. So…how did they do it? How did these women break through their business ceiling? And more importantly…

How can this become YOUR story, too?

To bring not only scalability but also stability to your business? I want to ask you to stop for a moment and think to yourself: what would this really mean for me? When you’re consistently bringing in six-figure MONTHS (not years)... When you can hire a team member without worrying about how to pay their salary… When you can actually turn AWAY a client who isn’t a good fit because your revenue isn’t reliant on their contract… When you can get in rooms with industry leaders you follow on Instagram and consider them your peers… When exiting your business and making a seven (or eight!) figure sale becomes a real possibility for you…

You’re Virtually Guaranteed That Will Be Your Reality With This One Move.

And not only does this mean having a seven-figure business and all the possibilities that revenue number unlocks… It also means peace of mind that your business isn’t going to just vanish in a flash or go belly up if you don’t get a signature on the dotted line of your pending contract. Because with all this new revenue, you’ll be able to…

Hire a team to support you in the day-to-day so you can have your focus where you excel (and not where you don’t). Get in rooms with other multiple six & seven-figure entrepreneurs who just get it + can fill in your blind spots. Take time to freaking live your LIFE – because not everything is about growing a business and making money and you deserve to enjoy the other hours in your day, too.

What would that feel like for you? Because THAT is what a real, thriving business looks like and it IS possible – even if right now that feels like a long shot. I’ll share the secret most business leaders have been gatekeeping in just a second… But first, let me tell you a bit about myself… Just so you know you can trust me to walk alongside you and help you make this your reality.

I'm Danielle

I’m the co-founder of bossbabe – the #1 community for female entrepreneurs around the world… My life mission is to help women build WEALTH from their businesses – specifically, by getting predictable, stable cash flow so you can have peace of mind and know what to expect on your P&L each month.

But why is predictability so important?

Well, you’ve heard your business is your baby – and that’s true for how it grows, too. At first, it’s slow and steady growth – hitting all the major milestones little by little. You take baby step by baby step as you make your first sale, first $1,000, first $10,000 and so on. But all of a sudden - you hit those rocky, unpredictable teenage years and THIS is where most entrepreneurs fail. You’ll have your best revenue month yet, and then zero inquiries the next. You’ll go from reading an email from a nightmare client that has you in tears to immediately hopping on a Zoom call where you’ve got to be the smiling face of your brand. You’ll go from scrolling job postings on LinkedIn and thinking about throwing the towel in, to checking your bank balance and feeling like you’re crushing it. You’re essentially white water rafting in a one-person float, constantly wondering what’s around the corner. Getting to stability and scalability in your business is the FASTEST way to guarantee your success and build WEALTH. And when more women have wealth – everything changes. Obviously, YOUR life and YOUR business get better… But also – the world changes. When women have wealth, women have influence and that means women are creating a better, safer, kinder, more equitable world. And I want that. Don’t you?

That’s Why I Want More Women Like You To Have 7-Figure Businesses

I’ve experienced this firsthand both at bossbabe and in the businesses of thousands of clients. Natalie and I were in the early stages of running bossbabe, and we were doing everything (and I mean everything) just the two of us. We had no budget to outsource work, much less hire a team. Get this – we even made up a fake assistant named “Renee” who we could delegate to just to make ourselves feel a little less alone (and have a good laugh once in a while).

To our surprise (and delight!) – when we launched The Société, it was an instant hit. We surpassed our launch goal within a matter of days (think: welcomed TWICE the number of women to our membership than we initially set out to).

And then looked at each other wondering… What now? If you’re at the stage where your goal is 7-figures, you’ve had that moment, too. Where suddenly it feels like your business outgrew you and what you’re capable of. And it excites you but… It also scares you a little bit. We were making money, but…how do we retain them? How do we get new customers? How do we have enough cash in the bank that we have some buffer? People throw around the term imposter syndrome, but it’s more than that. It’s like – what just happened? How do I do this? I’m not cut out for this? Or maybe I am? And then the chaos strikes. It was like running on a treadmill but someone else was controlling the pace – we’d sprint, then stroll, then jog, then sprint again – it was exhausting and unpredictable at best. The only thing that was consistent was that everything was inconsistent. And nobody can keep up a pace like that for long. So we had to do something different if we wanted to survive. If you’re reading this – you’re likely having that realization yourself. You need to learn how to bring 2 key things to your business: stability and scalability. Once we did that for bossbabe – we unlocked… 🔓Our first seven figures… 🔓Our first critical hires… 🔓Our first speaking engagements and real press… 🔓Our first opportunities to get in rooms with more established entrepreneurs… 🔓Our first inquiries about funding and acquisition… 🔓Opportunities we were able to actually turn down (like the entrepreneurs who say no on Shark Tank because they KNOW their value).

Because Here’s The REAL Determining Factor To Hitting The 7-Figure Mark In Your Business

The entrepreneurs who hit seven figures are the ones who figured out how to bring in that stability and scalability. And you achieve THAT when you do this other ONE thing really well. And if you really want this – you need to learn to do it, too. You need to learn to stop with the shiny-object syndrome, stop looking left right and center at what everyone else is doing, stop doubting yourself and your business… And get LASER FOCUSED on dialing in what works. It’s called the 80/20 rule and it’s a proven concept in all categories of life.

80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.

That means the entrepreneurs who really make it - the “2%” – have DOUBLED DOWN on the 20% of things in the business that are getting them the most results. Going all on that 20% means you get scalability and stability. Going all in on that 20% means you get to hire a team, get expert coaching, be in rooms that the doors are closed to right now. And I’m going to show you how to do that.

This Is The Simplest, Most Reliable Way To 10x Your Business – Without Burning Out

I did this for bossbabe and since then, I’ve worked with thousands of women entrepreneurs to get them the same results. I’ve been a part of that 2% for years – so I’m uniquely QUALIFIED to teach this to you. So…I’ve decided to share the secrets others have been gatekeeping for years. Because I’m not intimidated by that 2% number growing. In fact – I want it to. So I’m laying it all out there – all my business secrets… No fluff… No BS… Just proven, repeatable systems that WORK. The things that I have PERSONALLY witnessed taking women entrepreneurs from the idea stage to starting their business… From starting the business to their first sale… From their first sale to the six-figure mark… And now…

I’ve Developed The Simplest, Most Reliable Way To 10x Your Business

Because that’s where you’re at now. You see, when I started bossbabe – I was solely focused on serving early-stage entrepreneurs. But many of you have grown up and grown out of business fundamentals. You’re ready for a quantum leap. You’re realizing that the way your business has been over the past few years is NOT how it needs to be moving forward. And if you want to do this thing… Like – really do this business thing… You need to achieve a different level of results that’s not been available to you yet. Until now.

I’m Giving You Access To Results Most Of Us Can NEVER Achieve On Our Own

Because with this kind of community… Things that take most entrepreneurs YEARS to navigate and figure out alone… Become crystal clear in SECONDS. Yes…you know how to make sales with your business and have been able to get it to this stage on your own…

But do you want the next years of your business to look like the last? The sleepless nights, constant hustling, chaos, unpredictability, exhaustion…

Or do you want to have a clear, intuitive, proven path forward where your questions are a call away and feedback/brainstorming sessions are at your fingertips and your results are GUARANTEED.

The answer is obvious.

Now, to be clear – what I’m offering is a private mastermind and mentoring group. I purposely am limiting the number of entrepreneurs who can join because it really is an exclusive, private, close-knit group and it’s important to me to protect that. Because I KNOW (and you do, too) that there are other masterminds out there that prey on entrepreneurs just like you. They’re fluffy, feel-good communities but they lack real connection – and more importantly – real results. But what WE have inside this mastermind is an exclusive group of entrepreneurs who are not only sharing critical insights and information and developing connections with each other… But also learning from me and getting a direct line to my inbox… I’m PERSONALLY looking at your business, giving you feedback, encouraging you and giving you support… So you’re getting INSTANT feedback, connection, coaching, industry intel…

PLUS You Get A Lot More Inside The Mastermind…

It STARTS with a 1:1 strategy call with me where we’ll look at your business through a magnifying glass and set a clear intention for our time together. PLUS - each month, we’ll have a “hot seat” coaching call… That means you’re putting ME in the “hot seat” – asking personalized questions and getting tailored feedback… And after that I’ll put YOU in the “hot seat” to pick apart your business (with love!) and find what you need to be doing to make 7 figures inevitable. 

That means – finding your best opportunities and your biggest risks so we know exactly what your 20% to focus on is (and what the 80% you need to ignore is).

Because You Also Get Access To Templates That Do The 80% For You

Because that 80% that’s not growing your business is often still necessary… But you can’t always hire for every little thing. So for just a minute – my team is going to be YOUR team. We’ve put together resources you can plug + play into your existing business model - getting you results without wasting your time. Including emails that are basically an entrepreneur’s MadLibs so you can fill in your copy and be delivering value/closing sales in a blink. And budgeting templates so you don’t have to navigate intimidating P&L statements on your own and know exactly how to get your business in a healthy, safe, stable financial position. (hint hint - the kind of position that investors and buyers want to see). And even legal docs so you don’t have to allocate a massive legal budget to protecting your IP and covering you/your business in the event that sh*t hits the fan. And so much more that I don’t even have space to list it all out – but trust me… It’s goooood.

AND You’ll Get Access To 2x LIVE Retreats/Events To Connect + Grow – In Person

Because – let’s be honest – we’re ALL craving that in-person time. So we’ll get together 2x a year to have that kind of inspirational energy, power learning sessions… And time to laugh and connect and enjoy time together that’s just pure FUN because your entrepreneurial journey GETS to be fun, too. But because we live in a virtual world and online communities are KEY – the connection is not JUST for in-person events…

You’ll Also Get A PRIVATE Slack Community To Connect On The Daily

Think of it like your favorite best friend group chat – but on another level… The entrepreneur edition. Your place to connect with my team directly, bounce ideas off each other, check-in, get encouragement and realize that entrepreneurship does NOT have to be lonely. We get to create community AND learn from each other. That’s what we’re doing here.

So Here’s A Quick Recap Of Everything Included

When you join my 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind, you’ll get…

1, 60-minute 1:1 call with me, Danielle Canty ($4,000) 2, in-person 3-day retreats to connect with one another + countless celebrity speakers ($50,000) 1, 60-minute small group coaching call each MONTH ($48,000) 24/7 access to our private Slack community with hands-on support from team bossbabe ($10,000) Dozens of critical business-building templates ($10,000)

A value of WELL over $120,000 . All specially curated to get you RESULTS .

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what some of bossbabe's past students are saying…

"The Mastermind saved my 2020! Since I joined the program I signed 20 new clients. I also gained over 1K new leads."

lEsHONDA, The sPORT sORORITY

"I struggled getting myself out there with confidence. I was frustrated and felt like it was holding me back. Since joining the Mastermind I have launched my program and feel more confident."

Carly, business coach

"While our industry is fairly cyclical we made 5 figures during our launch season, which is pretty exciting. And yes, even with an audience of less than 6K."

CARINA, PRODUCT-BASED BUSINESS

"Last year was my 5th year in business & my first million dollar year in sales as well as hitting 20k on my email list. bossbabe products are still save as favorites in my browser & always will be! 

Anna, sales strategist

So at this point… You’re probably wondering how much it costs to join this 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind... What are these, now 7-figure entrepreneurs investing in themselves and their businesses to be a part of this… Honestly? Based on what all MY entrepreneur friends are telling me when they give ME feedback on MY offer… A lot less than it should cost. Because with all the resources… And community… And events… And calls… And online feedback… You WILL hit 7-figures in your business if you put in the work. Period. End of story . I promise. But I’m not charging 10% of that. Not $100k. Or $80k. Or $50k. I want this to be a no-brainer, sign me up, simple decision for you. For any female entrepreneur who is ready to be a part of the 2%. To make more money, hire a team, connect with others in the industry, learn, grow, build… Take a freaking vacation… So that’s why… Joining this 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind is just a  $30,000 investment for the full year and payment plans are available. 

Think Of It As Your Way To Guarantee Your Business Success - Bringing In $100k MONTHS in 2023.

You can join us now, you get instant access to ALL the resources above and will have a business with true stability and scalability within MONTHS. All the calls…all the resources…all the community…all the events. It’s a complete no-brainer. And I’m sure you’ve done the math but… When you’re consistently having six-figure months and running a seven-figure business – it’s pretty easy to recover your investment when you apply what you learn. In fact – I’d be SHOCKED if you didn’t make your money back. (And the $30k is a pretty great tax write-off if you ask me.) Suffice it to say: the value is priceless. So while you’re probably ready to click the “Get Access” button right now… You’ll notice… There IS no “Get Access” button on this page. And that’s because the 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind is intentionally designed to be a private, exclusive container. Ultimately, my priority is to get you results and to protect what we’ve created within this unparalleled group. So that’s why – intentionally – you can’t just “Get Access” to the 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind. Instead, we need to make sure you’re the right fit and protect the energy of this space we’re creating together. So before you can buy, your next step is this: you need to apply. We’ll ask you a few questions about yourself, your ambitions and your business and give you an honest assessment of whether or not the 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind is the right next step for you. If your application seems aligned, we’ll schedule a call with you and only then will you be able to access the 7-Figure, CEO Growth Method Mastermind. There’s no question for me whether or not this works. I KNOW in this Mastermind, I can help you get your business to that seven-figure mark and beyond. I’ve done it before and it’s simple to recreate for you, too. The only question is whether or not you’re ready to put in the energy and make critical decisions in your business to get results. Because some people don’t. Some people are content with where they’re at. Some people actually WANT to do it on their own. If that’s you – this is not for you. But if you want to do this… If you want to get results and actually move your business forward this year – like at a quantum leap level… All you need to do is take the first step to apply.

YES! I Want To Apply Now 

Once we’ve got your application, we’ll reach out and let you know whether or not you’re moving on to the interview stage. Remember, this isn’t a “sales call.” This is an interview to genuinely gauge whether or not this program is a fit for you. In fact, what I’m most interested in is whether your business is at a stage where you’re ready to make key shifts and grow to that seven-figure mark because some people have upper limits and behind-the-scenes challenges that would get in the way. I want to make sure you don’t have any red flags that are going to hold you back because in this program, I’m DETERMINED to get you results. So if you’ve ever dreamed of joining the 2% of female entrepreneurs who hit seven figures. And if you’re determined to make that number grow past 2%... And if this is the year you’re willing and able and determined and focused enough to actually go all-in and make that change… Then you’re going to want to apply ASAP. As you can imagine, spots in this mastermind are EXTREMELY limited. It’s going to be CLOSE knit. Because that’s where you’ll get the best results. PLUS – the price will NEVER be this low again – so you’re going to want to act while you have access. Sound good? Let’s see if you’re ready to join the BEST female entrepreneurs in the world, in the premiere mastermind for seven-figure businesswomen…

copyright © 2023 | THE BOSSBABE SOCIÉTÉ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | terms of use | privacy | disclaimer

EARNINGS DISCLAIMER Any earnings or income statements or examples shown through our website are only estimates of what might be possible now or in the future. There can be no assurance as to any particular financial outcome based on the use of our website. You agree that I am not responsible for your earnings, the success or failure of your personal or business decisions, the increase or decrease of your finances or income level, or any other result of any kind that you may have as a result of information presented to you through our website. You are solely responsible for your results. This website is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Facebook, Inc. or Instagram, Inc.

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Investing + Retirement
• Small business
• View all small business

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

How to Write a Business Plan, Step by Step

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

1. Write an executive summary

2. describe your company, 3. state your business goals, 4. describe your products and services, 5. do your market research, 6. outline your marketing and sales plan, 7. perform a business financial analysis, 8. make financial projections, 9. add additional information to an appendix, business plan tips and resources.

A business plan is a document that outlines your business’s financial goals and explains how you’ll achieve them. A strong, detailed plan will provide a road map for the business’s next three to five years, and you can share it with potential investors, lenders or other important partners.

ZenBusiness: Start Your Dream Business

Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing your business plan.

» Need help writing? Learn about the best business plan software .

This is the first page of your business plan. Think of it as your elevator pitch. It should include a mission statement, a brief description of the products or services offered, and a broad summary of your financial growth plans.

Though the executive summary is the first thing your investors will read, it can be easier to write it last. That way, you can highlight information you’ve identified while writing other sections that go into more detail.

» MORE: How to write an executive summary in 6 steps

Next up is your company description, which should contain information like:

Your business’s registered name.

Address of your business location .

Names of key people in the business. Make sure to highlight unique skills or technical expertise among members of your team.

Your company description should also define your business structure — such as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation — and include the percent ownership that each owner has and the extent of each owner’s involvement in the company.

Lastly, it should cover the history of your company and the nature of your business now. This prepares the reader to learn about your goals in the next section.

» MORE: How to write a company overview for a business plan

The third part of a business plan is an objective statement. This section spells out exactly what you’d like to accomplish, both in the near term and over the long term.

If you’re looking for a business loan or outside investment, you can use this section to explain why you have a clear need for the funds, how the financing will help your business grow, and how you plan to achieve your growth targets. The key is to provide a clear explanation of the opportunity presented and how the loan or investment will grow your company.

For example, if your business is launching a second product line, you might explain how the loan will help your company launch the new product and how much you think sales will increase over the next three years as a result.

In this section, go into detail about the products or services you offer or plan to offer.

You should include the following:

An explanation of how your product or service works.

The pricing model for your product or service.

The typical customers you serve.

Your supply chain and order fulfillment strategy.

Your sales strategy.

Your distribution strategy.

You can also discuss current or pending trademarks and patents associated with your product or service.

Lenders and investors will want to know what sets your product apart from your competition. In your market analysis section , explain who your competitors are. Discuss what they do well, and point out what you can do better. If you’re serving a different or underserved market, explain that.

Here, you can address how you plan to persuade customers to buy your products or services, or how you will develop customer loyalty that will lead to repeat business.

» MORE: R e a d our complete guide to small business marketing

If you’re a startup, you may not have much information on your business financials yet. However, if you’re an existing business, you’ll want to include income or profit-and-loss statements, a balance sheet that lists your assets and debts, and a cash flow statement that shows how cash comes into and goes out of the company.

You may also include metrics such as:

Net profit margin: the percentage of revenue you keep as net income.

Current ratio: the measurement of your liquidity and ability to repay debts.

Accounts receivable turnover ratio: a measurement of how frequently you collect on receivables per year.

This is a great place to include charts and graphs that make it easy for those reading your plan to understand the financial health of your business.

» NerdWallet’s picks for setting up your business finances:

The best business checking accounts .

The best business credit cards .

The best accounting software .

This is a critical part of your business plan if you’re seeking financing or investors. It outlines how your business will generate enough profit to repay the loan or how you will earn a decent return for investors.

Here, you’ll provide your business’s monthly or quarterly sales, expenses and profit estimates over at least a three-year period — with the future numbers assuming you’ve obtained a new loan.

Accuracy is key, so carefully analyze your past financial statements before giving projections. Your goals may be aggressive, but they should also be realistic.

List any supporting information or additional materials that you couldn’t fit in elsewhere, such as resumes of key employees, licenses, equipment leases, permits, patents, receipts, bank statements, contracts and personal and business credit history. If the appendix is long, you may want to consider adding a table of contents at the beginning of this section.

Here are some tips to help your business plan stand out:

Avoid over-optimism: If you’re applying for a business loan at a local bank, the loan officer likely knows your market pretty well. Providing unreasonable sales estimates can hurt your chances of loan approval.

Proofread: Spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors can jump off the page and turn off lenders and prospective investors, taking their mind off your business and putting it on the mistakes you made. If writing and editing aren't your strong suit, you may want to hire a professional business plan writer, copy editor or proofreader.

Use free resources: SCORE is a nonprofit association that offers a large network of volunteer business mentors and experts who can help you write or edit your business plan. You can search for a mentor or find a local SCORE chapter for more guidance.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Centers , which provide free business consulting and help with business plan development, can also be a resource.

On a similar note...

How to Bring Your Business Plan to Life

As someone whose culinary ability barely goes beyond spaghetti, I’m always amazed by cooking shows where the chefs are put under intense time pressure to make something incredible with a few random ingredients and zero initial plan. And while these generally turn out well, the same can’t be said for launching or scaling your small business.

After you get that great idea for your business, one of your next steps should be to create a business plan. there are an endless number of templates and resources at your disposal. i’m not here to prescribe the right length and level of detail. instead, i’ll cover the most intuitive points that will help your idea come to life., what your company does.

Let’s get that idea from your head onto paper…or a screen. This often helps flesh out the idea further. It will also help you formulate your competitive advantage. What are the things that you’ll do or offer that are better than the competition? Does your company have a mission or goals? 

Even if you pivot and change once you get your idea out to market, it’s helpful to be clear about what this is all in support of. Maybe it’s helping businesses market their ideas, like our customer Driven Media . Maybe it’s about helping consciously-minded consumers find beauty products that match their values as Greener Beauty does. Or maybe it’s about ensuring that small businesses have the capital and flexibility they need to thrive, like we do at Capital on Tap .

Who are your customers

Are you selling B2B (business to business), B2C (business to consumer), or some combination? Within each group, there are endless opportunities to segment and target your customers. Are you going after premium, mid-range, or budget space? You’ll want to consider your ICP (ideal customer profile) and ensure your product or service, brand, communications, etc. align with it.

How you'll attract those customers

The days of cheap yet targeted Facebook ads are behind us. Now, how will you get in front of your ideal customers and help them get excited to buy from your business? Will you start small and non-scalable, by selling your homemade honey at the farmers market, or opt for a Shopify store up front? How you plan to sell will directly impact your decisions about how to attract customers.

Who is your competition

How will you position yourself against the competition? Is the market you’re in rapidly growing and the competition isn’t such a factor? Or will every new customer of yours be one you need to steal from another company? Of course, it can be easier to start operating in a new space than one that’s already highly competitive.

The finances

You’ll want to map out the ‘sources and uses’ of funds. It’s rare that early-stage businesses are profitable on day 1. So will your sources include your savings, a bank loan, or equity funding?

And on the uses side, what is your projected cash burn rate? How much money will you need in order to have enough runway to win customers and begin to see profit?

The classic stereotype is small businesses die because they run out of cash. Planning for how you’ll avoid that now will go a long way towards your future success. Once you get started, apply for a Capital on Tap Business Credit Card , which will help smooth out your working capital needs.

So who is this business plan for anyway? Well if you need traditional funding, you can be sure they’ll want to see it. But even if you’re bootstrapping your company, doing this work just for you to get really clear on your company will help keep you on a successful track!

You might also be interested in

23 Oct 2023

How To Prepare Your Business for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Small Business Saturday Ideas

18 Oct 2023

How to Report Revenue on a Business Credit Card Application

13 Oct 2023

Do Business Credit Cards Affect Personal Credit Scores?

29 Sep 2023

Keeping Your Capital on Tap Account Secure: Best Practices for Avoiding Scams

19 Sep 2023

Business Debit Card vs Credit Card

How to Recover from Business Credit Card Debt: Strategies for Financial Stability

14 Sep 2023

What Can I Buy with My Business Credit Card?

12 Sep 2023

Corporate Credit Card vs. Business Credit Card

04 Sep 2023

The Future of Online Business: 6 Trends to Watch

Let the Capital on Tap Business Credit Card make running your business easier

• Books on CD

Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Video
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $48.85

• Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
• Learn more about free returns.
• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Your Business Plan is Your Life Plan Audio CD – January 10, 2006

• Audio CD $48.85 1 New from $48.85

Purchase options and add-ons

• Publisher Community People Press
• Publication date January 10, 2006
• ISBN-10 0914391054
• ISBN-13 978-0914391050
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Community People Press (January 10, 2006)
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0914391054
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0914391050
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here .

About the author

Mervin evans.

Who is Mervin L Evans

Mervin Evans is a California based small business consultant.

Evans works with companies that need early stage venture capital funding. Mervin Evans manages all aspects of the fund raising process. Mervin Evans believes in being a value-added investor, working in cooperation with management to build great companies and create shareholder value.

Mervin Evans, is a very experienced entrepreneur. Mr. Evans brings a vast wealth knowledge that can help new business owners to overcome many obstacles. Evans Venture Partners is looking for companies that have strong management, innovative product lines and solid growth potential.

Mervin Evans is a past Employee of the State of California and a major Bar Association. Evans has consulted a number of Superior Court Judges.

Evans is a veteran of the 1/10th Air Cav, US Army. Mr. Evans is engaged and maintains a home in the City of Los Angeles.

MERVIN L. EVANS Title List

ISBN ISBN 13 Title:

0-914391-07-0 978-0-914391-07-4 21 Steps to Funding Your Project

0-914391-57-7 978-0-914391-57-9 A New Direction

0-914391-46-1 978-0-914391-46-3 A New Direction for Black America

0-914391-94-1 978-0-914391-94-4 A New Direction for California

0-914391-35-6 978-0-914391-35-7 AAA+ Credit Repair Made Easy-2014

0-914391-59-3 978-0-914391-59-3 ABC's of Credit Repair

0-914391-63-1 978-0-914391-63-0 ABC's of Locating Investment Capital

0-914391-89-5 978-0-914391-89-0 ABCs of Reg D Funding

0-685-52201-6 978-0-685-52201-1 ABCs to starting and raising investment capital for your Business

0-914391-98-4 978-0-914391-98-2 ABCs to Starting and Raising Investment Capital for Your Business

0-914391-30-5 978-0-914391-30-2 American Venture Capital Directory

0-914391-91-7 978-0-914391-91-3 Bigelow Funding Workshop

0-914391-90-9 978-0-914391-90-6 Bigelow-Evans Essential Business Tools

0-914391-13-5 978-0-914391-13-5 Bigelow-Evans Venture Capital Directory

0-914391-72-0 978-0-914391-72-2 Biz Coach

0-914391-49-6 978-0-914391-49-4 Biz Plans Made Easy

0-914391-09-7 978-0-914391-09-8 BIZPLANNING ! A Mervin Evans Venture Capital Business Plan Workshop

0-914391-40-2 978-0-914391-40-1 Business Plans Made Quick and Easy

0-914391-51-8 978-0-914391-51-7 Capital for Minority Business Owners Made Easy

0-914391-34-8 978-0-914391-34-0 Capital for Women and Minority Business Owners Made Easy Funding Workshop

0-914391-04-6 978-0-914391-04-3 Capital for Women and Minority Business Owners Made EZ

0-914391-93-3 978-0-914391-93-7 Creating a Perfect Business Plan

0-914391-12-7 978-0-914391-12-8 Credit Repair Consulting

0-914391-48-8 978-0-914391-48-7 Credit Repair Made Easy for Small Business Owners

0-914391-92-5 978-0-914391-92-0 Credit Repair Made Easy for Women

0-914391-15-1 978-0-914391-15-9 Credit Repair Made Easy!

0-914391-43-7 978-0-914391-43-2 Credit Repair Made Quick and Easy

0-914391-18-6 978-0-914391-18-0 Entertainment Capital Made Easy

0-914391-14-3 978-0-914391-14-2 Entertainment Capital Made EZ - Mervin Evans

0-914391-25-9 978-0-914391-25-8 Evans 1000 Venture Capital Directory

0-914391-28-3 978-0-914391-28-9 Evans Business Starter Kit

0-914391-88-7 978-0-914391-88-3 Evans Credit Repair Kit

0-914391-03-8 978-0-914391-03-6 Evans Credit Workshop 2014!

0-914391-54-2 978-0-914391-54-8 Evans Venture Capital Directory 2014

0-914391-52-6 978-0-914391-52-4 Executive Summary Made Easy

0-914391-00-3 978-0-914391-00-5 Film Funding Made Easy

0-685-62906-6 978-0-685-62906-2 Film Funding Made Easy!

0-914391-08-9 978-0-914391-08-1 Finding Investment Capital Made EZ

0-914391-32-1 978-0-914391-32-6 Finding Your Investors Made Easy

0-914391-80-1 978-0-914391-80-7 Funding 2014

0-914391-01-1 978-0-914391-01-2 Getting Funded Made Easy - The Business Owner Version

0-914391-06-2 978-0-914391-06-7 Grant Money 2014

0-914391-67-4 978-0-914391-67-8 Homeless in the City of the Angels

0-914391-71-2 978-0-914391-71-5 How to Become a Credit Repair Consultant

0-914391-84-4 978-0-914391-84-5 How to Become a Millionaire Business Consultant

0-914391-73-9 978-0-914391-73-9 How to Become a Venture Capital Consultant

0-914391-86-0 978-0-914391-86-9 How to Raise Investment Capital

0-914391-39-9 978-0-914391-39-5 How to Spot a No-Good Man - a Women's Credit Repair Guide

0-914391-60-7 978-0-914391-60-9 How to Start and Raise Capital for Your Business

0-914391-76-3 978-0-914391-76-0 How to Write A Red Hot Business Plan Made EZ

0-914391-22-4 978-0-914391-22-7 LAVC Made Easy

0-914391-21-6 978-0-914391-21-0 Minority Funding Workshop 2014

0-914391-82-8 978-0-914391-82-1 Movie capital made Easy

0-914391-41-0 978-0-914391-41-8 New York Venture Capital Directory

0-914391-68-2 978-0-914391-68-5 Power Business Plans

0-914391-45-3 978-0-014391-45-6 Power Business Plans Made Easy

0-914391-87-9 978-0-914391-87-6 Real Estate Funding Made Easy

0-914391-29-1 978-0-914391-29-6 Red d 504 Made EZ

0-914391-70-4 978-0-914391-70-8 REG D and VC MADE SIMPLE

0-914391-53-4 978-0-914391-53-1 Reg D Made Easy

0-914391-66-6 978-0-914391-66-1 REG D Made Easy 2014 - Finding Your Private Investors

0-914391-17-8 978-0-914391-17-3 Reg d Made Easy! - Library Version

0-914391-24-0 978-0-914391-24-1 Reg d Rule 504 Made Easy

0-914391-55-0 978-0-914391-55-5 Success Business Plans

0-914391-26-7 978-0-914391-26-5 The ABCs of Venture Capital Funding

0-914391-56-9 978-0-914391-56-2 The Case for America

0-914391-58-5 978-0-914391-58-6 The Case for Black America

0-914391-38-0 978-0-914391-38-8 The Case for California

0-914391-31-3 978-0-914391-31-9 The Courage to Be a Success

0-685-62904-X 978-0-685-62904-8 The Evans One Thousand Venture Capital Directory

0-914391-23-2 978-0-914391-23-4 The Road to Venture Capital

0-914391-99-2 978-0-914391-99-9 Understanding the Venture Capital Process

0-914391-69-0 978-0-914391-69-2 VC2015 Raising Capital Made Easy

0-914391-77-1 978-0-914391-77-7 Venture Capital

0-685-52202-4 978-0-685-52202-8 Venture Capital 2014

0-914391-11-9 978-0-914391-11-1 Venture Capital Consulting

0-914391-97-6 978-0-914391-97-5 Venture Capital Funding Step by Step Made Simple

0-914391-10-0 978-0-914391-10-4 Venture Capital Made Easy - the DVD

0-914391-20-8 978-0-914391-20-3 Venture Capital Made Easy!

0-914391-42-9 978-0-914391-42-5 Venture Capital Made EZ!

0-914391-44-5 978-0-914391-44-9 Venture Capital Made Quick and Easy!

0-685-54582-2 978-0-685-54582-9 What Credit Reporting Agencies Don't Want You to Know

0-685-62903-1 978-0-685-62903-1 What Credit Reporting Agencies Don't Want You to Know

0-914391-19-4 978-0-914391-19-7 What Credit Reporting Agencies Don't Want You to Know!-2011

0-914391-05-4 978-0-914391-05-0 Your Business Plan Is Your Life Plan

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

No customer reviews

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Your Ads Privacy Choices