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Business Plan Table of Contents

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• May 10, 2024

Looking for how & why to write a business plan table of contents ? Well, a nicely written TOC is essential for guiding readers through your plan and highlighting key sections.

It also enhances the overall professionalism and readability by setting the tone for the whole plan later. Let’s explore the sample table of contents along with the pros of adding TOC to the plan.

Why include a Business Plan Table of Contents?

A table of contents serves as the outline of a business plan. It assists the reader in navigating through the document and is placed at the beginning of a business plan. This helps the reader effortlessly find and browse through the topics that interest them.

It includes all the major sections and subcategories of a business plan. The sections are arranged logically with page numbers. And it usually precedes the executive summary.

Sample Business Plan Table of Contents

Presenting the sample business plan table of contents—your perfect partner in creating a well-organized plan. It is necessary to highlight all the necessary areas of the plan.

From below, you can even use the business plan template! It is ready for you to customize according to your needs along with the TOC!

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement
• Purpose and Values
• Problem Identification
• Problem Statement
• Industry Analysis
• Product & Service Overview
• Product & Service Specifications
• Product & Service Benefits and USPs
• Available Substitutes
• Competitive Overview
• Direct and Indirect Competitors
• SWOT Analysis
• Competitive Position
• Market Share Analysis
• Barriers to Entry
• Market Overview
• Market Size
• Market Segmentation
• Ideal Customer Profile
• Sales & Marketing Objectives
• Pricing Strategies
• Promotion Strategies
• Site Location
• Staffing and Training
• Resource Allocation
• Purchasing Process
• Production Process
• Quality Control Metrics
• Customer Service
• Key Management
• Board of Directors
• Board of Advisors
• Financial Overview
• Business Model
• Financial Projections
• Marketing and Personnel Expenses
• Funding Requirements
• Terms of Investment
• Exit Strategy

Benefits of Adding a Business Plan Table of Contents

A table of contents is an extremely important part of any formal document, let alone a business plan. It is the most commonly found aspect in every large format document, from books to magazines to business plans. Let’s see the benefits of a business plan table of contents:

1. Acts as an introduction

The table of contents is placed before all the sections of a business plan. This will help the reader get a good look at the contents before diving into the details. Primarily, it introduces the reader to your business plan. This can get readers interested and excited to read more.

2. Gives an overview of the scope

A table of contents further enables the reader to judge the scope of your business idea. To mirror the exact essence of your business plan, the table of contents should be crafted carefully.

Whether it’s an investor or another company you wish to partner with, any formal entity interested in your business skims through your table of contents. Hence, it is wise to convey exactly what you intend to.

3. Displays attention to detail

While creating a table of contents, you include not only the major sections of your business plan but also the subsections. These subsections will convey that you have paid attention to the smallest of things while drafting your business. This indirectly sends a message that you are serious about your business ventures.

4. Provides easier navigation

This is an obvious but very significant advantage of a table of contents. Incorporating it into your business plan will add a navigational aspect to your document. Regardless if it’s a physical document or an e-document, a table of contents will help the reader go to any specific section they want.

In the case of an e-document, you can include links to the pages. So the reader can go to a particular section by clicking on the page numbers.

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Build Trust in your Business with a Table of Contents

Writing a table of contents for your business plan is a subtle yet powerful way to captivate your potential investors or business partners. It is essentially a summary of the document that acts as a roadmap for your business activities.

So, whether you’re a new business seeking funding or an established business looking to refine your strategy, investing time in creating a thoughtful table of contents is a wise choice.

You can smoothen the process with the help of business planning software and get guidance for each step. So, all the very best!

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About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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4 Examples of Business Plan Table of Contents

March 20 |  0 comments

Written by   Peter Keszegh

When crafting a lengthy business plan, it’s best to create a table of contents that can serve as the backbone for your business blueprint. This will allow you to guide readers and potential investors from beginning to end, allowing them to find what exactly they need to know about your business proposal in a convenient way.

In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to structure your business plan table of contents and provide you with a few examples to help you get started.

What’s a business plan table of contents?

A business plan table of contents is an outline of all the relevant sections listed in your business plan. It’s more than just a simple list; it’s also the first impression you’ll be giving to potential investors , which is why it’s important to make sure your table of contents is well-written and detailed from the get-go.

The business plan table of contents will immediately show what your business is all about, and will give readers an overview of relevant subsections and other aspects of your proposal.

A roadmap to your business strategy

Your business plan table of contents is an overview of all the relevant parts of your overall business strategy . This will make it easier for readers and potential investors to identify the key elements to how you plan to run your business.

Saves time for busy readers

In today’s busy world, time is money. Don’t waste the time of potential investors by giving them a business plan that’s difficult to get through. A good business plan table of contents should save readers time and provide them a detailed outline of your proposal from the start.

Reflects your attention to detail

If you put a lot of thought into making your business plan table of contents detailed, that’s a testament to how meticulous you are as an entrepreneur and how well you handle business strategies and finances. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone!

Enhances readability and professionalism

If you have a business plan table of contents that’s easy to read and concisely written, that shows potential investors that you know your business plan inside and out , and understand your vision well enough to write it all down in simple terms. It’s a good look for professionalism!

Ultimately, a good table of contents all comes down to getting your business vision across in the most effective way possible, and leaving an impact on potential investors. This document should spell out why these investors should believe in your vision for the future.

Sections to include in your business plan

It’s important to make sure you nail down all the important details in your business plan. Here are some sections you should consider including in your own plans:

Executive summary

An executive summary is exactly that – a glimpse into what your business is all about. Here, you should state your business mission statement, what products and services you’re offering, your leadership team and its employees, and where relevant stakeholders can find you.

It’s also important to mention what your business goals are and the financing you’ll need to achieve those objectives.

Company description

This section will provide readers with a more detailed look into your business. Here, you should describe what your business does, the market needs you address, and the impact of your products or services on the existing market.

Emphasize what sets your business apart from others and explicitly mention the competitive advantages you have.This section will be dedicated to a more extensive look into your business.

Market analysis

In this section, you’ll have to show potential investors that you have a deep understanding of your market, competitors, and overall industry. Write about your target market and its demographics and needs , as well as areas for potential growth . You can use case studies and statistics to illustrate your arguments.

Organization and management

Investors need to know your business’ organizational framework , as well as who your team managers and members are. Make sure to provide biographies of relevant team members that include their current duties and responsibilities , as well as how they contribute to larger organizational goals.

Services or products

Let investors know the products you’re selling or the services you’re providing. This section should give them an idea of the life cycles of your products as well as the research and development activities your business is investing in for future products and services.

Marketing and sales

This section should discuss your business strategies in attracting customers and keeping them . Outline your marketing and sales plans and give investors an idea of what your brand messaging and advertising strategies are.

Funding request

If you’ll be needing additional funds from external financing and investments , you should also include this in your business plan. Make sure to mention how much money you’ll be needing and how you’ll be using them , and whether you plan to source them via loans, grants, or other means . Include specific timeframes as well.

Financial projections

A business plan should also include financial forecasts to show potential investors the business’ profitability. Prepare an income statement, cash flow forecasts, and a balance sheet. It’s also good to provide a break-even analysis to determine the period when your business is likely to become profitable.

The appendix is where you should include all supporting documents or materials mentioned earlier on in your business plan. These may include resumes, permits, lease agreements, legal documents, and any other relevant files.

Consider each section of your business plan as a building block that will shape your overall vision, to make it attractive and easy to understand for investors. By working on these sections, you’ll be able to create a well-prepared document that reflects the true potential of your business.

Business plan table of contents examples

A clear and concise business plan table of contents is a great tool that will help entrepreneurs from all kinds of industries.

Here are four examples:

Standard business plan table of contents

You can opt to use a standard structure for your business plan table of contents. This format is good for any industry, and gives your potential investors a simple but powerful look into what your business is all about.

Executive Summary

Business concept and vision

Financial features and requirements

Current business position and major achievements

Company Description

Business formation history and milestones

Location and facilities

Mission statement and core values

Market Analysis

Industry background

Market needs and trends

Target market and customer profile

Organization and Management

Organizational structure chart

Management team bios

Legal and ownership structure

Products or Services

Detailed description of products or services

Development status and R&D activities

Sourcing and fulfillment

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Market penetration and growth strategy

Sales strategy and forecast

Communication channels

Funding Request

Current funding requirements

Future funding requirements over five years

Proposed terms and use of funds

Financial Projections

Income statements and cash flow statements

Balance sheets

Break-even analysis

Resumes of key managers

Legal documents

Any other relevant documents

Tech startup business plan table of contents

If you’re running a tech startup or looking to create an innovative product that will disrupt the market, you may want to tailor your business plan to highlight these. This kind of table of contents will emphasize your startup’s vision, how you plan to develop your products, and your user acquisition strategies.

Startup vision and quick growth plan

Unique value proposition

Company Overview

Founding story

Technology and innovation edge

Market Validation

Proof of concept results

Customer feedback and market demand

Product Roadmap

Current product offerings

Future development pipeline

User Acquisition and Marketing

Digital marketing strategy

Partnership and network growth plans

Operational Plan

Day-to-day operational details

Supplier and partner relationships

Management Team

Founders and key team members

Advisory board

Financial Plan

Revenue model and projections

Funding history and future rounds

Technical specifications

Patent details

Any additional supporting information

Service industry business plan table of contents

If you're working in the service industry, make sure your business plan table of contents clearly outlines your daily operations and workflows, your customer engagement strategies, and quality control measures.

Service offerings and key benefits

Summary of financial objectives

Business Description

Background and development

Service delivery process

Market Analysis and Strategy

Competitive landscape

Pricing and sales strategy

Customer Engagement

Customer service approach

Loyalty and retention programs

Operational Workflow

Service fulfillment logistics

Quality control measures

Management and Staffing

Organizational chart

Hiring and training plans

Financial Overview

Cost structure and profitability analysis

Funding requirements and strategy

Client testimonials

Key contracts and agreements

Retail business plan table of contents

If you’re working in retail, it’s ideal to highlight your strategies for inventory management, customer relations, and sales. This will give potential investors a clear look into how you plan to run your retail business.

Overview of business concept

Financial features

Current market position

History and vision

Unique value proposition in the retail industry

Detailed examination of target market

Customer demographics

Overview of competitive landscape

Product Line and Services

Description of products

Inventory sourcing strategies

Additional services offered

Marketing Strategy

Advertising strategies

Customer loyalty programs

Operations Plan

Daily operations

Location details

Supplier agreements

Management and Organization

Structure of the business

Profiles of management team

Employee roles

Sales Strategy

Sales forecast

Pricing strategy

Sales channels (in-store and online)

Detailed financial projections including profit and loss

Cash flow statement

Resumes of key staff

Detailed market research

Letters of intent from suppliers

All in all, it’s good to make sure your business plan table of contents lays out all the important details your investors need to know, depending on what industry you’re in. Make sure your table of contents has everything others need to know about your business, and that it’s complete and easy to understand.

Final thoughts: Business plan table of contents

When you’re creating a detailed and well-structured business plan table of contents, you’re a step closer to realizing your business ambitions. Remember that your business plan is what’ll give you a strong case and make you look good to investors, so it’s ideal that you promote your vision in the best way possible.

Once you’ve created a solid business plan, you can ensure that you’ll be on your way to career development, business growth, and meaningful success.

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How to Write a Business Plan (Plus Examples & Templates)

May 24, 2021

Have you ever wondered how to write a business plan step by step? Mike Andes, told us: 

This guide will help you write a business plan to impress investors.

Throughout this process, we’ll get information from Mike Andes, who started Augusta Lawn Care Services when he was 12 and turned it into a franchise with over 90 locations. He has gone on to help others learn how to write business plans and start businesses.  He knows a thing or two about writing  business plans!

We’ll start by discussing the definition of a business plan. Then we’ll discuss how to come up with the idea, how to do the market research, and then the important elements in the business plan format. Keep reading to start your journey!

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan is simply a road map of what you are trying to achieve with your business and how you will go about achieving it. It should cover all elements of your business including: 

• Finding customers
• Plans for developing a team
•  Competition
• Legal structures
• Key milestones you are pursuing

If you aren’t quite ready to create a business plan, consider starting by reading our business startup guide .

Get a Business Idea

Before you can write a business plan, you have to have a business idea. You may see a problem that needs to be solved and have an idea how to solve it, or you might start by evaluating your interests and skills. 

Mike told us, “The three things I suggest asking yourself when thinking about starting a business are:

• What am I good at?
• What would I enjoy doing?
• What can I get paid for?”

If all three of these questions don’t lead to at least one common answer, it will probably be a much harder road to success. Either there is not much market for it, you won’t be good at it, or you won’t enjoy doing it. 

As Mike told us, “There’s enough stress starting and running a business that if you don’t like it or aren’t good at it, it’s hard to succeed.”

If you’d like to hear more about Mike’s approach to starting a business, check out our YouTube video

Conduct Market Analysis

Market analysis is focused on establishing if there is a target market for your products and services, how large the target market is, and identifying the demographics of people or businesses that would be interested in the product or service. The goal here is to establish how much money your business concept can make.

Product and Service Demand

A search engine is your best friend when trying to figure out if there is demand for your products and services. Personally, I love using presearch.org because it lets you directly search on a ton of different platforms including Google, Youtube, Twitter, and more. Check out the screenshot for the full list of search options.

With quick web searches, you can find out how many competitors you have, look through their reviews, and see if there are common complaints about the competitors. Bad reviews are a great place to find opportunities to offer better products or services. 

If there are no similar products or services, you may have stumbled upon something new, or there may just be no demand for it. To find out, go talk to your most honest friend about the idea and see what they think. If they tell you it’s dumb or stare at you vacantly, there’s probably no market for it.

You can also conduct a survey through social media to get public opinion on your idea. Using Facebook Business Manager , you could get a feel for who would be interested in your product or service.

 I ran a quick test of how many people between 18-65  you could reach in the U.S. during a week. It returned an estimated 700-2,000 for the total number of leads, which is enough to do a fairly accurate statistical analysis.

Identify Demographics of Target Market

Depending on what type of business you want to run, your target market will be different. The narrower the demographic, the fewer potential customers you’ll have. If you did a survey, you’ll be able to use that data to help define your target audience. Some considerations you’ll want to consider are:

• Other Interests
• Marital Status
• Do they have kids?

Once you have this information, it can help you narrow down your options for location and help define your marketing further. One resource that Mike recommended using is the Census Bureau’s Quick Facts Map . He told us,  

“It helps you quickly evaluate what the best areas are for your business to be located.”

• How to Write a Business Plan

Now that you’ve developed your idea a little and established there is a market for it, you can begin writing a business plan. Getting started is easier with the business plan template we created for you to download. I strongly recommend using it as it is updated to make it easier to create an action plan. 

Each of the following should be a section of your business plan:

• Business Plan Cover Page
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Description of Products and Services

SWOT Analysis

• Competitor Data
• Competitive Analysis
• Marketing Expenses Strategy 

Pricing Strategy

• Distribution Channel Assessment
• Operational Plan
• Management and Organizational Strategy
• Financial Statements and/or Financial Projections

We’ll look into each of these. Don’t forget to download our free business plan template (mentioned just above) so you can follow along as we go. 

How to Write a Business Plan Step 1. Create a Cover Page

The first thing investors will see is the cover page for your business plan. Make sure it looks professional. A great cover page shows that you think about first impressions.

A good business plan should have the following elements on a cover page:

• Professionally designed logo
• Company name
• Mission or Vision Statement
• Contact Info

Basically, think of a cover page for your business plan like a giant business card. It is meant to capture people’s attention but be quickly processed.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 2. Create a Table of Contents

Most people are busy enough that they don’t have a lot of time. Providing a table of contents makes it easy for them to find the pages of your plan that are meaningful to them.

A table of contents will be immediately after the cover page, but you can include it after the executive summary. Including the table of contents immediately after the executive summary will help investors know what section of your business plan they want to review more thoroughly.

Check out Canva’s article about creating a  table of contents . It has a ton of great information about creating easy access to each section of your business plan. Just remember that you’ll want to use different strategies for digital and hard copy business plans.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 3. Write an Executive Summary

An executive summary is where your business plan should catch the readers interest.  It doesn’t need to be long, but should be quick and easy to read.

Mike told us,

How long should an executive summary bein an informal business plan?

For casual use, an executive summary should be similar to an elevator pitch, no more than 150-160 words, just enough to get them interested and wanting more. Indeed has a great article on elevator pitches .  This can also be used for the content of emails to get readers’ attention.

It consists of three basic parts:

• An introduction to you and your business.
• What your business is about.
• A call to action

Example of an informal executive summary 

One of the best elevator pitches I’ve used is:

So far that pitch has achieved a 100% success rate in getting partnerships for the business.

What should I include in an executive summary for investors?

Investors are going to need a more detailed executive summary if you want to secure financing or sell equity. The executive summary should be a brief overview of your entire business plan and include:

• Introduction of yourself and company.
• An origin story (Recognition of a problem and how you came to solution)
• An introduction to your products or services.
• Your unique value proposition. Make sure to include intellectual property.
• Where you are in the business life cycle
• Request and why you need it.

Successful business plan examples

The owner of Urbanity told us he spent 2 months writing a 75-page business plan and received a $250,000 loan from the bank when he was 23. Make your business plan as detailed as possible when looking for financing. We’ve provided a template to help you prepare the portions of a business plan that banks expect.

Here’s the interview with the owner of Urbanity:

When to write an executive summary?

Even though the summary is near the beginning of a business plan, you should write it after you complete the rest of a business plan. You can’t talk about revenue, profits, and expected expenditures if you haven’t done the market research and created a financial plan.

What mistakes do people make when writing an executive summary?

Business owners commonly go into too much detail about the following items in an executive summary:

• Marketing and sales processes
• Financial statements
• Organizational structure
• Market analysis

These are things that people will want to know later, but they don’t hook the reader. They won’t spark interest in your small business, but they’ll close the deal.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 4. Company Description

Every business plan should include a company description. A great business plan will include the following elements while describing the company:

• Mission statement
• Philosophy and vision
• Company goals

Target market

• Legal structure

Let’s take a look at what each section includes in a good business plan.

Mission Statement

A mission statement is a brief explanation of why you started the company and what the company’s main focus is. It should be no more than one or two sentences. Check out HubSpot’s article 27 Inspiring Mission Statement for a great read on informative and inspiring mission and vision statements. 

Company Philosophy and Vision

The company philosophy is what drives your company. You’ll normally hear them called core values.  These are the building blocks that make your company different. You want to communicate your values to customers, business owners, and investors as often as possible to build a company culture, but make sure to back them up.

What makes your company different?

Each company is different. Your new business should rise above the standard company lines of honesty, integrity, fun, innovation, and community when communicating your business values. The standard answers are corporate jargon and lack authenticity. 

Examples of core values

One of my clients decided to add a core values page to their website. As a tech company they emphasized the values:

•  Prioritize communication.
•  Never stop learning.
•  Be transparent.
•  Start small and grow incrementally.

These values communicate how the owner and the rest of the company operate. They also show a value proposition and competitive advantage because they specifically focus on delivering business value from the start. These values also genuinely show what the company is about and customers recognize the sincerity. Indeed has a great blog about how to identify your core values .

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement communicate the long lasting change a business pursues. The vision helps investors and customers understand what your company is trying to accomplish. The vision statement goes beyond a mission statement to provide something meaningful to the community, customer’s lives, or even the world.

Example vision statements

The Alzheimer’s Association is a great example of a vision statement:

A world without Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia.

It clearly tells how they want to change the world. A world without Alzheimers might be unachievable, but that means they always have room for improvement.

Business Goals

You have to measure success against goals for a business plan to be meaningful. A business plan helps guide a company similar to how your GPS provides a road map to your favorite travel destination. A goal to make as much money as possible is not inspirational and sounds greedy.

Sure, business owners want to increase their profits and improve customer service, but they need to present an overview of what they consider success. The goals should help everyone prioritize their work.

How far in advance should a business plan?

Business planning should be done at least one year in advance, but many banks and investors prefer three to five year business plans. Longer plans show investors that the management team  understands the market and knows the business is operating in a constantly shifting market. In addition, a plan helps businesses to adjust to changes because they have already considered how to handle them.

Example of great business goals

My all time-favorite long-term company goals are included in Tesla’s Master Plan, Part Deux . These goals were written in 2016 and drive the company’s decisions through 2026. They are the reason that investors are so forgiving when Elon Musk continually fails to meet his quarterly and annual goals.

If the progress aligns with the business plan investors are likely to continue to believe in the company. Just make sure the goals are reasonable or you’ll be discredited (unless you’re Elon Musk).

You did target market research before creating a business plan. Now it’s time to add it to the plan so others understand what your ideal customer looks like. As a new business owner, you may not be considered an expert in your field yet, so document everything. Make sure the references you use are from respectable sources. 

Use information from the specific lender when you are applying for lending. Most lenders provide industry research reports and using their data can strengthen the position of your business plan.

A small business plan should include a section on the external environment. Understanding the industry is crucial because we don’t plan a business in a vacuum. Make sure to research the industry trends, competitors, and forecasts. I personally prefer IBIS World for my business research. Make sure to answer questions like:

• What is the industry outlook long-term and short-term?
• How will your business take advantage of projected industry changes and trends?
• What might happen to your competitors and how will your business successfully compete?

Industry resources

Some helpful resources to help you establish more about your industry are:

• Trade Associations
• Federal Reserve
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

Legal Structure

There are five basic types of legal structures that most people will utilize:

• Sole proprietorships
• Limited Liability Companies (LLC)

Partnerships

Corporations.

• Franchises.

Each business structure has their pros and cons. An LLC is the most common legal structure due to its protection of personal assets and ease of setting up. Make sure to specify how ownership is divided and what roles each owner plays when you have more than one business owner.

You’ll have to decide which structure is best for you, but we’ve gathered information on each to make it easier.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is the easiest legal structure to set up but doesn’t protect the owner’s personal assets from legal issues. That means if something goes wrong, you could lose both your company and your home.

To start a sole proprietorship, fill out a special tax form called a  Schedule C . Sole proprietors can also join the American Independent Business Alliance .

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

An LLC is the most common business structure used in the United States because an LLC protects the owner’s personal assets. It’s similar to partnerships and corporations, but can be a single-member LLC in most states. An LLC requires a document called an operating agreement.

Each state has different requirements. Here’s a link to find your state’s requirements . Delaware and Nevada are common states to file an LLC because they are really business-friendly. Here’s a blog on the top 10 states to get an LLC.

Partnerships are typically for legal firms. If you choose to use a partnership choose a Limited Liability Partnership. Alternatively, you can just use an LLC.

Corporations are typically for massive organizations. Corporations have taxes on both corporate and income tax so unless you plan on selling stock, you are better off considering an LLC with S-Corp status . Investopedia has good information corporations here .

There are several opportunities to purchase successful franchises. TopFranchise.com has a list of companies in a variety of industries that offer franchise opportunities. This makes it where an entrepreneur can benefit from the reputation of an established business that has already worked out many of the kinks of starting from scratch.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 5. Products and Services

This section of the business plan should focus on what you sell, how you source it, and how you sell it. You should include:

• Unique features that differentiate your business products from competitors
• Intellectual property
• Your supply chain
• Cost and pricing structure 

Questions to answer about your products and services

Mike gave us a list  of the most important questions to answer about your product and services:

• How will you be selling the product? (in person, ecommerce, wholesale, direct to consumer)?
• How do you let them know they need a product?
• How do you communicate the message?
• How will you do transactions?
• How much will you be selling it for?
• How many do you think you’ll sell and why?

Make sure to use the worksheet on our business plan template .

How to Write a Business Plan Step 6. Sales and Marketing Plan

The marketing and sales plan is focused on the strategy to bring awareness to your company and guides how you will get the product to the consumer.  It should contain the following sections:

SWOT Analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Not only do you want to identify them, but you also want to document how the business plans to deal with them.

Business owners need to do a thorough job documenting how their service or product stacks up against the competition.

If proper research isn’t done, investors will be able to tell that the owner hasn’t researched the competition and is less likely to believe that the team can protect its service from threats by the more well-established competition. This is one of the most common parts of a presentation that trips up business owners presenting on Shark Tank .

SWOT Examples

Examples of strengths and weaknesses could be things like the lack of cash flow, intellectual property ownership, high costs of suppliers, and customers’ expectations on shipping times.

Opportunities could be ways to capitalize on your strengths or improve your weaknesses, but may also be gaps in the industry. This includes:

• Adding offerings that fit with your current small business
• Increase sales to current customers
• Reducing costs through bulk ordering
• Finding ways to reduce inventory
•  And other areas you can improve

Threats will normally come from outside of the company but could also be things like losing a key member of the team. Threats normally come from competition, regulations, taxes, and unforeseen events.

The management team should use the SWOT analysis to guide other areas of business planning, but it absolutely has to be done before a business owner starts marketing. 

Include Competitor Data in Your Business Plan

When you plan a business, taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the competition is key to navigating the field. Providing an overview of your competition and where they are headed shows that you are invested in understanding the industry.

For smaller businesses, you’ll want to search both the company and the owners names to see what they are working on. For publicly held corporations, you can find their quarterly and annual reports on the SEC website .

What another business plans to do can impact your business. Make sure to include things that might make it attractive for bigger companies to outsource to a small business.

Marketing Strategy

The marketing and sales part of business plans should be focused on how you are going to make potential customers aware of your business and then sell to them.

If you haven’t already included it, Mike recommends:

“They’ll want to know about Demographics, ages, and wealth of your target market.”

Make sure to include the Total addressable market .  The term refers to the value if you captured 100% of the market.

Advertising Strategy

You’ll explain what formats of advertising you’ll be using. Some possibilities are:

• Online: Facebook and Google are the big names to work with here.
• Print : Print can be used to reach broad groups or targeted markets. Check out this for tips .
• Radio : iHeartMedia is one of the best ways to advertise on the radio
• Cable television : High priced, hard to measure ROI, but here’s an explanation of the process
• Billboards: Attracting customers with billboards can be beneficial in high traffic areas.

You’ll want to define how you’ll be using each including frequency, duration, and cost. If you have the materials already created, including pictures or links to the marketing to show creative assets.

Mike told us “Most businesses are marketing digitally now due to Covid, but that’s not always the right answer.”

Make sure the marketing strategy will help team members or external marketing agencies stay within the brand guidelines .

This section of a business plan should be focused on pricing. There are a ton of pricing strategies that may work for different business plans. Which one will work for you depends on what kind of a business you run.

Some common pricing strategies are:

• Value-based pricing – Commonly used with home buying and selling or other products that are status symbols.
• Skimming pricing – Commonly seen in video game consoles, price starts off high to recoup expenses quickly, then reduces over time.
• Competition-based pricing – Pricing based on competitors’ pricing is commonly seen at gas stations.
• Freemium services –  Commonly used for software, where there is a free plan, then purchase options for more functionality.

HubSpot has a great calculator and blog on pricing strategies.

Beyond explaining what strategy your business plans to use, you should include references for how you came to this pricing strategy and how it will impact your cash flow.

Distribution Plan

This part of a business plan is focused on how the product or service is going to go through the supply chain. These may include multiple divisions or multiple companies. Make sure to include any parts of the workflow that are automated so investors can see where cost savings are expected and when.

Supply Chain Examples

For instance, lawn care companies  would need to cover aspects such as:

• Suppliers for lawn care equipment and tools
• Any chemicals or treatments needed
• Repair parts for sprinkler systems
• Vehicles to transport equipment and employees
• Insurance to protect the company vehicles and people.

Examples of Supply Chains

These are fairly flat supply chains compared to something like a clothing designer where the clothes would go through multiple vendors. A clothing company might have the following supply chain:

• Raw materials
• Shipping of raw materials
• Converting of raw materials to thread
• Shipping thread to produce garments
• Garment producer
• Shipping to company
• Company storage
• Shipping to retail stores

There have been advances such as print on demand that eliminate many of these steps. If you are designing completely custom clothing, all of this would need to be planned to keep from having business disruptions.

The main thing to include in the business plan is the list of suppliers, the path the supply chain follows, the time from order to the customer’s home, and the costs associated with each step of the process.

According to BizPlanReview , a business plan without this information is likely to get rejected because they have failed to research the key elements necessary to make sales to the customer.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 7. Company Organization and Operational Plan

This part of the business plan is focused on how the business model will function while serving customers.  The business plan should provide an overview of  how the team will manage the following aspects:

Quality Control

• Legal environment

Let’s look at each for some insight.

Production has already been discussed in previous sections so I won’t go into it much. When writing a business plan for investors, try to avoid repetition as it creates a more simple business plan.

If the organizational plan will be used by the team as an overview of how to perform the best services for the customer, then redundancy makes more sense as it communicates what is important to the business.

Quality control policies help to keep the team focused on how to verify that the company adheres to the business plan and meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Quality control can be anything from a standard that says “all labels on shirts can be no more than 1/16″ off center” to a defined checklist of steps that should be performed and filled out for every customer.

There are a variety of organizations that help define quality control including:

• International Organization for Standardization – Quality standards for energy, technology, food, production environments, and cybersecurity
• AICPA – Standard defined for accounting.
• The Joint Commission – Healthcare
• ASHRAE – HVAC best practices

You can find lists of the organizations that contribute most to the government regulation of industries on Open Secrets . Research what the leaders in your field are doing. Follow their example and implement it in your quality control plan.

For location, you should use information from the market research to establish where the location will be. Make sure to include the following in the location documentation.

• The size of your location
• The type of building (retail, industrial, commercial, etc.)
• Zoning restrictions – Urban Wire has a good map on how zoning works in each state
• Accessibility – Does it meet ADA requirements?
• Costs including rent, maintenance, utilities, insurance and any buildout or remodeling costs
• Utilities – b.e.f. has a good energy calculator .

Legal Environment

The legal requirement section is focused on defining how to meet the legal requirements for your industry. A good business plan should include all of the following:

• Any licenses and/or permits that are needed and whether you’ve obtained them
• Any trademarks, copyrights, or patents that you have or are in the process of applying for
• The insurance coverage your business requires and how much it costs
• Any environmental, health, or workplace regulations affecting your business
• Any special regulations affecting your industry
• Bonding requirements, if applicable

Your local SBA office can help you establish requirements in your area. I strongly recommend using them. They are a great resource.

Your business plan should include a plan for company organization and hiring. While you may be the only person with the company right now, down the road you’ll need more people. Make sure to consider and document the answers to the following questions:

• What is the current leadership structure and what will it look like in the future?
• What types of employees will you have? Are there any licensing or educational requirements?
• How many employees will you need?
• Will you ever hire freelancers or independent contractors?
• What is each position’s job description?
• What is the pay structure (hourly, salaried, base plus commission, etc.)?
• How do you plan to find qualified employees and contractors?

One of the most crucial parts of a business plan is the organizational chart. This simply shows the positions the company will need, who is in charge of them and the relationship of each of them. It will look similar to this:

Our small business plan template has a much more in-depth organizational chart you can edit to include when you include the organizational chart in your business plan.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 8. Financial Statements 

No business plan is complete without financial statements or financial projections. The business plan format will be different based on whether you are writing a business plan to expand a business or a startup business plan. Let’s dig deeper into each.

Provide All Financial Income from an Existing Business

An existing business should use their past financial documents including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement to find trends to estimate the next 3-5 years.

You can create easy trendlines in excel to predict future revenue, profit and loss, cash flow, and other changes in year-over-year performance. This will show your expected performance assuming business continues as normal.

If you are seeking an investment, then the business is probably not going to continue as normal. Depending on the financial plan and the purpose of getting financing, adjustments may be needed to the following:

• Higher Revenue if expanding business
• Lower Cost of Goods Sold if purchasing inventory with bulk discounts
• Adding interest if utilizing financing (not equity deal)
• Changes in expenses
• Addition of financing information to the cash flow statement
• Changes in Earnings per Share on the balance sheet

Financial modeling is a challenging subject, but there are plenty of low-cost courses on the subject. If you need help planning your business financial documentation take some time to watch some of them.

Make it a point to document how you calculated all the changes to the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement in your business plan so that key team members or investors can verify your research.

Financial Projections For A Startup Business Plan

Unlike an existing business, a startup doesn’t have previous success to model its future performance. In this scenario, you need to focus on how to make a business plan realistic through the use of industry research and averages.

Mike gave the following advice in his interview:

Financial Forecasting Mistakes

One of the things a lot of inexperienced people use is the argument, “If I get one percent of the market, it is worth $100 million.” If you use this, investors are likely to file the document under bad business plan examples.

Let’s use custom t-shirts as an example.

Credence Research estimated in 2018 there were 11,334,800,000 custom t-shirts sold for a total of $206.12 Billion, with a 6% compound annual growth rate.

With that data,  you can calculate that the industry will grow to $270 Billion in 2023 and that the average shirt sold creates $18.18 in revenue.

Combine that with an IBIS World estimate of 11,094 custom screen printers and that means even if you become an average seller, you’ll get .009% of the market.

Here’s a table for easier viewing of that information.

The point here is to make sure your business proposal examples make sense.

You’ll need to know industry averages such as cost of customer acquisition, revenue per customer, the average cost of goods sold, and admin costs to be able to create accurate estimates.

Our simple business plan templates walk you through most of these processes. If you follow them you’ll have a good idea of how to write a business proposal.

How to Write a Business Plan Step 9. Business Plan Example of Funding Requests

What is a business plan without a plan on how to obtain funding?

The Small Business Administration has an example for a pizza restaurant that theoretically needed nearly $20k to make it through their first month.

In our video, How to Start a $500K/Year T-Shirt Business (Pt. 1 ), Sanford Booth told us he needed about $200,000 to start his franchise and broke even after 4 months.

Freshbooks estimates it takes on average 2-3 years for a business to be profitable, which means the fictitious pizza company from the SBA could need up to $330k to make it through that time and still pay their bills for their home and pizza shop.

Not every business needs that much to start, but realistically it’s a good idea to assume that you need a fairly large cushion.

Ways to get funding for a small business

There are a variety of ways to cover this. the most common are:

• Bootstrapping – Using your savings without external funding.
• Taking out debt – loans, credit cards
• Equity, Seed Funding – Ownership of a percentage of the company in exchange for current funds
• Crowdsourcing – Promising a good for funding to create the product

Keep reading for more tips on how to write a business plan.

How funding will be used

When asking for business financing make sure to include:

• How much to get started?
• What is the minimum viable product and how soon can you make money?
• How will the money be spent?

Mike emphasized two aspects that should be included in every plan, 

How to Write a Business Plan Resources

Here are some links to a business plan sample and business plan outline. 

• Sample plan

It’s also helpful to follow some of the leading influencers in the business plan writing community. Here’s a list:

• Wise Plans –  Shares a lot of information on starting businesses and is a business plan writing company.
• Optimus Business Plans –  Another business plan writing company.
• Venture Capital – A venture capital thread that can help give you ideas.

How to Write a Business Plan: What’s Next?

We hope this guide about how to write a simple business plan step by step has been helpful. We’ve covered:

• The definition of a business plan
• Coming up with a business idea
• Performing market research
• The critical components of a business plan
• An example business plan

In addition, we provided you with a simple business plan template to assist you in the process of writing your startup business plan. The startup business plan template also includes a business model template that will be the key to your success.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our business hub .

Have you written a business plan before? How did it impact your ability to achieve your goals?

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How to Start a $41K/Month T-Shirt Business (2024)

• Which Business Model Is Easiest
• Skills You Need to Create Your Own T-shirt Designs and Sell Online
• What Makes a Great Business Name
• Elements of a Good Business Plan for an Online T-shirt Business
• Where to Go to Establish Your Business Structure
• Steps to Take Before You Start Selling T-shirts Online
• Choosing a Location to Sell Your T-shirts
• What You Need to Know About Equipment
• Resources for Team Building
• How to Manage Your Small Business Finances
• Paying Taxes
• Marketing Your Business

Step 1. What's the Best Way to Start a T-Shirt Business?

• Focusing on a specific target market, such as small business t-shirts.
• Performing graphic tee design work and printing them yourself.
• Starting an ecommerce store using Print-on-Demand companies.

How to Start a T-Shirts Franchise

How to start a t-shirt printing business with big frog.

• Request information .
• Get to know the franchisor on a business call.
• Attend a webinar that goes into more detail about the responsibilities of an owner.
• Fill out disclosure documents to prove you have the resources necessary to start a t-shirt business franchise.
• Meet other franchise business owners.
• Get to know the corporate team.
• Learn to press T-shirts.
• Learn about their customer support.
• Start the franchise.
• No less than $50K liquid assets
• At least $40K working capital
• $300K net worth (varies based on regional construction costs)
• $39,500 initial franchise fee
• Initial investment of $188,344 to $247,944
• A 6% royalty paid monthly on revenue
• 1.5% of revenue for marketing costs

How to Start a Brick and Mortar T-Shirt Business

Sell custom t-shirts, sell t-shirts online.

• Amazon is the largest online marketplace on the planet. You have to be listed there.
• Facebook and Instagram Marketplaces are also massive. Some functions can be done through one platform and then work on both, but others have to be done separately. 
• eBay is another great place to sell t-shirts online. Learn about selling on eBay .
• Shopify offers an easy experience to set up your own clothing store and connects with most of the bigger marketplaces directly from your shop.
• WordPress and WooCommerce work great together for super fast ecommerce stores.
• Etsy is another great marketplace for an online t-shirt business. Check out our guide on creating an Etsy shop .

How to Sell Shirts Online with Print on Demand

Fashion Designers

Manufacturing

Step 2. learning the skills.

• Production and printing
• Business skills

Design Skills

• Draw t-shirt designs using digital software, like Photoshop , Canva , or Illustrator .
• Have a pattern maker cut the patterns for the design.
• Build a prototype.
• Make alterations.
• Create a tech pack . A tech pack is just the design specifications you give to a clothing manufacturer.
• Source the materials and begin manufacturing.
• Embroidery machines
• Sublimation
• Screen printing

• Best Fashion Design Schools
• Best Free Online Classes
• Best Fashion Design Software
• Best Print-on-Demand Companies
• An ecommerce platform (Find Investopedia's review of the best ones here .)
• Payment processors
• Editing software
• Marketing software

• Facebook and Instagram

Production and Printing Skills

• Direct to garment
• Transfer printing
• Cad cut vinyl

Business Skills

• Accounting : Udemy , edX
• Pricing : Coursera , Udemy
• Shipping : Shopify , BigCommerce
• Inventory Management : Quickbooks , Unleashed

Step 3. T-Shirt Business Name

• Will the name indicate your business sells shirts?
• Is it easy to spell?
• Will you focus on local sales? If you do, consider including the name of the location.
• Is the .com domain available ?
• Is the business name unique?
• Does your name fit your branding? Check out Big Frog's logo:

Step 4. Write a T-Shirt Business Plan

• Guiding decisions
• Securing financing
• Developing partnerships with other businesses 
• Location selection and lease negotiation
• Design and layout of the store
• Recruitment
• One-page business plan
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) business guide
• State-specific templates
• Business plan template for a startup business
• SCORE's free plans and startup assistance resources
• The Complete Business Plan Course (includes 50 templates)

Step 5. Establish a Legal Structure

• Sole Proprietorship : Most franchises will not allow you to run a sole proprietorship because there is no liability protection, but it's the least expensive way to start a business. Fill out a Schedule C to get started. Consider joining the American Independent Business Alliance .
• Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) : Each state has different requirements. Check your state's requirements . You might choose to register in a different state than where you live to reduce the cost of doing business. Check out the top 10 states to get an LLC.
• Corporation : If you intend to sell stock or raise funds by selling equity, you might want to become a corporation. Otherwise, stick to an LLC.
• Partnership : Normally, legal firms operate as partnerships. Unless there is a specific reason you need a partnership, it is better to do a multi-person LLC. Investopedia has good information about partnerships and corporations here .
• Franchise: Buying the right to use a company's processes and intellectual property to run one of its locations. Franchising.com has two franchise opportunities to start a t-shirt business in the United States. Big Frog is the only Direct to Garment (DTG) t-shirt franchise.

Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Licenses, permits, and tax forms.

Step 6. Getting Ready for Customers

• Location: Where will you be working?
• Inventory: What will you sell, and how will you pay for it?
• Employees: Will you have employees, and how will you make sure it is a safe environment?
• Finances : How will you keep track of transactions and financial records?
• Insurance : How can you protect what you are building?
• Marketing : How will you find customers?

Step 7. T-Shirt Business Location

• Do you need space for screen printing equipment and inventory?
• Are you running an online t-shirt business? If so, you can run it from home.
• Will customers be coming to your small business?
• Does your t-shirt store have inventory?
• How will you display your t-shirt designs?
• How much space is needed to store your t-shirt designs?
• Will you host a traveling pop-up t-shirt store?

How to Start a T-shirt Business From Home

Finding a good spot, step 8. inventory, screen printing machines, and product displays.

Used Printing Machines and Product Displays

Step 9. employees.

Tax Filing and Withholding

Federal employment and labor law posters.

• Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)
• State's New Hire Program
• Worker's Compensation Insurance
• Disability Insurance (varies by state)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Job Posting

• Zip Recruiter

Compensation

• Salary: You might want to assign yourself a flat weekly or monthly rate for budgeting purposes.
• Hourly: This pay structure tracks the hours an employee works and pays them a set hourly rate, but it doesn't reward performance.
• Commission: If you only want to reward performance and not time, a percentage of revenue is the way to go.
• Hybrid Models: Hybrid models combine two pay structures. Combining hourly and commission encourages employees to help drive sales.

Step 10. Financial Management

Budget! Budget! Budget!

• dsBudget : This open-source software requires some development experience.
• QuickBooks: This popular resource is used by millions to make their accounting easy by setting up rules, connecting with their bank(s) directly, and more.
• Xero : I was introduced to them through an Australian client, and people love them. In my experience, it allows you to automate most of your processes but is meant to be set up by an accountant and software developer so that the platform works specifically based on your location(s) tax needs.

How to Start a T-shirt Business with No Money

• Shopify : Get a free 30-day trial of Shopify with our affiliate link.
• A print-on-demand company : I prefer Printful.
• Social media marketing : This might be less than $500 per month and is typically more economical than other options.

Common Funding Paths

• Loans from family or friends
• Business partners
• Government programs

Alternative Sources of Funding

• Crowdfunding  
• Credit cards
• Home equity loan
• Rollover for business startups (ROBS)

Develop a Pricing Structure

Increase prices every year.

• Send an email in November letting your customers know that prices will be going up at the beginning of the year.
• Book enough online t-shirt business to keep you busy through the slow months (January to March).
• Raise prices on January 1st. 

Step 11: Sales Tax and Insurance

Sales Taxes

Step 12: marketing.

More Marketing Tips for T-Shirt Businesses

• Building relationships. Networking is what makes a business pay off.
• Continually focusing on SEO for your ecommerce business. Start by familiarizing yourself with Google requirements .
• Checking customers' previous print jobs to give you ideas on how to sell more shirts.
• Following up! It makes a difference.
• Using analytics.

Influencers

• Elon Musk : Let's face it, both Sanford and I think he's a rockstar. He mixes jokes, insight, and enthusiasm to spread his message. He's the founder of six companies and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. We can all learn from him.
• Screen Printing Blogs : Want a list of 40 blogs focused on t-shirt printing? Check out this one. 
• SEO Influencers: Rand Fishkin , Danny Sullivan ,and Neil Patel

Go Forth and Start Your Own T-Shirt Business!

• Do I know how to start an ecommerce store?
• Is it worth it for me to sell online?
• Will I be comfortable speaking to clients?
• Am I starting a clothing line this year?
• Why am I starting a clothing business?
• Do I need employees or advice to get started?
• What will I need to feel successful?

440 Stand-Out Craft Business Names

Did you know craft business owners are expected to make 50% more in 2028 than they did last year?

That means there’s a lot of demand for handmade craft business names. Choosing a great craft business name can give you a headstart in competing for potential customers.

Here, we discuss the craft industry, what makes a good craft business name, catchy craft names for your business, and how to register your craft company name.

[su_note note_color="#dbeafc"] Click on any of the links below to jump ahead in your artistic journey.

Craft Business Industry Outlook

What makes a good craft business name, what should i name my craft business, 30 catchy craft business names, 34 cool craft business names, 36 funny craft business names, 34 creative craft business names, 30 professional craft business names, 20 personal craft business names, 34 location-based craft business names, 40 handmade craft business names, 30 creative shop name ideas, 28 unique craft business names, 30 clever business names for crafters, 32 cute shop names for crafts, 32 jewelry business name ideas, 30 crochet business name ideas, how to register your craft business names.

• Next Steps After Naming Your Craft Business [/su_note]

Craft businesses are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.69% and reach $68 billion in industry revenue by 2028. That means a crafting business should expect to see considerable growth in the future if it provides quality handmade crafts.

A good craft business name should be:

• Memorable: Your business name should be easy to remember and pronounce.
• Relevant: Your business name should reflect the type of crafts you make and sell.
• Unique: Your business name should be unique and not already in use by another business.
• Professional: Your business name should sound professional and trustworthy.
• Appealing: Your business name should be appealing to your target audience.

Let’s look at some of the different ways of creating a catchy craft business name.

The best craft business names help you attract customers and communicate what your crafting business does. We’ll cover all kinds of timeless craft business names, including:

• Catchy business names for craft companies
• Cool craft names
• Funny craft names
• Creative name ideas
• Professional names for craft products
• Personal name ideas for craft business owners
• Location-based craft business naming ideas
• Business names perfect for handmade products

Keep reading to get your creative juices flowing. You’re sure to find unique craft business names that you love.

Consider one of these business name ideas when you start selling your crafts.

1. Crafty Creations 2. Creative Hands 3. The Craft Corner 4. The Happy Maker 5. The Artful Crafter 6. The Craftiest 7. The Colorful Crafter 8. The Crafters 9. The Crafty Corner 10. The Craft Zone 11. The Craft Hub 12. The Craft Room 13. The Craft Shop 14. The Craft Studio 15. The Craft Workshop

16. The Crafty Cottage 17. The Crafty Cabin 18. The Crafty Den 19. The Crafty Nook 20. The Crafty Retreat 21. The Crafty Spot 22. The Crafty Store 23. The Crafty Table 24. The Crafty Treehouse 25. The Crafty Turtle 26. The Crafty Unicorn 27. Crafty Wonderland 28. Creative Corner 29. The Creative Studio 30. Craft Galore Club

Pro Tip: Once you have a catchy business name, check if the corresponding domain name is available. Just input the name in the search bar of your web browser and see what comes up. If the website and the social media handles are available, you will have a much easier time attracting customers.

You can create a cool craft brand by combining two or more words to create a new and memorable phrase. This works especially well if they are keywords related to craft businesses.

1. Craftastic Creations 2. The Crafty Caravan 3. The Artisan's Nook 4. The Craft Emporium 5. The Crafter's Collective 6. The Crafty Cat 7. The Crafty Owl 8. The Crafticorn 9. Foxxy Crafty 10. Crafty Rabbit 11. The Crafty Bear 12. The Crafty Mouse 13. Crafty Dog 14. The Crafty Penguin 15. Crafty Frog 16. The Crafty Giraffe 17. Crafty Monkey

18. Crafty Elephant 19. The Crafty Hippo 20. Crafty Lion 21. The Crafty Tiger 22. Crafty Zebra 23. The Crafty Panda 24. Crafty Koala 25. The Crafty Kangaroo 26. Crafty Wombat 27. The Crafty Echidna 28. The Craftipus 29. Crafty Innovation 30. Yarns + Crafts 31. Crafting Cottage 32. The Paperie 33. Pottery Place 34. Woodworking Wizardry

Pro Tip: Rhyming words can also be used to come up with crafty business name ideas.

If your craft business offers products that are defined by their silly or goofy vibe, you might want to go with funny business names for crafts.

1. Artsy Fartsy Crafts 2. Bobbin and Skein 3. Color Me Happy 4. Crafty Critters 5. The Crafty Pickle 6. The Yarn Pirates 7. The Bead Bandits 8. The Crafty Cat Lady 9. The Knit Wits 10. The Sew and Sews 11. The Paper Puppets 12. The Paint Party People 13. The Claymation Crew 14. In Stitches 15. The Crafting Queens 16. The Junk Art Junkies 17. The Upcycled Oddities 18. The Mismatched Masterpieces

19. The Quirky Creations 20. The Silly Sculptors 21. The Wonky Woolen Wonders 22. The Crafty Critters 23. The Whimsical Woodland Workshop 24. The Doodling Dinosaurs 25. The Crafty Cacti 26. The Mischievous Makers 27. Playful Papercrafts 28. Goofy Gifts 29. Silly Stitches 30. Crazy Candles 31. Wonky Wall Art 32. Mismatched Mosaic Madness 33. Crafty Chaos 34. Quirky Quilts 35. Crafty Capers 36. Makin' It Mine

Pro Tip: When choosing a funny craft business name, it's important to strike the right balance of humor and professionalism. You want your name to be memorable and attention-grabbing, but you also don't want to alienate potential customers.

Here are a few tips for choosing a funny craft business name:

• Use puns or wordplay. This is a great way to add humor to your name without being too over the top.
• Choose a name that is relevant to your products or services. This will help customers understand what your business is all about.
• Keep it short and sweet. A long, complicated name is less likely to be remembered than a short, catchy one.
• Avoid using offensive or vulgar language. This could alienate potential customers and damage your reputation.

Want to create a craft business brand that stands out from other crafters? Consider some of these craft business names.

1. Stitch & Stone 2. Nature's Canvas 3. Artisan's Haven 4. Color & Craft 5. Threads & Textures 6. Paper & Paint 7. Clay & Creation 8. Mosaic Moments 9. Yarn & Wonder 10. Fiber & Fabric 11. Metal & Magic 12. Glass & Glamour 13. Wood & Whimsy 14. Resin & Radiance 15. Leather & Love 16. Quill & Ink 17. Candle & Calm

18. Soap & Serenity 19. Bath & Body Bliss 20. Home & Heart 21. Garden & Grace 22. Jewelry & Joy 23. Accessories & Adornments 24. Gifts & Gadgets 25. Party & Play 26. Learn & Create 27. Craft & Connect 28. Inspire & Be Inspired 29. The Maker's Muse 30. Spindles and Yarns 31. Fiber Frenzy 32. Funky Findings 33. Handmade Heaven 34. Heartfelt Creations

Pro Tip: You might incorporate some of your specific craft supplies’ names as you’re brainstorming creative small business names for craft companies.

Professionalism can make all the difference to craft store customers. Consider some of these names to differentiate yourself from other businesses.

1. Crafted Creations 2. The Crafted Studio 3. The Craftery 4. The Crafthouse 5. Crafty Corner 6. Creative Crafts 7. Design & Craft 8. Handmade Elegance 9. Handcrafted Wonders 10. The Craft Loft 11. The Craft Parlour 12. The Craft Station 13. The Crafty Rabbit 14. The Designery 15. The Maker's Place

16. The Maker's Studio 17. The Studio 18. The Workshop 19. Uniquely Crafted 20. Baubles & Blooms 21. Crafted with Love 22. Handcrafted Treasures 23. The Crafting Co. 24. The Crafty Canary 25. The Crafty Cardinal 26. Handmade with Love 27. Crafted By Yours Truly 28. Passion Crafts 29. World of Crafts 30. Wonderfully Handmade

Pro Tip: Your business name ideas should help people understand what you do. You don’t want to confuse customers.

When it comes to personal business names, ideas might include your first name, last name, or something or someone dear to you. Consider some of these creative names for business owners.

1. Emily's Embellishments 2. Ava + Milo Studio 3. Jake's Handmade Haven 4. Lily's Craft Corner 5. Alex's Artistry Alcove 6. Masterpieces by Mason 7. Chloe's Creative Crafts 8. Owen's Originals 9. Bella's Boutique Creations 10. Noah's Nifty Crafts

11. Ava's Artful Designs 12. Smith & Stitches Studio 13. Johnsons Jovial Crafts 14. Anderson Artisans 15. Davis Design Den 16. Taylor Family Treasures Workshop 17. The Miller's Handcrafted Haven 18. Lily & Sage Creations 19. EthanRose Designs 20. Olivia-Max Crafts

Pro Tip: Adding a personal touch to business name ideas helps make your craft store name more relatable to your target customers.

Using your location as part of your craft business name is a great way of selling arts locally.

1. Albuquerque Artisans 2. Anchorage Crafts 3. Atlanta Artworks 4. Austin Artisans 5. Baltimore Crafts 6. Rodeo Drive Designs 7. Boston Creations 8. Charleston Craftsmen 9. Chicago Crafters 10. Cleveland Crafts 11. Columbus Creation 12. Dallas Designs 13. Denver Designs 14. Abbey Road Artistry 15. Detroit Artisans 16. Houston Handcrafts 17. Indianapolis Craftsmen

18. Jacksonville Creations 19. Kansas City Crafts 20. Las Vegas Craftsmen 21. Los Angeles Creations 22. Louisville Artisans 23. Bourbon Street Crafts 24. Memphis Craftsmen 25. Miami Designs 26. Milwaukee Crafters 27. Minneapolis Creations 28. Nashville Craftsmen 29. New Orleans Crafts 30. New York City Creations 31. Orlando Artisans 32. Philadelphia Craftsmen 33. Phoenix Designs 34. Fifth Avenue Creations

Pro Tip: You might also try cute business names using nicknames for your region.

Handmade craft business name ideas can help show that your specific craft is done by hand. See if any of these unique business names for handmade crafts is a win for your business.

1. The Crafted Corner 2. The Maker's Market 3. One-of-a-Kind Creations 4. The Handmade Studio 5. The Craft Cottage 6. Creations by [Your Name] 7. The Upcycled Workshop 8. The Sustainable Stitchery 9. The Yarn Haven 10. The Soap Emporium 11. Candlelight Studio 12. The Artful Abode 13. The Creative Nook 14. The Artisanal Marketplace 15. The Handmade Collective 16. The Maker's Guild 17. The Craft Bazaar 18. Artisan's Alley 19. Handmade Haven 20. The Upcycled Market

21. Sustainable Studio 22. Eco-Friendly Emporium 23. Trinket Trove 24. Crafty Kaleidoscope 25. Tantalizing Creations 26. Upcycled Creative 27. Fabled Fibers 28. Fibers and You 29. Craft Me Not 30. Lovingly Handmade 31. Inspired by Nature 32. Joyful Creations 33. Knitting Nook 34. Papercraft Paradise 35. Piecework Perfection 36. Quilting Corner 37. Recycled Relics 38. Sew Much Fun 39. Something Special 40. Stitching Time

Whether you’re looking for an Etsy shop name or are opening a brick-and-mortar retail store selling your crafts, a great shop name can help your business thrive. Consider some of these craft business name ideas. 

1. The Gilded Thimble 2. The Yarn Garden 3. The Bead Bazaar 4. The Fabric Emporium 5. The Paper Palace 6. The Paint Box 7. The Clay Studio 8. The Jewelry Workshop 9. The Woodworking Shop 10. The Glassblowing Studio 11. The Pottery Barn 12. The Fiber Arts Studio 13. The Weaving Studio 14. The Knitting Nook 15. The Quilting Bee

16. The Embroidery Guild 17. The Cross-Stitch Society 18. The Needlepoint Club 19. The Tatting Circle 20. The Lace-Making Society 21. The Bobbin Lace Guild 22. The Crochet Club 23. The Macrame Society 24. The Beading Circle 25. The Jewelry-Making Guild 26. Sew Many Stitches 27. The Doodling Dragon 28. The Mismatched Menagerie 29. The Beaded Bookmark 30. The Quirky Quilter

Want unique craft business name ideas? Here are a few examples.

1. Handman Concoctions 2. Crafty Kids 3. Natural Materials Crafters 4. Craft 4 Days 5. Crafts Gone Wild 6. Curious Craft Company 7. Crafts Galore 8. The Crafty Kraken 9. The Creative Canvas 10. The Stitching Studio 11. The Yarn Emporium 12. The Paintbox 13. The Clay Cottage 14. The Jewelry Junction

15. The Scrapbooking Shack 16. The Upcycling Emporium 17. The Repurposing Realm 18. The Eco-Friendly Crafts Co. 19. The Craft Collective 20. Craft Central 21. Crafty Craze 22. Craftastic World 23. Inkwell & Quill 24. Crafty Concoctions 25. The Painted Petal 26. The Enchanted Easel 27. Button Bonanza 28. The Gilded Loom

Craft business name ideas should show off how crafty you are. What better way than to come up with a clever company name? Try some of these craft business name ideas.

1. Threaded Dreamscapes 2. Fiddlesticks & Fleece 3. Wondrous Weaves 4. Yarnicorn Creations 5. The Looping Llama 6. Crochet Couture 7. Whimsy & Wool 8. Cuddly Creations 9. The Hooked Haven 10. Yarnivore's Delight 11. Knot Just Crochet 12. Threaded Tales & Trails 13. Stitchy & Chic 14. The Wooly Wyvern 15. The Cozy Nest

16. Yarnography 17. The Unraveling Ramble 18. Stitching Symphony 19. Woolful Wonders 20. The Hooked Hippogriff 21. Yarntastic Creations 22. The Cozy Cauldron 23. Loopty-Loo Crafts 24. Hooked on Happiness 25. Stitchin' with Sass 26. Knotty, Spice, and Everything Nice 27. Hook, Line & Stitcher 28. The Yarnival Effect 29. The Fuzzy Foxglove 30. The Critter's Crochet

1. The Threadbender 2. The Painted Fox 3. The Twisted Twine 4. The Gilded Lily 5. The Woven Willow 6. The Knotty Gnome 7. The Beaded Butterfly 8. Our Enchanted Forest 9. The Mermaid's Cove 10. The Dragon's Hoard 11. The Unicorn's Horn 12. The Rainbow Room 13. The Land of Oz 14. Candy Land Crafts 15. The Glass Chocolate 16. Bon Bon Craft Supplies

17. Toyland Crafters 18. The Enchanted Garden 19. The Magic Kingdom 20. The Land of Make-Believe 21. The Land of Dreams 22. Neverland Crafts 23. The Lost World 24. The Secret Garden 25. Misty Mountains Crafters 26. Sparkling Sea Artisans 27. Whispering Woods Studio 28. The Starry Night 29. Knotty and Nice 30. Whimsical Baubles 31. The Yarn Barn 32. Whimsical Wonders

A jewelry company is often focused on crafting and will be appealing to its customers’ aesthetic sensibility. You might try some of these handmade business name ideas if you’re selling a custom jewelry line.

1. The Jewelry Box 2. Adorned Elegance 3. Artisan Jewels 4. Bling Bliss 5. Charm & Chic 6. Dazzling Delights 7. Enchanted Embellishments 8. Exquisite Adornments 9. Gemstone Glamour 10. Heirloom Jewels 11. Jeweled Creations 12. Luminous Luxuries 13. Made with Love Jewelry 14. Ornate Opulence 15. Precious Pieces 16. Radiant Reflections

17. Shimmering Splendor 18. Sparkling Sensations 19. The Bling Boutique 20. Timeless Treasures 21. Unique Adornments 22. Vintage Vibes Jewelry 23. Wearable Art 24. Artisan Adornments 25. Crafted with Care 26. Elegant Expressions 27. Enchanted Elegance 28. Handmade Heirlooms 29. Enchanted Trinkets 30. Embellished by You 31. Diamond Bright Studio 32. The Beading Boutique

Want more ideas? Check out our picks for a crochet business.

Many craft business owners like to crochet. Consider some of these names for crocheted crafts.

1. Hooked on Crochet 2. Stitches of Love 3. The Crochet Corner 4. A Stitch in Time 5. Knotty by Nature 6. Yarn and Joy 7. The Crochet Studio 8. The Yarn Loft 9. Hooked on Handmade 10. The Crochet Cottage 11. The Crochet Parlour 12. The Yarn Boutique 13. The Stitchery 14. The Crochet Nook 15. The Yarn Stash

16. Yarn Over 17. Hook, Line, and Sinker 18. The Yarn Diva 19. The Crochet Queen 20. The Yarn Whisperer 21. The Crochet Goddess 22. The Yarn Enthusiast 23. The Crochet Maven 24. The Yarnista 25. The Crochet Alchemist 26. Yarnspirations 27. Knotty Nirvana 28. Purrfectly Hooked 29. The Cozy Burrow 30. The Wandering Skein

Now that you have plenty of craft business name inspiration, it’s time to talk about how to register your craft business’s name. You’ll want to make sure to:

• Choose a business name. Your business name should be unique, memorable, and relevant to your products or services. It should also be available as a domain name and social media handle.
• Check the availability of your business name. Once you have chosen a business name, you should check to see if it is available in your state. You can do this by searching the Secretary of State's website or contacting the office directly.
• File a DBA (Doing Business As) name. If your business name is different from your legal name, you will need to file a DBA name with the county clerk's office in the county where your business is located.
• Register your business with the IRS. You will need to register your business with the IRS to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). You can do this online or by mail.
• Obtain the necessary licenses and permits. Depending on the type of craft business you are operating, you may need to obtain certain licenses and permits. You can contact your local Chamber of Commerce or the Small Business Administration (SBA) for more information.

Local artisans will have so much more to accomplish for their handmade business operations to be successful. Let’s discuss some of the things you’ll need to do next.

Next Steps After Naming Your Craft Business

Once you’ve found a craft business name you love and registered it, you’ll need to start building your inventory of crafts, create a website, and start marketing your crafts. One of the best ways to market a crafts business is to record yourself making them and share your videos on social media.

What crafts business name do you like?

13 Recession-Proof Businesses (2024)

Are you worried about the direction of the global economy?

You’re not alone. Both business owners and employees are feeling a crunch from rising costs. That’s why we’re going to discuss recession-proof businesses.

[su_note note_color="#dbeafc"] We’ll help you understand more about recessions, including:

Are we in an economic downturn?

What are recession-proof businesses, what industries are recession-proof.

• How do economic downturns impact businesses ?

Recession-Proof Business Ideas: 13 Good Businesses to Start in a Bad Economy

Benefits of starting a business in a bad economy.

• Conclusion [/su_note]

When you’re done reading this, you’ll have an understanding of recession-proof sectors and be prepared for the next economic downturn. Read from start to finish or click any of the links above to jump straight to the section you need to know more about right now.

According to the Federal Reserve , as of April 5, 2024, we are not in a recession, but economic downturns tend to occur every 6.33 years and typically last between 6 and 18 months.

The last economic downturn was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and government shutdowns that lasted two quarters. Prior to that, the housing market crash of 2008 resulted in a recession that lasted for nearly two years.

Many people believe that the relatively high rate of inflation, the housing and rent bubble, and the reduction in spending power for many Americans are signs that the economic climate is primed for another economic crisis.

If you’re a business owner, now’s the time to should look at your business model and consider how it will survive and thrive during tough economic times.

Recession-proof businesses are companies in industries that tend to perform better than the gross domestic product (GDP) as a whole.

As we experienced during the pandemic, if a small business was considered an “essential service,” it could ride out the tough times because the economic activity that kept it afloat didn’t stop, even when most businesses were not allowed to operate as usual.

When a recession hits, some industries and sectors tend to do better than others. There are essential services and products that people still need during economic slumps, including:

• Utility services
• Disposable goods
• Consumer staples
• Auto repairs

Meanwhile, revenue streams tend to dry up for some companies when widespread economic hardship occurs. Consumer demand for the following tends to decrease during an economic recession:

• New automobiles
• Restaurants
• Large purchases

The economic conditions during each recession will be different, which means consumers cut costs in different areas depending on what the scenario is.

For instance, during the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, real estate agents were hardest hit because the cash reserves and risk appetite of banks were vastly reduced. In the 1980s, oil embargos caused people to reduce their driving because of gas shortages.

How do economic downturns impact businesses?

When economic uncertainty hits, small business owners will normally experience a reduction of incoming cash flow and be compelled to tighten up their budgets and stop hiring.

When the economic situation gets even worse, they may need to offer cheaper alternatives, lay people off, and, in the worst-case scenario, close their businesses.

Industries that are recession-proof will normally be able to avoid many of the worst-case scenarios because people still need food, clothing, shelter, and other recession-proof products.

In the sections below, we’ll discuss industries that do well in recession.

The following businesses are sorted based on the number of searches for each type of recession-proof business. Why? Search volume is a good indicator of the demand for information about recession-proof industries.

Consider the following recession-proof business ideas:

• Affiliate marketing
• Grocery stores
• Food delivery services
• Auto repair shops
• Home improvement and home repair companies
• Property management companies
• Cleaning services
• Accounting services
• Healthcare industry
• Information technology support
• Dollar stores

Keep reading to learn about the most recession-proof industries.

1. Affiliate Marketing

According to Kinsta , 56% of affiliate marketers increased their earnings during the recession of 2020, making it the best recession-proof business. If that’s not enough, Authority Hacker expects affiliate marketing to be a $27.78 billion recession-proof industry by 2027.

Affiliate marketing is the most commonly searched for recession-proof business. It doesn’t require an inventory, and you make commissions on every sale.

You might need to refer people to recession-proof services like bookkeeping services and rideshare services to keep your income flowing, but there are plenty of great affiliate marketing offerings.

Learn more about affiliate marketing through our interview with affiliate marketing master Matt Diggity.

2. Grocery Store

Grocery stores are another of the most recession-resistant business models. The food industry is never going to end because we have to eat to survive.

According to Forbes , people spend about 14% of their income on food, and the percentage of that spending that goes to fast food and restaurants has declined from 45% to 40%. That means people are grocery shopping more.

Check out our interview with Punardeep Sandhu, a serial entrepreneur who owns a grocery store.

3. Food Delivery Services

According to Bloomberg Second Measure , delivering food spiked during the pandemic. Given this industry hasn’t been around long enough to survive multiple recessions, it might not be as recession-resistant as the chart suggests.

That said, a business owner could focus on offering the same services for grocery stores to help protect against sudden reduced cash flow.

Find out how Adam Haber started his courier services working with Amazon.

4. Auto Repair Shops

According to the Denver Post , auto mechanics saw a 16% increase in revenue during the 2008 financial crisis, making it a fairly recession-proof business. These support services benefited from the lack of available loans during that time.

Meanwhile, repair shops saw a decrease in business during the pandemic because people drove 13.2% less .

Find out how Lucky Sing started his repair business in 2016 for just $20,000.

5. Home Improvement and Home Repair Companies

During the Great Recession, the home improvement and repairs industry dropped 1% the first year before starting to increase again according to Statista . Meanwhile, home repairs increased by 22% during the pandemic.

Depending on the cause of each recession, the business opportunities may be in repairs or improvement. Offering both types of services makes a business that much more recession-proof.

Check out our list of construction businesses to learn more about starting home repair and improvement businesses.

6. Property Management Companies

According to the Congressional Research Survey , there are 49.5 million rental properties in the United States. Furthermore, 44% of them are managed by property managers according to DoorLoop .

People don’t stop renting just because the economy isn’t doing well, and these companies take a percentage of monthly revenue.

Learn more about property management and real estate investment.

7. Cleaning Services

A cleaning business can be recession-resistant. Home cleaners may find people cut back on cleanings, but janitorial services are unlikely to stop managing cleaning contracts because nobody wants to go to a business that is filthy.

During the pandemic, many cleaning services added sterilization services to drive new revenue and growth.

Learn how Christobal Mondragon makes over $1.5 million per year in our exclusive cleaning business course .

8. Accounting Services

Almost everyone in the United States needs accounting services. Some people only need once-per-year tax filing assistance, while others need financial advisors for things like:

• Financial planning services
• Bookkeeping
• Quarterly taxes
• Comparing financing options

These services are in high demand during all economic conditions.

9. Healthcare Industry

The healthcare sector benefits from people getting sick and having emergencies. That means healthcare companies make money no matter what the economy is doing.

Right now is a perfect time for starting a new business in the healthcare industry. According to The Hill , the entire healthcare industry is facing shortages of essential workers. The work is typically high paying and offers job security for those who can handle the grueling hours and stressful environment.

10. Child Care

According to Statista , there are 46.6 million American kids under 11 years old. The Census Bureau estimates 17% of their parents rely on paid childcare services. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor reports that people pay between $5,357 and $17,171 per year for childcare.

In-home daycares make great small businesses—you can save money and fulfill the ever-higher demand for childcare.

Pro Tip: Check out our picks for 698 Endearing Daycare Names and How to Start a Day Care (in 9 Simple Steps) .

11. Information Technology Support

IT support companies are recession-proof companies because people still need help solving their tech-related problems, even in a downturn.

According to Axios , tech companies did poorly at the turn of the century because of the tech bust, but 2008 led to a lot of new technology that opened new business opportunities. Then, in the pandemic, there were grants to help small businesses implement new technology.

Small business ideas in this field tend to have high profits that make it easier for them to be recession-proof businesses. Just make sure to save money so you can weather economic downturns and invest in businesses that thrive in recession.

12. Pet Care

Recession-resistant industries include pet care. These are good business ideas because pets still need to be fed and go to the bathroom during economic downturns.

These recession-resistant businesses can use affordable luxuries like online shopping, digital marketing, and social media to make modern life easier for their pet-owning customers.

13. Dollar Stores

Dollar stores tend to do best when money is tight. According to USA Today , multiple chains are closing down their dollar stores due to financial challenges.

These businesses need to be able to purchase things in bulk and sell them for low costs, which requires implementing successful and sustainable buying and pricing strategies.

While dollar stores can be businesses that are recession-proof, getting into the game might be best in expansionary times.

Starting a business during a recession can actually be really beneficial. A recession often provides people who want to start a business with some competitive advantages, including:

• An Obvious Problem: Recessions are almost always tied to a specific event or industry bubble. Finding the solution to solve that problem can be highly beneficial.
• Lower Costs: Many large purchases, like equipment, real estate, and existing businesses, tend to be less expensive during economic downturns.
• More government incentives: Governments tend to provide other businesses more support during recessions than expansionary times. As long as you provide a solution in the industries they are focused on, this can help you.

Don’t focus so much on what industries do well in a recession; rather, focus on the industries in which you can differentiate yourself.

Consider this example: Lee Kindell started Moto Pizza when COVID shutdowns closed his hotel. He put $60,000 on a credit card to open the pizza shop—and has since opened multiple locations. Find out how he did it in the interview below.

At this point, you have an understanding of recession-proof businesses that commonly perform well during an economic downturn.

We discussed the industries that perform well during recessions, how businesses are impacted by recessions, what businesses do well in a recession, and why you might want to start a business…even during an economic downturn.

It’s up to you to do the research on each business, but we have interviewed hundreds of business owners to learn what they did and how you can speed up your process to success. Consider taking one of our courses to start a successful business faster .

What recession-proof business will you start?

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24 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

Published: February 06, 2024

I believe that reading sample business plans is essential when writing your own.

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As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it’s easier for you to learn how to write a good one.

But what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that’s both viable and convincing. I’ll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started.

Table of Contents

Business Plan Format

Business plan types, sample business plan templates, top business plan examples.

Ask any successful sports coach how they win so many games, and they’ll tell you they have a unique plan for every single game. To me, the same logic applies to business.

If you want to build a thriving company that can pull ahead of the competition, you need to prepare for battle before breaking into a market.

Business plans guide you along the rocky journey of growing a company. And if your business plan is compelling enough, it can also convince investors to give you funding.

With so much at stake, I’m sure you’re wondering where to begin.

Free Business Plan Template

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

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

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Fill out the form to get your free template.

First, you’ll want to nail down your formatting. Most business plans include the following sections.

1. Executive Summary

I’d say the executive summary is the most important section of the entire business plan. 

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

There are two main elements I’d recommend including in your executive summary:

Company Description

This is the perfect space to highlight your company’s mission statement and goals, a brief overview of your history and leadership, and your top accomplishments as a business.

Tell potential investors who you are and why what you do matters. Naturally, they’re going to want to know who they’re getting into business with up front, and this is a great opportunity to showcase your impact.

Need some extra help firming up those business goals? Check out HubSpot Academy’s free course to help you set goals that matter — I’d highly recommend it

Products and Services

To piggyback off of the company description, be sure to incorporate an overview of your offerings. This doesn’t have to be extensive — just another chance to introduce your industry and overall purpose as a business.

In addition to the items above, I recommend including some information about your financial projections and competitive advantage here too.:

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

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

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

This executive summary is so good to me because it tells potential investors a short story while still covering all of the most important details.

Image Source

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

• Start with a strong introduction of your company, showcase your mission and impact, and outline the products and services you provide.
• Clearly define a problem, and explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
• Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
• Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
• Customize your summary to your audience. For example, emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists.

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

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market.

The main question I’d ask myself here is this: Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will my product fill that gap?

More specifically, here’s what I’d include in this section:

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

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, and SOM analysis and perform market research on your industry.

You may also benefit from creating a SWOT analysis to get some of the insights for this section.

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

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

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

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

3. Competitive Landscape

Since we’re already speaking of market share, you'll also need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are.

After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you'll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another.

My favorite part of performing a competitive analysis is that it can help you uncover:

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

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

I like how the competitive landscape section of this business plan below shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are.

It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location, which shows useful experience in this specific industry. 

This can help build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

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

4. Target Audience

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

If your immediate answer is "everyone," you'll need to dig deeper. Here are some questions I’d ask myself here:

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

I’d also recommend building a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear on why you're targeting them.

Target Audience Business Plan Example

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

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

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

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you'll discuss how you'll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. I’d suggest including information:

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

I think it’s helpful to have a marketing plan built out in advance to make this part of your business plan easier.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler.

In my opinion, it really works because it offers a comprehensive picture of how they plan to use digital marketing to promote the community.

Tips for Writing Your Marketing Strategy

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

6. Key Features and Benefits

At some point in your business plan, you'll need to review the key features and benefits of your products and/or services.

Laying these out can give readers an idea of how you're positioning yourself in the market and the messaging you're likely to use. It can even help them gain better insight into your business model.

Key Features and Benefits Business Plan Example

In my opinion, the example below does a great job outlining products and services for this business, along with why these qualities will attract the audience.

Tips for Writing Your Key Features and Benefits

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

7. Pricing and Revenue

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

For this reason, here’s what I’d might outline in this section:

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

Pricing and Revenue Business Plan Example

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

Tips for Writing Your Pricing and Revenue Section

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

8. Financials

To me, this section is particularly informative for investors and leadership teams to figure out funding strategies, investment opportunities, and more.

 According to Forbes , you'll want to include three main things:

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

While some business plans might include more or less information, these are the key details I’d include in this section.

Financials Business Plan Example

This balance sheet is a great example of level of detail you’ll need to include in the financials section of your business plan.

Tips for Writing Your Financials Section

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

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

The formats above apply to most types of business plans. That said, the format and structure of your plan will vary by your goals for that plan. 

So, I’ve added a quick review of different business plan types. For a more detailed overview, check out this post .

1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas.

If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business.

You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

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

3. Internal Use

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

4. Strategic Initiatives

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

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

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

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

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

1. HubSpot's One-Page Business Plan

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

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

Fields such as Company Description, Required Funding, and Implementation Timeline give this one-page business plan a framework for how to build your brand and what tasks to keep track of as you grow.

Then, as the business matures, you can expand on your original business plan with a new iteration of the above document.

Why I Like It

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

2. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

We also created a business plan template for entrepreneurs.

The template is designed as a guide and checklist for starting your own business. You’ll learn what to include in each section of your business plan and how to do it.

There’s also a list for you to check off when you finish each section of your business plan.

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

This business plan kit is essential for the budding entrepreneur who needs a more extensive document to share with investors and other stakeholders.

It not only includes sections for your executive summary, product line, market analysis, marketing plan, and sales plan, but it also offers hands-on guidance for filling out those sections.

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

This free template from LiveFlow aims to make it easy for businesses to create a financial plan and track their progress on a monthly basis.

The P&L Budget versus Actual format allows users to track their revenue, cost of sales, operating expenses, operating profit margin, net profit, and more.

The summary dashboard aggregates all of the data put into the financial plan sheet and will automatically update when changes are made.

Instead of wasting hours manually importing your data to your spreadsheet, LiveFlow can also help you to automatically connect your accounting and banking data directly to your spreadsheet, so your numbers are always up-to-date.

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

This is a fantastic template to track performance and alignment internally and to create a dependable process for documenting financial information across the business. It’s highly versatile and beginner-friendly.

It’s especially useful if you don’t have an accountant on the team. (I always recommend you do, but for new businesses, having one might not be possible.)

4. ThoughtCo’s Sample Business Plan

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

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

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

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

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

With the guidance of Stanley Rich and Richard Gumpert, co-authors of " Business Plans That Win: Lessons From the MIT Enterprise Forum ", you'll learn how to write a convincing business plan that emphasizes the market demand for your product or service.

You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

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

7. HubSpot’s Complete Guide to Starting a Business

If you’re an entrepreneur, you know writing a business plan is one of the most challenging first steps to starting a business.

Fortunately, with HubSpot's comprehensive guide to starting a business, you'll learn how to map out all the details by understanding what to include in your business plan and why it’s important to include them. The guide also fleshes out an entire sample business plan for you.

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

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of starting a business, in addition to writing your business plan, with a high level of exactitude and detail. So if you’re in the midst of starting your business, this is an excellent guide for you.

It also offers other resources you might need, such as market analysis templates.

8. Panda Doc’s Free Business Plan Template

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

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

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

9. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers several free business plan templates that can be used to inspire your own plan.

Before you get started, you can decide what type of business plan you need — a traditional or lean start-up plan.

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

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

I’ve compiled some completed business plan samples to help you get an idea of how to customize a plan for your business.

I chose different types of business plan ideas to expand your imagination. Some are extensive, while others are fairly simple.

Let’s take a look.

1. LiveFlow

One of the major business expenses is marketing. How you handle your marketing reflects your company’s revenue.

I included this business plan to show you how you can ensure your marketing team is aligned with your overall business plan to get results. The plan also shows you how to track even the smallest metrics of your campaigns, like ROI and payback periods instead of just focusing on big metrics like gross and revenue.

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

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

When it came to including marketing strategy in its business plan, LiveFlow created a separate marketing profit and loss statement (P&L) to track how well the company was doing with its marketing initiatives.

This is a great approach, allowing businesses to focus on where their marketing dollars are making the most impact. Having this information handy will enable you to build out your business plan’s marketing section with confidence. LiveFlow has shared the template here . You can test it for yourself.

2. Lula Body

Sometimes all you need is a solid mission statement and core values to guide you on how to go about everything. You do this by creating a business plan revolving around how to fulfill your statement best.

For example, Patagonia is an eco-friendly company, so their plan discusses how to make the best environmentally friendly products without causing harm.

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

Patagonia has one of the most compelling mission statements I’ve seen:

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

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

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

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

4. Vesta Home Automation

This executive summary for a smart home device startup is part of a business plan created by students at Mount Royal University .

While it lacks some of the sleek visuals of the templates above, its executive summary does a great job of demonstrating how invested they are in the business.

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

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

5. NALB Creative Center

This fictional business plan for an art supply store includes everything one might need in a business plan: an executive summary, a company summary, a list of services, a market analysis summary, and more.

One of its most notable sections is its market analysis summary, which includes an overview of the population growth in the business’ target geographical area, as well as a breakdown of the types of potential customers they expect to welcome at the store. 

This sort of granular insight is essential for understanding and communicating your business’s growth potential. Plus, it lays a strong foundation for creating relevant and useful buyer personas .

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

Due to its comprehensiveness, it’s an excellent example to follow if you’re opening a brick-and-mortar store and need to get external funding to start your business .

6. Curriculum Companion Suites (CSS)

If you’re looking for a SaaS business plan example, look no further than this business plan for a fictional educational software company called Curriculum Companion Suites. 

Like the business plan for the NALB Creative Center, it includes plenty of information for prospective investors and other key stakeholders in the business.

One of the most notable features of this business plan is the executive summary, which includes an overview of the product, market, and mission.

The first two are essential for software companies because the product offering is so often at the forefront of the company’s strategy. Without that information being immediately available to investors and executives, then you risk writing an unfocused business plan.

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

7. Culina Sample Business Plan

Culina's sample business plan is an excellent example of how to lay out your business plan so that it flows naturally, engages readers, and provides the critical information investors and stakeholders need. 

You can use this template as a guide while you're gathering important information for your own business plan. You'll have a better understanding of the data and research you need to do since Culina’s plan outlines these details so flawlessly for inspiration.

8. Plum Sample Business Plan

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• UConn Library
• Topic: Entrepreneurship & Business Plan Guide
• Business Plan (How to & Samples)

Topic: Entrepreneurship & Business Plan Guide — Business Plan (How to & Samples)

• Idea Generation
• Industry Information
• Competitors
• Market Research
• Financial Data
• Advertising & Promotion
• Small Business Advisors
• Products, R&D, Strategy
• Patents and Trademarks
• Grants, Loans, and Financing
• Franchises & Franchising
• Celebrating Connecticut

What is a Business Plan?

A business plan is "a guide—a roadmap for your business that outlines goals and details how you plan to achieve those goals."--Tim Berry from Bplans site.

• An Introduction to Business Plans Introduction to a tutorial on business plans written by the staff at Entrepreneur magazine.
• Business Planning Guide Step-by-Step guide to write a Business Plan by Bplans site.
• Create Your Business Plan, from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) The SBA has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses.

What is included in a Business Plan?

The following components make up a business plan:

Table of Contents

Executive Summary : Appears first, written last. Provides a snapshot of your company explaining who you are, what you do, and why.

Mission & Vision: Here you define the purpose of your business (Mission) and a statement about your perception of the company's growth and potential (Vision). Include specific goals and objectives of the business

Business Description: Provide background information about the company including brief history of the business and list of key company principals.

Define Your Market: Describe the industry within which your business will operate, identify your target market, provide a general profile of your targeted clients, and describe what share of the market your currently have and/or anticipate. For this section of the business plan, your will undertake following types of research:

Industry Analysis : how is the industry structured, trends and statistics, key players, segmentation, sales and distribution channels etc.

Competitive Analysis : major competitors, strengths and weaknesses, how would you position yourself against the competition, market niche, product/service comparison

Customers: who are the customers (demographic data), what do they want, customer buying habits, market share/market size, consumer preferences

Advertising and Promotion : How will you reach out to potential customers? Where do they currently shop for product/service? Where will you advertise and how will you measure the effectiveness of your advertising and promotion efforts?

Pricing : strategy, policies, price list, break-even analysis

Location : Where is your business located? (home-based; retail; commercial, etc….), is the location of your business important? Any special zoning, land or building improvements needed to accommodate your operation? If location is important, what are the features of your location?

Products & Services:   Describe all your products and services; explain how your products and services are competitive including unique features, benefits of the product or service, niche served, stage of product/service development, production, future growth.

Organization & Management: Describe how your company is organized including legal structure(sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation etc); identify any special licenses and/or permists your business operates with; provide brief bio of key managers within the company; include an organization chart if available.

Marketing & Sales Strategy: Identify and describe your maket -- who are your customers and what's the demand for your products and services; channels of dsitribution you will use; your sales strategy specific to pricing, promotion, products, and place.

Financial Management:

For new business include: estimate of start-up costs (all one-time expenses such as equipment, deposits, fees, etc.); projected balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement (1 year forward)

For existing business include: balance sheets (last 3 years), income statements (last 3 years), cash flow statements (12 months)

If applying for a loan: current personal financial statement on each principal; federal tax return for prior year

Appendices: This section may include company brochures, resumes of key employees, list of business equipment, copies of press articles and advertisements (if available), pictures of your business location and products, any applicable information about your industry and /or products, key business agreements such as lease, contracts etc.  

(Adapted from: SBA's Business Plan Template )

Finding Sample Business Plans

• Business Plans Handbook/ Lynn M. Pearce, ed. Vol 13. Includes sample plans on numerous topics such as advertising, fitness center, landscaping, and technology solutions provider and more.
• Business Plans Handbook/ Lynn M. Pearce, ed. Vol. 19. Includes business plans for assisted living facility, auto dealing, bowling alley, commodities trading firm, digital presentations, farm, furniture store, gas station, laundry mat, web design, and more.
• Business Plans Handbook (via Reference for Business) Earlier volumes of the Business Plans Handbook are available at the above sites for free.
• BPlans.com Includes samples of business plans as well as advice and tips on writing a business plan, starting and running a business.

Why You Need a Business Plan?

You need a business plan:

• To see if you have a viable business idea
• To identify your (and your company's) strengths and weaknesses
• To assess the market for your product or service
• To size up the competition
• To determine your financial needs
• To attract investors
• To set up milestones and monitor your business
• << Previous: Idea Generation
• Next: Industry Information >>
• Last Updated: Apr 15, 2024 1:46 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/entrepreneurship

Free PDF Business Plan Templates and Samples

By Joe Weller | September 9, 2020

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We’ve gathered the most useful collection of business plan PDF templates and samples, including options for organizations of any size and type.

On this page, you’ll find free PDF templates for a simple business plan , small business plan , startup business plan , and more.

Simple Business Plan PDF Templates

These simple business plan PDF templates are ready to use and customizable to fit the needs of any organization.

Simple Business Plan Template PDF

This template contains a traditional business plan layout to help you map out each aspect, from a company overview to sales projections and a marketing strategy. This template includes a table of contents, as well as space for financing details that startups looking for funding may need to provide. 

Download Simple Business Plan Template - PDF

Lean Business Plan Template PDF

This scannable business plan template allows you to easily identify the most important elements of your plan. Use this template to outline key details pertaining to your business and industry, product or service offerings, target customer segments (and channels to reach them), and to identify sources of revenue. There is also space to include key performance metrics and a timeline of activities. 

Download Lean Business Plan Template - PDF

Simple 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template PDF

This template is designed to help you develop and implement a 90-day business plan by breaking it down into manageable chunks of time. Use the space provided to detail your main goals and deliverables for each timeframe, and then add the steps necessary to achieve your objectives. Assign task ownership and enter deadlines to ensure your plan stays on track every step of the way.

Download Simple 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

PDF | Smartsheet

One-Page Business Plan PDF Templates

The following single page business plan templates are designed to help you download your key ideas on paper, and can be used to create a pitch document to gain buy-in from partners, investors, and stakeholders.

One-Page Business Plan Template PDF

Use this one-page template to summarize each aspect of your business concept in a clear and concise manner. Define the who, what, why, and how of your idea, and use the space at the bottom to create a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) for your business. 

Download One-Page Business Plan Template

If you’re looking for a specific type of analysis, check out our collection of SWOT templates .

One-Page Lean Business Plan PDF

This one-page business plan template employs the Lean management concept, and encourages you to focus on the key assumptions of your business idea. A Lean plan is not stagnant, so update it as goals and objectives change — the visual timeline at the bottom is ideal for detailing milestones. 

Download One-Page Lean Business Plan Template - PDF

One-Page 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

Use this business plan template to identify main goals and outline the necessary activities to achieve those goals in 30, 60, and 90-day increments. Easily customize this template to fit your needs while you track the status of each task and goal to keep your business plan on target. 

Download One-Page 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

For additional single page plans, including an example of a one-page business plan , visit " One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide ."

Small Business Plan PDF Templates

These business plan templates are useful for small businesses that want to map out a way to meet organizational objectives, including how to structure, operate, and expand their business.

Simple Small Business Plan Template PDF

A small business can use this template to outline each critical component of a business plan. There is space to provide details about product or service offerings, target audience, customer reach strategy, competitive advantage, and more. Plus, there is space at the bottom of the document to include a SWOT analysis. Once complete, you can use the template as a basis to build out a more elaborate plan. 

Download Simple Small Business Plan Template

Fill-In-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template PDF

This fill-in-the-blank template walks you through each section of a business plan. Build upon the fill-in-the-blank content provided in each section to add information about your company, business idea, market analysis, implementation plan, timeline of milestones, and much more.

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template - PDF

One-Page Small Business Plan Template PDF

Use this one-page template to create a scannable business plan that highlights the most essential parts of your organization’s strategy. Provide your business overview and management team details at the top, and then outline the target market, market size, competitive offerings, key objectives and success metrics, financial plan, and more.

Download One-Page Business Plan for Small Business - PDF

Startup Business Plan PDF Templates

Startups can use these business plan templates to check the feasibility of their idea, and articulate their vision to potential investors.

Startup Business Plan Template

Use this business plan template to organize and prepare each essential component of your startup plan. Outline key details relevant to your concept and organization, including your mission and vision statement, product or services offered, pricing structure, marketing strategy, financial plan, and more.

‌Download Startup Business Plan Template

Sample 30-60-90 Day Business Plan for Startup

Startups can use this sample 30-60-90 day plan to establish main goals and deliverables spanning a 90-day period. Customize the sample goals, deliverables, and activities provided on this template according to the needs of your business. Then, assign task owners and set due dates to help ensure your 90-day plan stays on track.

‌Download Sample 30-60-90 Day Business Plan for Startup Template 

For additional resources to create your plan, visit “ Free Startup Business Plan Templates and Examples .”

Nonprofit Business Plan PDF Templates

Use these business plan PDF templates to outline your organization’s mission, your plan to make a positive impact in your community, and the steps you will take to achieve your nonprofit’s goals.

Nonprofit Business Plan Template PDF

Use this customizable PDF template to develop a plan that details your organization’s purpose, objectives, and strategy. This template features a table of contents, with room to include your nonprofit’s mission and vision, key team and board members, program offerings, a market and industry analysis, promotional plan, financial plan, and more. This template also contains a visual timeline to display historic and future milestones.

Download Nonprofit Business Plan Template - PDF

One-Page Business Plan for Nonprofit Organization PDF 

This one-page plan serves as a good starting point for established and startup nonprofit organizations to jot down their fundamental goals and objectives. This template contains all the essential aspects of a business plan in a concise and scannable format, including the organizational overview, purpose, promotional plan, key objectives and success metrics, fundraising goals, and more.

Download One-Page Business Plan for Nonprofit Organization Template - PDF

Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan PDF Templates

Use these fill-in-the-blank templates as a foundation for creating a comprehensive roadmap that aligns your business strategy with your marketing, sales, and financial goals.

Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan PDF

The fill-in-the-blank template contains all the vital parts of a business plan, with sample content that you can customize to fit your needs. There is room to include an executive summary, business description, market analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, financial statements, and more. 

Download Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template - PDF

Lean Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan PDF

This business plan is designed with a Lean approach that encourages you to clarify and communicate your business idea in a clear and concise manner. This single page fill-in-the-blank template includes space to provide details about your management team, the problem you're solving, the solution, target customers, cost structure, and revenue streams. Use the timeline at the bottom to produce a visual illustration of key milestones. 

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Lean Business Plan Template - PDF

For additional resources, take a look at " Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates ."

Sample Business Plan PDF Templates

These sample business plan PDF templates can help you to develop an organized, thorough, and professional business plan.

Business Plan Sample 

This business plan example demonstrates a plan for a fictional food truck company. The sample includes all of the elements in a traditional business plan, which makes it a useful starting point for developing a plan specific to your business needs.

Download Basic Business Plan Sample - PDF

Sample Business Plan Outline Template

Use this sample outline as a starting point for your business plan. Shorten or expand the outline depending on your organization’s needs, and use it to develop a table of contents for your finalized plan.

Download Sample Business Plan Outline Template - PDF

Sample Business Financial Plan Template

Use this sample template to develop the financial portion of your business plan. The template provides space to include a financial overview, key assumptions, financial indicators, and business ratios. Complete the break-even analysis and add your financial statements to help prove the viability of your organization’s business plan.

Download Business Financial Plan Template

PDF  | Smartsheet

For more free, downloadable templates for all aspects of your business, check out “ Free Business Templates for Organizations of All Sizes .”

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The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Blog Business How to Write Business Proposal (Examples + Free Templates)

How to Write Business Proposal (Examples + Free Templates)

Written by: Aditya Sheth Jan 25, 2024

The great Mark Cuban once said, “Sales cure all.” If a business doesn’t sell, it doesn’t make money and by extension the business fails. That’s why you need to write business proposals .

A well-written business proposal can often mean the difference between winning or losing a prospective client.

In this in-depth guide to creating business proposals, we show you how to close more deals, make more sales and crush your business goals — all by using easy-to-edit professional business proposal templates .

Here’s what this guide will cover (click to jump ahead):

What is a business proposal, what are the components of a business proposal.

• How to write a business proposal step by step

What should you include in a business proposal?

What are the types of business proposals, more business proposal examples + writing and design tips.

• FAQs about business proposals

Looking for a shortcut? Watch this quick video for an overview of everything to include in your business proposal:

A business proposal is a document designed to outline a business plan to convince potential client, investor or partner to engage in a business agreement with you or your company. It’s basically a sales pitch in writing to persuade potential clients to show them benefits of working with you or your company for their business success.

A business proposal outlines what your business does and what you can do for your client . It can be general like this business proposal example:

Or it can be more specific, like this business proposal template which focuses on proposing a project for the Newton Center Rail:

Or this business proposal sample, which presents a plan for a social media strategy and campaign:

To design a business proposal that holds the client’s attention, identify their pain points . Then provide your buyer with the right solution to alleviate those frustrations.

Working on a new project? These project proposal examples might come in handy for you.

The components of a business proposal can change depending on the field, company size and client needs. While details may differ, strong proposals typically introduce your company, explain the problem, offer a solution and its benefits, highlight your team’s skills, and outline timeline, cost and next steps.

How to write a business proposal step by step

Before you start creating your business proposal template, you need to understand the business proposal format. At a high level, your effective business proposal should include the following:

• Create a compelling business proposal title
• Build a table of contents
• Craft the executive summary
• Write a detailed problem statement
• Propose your solutions
• Showcase your team’s expertise
• Create a realistic timeline
• Present your payment structure
• Specify the terms and conditions
• Receiving the decision

Below, you can see business proposal examples that demonstrate how to include these 10 sections.

1. Create a compelling business proposal title

A compelling title could mean the difference between someone reading your proposal or ignoring it in favor of a competitor’s . 

What makes a good title page? Here are the essential elements to include: 

• Your name along with your company’s name
• The name of the prospect (or their business) 
• The date you’re submitting the proposal

The gray business consulting proposal template above contains all the details a prospect would want to know. The title also offers a strong tangible benefit to the prospective buyer. Honestly, “Who doesn’t want to grow their business?”

2. Build a table of contents

The table of contents is a fundamental part of every winning business proposal template. It makes your proposal scannable and easy to read.

The people you will be pitching to are usually C-level executives. These are busy people who don’t have time to read your entire proposal in one go.

That’s why most of the business proposal examples in this list include a table of contents.

Adding a table of contents to your document makes it easy for them to go through it at their own pace. They can also skim through parts of the proposal that they deem more important. You can see how this abstract business proposal template uses the table of contents:

You can also make your business proposal template easier to navigate by adding hyperlinks to the document, particularly in the table of contents. This way your clients can jump to specific sections without having to scroll through the entire document. Ensuring your business plan format follows a clear structure can greatly enhance readability and comprehension for potential investors or partners.

It’s easy to add hyperlinks in the Venngage editor. Select the text you’d like to turn into a link, then click the link icon in the top bar. From there, select the page you want to link to! Then download your completed design as an Interactive PDF .

3. Craft the executive summary

The executive summary is a staple in all kinds of annual reports , leadership development plan , project plans and even marketing plans . It is a concise summary of the entire contents of your document. In other words, write a business proposal outline that is easy to glance over and that highlights your value proposition.

The goals of your executive summary are:

• Introduce your company to your buyer
• Provide an overview of your company goals
• Showcase your company’s milestones, overall vision and future plans
• Include any other relevant details

This gray business proposal example has a detailed yet short executive summary including some social proof in the form of clients they’ve worked with:

Take note of how precise this business proposal example is. You want to keep your executive summary concise and clear from the get-go. This sets the right tone for the rest of your proposal. It also gives your buyer a reason to continue reading your proposal.

Crafting an executive summary and keeping it concise and compelling can be challenging. but you can use an AI summarizer online to generate an executive summary. Such tools are trained on relevant AI models that can extract core points from a given text. You can get such a point either in bullet form or in abstract summary form.

Pro Tip: Try to write an executive summary such that, even if your prospective client doesn’t read the entire proposal (with a good executive summary, they most likely will), they should have a clear idea about what your company does and how you can help them.

4. Write a detailed problem statement

The point of writing a business proposal is to solve a buyer’s problem. Your goal is to outline the problem statement as clearly as possible. This develops a sense of urgency in your prospect. They will want to find a solution to the problem. And you have that solution.

 A well-defined problem statement does two things: 

• It shows the prospect you have done your homework instead of sending a generic pitch
• It creates an opportunity for you to point out a problem your prospect might not be aware they had in the first place. 

This bold business proposal template above clearly outlines the problem at hand and also offers a ray of hope i.e. how you can solve your prospect’s problem. This brings me to… 

5. P ropose your solutions

The good stuff. In the proposed solution section, you show how you can alleviate your prospective buyer’s pain points. This can fit onto the problem statement section but if you have a comprehensive solution or prefer to elaborate on the details, a separate section is a good idea.

Spare no details regarding the solution you will provide. When you write a business proposal, explain how you plan to deliver the solution. Include an estimated timeline of when they can expect your solution and other relevant details.

For inspiration, look at how this business proposal template quickly and succinctly outlines the project plan, deliverables and metrics :

6. Showcase your team’s expertise

At this point, the prospect you’re pitching your solution to likes what they’re reading. But they may not trust you to deliver on your promises. Why is this?

It’s because they don’t know you. Your job is to convince them that you can fix their problem. This section is important because it acts as social proof. You can highlight what your company does best and how qualified your team is when you write a business proposal for a potential client.

This free business proposal template showcases the company’s accolades, client testimonials, relevant case studies, and industry awards. You can also include other forms of social proof to establish yourself as a credible business. This makes it that much more likely that they will say yes!

Pro Tip: Attaching in-depth case studies of your work is a great way to build trust with a potential client by showcasing how you’ve solved similar problems for other clients in the past. Our case study examples post can show you how to do just that.

7. Create a realistic timeline

To further demonstrate just how prepared you are, it’s important to outline the next steps you will take should your buyer decide to work with you.

Provide a timeline of how and when you will complete all your deliverables. You can do this by designing a  flow chart . Or add a  roadmap  with deadlines. Pitching a long-term project? A timeline infographic would be a better fit.

If you look at this abstract business proposal template below, even something as simple as a table can do the trick.

The timeline is not always set in stone, rather it’s an estimation. The goal is to clarify any questions your potential client might have about how you will deliver for the underlying B2B sales process.

8. Present your payment and terms

On this page, you can outline your fees, payment schedule, invoice payment terms , as well as legal aspects involved in this deal. You can even use the  Excel Invoice Template  to create professional-looking invoices (including brand logo and other elements) and add them to this page.

The key to good pricing is to provide your buyer with options. A  pricing comparison table can help with this. You want to give your client some room to work with. Make sure you’re not scaring off your client with a high price, nor undervaluing yourself. 

Breaking up your pricing in stages is another great way to make sure your potential client knows what he’s paying for. Look at how this simple business proposal template does this:

The legal aspects can slot right into the terms and conditions section. Alternatively, you can add them to the signature section of the proposal to keep things simple.

9. Specify the terms and conditions

Summarize everything you have promised to deliver so far. Include what you expect from your prospective buyer in return.   Add the overall project timeline from start to end, as well as payment methods and payment schedule, incorporating these details into an online digital project management tool. This way, both of you will be clear on what is being agreed on.

This step is very important as it outlines all the legal aspects of the deal. That is why the terms and conditions section of your proposal needs to be as clear as possible.

I recommend consulting a lawyer or your legal team when working on this section of the business proposal. If you’re a business veteran and understand the legalities of your business, you can use the same terms and conditions across all your proposals.

10. Receiving the decision

The final step of this whole process. Your client has read your business proposal and they want to buy what you have to offer.

Add a small section at the end of your proposal to get the necessary signatures. This way, you and your client can sign the proposal and the partnership becomes official.

Be sure to also include your contact information in your business proposal template. It acts as a gentle prompt to your client to contact you in case they have any questions. A professional way of doig that would be to include an e-business card with your contact details, email i.d and any other social links you want to share. You can go through this article for the best digital business cards .

A business proposal usually aims to answer the following questions: 

• Who you are and what your company does
• The problem your buyer is facing
• The solution your company offers to alleviate the problem
• How your company will implement this solution effectively
• An estimate of resources (time, money, etc) required to implement the solution

You can see how this sample business proposal template covers the above points.

Notice how this proposal template addresses the same project like in one of the previous templates, but uses a completely different design style (more retro, while the previous business proposal template is more modern and minimalistic).

Generally, there are three types of business proposals:

1. Formally solicited 

A formally solicited business proposal is made when you respond to an official request to write a business proposal.

In this scenario, you know all the requirements and have more (if not all) information about a prospective buyer. You simply need to write the business proposal for your buyer to evaluate so you can begin the sales process .

2. Informally solicited 

Informally solicited business proposals are written when there isn’t an official request for a proposal. A prospective buyer is interested in your services and asks for a proposal so they can evaluate it.

An informally solicited proposal requires a lot more research from your end. These types of proposals are usually created out of informal conversations. They are not based on official requests which often contain more detail.

3. Unsolicited 

Think of this as a marketing brochure or a cold email . Unsolicited business proposals will often take a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to business proposals. Unsolicited proposals lack any understanding of the buyer or their requirements.

But with additional  market research , personalization and identifying customer pain points , you can propose a customized solution based on your buyer’s needs. This can be a very persuasive approach, such as in this business proposal example:

Now that you know how to write a business proposal, let’s look at how you can optimize your proposal to deliver results!

Below you’ll find some winning business proposal templates and examples to get you started. I’ve also included some design tips to keep in mind when you’re creating your next business proposal: 

1. Know your audience 

If you have some clarity on who your ideal buyer is — their pain points, their budget, deadlines, among other things — you’ve already won half the battle.

If you are a business that helps clients with everything from running giveaways or helping grow their blog , identify which customers to pitch. This is a sure-shot way to close the deal.

Mapping user personas  for your ideal buyer can help bring some clarity. It will also help you position your business proposal correctly. This improves the chance of your buyer moving your business proposal to the “Yes!” pile.

2. Put your brand front and center

If your company follows certain brand guidelines, incorporate them in your business proposal templates. Consider how business proposal examples like the one below highlight brand identity :

From the color palettes to the company logos , everything follows their brand guidelines. The result: a business proposal that’s consistent across the board.

Pro Tip: Switching this template to match your brand assets is actually pretty easy. Venngage’s My Brand Kit feature allows you to import your color palettes, logos as well as font choices. Any Venngage template can now be your template.

You can also consider this sample business proposal template:

App design companies sure do know their design. They did a phenomenal job keeping their brand colors consistent while opting for a black design. This unique color scheme also makes their white logo prominent throughout the proposal.

3. Try less text, more visuals

Have you ever read a proposal and thought to yourself, “Wow, this is all text and has no images, I love it!”? Yeah, me neither.

The free business proposal template below is a perfect example of the “less is more” principle. It does a phenomenal job of communicating what it needs to. By substituting some of the text with icons and visuals, you get a clean business proposal that’s much more scannable.

Want to keep things strictly professional? Instead of icons, you can always add your team’s headshots. This shows your buyer exactly who they’ll be working with.  

Check out this formal business proposal format for some inspiration:

4. Switch up your business proposal designs

It doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond once in a while. Jazz up your business proposal template with some extra colors. This helps make your business proposal more engaging. It also helps your buyers retain information faster.

The business proposal example alternates between black, white and grey backgrounds. It still manages to maintain consistency in its branding . Just switching up your backgrounds once in a while can also bring in some variety to an otherwise standard business proposal.

This SEO business proposal sample proves that it’s possible to switch up the colors in every other page. But it still maintains the same color scheme across the entire proposal just like a professionally designed website : 

Pro Tip: Not a color expert? Our guide on picking colors can help you pick the right color scheme for your proposals.

FAQ about business proposals

What is the purpose of a business proposal.

A business proposal aims to streamline the B2B sales process (which is often complex ) between you as a seller and a buyer.

It does this by serving the dual purpose of acting as a source of information. The proposal also acts as a sales pitch aimed at convincing your buyer why they should buy what you have to offer.

What are the best practices for business proposal design?

• Do a thorough spell-check. The goal of your business proposal is to convince your buyer why you’re the perfect person for the job. A proposal with typos or grammatical errors communicates the opposite. A thorough spell-check before you send your proposal is a must.
• Keep things clear and readable: Clarity is an important aspect that you have to ensure in your business proposal. If you want your proposal to hit home and make an impact on the buyer, you have to write it in an understandable way. To keep things clear and readable, there are a couple of things that you can do. You can, for one, take care to use easy wording and segmented sentences from the get-go. You can also try paraphrasing the hard parts of your proposal once you are done writing it.
• Let your brand shine. As discussed before, writing a business proposal is all about knowing your ideal buyer and focusing on their pain points. But that doesn’t mean your business proposal template has to be boring. Demonstrate how different you are compared to other companies. You can do this through your brand guidelines , by using more visuals, switching up your proposal design or showing off your personality in your writing . 
• Create a business proposal PDF. Downloading your business proposal in PDF format allows you to attach other collaterals with your business proposal. These can include a company explainer video or case studies showcasing the work done with past clients. Also, who doesn’t love saving paper?

How long should your business proposal be? 

The length depends on the scope of the work as well as the complexity of the project. Here is a one-page business proposal template:

Can your business proposal template really be one page? Yes, as long as you understand who your buyer is and their pain points. You should also have the ability to communicate everything your ideal buyer needs to know about your business in a succinct manner.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous how about just two pages? Often, clients prefer if you go straight to the point and avoid all the fluff.

For example, this green modern marketing proposal template wastes no time in getting down to brass tacks:

Need more inspiration? Check out this blog on the 5 marketing proposal examples that’ll help elevate your business.

There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to deciding how many pages you should include in your business proposal template. And at the end of the day, “the only rules are the ones you set for yourself”.

At the end of the day, writing winning business proposals that sell is all about you understanding your buyer, their potential pain points and positioning yourself as someone who can alleviate those pain points. 

Now that you know how to write compelling business proposals, what are you waiting for?

Take action and start creating your own business proposals to close more deals and grow your business today!

More business communications templates + writing tips you might be interested in…

• 31 Consulting Proposal Templates to Close Deals
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