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How to Write a Job Description for a Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you in the process of writing the job description section of your business plan? Or you need a sample job description template? Then I advice you read on. Here, you drive home the point that not only do you know what you are doing or where you are going, but that you have the right mix of talent and experience to actually make it all happen.

You will need to highlight key members of your management team ( which may be only you for the time being ) as well as external service providers such as lawyers, accountants, and contract professionals. Also, include your advisors or board members ( if you have any ) as well as the positions you will be looking to hire in the near future.

While planning your business, one of the most important steps that you shouldn’t skip is writing a job description for every position that you are planning to hire an employee for. This may not be important if you have no plans to hire employees.

A job description is an important tool for hiring and managing your employees, as it helps them understand their roles and responsibilities even before they start working with you. It tells them what they need to do, how they need to do it, and what they will be held accountable for as soon as they assume their duties. It also reveal to investors who-is-who in your proposed or established business. In addition, a job description does the following:

4 Benefits of a Job Description in a Business Plan

• It helps you attract the right employees
• It gives a detailed description of an employee’s job or position
• It serves as a basis for outlining performance expectations, career advancement, job training, and job evaluation
• It provides a reference point for compensation decisions as well as unfair hiring practices

Writing a Job Description for a Business Plan – Sample Template

A job description should be clearly written, accurate, and very practical. It must effectively define your needs as well as what you expect from your employees. To write a good job description, you should start by analyzing the important facts about a job, such as:

The individual tasks involved

What are the tasks that the employee must complete on a periodic basis? Outline daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, and quarterly tasks required of the employee. To be practical enough, outline the duration and requirements of each task as well.

The methods for completing each task

If the tasks outlined can be handled using more than one method, outline which methods you can afford to provide your employee (but for optimal employee efficiency, make provisions for the best method available).

The purpose and responsibilities of the job

Outline how the role played by the chosen candidate would contribute to the business. Also, outline what the employee would be held accountable for.

The relationship of the job to other jobs

Outline how the chosen employee would work with other employees within the company.

Qualifications needed for the job

Outline the relevant qualifications that each candidate must have. Also state the number of years for which the candidate must have gained working experience in the same position.

The Outline of a Job Description

A job description typically includes the following:

• Job objective or overall purpose statement
• Brief of the general nature and level of the job
• Detailed description of the wide scope of the position
• List of duties or tasks to be performed that are critical to success
• Key functional and relational responsibilities (listed in order of significance)
• Description of the relationships and roles within the company, including the supervisory roles, subordinating roles, and other working relationships

In addition to the above listed, the following items may be added to the job description if deemed necessary:

• Job requirements, standards, and specifications
• Job location where the work will be performed
• Equipments available to be used for the job
• Salary range

5 Tips to Note When Writing a Job Description

• Always use verbs in the present tense.
• For the purpose of clarity and adding meaning, use explanatory sentences telling why, how, where, or how often whenever necessary.
• Delete any unnecessary articles such as “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” or other stop words to make the description easy to read and understand.
• Be unbiased in your use of pronouns. Use the “ he/she ” approach or construct your sentences in such a way that you won’t have to use pronouns.
• Avoid the use of adverbs or adjectives that are subject to additional explanation and interpretation; such as some, complex, several, occasional, frequently, etc. Rather than use them, use clear sentences that define your intent.

What to Avoid When Writing a Job Description

Don’t be rigid with your job description, as this may make you miss out on many diligent employees who can become great assets to your business. Jobs are subject to change for personal improvement, organizational development, and evolution of new technologies. A flexible job description encourages employees to grow within their position and contribute over time to the growth and development of your business.

In conclusion , a well-written job description can make all the difference between a successful business that grows over the years and one that remains on the same spot after several years. The right employees, if chosen for your business, can help propel your business to great heights within a short period. Only with a good job description can you hire such.

• Go to Chapter 8 Part E: Planning your Business Legal Structure

More on Business Plans

Business Plan Consultant Job Description Template

A business plan consultant provides a financial, marketing, and operational roadmap to align stakeholders and help your business achieve its goals.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Watch the case study

Business plans are the North Star for early-stage businesses, used as a reference point when making major business decisions, collateral when securing a new fundraising round, and as an introduction to the business and its goals when recruiting new key hires.

While business plan templates can be found online, these ready-made guides can drive entrepreneurs and their businesses away from what they actually need to achieve. A top business plan consultant will construct a custom plan that takes into account the specifics of your business, or review and pressure-test an existing plan while taking into account the latest industry trends.

Business Plan Consultant - Job Description and Ad Template

Copy this template, and modify it as your own:

Company Introduction

{{Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and anything else that makes your company interesting.}}

Job Description

A business plan consultant provides strategic direction by {{creating or methodically pressure-testing and refining}} a company’s business plan, using an understanding of the company’s core operations, competitive advantages, and goals to provide direction on how to structure, run, and grow the business.

The ideal candidate will have some experience in running or advising early stage businesses, combining the analytical abilities of a CFA charterholder with the broad vision of a CEO to provide a roadmap to growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop an understanding of the existing business (including products/services, customers, competitors, the overall market and trends) through careful research and analysis
• Understand how major stakeholders are thinking about near-term growth, generally and in reference to specific growth initiatives, through interviews with these stakeholders
• Build a detailed financial analysis showing all of the assumptions, drivers, and financial statements for the next 3 - 5 years, accounting for a conservative, base, and aggressive case
• Conduct a total addressable market analysis for the business’ core market, assess major industry trends affecting the business, and describe what impact these trends may have on the business
• Review research reports and conduct primary research to hone in on ideal buyer type and assess customer demand for the company’s existing products and services
• Map out direct and indirect competitors, including potential future competitors, for existing and potential revenue channels
• Define a go-to-market strategy, including testing out potential marketing channels (if applicable)
• Review compensation plans and organizational structure to align incentives and ensure the health of the organization in the long-run

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, operations, research, statistics, math, economics, or related analytical discipline preferred
• Financial management experience with planning, forecasting, and business analysis; prior experience as an advisor to or executive at an early-stage company a plus
• Advanced Excel proficiency. 3+ years of practical experience of using Excel for building and maintaining financial models
• Proficiency with analytical and presentation tools {{(Excel pivot tables, SQL queries, graphing, PowerPoint)}}
• Experience within {{preferred industry}}
• A natural curiosity and a “big picture” mentality
• Experience conducting market research, including analyzing and synthesizing research reports and conducting primary research
• An understanding of marketing channels and go-to-market strategies
• Excellent spoken and written communication; comfort reaching out to and interviewing the company’s management, employees, and customer base

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How to hire business plan consultants.

Business plan consultants have the industry knowledge and expertise to develop a business plan that maximizes your company’s potential and attracts investors. This guide to hiring business plan experts offers insight into best practices, skill requirements, job description tips, and interview questions and answers to help you identify the best candidate for your needs.

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Aleksey served in CFO roles of public and VC-backed private companies. As an investor, he contributed to 25+ private equity deals that have deployed $500 million. He has advised 50+ clients on raising $1.6 billion in equity in the healthcare, consumer, media, software, energy, and industrial sectors. Aleksey enjoys working with officers of early-stage and mature small-cap firms, and he freelances because it exposes him to a wide range of companies.

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Gary is a serial entrepreneur with CEO and CFO experience. Before co-founding an aerospace startup in 2017, Gary was the director of finance at a $120 million revenue SaaS company, where he was responsible for the financial management of multiple departments and supported three mergers. Gary leverages his unique blend of finance and entrepreneurial experience across early and growth-stage businesses to add value to Toptal clients.

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Business Plan Template for Job Description

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Finding the right talent for your business is crucial, but creating job descriptions can be a time-consuming task. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Description comes in!

This template is designed to help small to medium-sized businesses and startups streamline the hiring process by providing a structured format for outlining roles, responsibilities, and qualifications. With ClickUp's template, you can:

• Easily create comprehensive job descriptions that attract the right candidates
• Ensure clarity and consistency in defining job expectations
• Streamline the hiring process by having all the necessary information in one place

Don't waste time writing job descriptions from scratch. Use ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Description and find the perfect fit for your team today!

Business Plan Template for Job Description Benefits

Creating a solid business plan template for job descriptions can offer numerous benefits to your organization, including:

• Streamlining the hiring process by clearly outlining the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications required for each position
• Ensuring consistency and uniformity in job descriptions across the organization, promoting clarity and reducing ambiguity
• Facilitating effective communication between hiring managers and potential candidates by providing a comprehensive overview of job expectations
• Supporting strategic workforce planning by identifying skill gaps and future hiring needs based on the job descriptions
• Promoting fairness and transparency in the hiring process by providing a standardized framework for evaluating candidates.

Main Elements of Job Description Business Plan Template

When it comes to creating job descriptions for your business, ClickUp’s Business Plan Template has got you covered. Here are the key elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of the progress of each job description with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Add important details to each job description using custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section, making it easy to organize and filter your job descriptions.
• Custom Views: Access different views to manage your job descriptions effectively. Use the Topics view to focus on specific areas, the Status view to track the progress, the Timeline view to visualize the timeline of each job description, the Business Plan view to see the big picture, and the Getting Started Guide to quickly onboard new team members.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template, creating and managing job descriptions has never been easier. Stay organized and streamline your hiring process with these powerful features.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Job Description

When it comes to creating a job description for your business plan, using a template can save you time and ensure that you cover all the necessary details. Here are six steps to help you effectively use the Business Plan Template for Job Description in ClickUp:

1. Understand the role

Before you start writing the job description, take the time to fully understand the role you are hiring for. Consider the specific responsibilities, skills, qualifications, and experience required for the position. This will help you create a targeted and accurate job description.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to outline the key responsibilities, skills, and qualifications for the role.

2. Start with a strong introduction

Begin the job description with an engaging introduction that provides an overview of the position and your company. This will capture the attention of potential candidates and give them a sense of what to expect.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to include key details about your company, such as mission, values, and culture.

3. Outline the responsibilities

Clearly outline the main responsibilities and tasks that the candidate will be responsible for. Be specific and provide enough detail to give candidates a clear understanding of what the role entails.

Create tasks in ClickUp to list and prioritize the responsibilities for the position.

4. Define the required qualifications

Next, list the qualifications, skills, and experience necessary for the role. This can include educational requirements, certifications, specific technical skills, and any other relevant qualifications that are essential for success in the position.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to track the required qualifications and make sure they are clearly communicated.

5. Highlight the benefits and perks

To attract top talent, it's important to showcase the benefits and perks of working for your company. This can include competitive salary, flexible work hours, professional development opportunities, and any other unique benefits your company offers.

Use a Table view in ClickUp to create a visually appealing list of benefits and perks.

6. Include application instructions

Finally, provide clear instructions on how to apply for the position. This can include details on submitting a resume, cover letter, and any other required application materials. Also, specify the deadline for applications and any additional steps in the hiring process.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to provide step-by-step application instructions and include any relevant links or contact information.

By following these six steps and using the Business Plan Template for Job Description in ClickUp, you'll be on your way to creating a comprehensive and compelling job description that attracts the right candidates for your business.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Job Description

Small to medium-sized businesses and startups can use the Business Plan Template for Job Description in ClickUp to streamline the hiring process and create clear job expectations.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create comprehensive job descriptions:

• Use the Topics View to organize job descriptions by department or position
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each job description, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• The Timeline View allows you to visualize the hiring process and set realistic deadlines for each job description
• The Business Plan View provides an overview of all job descriptions and their alignment with the company's goals
• The Getting Started Guide View offers a step-by-step guide on how to use the template effectively
• Customize the Reference, Approved, and Section custom fields to add relevant information and streamline the hiring process
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through each job description to keep the team informed and ensure a smooth hiring process
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Job Descriptions .

How to write a job description (with examples), how to write a job description.

Job descriptions are the cornerstone of the recruiting process. They help to attract top talent, set expectations for qualified candidates, inform prospects about the role and company, and streamline the search process. Plus, a well-written job description gives companies a chance to make a great first impression. So while writing accurate and compelling job descriptions can be frustrating, finding the time and resources to do so is well worth it.

Importance of Job Descriptions

No matter how many job descriptions you write, they never seem to get any easier, especially if you are writing them for roles you know little about. We’re here to help. For starters, let’s discuss the importance of job descriptions, and then we’ll tackle how to write them.

Job descriptions are helpful for both prospective candidates and employers. Here’s why:

Attract Prospective Candidates

A concise and compelling job description will play a major role in attracting qualified candidates. With resources like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and email, the ability to post and share jobs is instantaneous and has exponential reachability.

Set Expectations

A clear job description will set everyone up for success. Prospects will understand what is expected of them, more-qualified candidates will apply, under-qualified applicants will move on and you will save loads of time sifting through applications and communicating with potential candidates.

Prepare for Interviews

A well-crafted job description can help both applicants and interviewers prep for the big day . Applicants will be able to prepare for likely topics of conversation and interview teams will be equipped to ask questions that will accurately gauge the candidate’s qualifications.

Make a Stellar First Impression

Job descriptions are often the first point of contact candidates will have with your company and can shape their first impression. Just like resumes and CVs, any jargon or grammatical errors will turn a candidate off and leave a lasting negative impression.

Simplify the Search

Searching for jobs is incredibly time-consuming, especially for the 73 percent of candidates who are passive and currently employed. Clear and concise job descriptions help prospects compare salaries, benefits, perks and even company culture to determine what roles are worth applying to.

Establish a Baseline

Once a candidate is hired, the job description will stand as a baseline to measure growth, reference during performance reviews and consider future training opportunities.

Recommended Reading 29 Recruitment Strategies With Real Examples

Great job descriptions are thorough yet concise. They use specific terms and keep a professional tone. It’s OK to be a little quirky, but don’t overdo it. If you don’t take the job description seriously, top candidates will move on to other opportunities.

Important Parts of a Job Description

• Company Bio/Mission

Role Summary

• Role Responsibilities
• Role Requirements (Must-Have Skills)
• Time/Location
• Next Steps (How to Apply)

Here’s an outline of the main sections every job description should include.

Make the job title clear, concise and industry-specific.

43 percent of job seekers look for career opportunities on job boards that use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Job seekers are also likely to search based on the terms they know, so don’t stray from the standard industry language of common job titles. Be sure to include specific terms, like the programs required for the role. The title Lead Front End AngularJS Engineer is much more descriptive than Developer and will attract more qualified candidates. If your job can’t be found, it can’t be applied to.

Company Mission

Include a company description or mission, but keep it to about two to four sentences.

72 percent of job seekers noted they would be more likely to apply to a job posting with a company description. At the same time, don’t get too lost in the details. Most companies have a lengthy mission statement with core values and a culture code. For candidates looking at multiple companies and open roles, the missions start to sound the same. If candidates decide to pursue the position, they can read about the company’s full profile on the website. 

Consider writing a templated version that can be repurposed whenever you need to write a new job post. It’s also more common to include the company description or mission at the beginning of the post.

Write a brief three to five sentence summary about what the candidate will do in their role, who they’ll work with and any general qualities your team is looking for in the individual.

Job Responsibilities

90 percent of top-performing job descriptions include clear responsibilities and duties, according to Built In research. Responsibilities and duties are essential in order for a candidate to understand the role. They also set expectations for the hired employee and can be used as a baseline for performance reviews down the line.

Give five to 10 bullet points on what the candidate can expect to do in the role. Here are a few tips:

• Write in complete sentences.
• Be thorough. Candidates will be better prepared for the interview and role if they know what is expected of them.
• Don’t be excessive. You don’t need to include every single possible thing a person might encounter during the work day.

Must-Have Skills

Job descriptions include an average of eight distinct qualifications per job post (including must-have and nice-to-have skills), according to Built In research. List five to seven bullet points that are absolutely necessary for a candidate to be successful in the role they are applying to.

• Include quantities when applicable, like years of experience.
• Be sure to clarify what the application requires, like a portfolio, writing sample, video recording, resume, CV, cover letter, etc.
• Other important information includes education, experience, certifications and knowledge of specific platforms.

Nice-to-Have Skills

If there are any other qualities that are nice to have, include those here. Don’t feel like you have to include this section, but it may help candidates know what to include in the application or interview to stand out. This section is lower priority and should have fewer bullet points. 

Compensation

61 percent  consider compensation information to be the most important part of a job description. However, 99 percent of top-performing job descriptions don’t include compensation information, according to Built In research. Many companies still refuse to provide this information in job descriptions, but it’s time to get over this discomfort to garner a larger applicant pool.

It’s best to be upfront about the time frame you need employees to work. Flexible work hours are more common for full-time employees, time zones may play a role, and certain industries and markets work around different schedules.

Candidates will consider commute time or relocation efforts in their employment decision, so help them determine fit before they embark on the application process. Embedding a Google Map onto your website is really quite simple and can be done with this guide .

Working Conditions

Keep working conditions and workplace expectations clear. People want to know what to expect in their future work environment. Are there any physical requirements for the role? What is the expected dress code?

Call to Action

Make sure it is blatantly obvious where a candidate is supposed to apply. Do not make it complicated or frustrating to apply because that’s just going to reduce your applicant pool for the wrong reasons. This is one area that companies should customize to the location the job is being posted. Make sure they know where to click or who to email to get the process started. 

Disclaimer Statements

Most companies include an equal opportunity employer statement and that the employee may be required to perform additional job functions beyond the description. Do your research because disclaimers can help companies prevent serious lawsuits .

Elements to Improve Job Descriptions

Some companies include additional details in their job descriptions to help differentiate them from other employers. There’s certainly a balance between writing a thorough job description and being excessive, and that’s up to your team to decide. Here are a few additional sections to consider including in your job description. While these items are optional, they may turn a good job description into a great one.

Non-financial benefits are often a deciding factor for prospective candidates —  61 percent of job seekers expect to see benefits packages in job descriptions, yet only 43 percent of top-performing job descriptions included such information, according to Built In research.

Things to include are your company’s:

• Health insurance and wellness plans
• Retirement and stock options offerings
• Childcare and parental leave options
• Vacation and PTO policies

Remember that perks are not the same thing as benefits. Perks are nice add-ons the company offers its employees to improve work-life balance and help them live happier, more productive lives. 

Company Culture

Sure, it’s a buzzword, but the people have spoken and the best candidates expect a strong company culture . In fact, 47 percent  say that company culture is the main reason they’re searching for new opportunities.

Word Count 

It’s best to keep your job description in the 250 to 500 word count range, as supported by a study that found the majority of job postings had a similar word count trend. Top-performing job descriptions contain an average word count of 457 words, based on Built In findings. 

Average word count also correlates with average time on page for job descriptions. Job descriptions with a word count between 251 to 500 words see an average time on page of one minute and 39 seconds (1:39), which is closest to the average job description reading time of one minute and 41 seconds (1:41). It’s clear that job descriptions which adhere to word count best practices are much more engaging than their lower-performing counterparts. 

16 percent of job descriptions as analyzed by Built In contain obvious typos, which could be detrimental to applicant reach and a company trustworthiness. Similar to how many recruiters disregard applicants with typos on their resume or application, candidates may come away with a negative impression of your company for not doing its due diligence. Remember to always have at least one other person read your job description before posting.

Job Description Examples

Job descriptions aren’t one-size-fits-all. While the company bio and mission statement sections may remain the same for each role a company posts, the main sections — which include role responsibilities and requirements — should be uniquely tailored to the job at hand.

For instance, a job description for a highly specialized role will usually go into more detail about the types of tools and software programs qualified candidates are expected to possess, while a JD for an entry-level role may spend more time broadly discussing the mentality or passions a candidate should have. In any case, job descriptions that have enough detail specific to the role gives job-seekers a better sense of the position and it gives you an opportunity to make a positive first impression.

Below we’ve rounded up some in-depth guides and job description templates for several roles:

Creative Roles

• Art Director Job Description
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Data and Analytics Roles

• Business Intelligence Analyst Job Description
• Data Analyst Job Description
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Developer Roles

• Front End Developer Job Description
• iOS Developer Job Description
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Operations Roles

• Operations Manager Job Description
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• Project Manager Job Description

Marketing Roles

• Marketing Manager Job Description

Sales Roles

• Account Executive Job Description
• Account Manager Job Description
• Customer Success Manager Job Description  
• Sales Development Representative Job Description  
• Sales Engineer Job Description
• Sales Operations Manager Job Description

How to Write a Job Description: Data-Driven Results

We gathered cold, hard facts from a sample of the top performing job descriptions across our seven markets. Here’s what we found out.

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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)

Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.

If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.

Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.

You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.

Let’s get started.

What Do You Need A Business Plan For?

Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.

1. Secure Funds

One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.

For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.

A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.

Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.

2. Monitor Business Growth

A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:

• The business goals
• Methods to achieve the goals
• Time-frame for attaining those goals

A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.

You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.

3. Measure Business Success

A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.

Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.

You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.

4. Document Your Marketing Strategies

You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.

Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.

In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:

• How do you want to reach your target audience?
• How do you plan to retain your customers?
• What is/are your pricing plans?
• What is your budget for marketing?

How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step

1. create your executive summary.

The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.

Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.

A good executive summary should do the following:

• A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
• Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
• Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
• The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
• Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
• Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
• Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
• Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
• Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.

The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.

Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.

View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What sector or industry are you in?
• What are your products and services?
• What is the future of your industry?
• Is your company scaleable?
• Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
• What is the motivation for starting your company?
• What are the next steps?

Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.

The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.

If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.

2. Add Your Company Overview

The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.

Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.

Your company overview should contain the following:

• What products and services you will provide
• Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
• What you need to run your business
• Who your target audience or customers are
• Who will service your customers
• Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
• Information about your company’s founders
• Who the founders are
• Notable achievements of your company so far

When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.

If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.

• Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
• What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
• How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
• Where is the location of your business?
• What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
• How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
• How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?

After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.

The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.

Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”

When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:

• Founding Date
• Major Milestones
• Location(s)
• Flagship Products or Services
• Number of Employees
• Executive Leadership Roles

When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.

Business Objectives

Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.

3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity

The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.

Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.

This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.

Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?

You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.

Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?

Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?

Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.

Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.

Market Analysis

Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.

The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.

A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.

• Market Research

To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.

• Your target market’s needs or pain points
• The existing solutions for their pain points
• Geographic Location
• Demographics

The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.

Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.

You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.

How to Quantify Your Target Market

One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:

• Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
• Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
• Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
• Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.

What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?

Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.

You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:

• Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
• Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
• Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
• Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
• Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
• Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
• Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
• Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.

The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.

Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.

• Is your product or service of superior quality?
• What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
• Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?

Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.

Competitive Analysis

In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.

Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.

Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.

The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.

Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.

When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.

Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.

• What are your successful competitors doing?
• Why is what they are doing working?
• Can your business do it better?
• What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
• What are they not doing well?
• Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
• How good is your competitors’ customer service?
• Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
• What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
• What marketing strategies are they using?
• What kind of press coverage do they get?
• What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?

If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.

If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.

Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.

The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.

Direct vs Indirect Competition

You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.

There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.

If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.

In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.

For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.

There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.

Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.

1. Cost Leadership

A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.

A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.

2. Product Differentiation

Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.

Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.

3. Market Segmentation

As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.

If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.

4. Define Your Business and Management Structure

The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.

Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.

If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.

Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.

The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.

Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.

Management Team

The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.

Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.

A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.

Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.

Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.

If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.

Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team

• Who are the key leaders?
• What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
• Do your key leaders have industry experience?
• What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
• What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
• What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?

Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section

1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team

There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.

Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.

2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles

Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.

While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.

Organizational Chart

Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.

If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.

An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.

You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.

5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering

In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.

Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.

The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.

If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”

Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:

• A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
• The pricing model for your product or service.
• Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
• The ideal customers that want your product or service.
• The benefits of your products and services.
• Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
• Plans for filling the orders you receive
• If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.

What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services

In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.

When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Unique features
• Translating the unique features into benefits
• The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
• Intellectual property rights or any patents

When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
• Time between purchases
• Plans for research and development.

When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:

• The creation of new or existing products and services.
• The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
• Assembling the products
• Maintaining quality control
• Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
• The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.

Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan

1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords

The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.

A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.

2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors

When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.

If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.

For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.

3. Long or Short Products or Services Section

Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?

There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.

If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.

Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.

The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.

If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.

A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.

4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers

Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.

Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.

5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers

The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.

When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.

While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.

Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section

Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.

• Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
• What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
• What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
• Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
• Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
• How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
• What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
• What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
• What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
• Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
• Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
• How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?

You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.

6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan

Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.

The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.

There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.

In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.

Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).

Target Market and Target Audience

Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.

Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.

Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.

Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.

Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.

Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.

Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?

Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market

• What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
• What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
• Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
• How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?

After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.

All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.

Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.

For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].

For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.

“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”

You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.

After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.

Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.

You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.

Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering

Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.

• Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
• Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
• Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.

• Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
• Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
• Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.

After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.

As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.

There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.

Advertising

Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.

Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.

Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.

A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.

Public Relations

A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.

Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,

Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.

Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.

If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.

Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.

When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.

• Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
• What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
• How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?

Social Media

Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.

You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.

Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.

Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.

You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.

Strategic Alliances

If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.

Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.

The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.

Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.

Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan

1. Focus on Your Target Market

Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.

You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.

These questions can help you know your competition.

• What makes your competition successful?
• What are their weaknesses?
• What are customers saying about your competition?

3. Consider Your Brand

Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.

4. Focus on Benefits

The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.

Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.

5. Focus on Differentiation

Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan

• What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
• What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
• What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
• Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
• What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
• Where will you sell your products?

You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.

The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.

7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request

If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’

A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.

Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.

In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.

Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.

If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.

Funding Request: Debt or Equity?

When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.

Case for Equity

If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.

Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.

Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.

Case for Debt

You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.

When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.

Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.

Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.

You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.

Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan

The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.

If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.

You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.

If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .

Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.

8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections

If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.

The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.

If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.

If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.

When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.

Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.

Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.

Use Graphs and Charts

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.

Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.

Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections

Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.

You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.

What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.

A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.

Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.

1. Sales Forecast

Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.

One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.

For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.

Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.

Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.

For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.

2. Personnel Plan

The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.

However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.

The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.

3. Income Statement

The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.

Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.

The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.

• Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
• Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
• Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
• Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
• Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
• Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
• Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.

4. Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.

5. Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.

You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.

6. Exit Strategy

The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.

Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.

Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.

Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection

Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.

You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.

Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.

• What is your sales forecast for the next year?
• When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
• What are the core expenses you need to operate?
• How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
• How will you use the loans or investments?

9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan

Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.

The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.

When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.

Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.

You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.

If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.

A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.

The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.

People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.

Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan

The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:

• Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
• Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
• Additional financial documents or projections
• Articles of incorporation and status
• Backup for market research or competitive analysis
• Bank statements
• Business registries
• Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
• Copies of insurances
• Credit histories (personal or/and business)
• Deeds and permits
• Equipment leases
• Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
• Industry associations and memberships
• Images of product
• Intellectual property
• Key customer contracts
• Legal documents and other contracts
• Letters of reference
• Links to references
• Market research data
• Organizational charts
• Photographs of potential facilities
• Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
• Purchase orders
• Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
• State and federal identification numbers or codes
• Trademarks or patents’ registrations

Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.

Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan

To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.

The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.

Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.

• A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
• A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
• A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.

2. Get Inspiration from People

Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.

To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.

When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.

3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic

Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.

The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.

In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.

The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.

To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.

4. Keep it Simple and Short

When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.

One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.

Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.

You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.

To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.

5. Make an Outline and Follow Through

A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.

For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.

To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.

This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Product or service description
• Target audience
• Market size
• Competition analysis
• Financial projections

Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.

6. Ask a Professional to Proofread

When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.

You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.

In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.

Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.

Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time

1. hubspot's one-page business plan.

The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.

Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:

• Business opportunity
• Company description
• Industry analysis
• Target market
• Implementation timeline
• Marketing plan
• Financial summary
• Funding required

2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template

Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.

The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.

3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.

The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.

There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.

4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute

My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.

The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.

• The Business Profile
• The Vision and the People
• Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
• Organization
• Licenses and Permits
• Business Insurance
• Communication Tools
• Acquisitions
• Location and Leasing
• Accounting and Cash Flow
• Opening and Marketing
• Managing Employees
• Expanding and Handling Problems

There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.

5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.

The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.

There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.

The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.

6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage

The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .

There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.

7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.

There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Service Line
• Marketing and Sales

8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.

There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.

9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template

The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.

There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Products and services
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion / Call to action
• Confidentiality statement

You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)

PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.

10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.

Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.

Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan

A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.

Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.

The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.

Segments of the Business Model Canvas

The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.

• Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
• Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
• The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
• Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
• Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
• Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
• Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
• Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
• Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?

Lean Canvas

The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.

Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:

• Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
• Solution: The solutions to each problem.
• Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
• Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.

Startup Pitch Deck

While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.

Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.

Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.

Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.

Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.

• Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
• Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
• Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
• Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
• Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
• Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
• Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
• Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
• Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
• Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
• Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
• Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.

It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.

Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.

Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan

• Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
• Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
• Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
• Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.

Business Plan FAQ

Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time.  They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.

Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans.  A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.

A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs.  Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.

The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.

A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.

Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.

Exlore Further

• 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
• 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
• 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
• How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

How to Write Your First Job Description

Candice Landau

9 min. read

Updated October 25, 2023

Whether you’re hiring your best friend, or someone you’ve never met before, it’s important to make sure you’ve written a job description.

A good job description isn’t simply a list of to-do’s, but rather a guide, something that will benefit both you and the employee.

The best job descriptions benefit both employer and employee.

If you’ve taken the time to think it through and write it well, your employee will have a clear idea of what is expected of them, and will therefore be able to do the best work possible. And you will be able to measure their performance and hold them accountable for work completed.

If you aren’t at the hiring stage yet, take the time now to start thinking about the type of person you may want to hire in the future. Your new employee’s values will have a big impact on your company, especially if you’re small.

It’s all about first impressions

There’s another benefit to spending a good amount of time writing job descriptions: You will have a better chance of enticing the right candidates to apply.

Consider: If you require your employees to have a master’s degree, you’re probably going to cut out a whole chunk of the talent pool. If that’s a must in your line of business, that’s fine.

But, what if you’re looking for a people-person, someone who can answer the phone and troubleshoot customer problems? In that case, a master’s degree probably isn’t going to mean much. You’ll want to hire someone with the right attitude—someone with compassion. Someone who can hop on the phone and do what an introverted computer scientist can’t.

The question is: How do you get all of this across in what is likely to be a single page of text?

• The 3 essential parts of a good job description

The best way to think of writing a job description is like you might a high school or college essay:

• First, you’re going to want to do your research. What should you include in the description? What does your competition include?
• Next you’re going to draft your outline. This is a good time to make a bullet list; include the duties you want the employee to fulfill, required qualifications if you have them, and any performance standards you’d like the employee to meet.
• And last, you’re going to tie it all together. Make sure that your business values are reflected in your tone of voice, that you’ve shared a sense of company culture with your applicants via the style, and that you’ve recorded all the important nitty-gritty details.

Let’s break it down a little further and talk about what you’re going to want to cover:

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• 1. Specific details of the position

A good title: A good title is relevant to your industry and to “the times.” If you’re looking to hire a marketer, should you advertise for a digital marketing executive, a content marketer, or an internet marketing manager? Well, this truly depends on where in the world you’re located, on what is popular at the moment, and on the information you need to convey.

Avoid titles that only have meaning internally; “Business Representative III” doesn’t mean anything to an outsider. It’s better to opt for a title like “Business Development Manager.”

It’s also a good opportunity to get your company culture across. For example, might you convey more or prompt a different audience to apply by hiring a “Happiness Manager” instead of a “Customer Service Representative”?

You may have to do a bit of research first.

A short summary of the job: The keyword here is short. You will want to give potential candidates an overview of the key responsibilities and the purpose of the position. Is this a full-time position? Is it part-time? Is it an internship? Be clear!

A brief overview of the company: In one to three sentences, say who your company is, what your goal is, and what you’ve achieved. You’ll want to strike a balance between honesty and marketing here. Yes, you want to paint a good picture so good applicants will apply; no you do not want to lie about how big your company is, how much you’ve achieved, or what you’ve done.

Skills, qualifications, or certifications required:  Are there any industry, state, or other legal certifications your employee needs? For example, a bartender will need a license in order to serve drinks. List both the required and the preferred qualifications. This will help sort the wheat from the chaff.

Manager and supervisor information:  Who will the new hire be reporting to? What department will they work within? This information isn’t always necessary, but can help to paint a more complete picture, ensuring there are no surprises for the new candidate, and no issues you have to work through.

Location details:  This doesn’t have to be a stand-alone section in its own right, but it’s worth clarifying some of the details to avoid any potential confusion. Where is the position located? Is it remote work? Is it a nine-to-five job? Will any travel be required and if so, does the employee need to have a driver’s license or their own car?

Salary:  It’s ideal to include the salary or the salary range within the job description. This is also a good place to include any benefits. Some employees opt for a slightly lower salary than industry standard, but then have great benefits. If you have space, include the benefits, number of vacation days, and any other perks.

• 2. Duties the candidate will be expected to perform

This section is arguably the most important part of the job description, as the duties detail exactly what the candidate should be able to do, and what they will be doing in this role on a daily basis.

They will also reveal more information about the level of responsibility the employee will have, the scope of the work, and its complexity. This should help weed out those who can’t perform all of the duties you require of them.

If you’re as of yet unsure about how to come up with a list of duties, but broadly speaking know the role you need to fill, here are a couple of things you can do to help you think it through:

Exercise 1: Brainstorm a list of all of those duties that are taking up a lot of your time, or taking away from something more important you could be doing. For example, are you answering all the customer phone calls, when really you’d be getting a better ROI going out to meet people? Think of all those things you could delegate. Jot them down. While you may not be able to include all of these duties in one job description, many of them probably can be tied together to fit under one title.

Exercise 2: Go back to your vision or your goals. What things do you need to be able to do competently in order to get you where you want to go? List out those duties. Now, work backward. What role should that person be able to fulfill?

When you’re listing out duties, try to make them as “active” as possible. Instead of writing a broad list of general duties like “customer service,” “writing skills,” and so on, make the duties more descriptive.

This will prompt you to think more deeply about the type of help you need, and will give the candidate a better idea of what you’re looking for.

A more explanatory list of duties might be, “answer incoming telephone calls, liaise with suppliers and order new stock, write press releases, and maintain the company’s social media profiles.” Immediately, you have a better idea of what the job will entail.

You could even frame the duties in a more story-like fashion. Consider going down the route of, “A typical day in the life of [insert job title here] will include [a list of the duties].”

• 3. Performance standards

A job description is often used as a means to an end: to fill an open position.

In reality, it’s a lot more than that. It’s an opportunity for the employer to lay out his or her expectations and is the first document that can be used as a basis from which to measure performance.

Consider: In six months time, when your employee asks you for a raise, how will you know whether or not to give them one?

If they’ve done everything required of them and gone above and beyond, provided there are no financial or cash flow issues, maybe you will want to give them a raise to reward their efforts and to encourage them to keep doing great things.

But, if they’ve not performed well enough, this is a great time to use the job description to explain why you won’t be giving them a raise or promoting them.

Start thinking about the job description as a training tool. What knowledge, skills, and abilities does your employee need to have in order to complete all of their duties to the best of their abilities? If they don’t yet have these skills, the job description will detail what they need to work toward, and will give you something to use when it comes time to evaluate their performance.

For the sake of clarity, separate this section into a list of its own. For example:

Performance standards

• All customer-facing, written communication is expected to be error-free and grammatically correct
• Knowledge of QuickBooks accounting system is essential
• Work well and collaborate with team members

What’s next?

If you’re still not sure about where to start, a great first step is simply to get out there and start reading similar job descriptions for the position you want to fill.

Search LinkedIn, check out popular job sites like Monster and Indeed, and take a peek at competitor’s sites or other similar business sites perhaps in neighboring states. You could even try Glassdoor.com to find out what salaries people in your area are paying for a similar position.

Once you feel you’ve got a good sense of what to include and how to write the description, follow that “essay format” we recommended earlier. Write your skeleton framework, then fill in all the details.

Candice Landau is a marketing consultant with a background in web design and copywriting. She specializes in content strategy, copywriting, website design, and digital marketing for a wide-range of clients including digital marketing agencies and nonprofits.

Table of Contents

• It’s all about first impressions
• What’s next?

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How to write a company description for a business plan

Table of Contents

What is a company description?

What to include in your company description , where , company description example, tips for getting your company description right , stay on top of your new business finances with countingup.

A business plan is essential to setting your business up for success and determining what you want it to look like. One major part of that business plan is the company description. But if you’re unsure how to write a company description for a business plan, we can help.  

This guide will cover how to write a company description for a business plan, including: 

• What a company description is 
• What to include in your company description (with example)
• Tips for getting your company description right

The company description is part of your business plan outlining what your business does and why. It touches on your market and products or services. But it also explains what differentiates you from similar companies.

On top of this, it outlines your company’s mission and vision. Your mission statement specifies your business’s values, ethics, goals, and overall culture. Meanwhile, your vision statement defines where you want your business to go in the future. 

Your business plan will guide you as you start your business, but it’s also essential to gaining external funding. So, the stronger and clearer your company description, the more prepared you’ll look. It shows that you have a detailed understanding of what you do and how you’ll earn money. 

Knowing how to write a company description for a business plan requires some key elements, which we’ll outline below. We’ll also give a brief company description example.  

Start by outlining who you are, including the owner and business name. On top of this, include your business’s market and target audience . You can gain this important knowledge through market research , which will help you understand demand, competition, and your customer base. 

You’ll also need to explain where you’ll run your business. For example, you may explain where you’ll open a shop and why that location will be beneficial. If you plan to run the business from home, discuss how this will work. 

Next, outline the products or services, what problems they’ll solve, and the demand of that market. Aside from what you’ll sell, discuss your short, medium, and long term goals . Clear goals show how you see your business growing over time. Be sure to make these goals realistic and achievable, with ways to measure their success. 

Also, provide an estimated opening date for your business. Then, create a timeline for when you’ll reach profitability . In addition to this, discuss the timeframe for your goals. You may also need to touch upon an exit strategy, such as when you plan to retire or potentially sell. 

Your company description should also clearly describe why you want to start this business. What gave you this idea, and what is your main motivation? Why should customers buy from you? What will you be able to offer them that other businesses can’t? 

Finally, summarise how you’ll operate your business and achieve your goals. How will you structure your business ? This section is crucial for detailing your operations and how you’ll solve potential challenges. So, try to be specific here to show you’ll make your business happen. 

Molly’s Muffins, founded by classically trained baker Molly Smith, aims to redefine the baking market by creating delicious gluten-free and healthy muffins. The shop will cater to a gluten-free audience and target a younger to middle-aged health-conscious demographic. 

Molly’s Muffins will sell in a shop with a fitted kitchen in the higher-income Marchmont neighbourhood of Edinburgh city centre, United Kingdom. The business will serve a variety of gluten-free muffins baked daily in the shop, low in fats and sugars. 

In the short term, Molly Muffin’s aims to develop a loyal customer base in the area and beyond through social media marketing, paid advertising and a rewards program. The medium-term goals of the business include developing an online shop and catering service. In the long term, the business plans to open further locations. 

Molly’s Muffins will register as a limited company to prepare for future growth. With a Bachelors in Bakery and Patisserie science and five years of experience working in and managing a bakery, Molly Smith is prepared to turn her muffin-making passion into a profitable business. 

Molly’s Muffins will open its doors in April of 2022, with a timeline of ten months to reach profitability. The business aims to reach short term goals in three months, medium-term goals in a year, and long term goals in five years. 

Mission statement : Molly’s Muffins mission is to normalise and improve the reputation of gluten-free and healthy food products by making them delicious for all. It prioritises kindness, equality, and a healthy lifestyle.

Now that you know how to write a company description for a business plan, make it clear, detailed, and brief. If your plan is vague, it will be difficult to convince investors of. But, a description with too much detail will be difficult to get through. A clear and grammatically correct description will look more professional.

After writing your company description, be sure to check and update it regularly as it needs to  change with your growing business.

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Plus, with automatic expense categorisation and the receipt capture tools, you can stay on top of how much you spend for your business. The app will label each transaction with HMRC approved categories. It will also remind you to snap a picture of your receipt when you make a purchase. This will help you stick to your budget and maintain your bookkeeping to work towards success and profitability. 

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• Counting Up on Facebook
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Business Planning Job Description

Business planning duties & responsibilities.

To write an effective business planning job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included business planning job description templates that you can modify and use.

Sample responsibilities for this position include:

Business Planning Qualifications

Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.

Licensing or Certifications for Business Planning

List any licenses or certifications required by the position: APICS, CPIM, PMP, CSCP, COO, CE, SAP, CSCMP, CPA, APIC

Education for Business Planning

Typically a job would require a certain level of education.

Employers hiring for the business planning job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and University Degree in Finance, Business, MBA, Accounting, Engineering, Economics, Business/Administration, Marketing, Communication, Management

Skills for Business Planning

Desired skills for business planning include:

Desired experience for business planning includes:

Business Planning Examples

• Microsoft Word (.docx) .DOCX
• PDF Document (.pdf) .PDF
• Image File (.png) .PNG
• Support other legal entity and business planning work streams as needed
• Business decision support for key management reporting & business planning cycles (month-end, forecast, long range plan, & budget)
• Accrual management experience should include supporting business partners to ensure a sound internal control environment
• Maintaining organization budgets/forecasts, tracking monthly actuals
• Assisting with month-to-month, forecast-to-forecast, & full year variance performance reporting for management
• Providing budget process information to supervisors to ensure forecasts are realistic, expenses are calendarized properly and plans are within forecasted levels
• Tracking of system allocations and subsequent interaction between the Sales, Customer Marketing, Marketing, and Forecasting Team
• Work closely with Sales Teams to ensure timely updates to allocations are provided, orders are placed and in line with projections, or providing direction for changes to stay within the program allocation limits
• Data Sync coordination between the Sales teams and 3rd party
• EPIC Analysis including root cause reports identifying what errors were corrected and presenting the information to Sales Operation Management
• Ability to extract large amounts of data (database mining skills) from Genesys and summarize that data into useful trend information
• Familiar with MS tools and other finance application SAP
• Extremely strong analytical skill set
• Passion for consumer technology & execution
• Commitment to excellence and sense of humor
• Building Value-Based Relationships (Proficient)
• Work to ensure expectations and demands are met working while balancing resources and working through logistical and technical obstacles
• The Business Planning Editor will work closely with our business teams in the U.S. and EMEA to make sure that we are collaborating as one global business unit, in addition to working with our Business Correspondents
• Dealing with the coverage planning, responding quickly to priorities to coordinate coverage desires to meet the newsgathering needs, both live and in taped form
• Ensuring coverage plans are well defined and full details are outlined in documented fashion (via iNews, email, coverage notes), including planned packages and anticipated live coverage
• Providing full support in regard to essential coordination and logistical planning decisions as needed by newsgathering and programming needs
• Staying fiscally responsible, and planning coverage that is within budget constraints
• Work on confirming emerging stories for reporting on our air, and looking for elements to help visually enhance the story telling
• Look to service our digital platforms, namely the CNN Money vertical, to which TV is closely aligned
• Full knowledge of Company policies and practices and their effective oversight are also part of the duties
• Build budget models for expenses and capital for assigned business unit, and once reviewed load into corporate budget application
• Experience in developing, maintaining and delivering metrics
• Ability to develop and implement detailed work plans that support key deliverables
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite and Adobe
• Experience analyzing business operations and identifying areas for financial performance (based on return on investment (ROI), compounded annual growth rates, payback, internal rate of return (IRR), pretax and after tax earnings, targeted profit margins, FCF, present value)
• Openness to tackling projects of varying size and complexity with evolving requirements
• Undergraduate degree is required and Post Graduate degree is an asset
• Provide business case, ROI and payback analysis (e.g., total cost of ownership, lease vs
• Manage the processing and scheduling of customer orders
• Scheduling and procurement of materials
• Manage and control of WIP / finished goods inventory
• Arrange for shipment of orders
• Interact with salary and union-represented personnel
• Orchestrate impact analysis and recommendations across business strategy, engineering, legal, research, finance, sales teams
• Track progress of the operating plan against the targets (operational scorecards) on a weekly basis, communicate gaps and impacts to the leadership & recommend approach for getting back on track gap
• Orchestrate the Planning Playbooks (value prop, brand, product experience, channel strategy, customer experience) for large program launches
• Key team member on business strategic projects
• Bachelor’s Degree and up to 2 years (or MBA) of business experience, Sales, Category Management
• Manager, Business Planning
• Demand Planning Team
• A minimum of 5 years in an editorial and business newsgathering environment Full knowledge of TV news logistics, technical requirements
• Ability to handle multiple tasks under stressful contentions
• Organized, exceptional interest in world news with strong communication skills
• Support projects and programs with relevant information and data
• Track the implementation of New Product Introduction (NPI’s)
• Work across business operations functions to optimize order and shipment management
• End to end responsibility for specific projects and programs
• Define project/ program KPI’s
• Follow up with channel, region, country and GBU teams on the implementation
• Define in- country needs for support
• Support the countries with the required help to achieve their business objectives
• Assisting with business cases
• Coordinate and manage “(HIAMS)AM OD meeting” with other department members (mainly DE and/or S&M) which involves many other corporate department of the organization (Executive management, DE, S&M, Procurement, F&A, PM, PE) and manufacturing locations in Americas region
• Prior newsgathering and field experience desired
• Be willing to work unpredictable hours and quick to adapt to changes that affect each show, and be ready to travel with short notice
• Pricing Schemes & Trade Spend o Analyse and review actual net pricing against approved scheme on monthly basis
• Preferably Degree-educated in Finance, Economics or Business Administration
• Some professional experience in an analytics role preferred
• Excellent communication, presentational and partnering skills
• Monitor and update any change in regards to company standards and rules where applicable
• Support various management meetings by coordinating the meeting schedule, creating required documents and presentations including analyzing the information and/or data, and issuing the meeting note and follow up open items
• Create and maintain database which will be utilized for analysis
• Support to establish regional business strategy by preparing Regional Business Plan documents with cooperation of other related corporate department of organization
• Perform BPC System support such as researching, documenting or updating basic functionality such as input schedules, master data, data flow and calculation logic
• Support development, implementation and testing of BPC system enhancements
• Coordinate and analyze the data and assumptions that drive forecast/plan results
• Create/Maintain presentations, spreadsheets, reports, or other metric-driven tools
• Communicate and support the forecast/planning process analytical results effectively in both verbal and written form to Planning leadership and other functional teams
• Role may be globally-focused, or oriented
• Bachelors’ or Masters’ degree or equivalent in business or finance
• Bachelor's degree in business administration or a quantitative field
• Previous experience with planning tools, Anaplan, Hyperion Planning, is preferred
• Experience in relational database systems/data warehousing systems such as SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Redshift, Oracle, MySQL preferred
• Work experience in electronic repair/ depot services /reverse logistics services
• Customer negotiations and pricing

Related Job Descriptions

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How to Write a Job Description — Best Practices & Examples (2024 Update)

Do you want to know how to write a job description? We are confident this report can help guide you. Writing job descriptions is clearly a skill talent leaders want to know about.

Did you know that the #1 searched HR term on Google is (source: ahrefs.com):

“how to write a job description”

The Ongig team put together this “How to Write a Job Description – Best Practices” Guide after analyzing millions of JDs. We also hand-write JDs for many Fortune 500 companies.

In this report, we use “job descriptions” as an umbrella term. We cover both external job descriptions (commonly called job postings/job ads) and internal job descriptions.

Here’s what you’ll find in this report:

• 5 Tips on what to do BEFORE you write a job description
• The 2 most important tips on writing job titles
• How to show job location in a JD (especially now that we’re in a post-pandemic world!)
• The 6 sections to consider for the structure of a job description
• 2 best practices for what to do AFTER you write a JD
• 5 examples of the structure of a job description (the templates we show are from Disney, Instagram, Bark, Netflix, and Centene)

How to write a LinkedIn job description

• Tips on how to write an internal job description (SHRM template)

5 tips to use BEFORE you write your job description

Here are a few tips to think about BEFORE you start writing a job description:

• Put the important stuff first — think about what might catch your reader’s attention and start with that.
• Consider using 1st or 2nd person vs. 3rd person — it’s more conversational to say “we” or “you” than “the [Company]” or “the [Job Title].”
• Use active voice instead of passive voice — for example, “Tesla changes the way we drive cars” v. “People will drive cars differently because of Tesla.”
• You’ll be working on…(or you’ll be running…)
• You are…
• Can you…
• Your expertise…
• How you’ll make your mark…
• Note: Avoid the pitfall many companies make when they start their job descriptions with “About Us” (which is about the company, NOT the candidate)
• Cut down on “fluff” — candidates are overloaded with content daily. Keep your job descriptions simple. Your sentences should be punchy (8 to 13 words is ideal). Your bulleted lists should be in the 3 to 7 range. And most of your paragraphs should be 3 or fewer sentences.

If you’re writing job descriptions at scale (100+ per year), you might consider using one of The Top 7 Augmented Writing Tools for Job Descriptions . Check out the below screenshot of Ongig’s Text Analyzer analyzing a Customer Success Manager job description. The red highlights extra-long sentences, yellow highlights long sentences, and purple highlights long lists.

How to write the job title for your job description (2 tips)

To write a great job description requires writing a great job title. That’s because job titles are the first thing candidates see on a job description. It’s also a key part of what they search for on Google.

1. Make your job titles searchable

Use a title that candidates search for on Google. Ongig’s Text Analyzer software scores job titles on the number of words or syllables and helps answer what candidates are searching for.

Here’s an example of SEO-optimized job title suggestions for a Marketing Specialist job description:

“Marketing Coordinator” and “Marketing Analyst” jobs are searched more per month on Google than Marketing Specialist, according to Ongig’s research (with the help of search engine optimization tools like Google Keyword Planner and ahrefs.com ).

So, choosing one of these 2 job titles to write your marketing job descriptions might be a better choice.

Here’s another example. The below job description is for a “Human Resources Generalist.” There are 4 job titles searched more than “Human Resources Generalist.”

Here’s another example of a job title suggestion for a Senior Network Engineer. Our research says Network Engineer is searched on Google 7,000+ percent more than Senior Network Engineer.

Using job title suggestions to write job descriptions impacts the number of candidates you reach.

2. Keep job titles simple

Use 1 to 3 words and less than 20 syllables in your job titles. Short and punchy job titles perform better than long, cryptic ones.

Look at these two examples. The first title, ‘Principal Software Development Engineer,’ scores 63 out of 100. But if you use a simpler title like ‘Software Engineer,’ it gets a perfect score of 100 out of 100. You can also use the title ‘Web Developer’ to make it even better for search engines.

Appcast.io did an analysis from 400k+ job seekers and found that the hot spot for job titles is between 50-60 characters. The analysis showed that titles between 50-60 characters do better than other titles by 30-40%.

Caution: Don’t Try to Be Clever

You might want to use a creative or funny job title in a job description because it’s fun. But studies show that people usually don’t search for these fancy titles when looking for jobs.

“People won’t find your job ad if you use a “creative” job title like “web design wizard,” because they don’t search using that title.” source: Glassdoor

What to use for the “Location” Field in Job Descriptions [Physical or Remote]

“I don’t believe BlackRock will be ever 100% back in office. I actually believe maybe 60% or 70%, and maybe that’s a rotation of people, but I don’t believe we’ll ever have a full cadre of people in [the] office.” LARRY FINK, CEO of BlackRock Inc.

Because of COVID-19, where you can work have changed a lot. So, many companies now let employees work from home. And some also plan to keep this arrangement even after the pandemic.

Apple is downsizing their office space, and CEO Tim Cook told Business Insider the company would not “return to the way we were.”

Other companies will still have office space but might have a more hybrid approach to “location” in their job descriptions.

The Best Language to Use to Describe Location

Here’s a few examples of location language to use instead of just [City, State]:

• “Remote,” “Virtual,” “Distributed,” “Work at Home,” etc. (these are examples to use to write a job description that can be done anywhere). Fun fact: Elastic Co. was one of the first major companies to use the term “Distributed.”
• “Remote/[Name of Hub City]” — writing job descriptions for a position with a “hub” office, e.g., Remote/Austin, means that the position is virtual, but the headquarters or hub is in Austin, TX. Workday is rumored to be using this model (e.g., you can work remotely, but you must be near one of their offices/hubs).
• “Remote, Contiguous U.S.” — Instagram uses this when writing job descriptions to show candidates they can work in the 48 adjoining U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia. It excludes Alaska and Hawaii and off-shore U.S. territories like Puerto Rico.

If your company is still hiring for “in office” roles, you can stick to writing job descriptions with a simple city and state.

The 6 Main Sections to Consider for the Structure of Your Job Description

To write a job description, it helps to have an outline/structure.

Here are 6 sections to consider in order of where we recommend you place them:

1. Job description summary

A job description summary starts off by giving candidates a clear idea of the role without going into too many details yet.

Curology’s job description summary for a Communications Director (below) does this well:

Notice how Curology uses language like:

• You will have the chance to define how our brand connects…
• You will use your knowledge of the editorial space…

Here are some tips for how to create a job description summary:

• Catch candidates attention with 1 or 2 high-impact benefits (e.g., creating software that will save lives)
• Engage candidates with a question (e.g., “How would you like to work in a place where your contributions and ideas are valued?”)
• Keep it short but meaningful — CIO Magazine says you should keep your JD summary/overview to between 1 to 4 sentences, and it should:

“…include a description of the job’s major function , how it contributes to larger company objectives , and why it’s important not just to the company, but to society as a whole. 

2. Job responsibilities

If you can create a good job description, you know you have to be clear about what you want from the new employee. The list of job duties can be long, but it doesn’t have to be.

Here are a few writing job descriptions best practices for this section:

• Highlight 2-4 primary responsibilities. You can share the longer list of day-to-day tasks once you make a hire. Try picking the top things this person will do.
• Break tasks into categories like “administrative”, “technical”, and “customer interactions”

Lululemon also does this well in their job description for an Expeditor:

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities Under the direction of the Expeditor Leader, you will: Receive/Process stock received from warehouse, involving: unpack, count, fold, size and place on the floor, overflow stock placed in back room and stored areas Assist in preparing the store for the day including: replenishing garment styles and other merchandise by color, size, and quantity requirements; folding, sizing, and organizing product Ensure stock replenishment in work areas Complete other additional projects as required or by request, under the direction of the Expeditor Leader

You’ll find more tips about improving this section, and the next one, in our blog 7 Things that Will Go Extinct in Job Descriptions .

3. Requirements and qualifications

Requirements and qualifications also tends to be an extra-long section in job descriptions. Here are a couple of tips on how to write a job description without too many requirements:

• If you don’t really need years of experience, don’t make it a must-have for the job. Some companies are also hiring people based on their skills for the job, without focusing on the number of years they’ve worked.
• Did you know that many female candidates will not apply unless they meet 100% of the requirements? Be clear on the “must-haves” qualifications versus the “nice to haves”. “Must-haves” might be proficiency in a software solution, or a specific certification required to perform a job. “Nice to haves” might be previous experience in a similar role or industry.

Job Requirements Examples:

The Impact of using data to inform word choice

In different jobs and places, certain words work better than others. For example, in sales jobs, using “collaborate” is better than “interface” to attract people. But in manufacturing jobs, “teamwork” is more effective than “collaborate”. Also, in California, saying “demonstrated ability to take initiative” helps hire people faster, but in Illinois, it slows things down. So, this shows that word choices matter and can have different outcomes based on the job and location.

The way we speak affects how people understand us. And language changes over time, so what was wrong or not good to say a few months ago might be okay now. Also, different jobs and places like certain words and phrases for no clear reason. So, people looking for jobs need to keep up with these changes and use words that fit with what’s popular in their industry.

Before 2019, job ads with lots of ‘you’ statements worked well. But things have changed. Now, job ads with more ‘we’ statements are doing better. In fact, ads with three or more times as many ‘we’ statements than ‘you’ statements get filled eight days faster on average. This shows that today’s job seekers care more about a company’s culture and values when looking for a job.

4. Benefits, salary, and perks

Job seekers always want to know what’s in it for them. Listing benefits and salary information is important. You can list these all in one section or break them into different sections if you prefer.

Linkedin’s blog, This Job Description Heatmap Shows You What Candidates Really Care About (and What They Ignore) , shows salary and benefits as the “hottest” and “most helpful” parts of a JD:

Here’s what we recommend you include, no matter how you organize it:

• salary range, even if it is not 100% set (include commission % for sales roles)
• vacation policies (unlimited days or number of weeks per year)
• retirement plan offerings (401k matching)
• medical packages (health, vision, or dental plans)
• fee reimbursements (phone, gym memberships, or healthcare expenses)
• parental leave (exact time off available for new parents)
• wellness opportunities (yoga classes, on-site gym, or group sports teams)
• free training you provide

Spotify knows how to write up a job description with perks while making it fun. The job description below for a Latinx Culture Editor lists the perks of the job in a catchy way:

How to get the right people to apply for your job

To attract the right people for a job, it’s important to use positive words that show the job is a chance for people to learn and grow. So, these words, like ‘opportunity to grow’ or ‘persevere,’ encourage more applicants and also help fill job positions faster. On the other hand, words like ‘high performer’ or ‘natural ability’ can make the job seem less appealing and slow down hiring. Thus, it takes longer to fill the role.

Using phrases that highlight growth and improvement in job ads also works well. They bring in more applicants and make the hiring process faster. So, avoiding phrases that suggest skills are fixed and cannot be changed is also a good idea. Technology can also help figure out the best words to use. But overall, focusing on growth words in JDs creates a positive environment. And it also attracts candidates who want to learn and grow on the job.

How punctuation affects your job description

The way we use punctuation in job ads really matters. Before, too many exclamation points made a job ad seem unprofessional. But lots of questions engaged candidates more. Now, things have changed. Using more exclamation points is better. People like it because it shows excitement. Questions are viewed with doubt. This change might be because we communicate a lot through emails now. And emails are often informal and enthusiastic, so people respond better to exclamation points.

According to the latest data, bulleted content should account for around 25% of your JD. This balance has been found to be effective in increasing the number of applicants. It is noteworthy that this represents a decline from a few years ago, when job descriptions with nearly 40% bullet points were considered most effective.

Also, it’s important to keep sentences short in job ads. Short sentences keep people interested and help them understand better. Long sentences with too many words can be confusing and make readers lose interest. Good job ads usually have sentences with 13 to 18 words. So, avoid using too many words or very long sentences to make the job ad work well.

5. About Us (or “Mission Statement”)

This part of job descriptions is where you talk about your company and what it’s like to work there. It’s called the ‘About Us’ section. Here, you talk about your company culture and also share interesting details about what it is like to work in your team.

Here are a few tips on how to write a job description “About Us” section:

• introduce your employer brand and industry
• include the company location and/or the location of the role
• write a description about the team
• talk about the company’s mission or vision
• list fun facts or awards you’ve received as a company

Here is an About Us from the “About Peloton” section at the end of their job descriptions:

“Peloton is the largest interactive fitness platform in the world with a loyal community of more than 2.6 million Members. The company pioneered connected, technology-enabled fitness, and the streaming of immersive, instructor-led boutique classes for its Members anytime, anywhere. Peloton makes fitness entertaining, approachable, effective, and convenient, while fostering social connections that encourage its Members to be the best versions of themselves. An innovator at the nexus of fitness, technology, and media, Peloton has reinvented the fitness industry by developing a first-of-its-kind subscription platform that seamlessly combines the best equipment, proprietary networked software, and world-class streaming digital fitness and wellness content, creating a product that its Members love. The brand’s immersive content is accessible through the Peloton Bike, Peloton Tread, and Peloton App, which allows access to a full slate of fitness classes across disciplines, on any iOS or Android device, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast and Android TV. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York City, Peloton has a growing number of retail showrooms across the US, UK, Canada and Germany. For more information, visit  www.onepeloton.com. ”

Consider Using “Mission” over “About Us”

Research proves that candidates like companies with a clear mission. So, your mission statement can replace your About Us section. It’s a more modern approach compared to an About Us section without a mission.

Here’s an example of how Impossible Foods writes their mission statement in JDs. You can see how it could easily replace an About Us:

“Impossible Foods is addressing the most catastrophic threats facing humanity: climate change and biodiversity collapse. A global transition to a plant-based food system will turn back the clock on atmospheric CO2 levels, restore natural ecosystems and reverse meltdown in wildlife biomass. The easiest — if not only — way to make our civilization sustainable is to eliminate livestock, the most dangerous technology on Earth. But humans won’t give up meat. So we need to make meat better — more delicious and more nutritious, without animals as the underlying production technology. That means that making meat sustainably is the most important and urgent problem for the global scientific community. Impossible Foods’ mission is to completely replace the use of animals as a food-production technology by offering consumers everything they currently value about animal products — and making products that are vastly superior to their animal analogues.”

Rival Inc. also includes their mission statement when writing job descriptions:

“ Our Mission Thrive Global’s mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology. Recent science has shown that the pervasive belief that burnout is the price we must pay for success is a delusion. We know, instead, that when we prioritize our well-being, our decision-making, creativity, and productivity improve dramatically. Thrive Global is committed to accelerating the culture shift that allows people to reclaim their lives and move from merely surviving to thriving.”

6. EEO and Diversity Statement

Many JD templates include a standard EEO statement , but some companies go further at the end of their job descriptions with Diversity statements .

Diversity statements are often on a company website or careers page, but they’re important in job descriptions too.

Check out SAP’s simple diversity commitment:

“To harness the power of innovation, SAP invests in the development of its diverse employees. We aspire to leverage the qualities and appreciate the unique competencies that each person brings to the company.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) uses a longer hybrid EEO statement and diversity message:

The six sections we talked about in a job description are just ideas. You can also mix them up or change the order. But bear in mind that it’s best to talk about the job first and the company later.

Embracing Inclusivity in Job Postings

Using clear language about helping people in job ads helps companies hire better. It’s not just about saying everyone is treated the same; it’s also about mentioning they’ll help people with special needs. This shows they really want to include everyone and make the workplace easy to use.

When companies are clear, it tells people with disabilities they can apply without worrying. So, it makes them feel better about applying. It also shows everyone the company cares about having different kinds of people and making a helpful workplace. This can also make the company more attractive, bring in skilled workers, and create a diverse and happy workplace.

Writing Job Descriptions — AFTER You Write

Ok. You’ve written your JD. What next?

The first step is to use inclusive language in JDs. This means using words that don’t exclude or offend people based on their race, age, sexual orientation, disability, or other biases.

Remove potential bias from job descriptions

Text Analyzer has found that most JDs have exclusionary words. So, common examples include”he/she,” “blacklisting,” “digital native,” “culture fit,” and “recent graduates.”

After you’ve written all the sections in your JDs, you should (if you can afford it) run your job descriptions through a Text Analyzer to flag “exclusionary words”. Make sure that you use a Text Analyzer that explains why the term might be exclusionary and also offers inclusive synonyms.

Here’s an example of Ongig’s Text Analyzer at work. The database engineer job description below flags the phrase “brown bag sessions” and explains why it might be exclusionary. It then also presents “lunch and learns” as a more inclusive synonym.

Improve readability in job descriptions

Using simple language is crucial. It means not using short forms or complicated words that confuse people. Also, long sentences can be hard to understand. So, by keeping things clear and straightforward, more people can easily understand what the job is about. This way, job descriptions become clear and also accessible for everyone.

Here’s another example of Text Analyzer at work with this R&D Engineer job description below:

5 Examples of the structure of a job description

Job descriptions can come in different styles. It’s like using different templates or examples. For example, what you write for a sales job might look different from what you write for a tech job. Companies often use specific formats for different types of jobs. So, this helps to clearly explain what each job involves and also what they’re looking for in a candidate.

Job Description Templates

Here are some samples of job description templates used by leading companies:

Disney (Product Manager, Hulu) Job Description Example

This job description below is an example of a job at a large business unit (Hulu) within a larger parent company (Walt Disney Company).

Ongig’s Analysis

Disney chose to write the job description above using a structure of 5 main sections:

• What You’ll Do
• What to Bring
• Nice-to-Haves
• About The Walt Disney Company

Instagram (Executive Assistant) Job Description Example

The job description below is an example from Instagram who’s parent company is Facebook.

Instagram’s job description template uses these 5 main sections:

• Who you’ll work with
• Responsibilities
• Minimum Qualifications
• Preferred Qualifications
• Facebook’s mission and EEO statement

Bark (Designer) Job Description Example

Here’s a job description example from Bark, a subscription-based company for dog products.

Bark’s job description template uses these 6 main sections:

• Team Summary
• Who We’re Sniffin’ For
• Includes location and benefits info

Netflix (Support Solutions Engineer) Job Description Example

This job description below is for Netflix’s Technology Services team.

Netflix’s engineer job description template uses these 6 main sections:

• About the company
• About the team
• Position Summary
• Experience with

Centene Corporation (RN – Care Manager) Job Description Example

This job description example below is for a registered nurse in North Carolina with multiple locations.

Centene Corporation’s WellCare RN job description template uses these 4 main sections:

• North Carolina specifics
• Location/region
• Licenses/Certifications
• EEO Statement

Write job descriptions at scale

If you’re writing a large volume of job descriptions (many dozens to thousands per year), you’re likely going to want a different template for different departments or jobs. So, this way, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.

The Text Analyzer template builder feature allows you to create and store your best job description content in the tool too!

Writing LinkedIn job descriptions is different than writing JDs for your career page or other job boards. These are some things you should know about how to write a job description on LinkedIn.

You can use the same information but structure it based on LinkedIn’s job description templates.

For example, if you write a LinkedIn job description, you can leave out the About Us section, salary info, and your # of employees because it’s already listed based on your company profile.

But, to write a job description on LinkedIn, you still need to include:

• the job title
• info about the candidate (e.g., “About You” or “What you’ll do”)
• a job description summary
• a list of perks
• the EEO or diversity statement

Our blog on How to Write LinkedIn Job Descriptions goes into more detail about how you can fine-tune your company’s “About Us” section. It also shows how the salary range is estimated and how the employee count is populated.

Job description template — SHRM

Internal JDs , SHRM’s article on How to Develop a Job Description is another good resource for how to write a job description template. In this article, SHRM describes a job description as a:

“useful, plain-language tool that explains the tasks, duties, function and responsibilities of a position”

The article mentions that JDs give employees a clear resource to use as a guide for job performance, which is also used by a supervisor as a success measuring tool. So in this instance, writing “job descriptions” is more for internal use than for advertising a job.

Here’s a summary of SHRM’s steps for writing job descriptions for internal use:

• Performing a job analysis
• Establishing the essential functions
• Organizing the data concisely
• Adding a disclaimer
• Adding signature lines for approval
• finalizing the job description

Writing Job Descriptions Best Practices

Let’s summarize how to write a position description:

• Put the important stuff first
• Use 1st or 2nd person grammar
• Use an active voice
• Write about the candidate early on and often
• Make it succinct and to the point
• Consider using a JD tool, like Text Analyzer
• Make your title searchable and simple (and don’t try to be clever)
• Be specific with the job location (physical and remote) – remember there are more choices than ever
• Job Responsibilities
• Requirements and Qualifications
• Benefits, Salary and Perks
• About Us (or “Mission Statement”)
• EEO and Diversity Statment
• After writing, check for bias and readability

Creating Inclusive and Engaging Job Descriptions 

When you’re putting together a job description, you’re inviting someone into your team and work culture. Your goal? To make sure the right people—those perfect candidates—feel welcome and excited to apply. Here’s how to make your job postings stand out, welcoming everyone who reads them to throw their hat in the ring.

Speak Everyone’s Language

Firstly, using inclusive language is a must. Imagine you’re at a party where everyone’s chatting, but some folks feel left out because of the way conversations are happening. You wouldn’t want that, right? So, in your job description, choose words that make every qualified candidate feel they have a shot. This means ditching industry jargon that might confuse people or sound too stuffy. 

Also, avoid terms that lean towards a specific gender or cultural background unless they are absolutely necessary for the specific role. This approach not only broadens your pool of potential candidates. But it also shines a light on your company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Show Off Your Company Culture

Secondly, showcase your company culture. So, this is your chance to brag a bit about what makes your place awesome. Are your team members always brainstorming in cozy coffee corners? Say that! Do you have office dogs that everyone adores? Mention them! 

A well-crafted section of the job description that paints a vivid picture of the work environment helps prospective candidates see themselves as part of your team. It’s about setting clear expectations and giving a peek into the day-to-day life at your company, which can be a huge draw for the right talent.

Bring Your Words to Life

Now, for a bit of magic: multimedia elements. Imagine someone scrolling through endless search results of text-heavy job descriptions. Then, they stumble upon yours, which features a short video tour of your office or a photo collage of team events. Instantly, your open roles stand out. 

So, by incorporating videos, images, or even interactive elements, you give potential employees a real feel of your company vibe. It’s one thing to read about a dynamic work environment; it’s another to see it in action. This doesn’t just catch the candidate’s attention; it keeps it, guiding them closer to the “apply” button.

SEO and Social Media Strategies for Job Descriptions 

So, you’ve crafted the perfect job description, but there’s one problem. It’s not showing up when people search your vacant role. How do you make sure the right eyes land on it? That’s where the power duo of SEO and social media comes into play. Let’s explore how you can harness their magic to attract top talent to your open roles.

Get Friendly with Search Engines

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is how you make sure your job description stands out in a sea of search results. So, start by doing some keyword research. These are the words and phrases that potential candidates are typing into Google when they’re on the hunt for their next opportunity. So, sprinkle these keywords naturally throughout your job description. This is  especially useful in the title and headings, and watch as your listing climbs higher in the SERP.

Make Friends Online

Now, onto social media—the place where everyone hangs out these days. Think of it as your megaphone, amplifying your job postings to reach a wider audience. But it’s not just about blasting your listings; it’s about being strategic. So, share your job postings across platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. But you must tailor your message to each audience. So, use hashtags to increase visibility and tag relevant industry influencers or organizations to get your job in front of the right eyes.

Keep It Engaging

Another thing to remember is that it’s not just about getting your job postings out there. You must also make sure they’re irresistible to potential candidates. So, use action verbs and compelling language to grab their attention from the get-go. Highlight what makes your company unique and why someone would want to work there. And don’t forget to include a clear call-to-action at the end, inviting interested candidates to take the next step in the application process.

Transparency in Compensation and Benefits 

When it comes to writing a job description, being upfront about salary, benefits, and perks is a game-changer. Here’s why.

A Level Playing Field

Imagine you’re shopping for a new car, and the dealership won’t tell you the price until after you’ve taken it for a test drive. Frustrating, right? Well, it’s the same deal with job seekers. They’re on the hunt for the right fit, and part of that equation is knowing what’s on the table in terms of compensation. So, by laying it all out upfront, you level the playing field and attract candidates who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Attracting the Right Crowd

Let’s face it—money talks. When potential candidates see a clear breakdown of salary and benefits, it’s like a beacon calling out to those who are a perfect match for the role. So, you’re not just casting a wide net and hoping for the best. You’re honing in on qualified candidates who know their worth and are excited about the opportunity. Plus, being transparent about compensation can help weed out those who might not be the right fit. Thus, saving you time and energy in the long run.

Building Trust and Loyalty

Transparency breeds trust. When you’re open and honest about compensation and benefits, you show potential candidates that you value their time and expertise. So, it sets the tone for a positive relationship from the get-go. And it can also go a long way in building loyalty down the line. After all, who wouldn’t want to work for a company that’s upfront about the good stuff?

Legal Compliance and Avoiding Discriminatory Language 

You see, finding the perfect words to describe the role is only the beginning. You must also make sure those words play by the rules. Here’s a crash course in legal compliance and steering clear of discriminatory language.

Playing by the Rules

When you’re crafting a job description, keep employment laws and regulations in mind. Think of it like driving—you wouldn’t want to speed through a school zone, right? Similarly, you want to make sure your job description stays within the lines of the law. So, this means avoiding language that could be interpreted as discriminatory based on factors like race, gender, age, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic. That’s how to create a fair and inclusive environment for all potential candidates.

Keeping It Inclusive

Your job description is like the welcome mat to your company—you want everyone to feel invited. That means using language that welcomes candidates from all walks of life. So, instead of using terms that might unintentionally exclude certain groups, focus on the specific skills and qualifications needed for the role. By keeping your language clear, concise, and inclusive, you not only comply with legal requirements but also create a more welcoming atmosphere for potential candidates.

The Power of Employee Testimonials and Interactive Elements 

The voice of experience.

Imagine you’re considering trying out a new restaurant. You check out the menu, read a few reviews, but what really seals the deal? It’s when your friend raves about their amazing meal and shares their personal experience. That’s the power of employee testimonials. When potential candidates hear directly from your team members about what it’s like to work at your company, it’s like getting an insider’s look behind the scenes. So, these testimonials offer a genuine insight into the company culture, the team dynamics. It also shows what it takes to succeed in the role.

Bringing It to Life

Now, let’s talk about interactive elements. We’re living in a digital age, where scrolling through endless job postings can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But what if your job description stood out from the crowd? Enter interactive elements—videos, quizzes, virtual tours, you name it. These elements bring your job description to life, giving potential candidates a taste of what it’s like to work at your company. So, whether it’s a virtual walk-through of your office space or a day-in-the-life video showcasing the role, these interactive elements offer a more immersive experience.

Evaluating and Updating Your Job Descriptions Regularly 

Here’s why regularly reviewing and updating your job descriptions is a recipe for success.

Keeping Up with the Times

Picture this: You wrote a killer job description a year ago. But since then, your team has evolved, your company has grown, and the role itself has shifted. Sound familiar? That’s why it’s crucial to regularly review and update your job descriptions to ensure they accurately reflect the role’s current needs. So, maybe there are new technologies or skills that are now essential for the job. Maybe the team dynamic has changed, and you need someone with a slightly different set of skills. Whatever the case, taking the time to evaluate and update your job descriptions ensures they stay relevant and effective.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Are you tracking the effectiveness of your job descriptions? There are a few ways you can do this. You can track metrics like the number of views, clicks, and applications your job postings receive. You can also ask candidates how they found out about the job and what attracted them to apply. This feedback can help you understand what’s working and what’s not, so you can make adjustments accordingly. It’s all about continuous improvement, making small tweaks here and there to ensure your job descriptions are hitting the mark.

Why I wrote this?

Ongig’s mission is to make job descriptions better online, whether they’re on your company’s site, job boards, or LinkedIn. We aim to change how job info is shown, making it interesting for job seekers. So, by improving job descriptions, we help companies connect with the right candidates. Our goal is to create job posts that are not just informative but also exciting, benefiting both employers and job seekers in finding the right fit. Check out our  Text Analyzer job description writing software  if you’d like to learn more.

• How to Develop a Job Description (by SHRM)
• 5 Best Practices for Writing Great Job Descriptions (by Glassdoor)
• How to Write a Job Description (by Indeed)
• 10 tips for crafting highly effective job descriptions (by Sharon Florentine)
• Long Job Descriptions and Titles Can Hurt You. And So Can Short Ones (by Chris Forman)

March 21, 2024 by Heather Barbour in Job Descriptions

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Job Description for a Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans

Are you in the process of writing the job description section of your business plan? Or you need a sample job description template? Then I advice you read on. Here, you drive home the point that not only do you know what you are doing or where you are going, but that you have the right mix of talent and experience to actually make it all happen.

You will need to highlight key members of your management team ( which may be only you for the time being ) as well as external service providers such as lawyers, accountants, and contract professionals. Also, include your advisors or board members ( if you have any ) as well as the positions you will be looking to hire in the near future.

While planning your business, one of the most important steps that you shouldn’t skip is writing a job description for every position that you are planning to hire an employee for. This may not be important if you have no plans to hire employees.

A job description is an important tool for hiring and managing your employees, as it helps them understand their roles and responsibilities even before they start working with you. It tells them what they need to do, how they need to do it, and what they will be held accountable for as soon as they assume their duties. It also reveal to investors who-is-who in your proposed or established business. In addition, a job description does the following:

4 Benefits of a Job Description in a Business Plan

• It helps you attract the right employees
• It gives a detailed description of an employee’s job or position
• It serves as a basis for outlining performance expectations, career advancement, job training, and job evaluation
• It provides a reference point for compensation decisions as well as unfair hiring practices

Writing a Job Description for a Business Plan – Sample Template

A job description should be clearly written, accurate, and very practical. It must effectively define your needs as well as what you expect from your employees. To write a good job description, you should start by analyzing the important facts about a job, such as:

The individual tasks involved

What are the tasks that the employee must complete on a periodic basis? Outline daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, and quarterly tasks required of the employee. To be practical enough, outline the duration and requirements of each task as well.

The methods for completing each task

If the tasks outlined can be handled using more than one method, outline which methods you can afford to provide your employee (but for optimal employee efficiency, make provisions for the best method available).

The purpose and responsibilities of the job

Outline how the role played by the chosen candidate would contribute to the business. Also, outline what the employee would be held accountable for.

The relationship of the job to other jobs

Outline how the chosen employee would work with other employees within the company.

Qualifications needed for the job

Outline the relevant qualifications that each candidate must have. Also state the number of years for which the candidate must have gained working experience in the same position.

The Outline of a Job Description

A job description typically includes the following:

• Job objective or overall purpose statement
• Brief of the general nature and level of the job
• Detailed description of the wide scope of the position
• List of duties or tasks to be performed that are critical to success
• Key functional and relational responsibilities (listed in order of significance)
• Description of the relationships and roles within the company, including the supervisory roles, subordinating roles, and other working relationships

In addition to the above listed, the following items may be added to the job description if deemed necessary:

• Job requirements, standards, and specifications
• Job location where the work will be performed
• Equipments available to be used for the job
• Salary range

5 Tips to Note When Writing a Job Description

• Always use verbs in the present tense.
• For the purpose of clarity and adding meaning, use explanatory sentences telling why, how, where, or how often whenever necessary.
• Delete any unnecessary articles such as “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” or other stop words to make the description easy to read and understand.
• Be unbiased in your use of pronouns. Use the “ he/she ” approach or construct your sentences in such a way that you won’t have to use pronouns.
• Avoid the use of adverbs or adjectives that are subject to additional explanation and interpretation; such as some, complex, several, occasional, frequently, etc. Rather than use them, use clear sentences that define your intent.

What to Avoid When Writing a Job Description

Don’t be rigid with your job description, as this may make you miss out on many diligent employees who can become great assets to your business. Jobs are subject to change for personal improvement, organizational development, and evolution of new technologies. A flexible job description encourages employees to grow within their position and contribute over time to the growth and development of your business.

In conclusion , a well-written job description can make all the difference between a successful business that grows over the years and one that remains on the same spot after several years. The right employees, if chosen for your business, can help propel your business to great heights within a short period. Only with a good job description can you hire such.

• <a title="Legal Structure of a Business Plan" Go to Chapter 8 Part E: Planning your Business Legal Structure
• <a title="How to Plan Your Business Goals and Objectives" Go Back to Chapter 8 Part C: Writing your Business Plan Goals and Objectives
• <a title="Business Plan Executive Summary" Go Back to Chapter 7: Business Plan Executive Summary
• <a title="The Beginner’s Guide to Writing a Good Business Plan" Go Back to Introduction and Table of Content

Related Posts:

• 9 Most Important Elements & Components of a Business Plan
• 10 Reasons Why Business Plan Pro Software is the Best
• SWOT Analysis Report for Business Plan [Sample Template]
• What Should an Entrepreneur Do After Creating a Business Plan
• 20 Best Books on How to Write a Business Plan

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Job Descriptions

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15+ manager job description templates.

The structure of an organization can tell how hard it is to manage departments with different people involved in the business processes that are done by a specific company every day. There are a lot of things to be considered before making any move and before coming up to a final decision that will be used as a specific course of action. You may also see job description templates.

• Job Description Templates
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Restaurant Marketing Manager Job Description Template

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Kitchen Manager Job Description Template

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Marketing Manager Job Description Sample

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Business Development Manager Job Description

1. The Nature of Being a Manager

• Identify whether a subordinate is doing his or her job well or if that person is fit for the work that he or she is tasked to do.
• Make sure that needed reports for the department are submitted and well kept.
• Assure the smooth flow of the department works and transactions.
• Know the functions of the department.
• Keep a professional workplace for all his or her handled employees.
• Create an improvement plan for the processes that need one.
• Assure that all customer or guests inquiries or complaints are answered in a professional manner.

HR Manager Job Description Sample

Account Manager Job Description Template

Product Manager Job Description Sample

Bank Manager Job Description Template

Contract Manager Job Description Sample

Administration Manager Job Description

2. Importance of Having a Manager

• A manager can decide on important matters considering the situation and how it can affect the processes and regulations of the company.
• In any case, there would be something wrong that is to happen, there would be someone who can have full control of action plans .
• The team needs someone who can support them especially at times when they are confused about work processes and other conditions.

3. How Can I Be A Manager?

• An exemplary work record whose nature of work is related to the functions of the department that you will be holding.
• Ability to build rapport with people especially guests, your subordinates, and other managers from different departments.
• Should at least have a supervisory or managerial experience.
• Knowledge of the processes used by the business that is required to be done every day.

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