how long is the average business plan

How Long Should a Business Plan Be?

3 min. read

Updated October 27, 2023

Don’t make your business plan longer than necessary, and think about the  reason you’re writing the plan in the first place . You’re probably going to want to revise your plan regularly, and the shorter your plan is, the more manageable that process will be. Using a  business plan template  to help you keep each section organized can help you  as you start writing .

Page count is not a good way to measure length. A 20-page business plan with dense text and no graphics is much longer than a 35-page plan broken up into readable bullet points, useful illustrations of locations or products, and business charts to illustrate important projections.

Your business plan shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to skim

Measure a plan by readability and summarization. A good business plan should leave a reader a good general idea of its main contents even after only a quick skimming, browsing the main points, in 15 minutes.  Format, headings , white space, and illustrations make a big difference. Summaries are very important. Main points should show up in a business plan as quickly as they do in a business presentation.

Your plan’s length should mirror its audience

Unfortunately, many people still use page count as measurement. And in that context, some of the more practical, internal-use-only business plans can be only 5 or 10 pages long. Corporate business plans for large companies can run into hundreds of pages. The more standard start-up and expansion plans developed for showing outsiders normally run 20-40 pages of text – easy to read, well-spaced text, formatted in bullets, illustrated by business charts and short financial tables – plus financial details in appendices.

The right length of the plan depends on the nature and  purpose of the plan . Will it include descriptions of the company and management team for outsiders to read? Does it need an executive summary good enough to stand alone? Does it include detailed research, plans, drawings, and blueprints? Is it worded to withstand legal scrutiny as part of an investment proposal? Does it have everything bank would look for in your business loan application; Form follows function.

• The right length for a business plan competition

Venture contests often limit a plan to 30 pages, sometimes 40, rarely 50 – and that includes detailed financials in the appendices. Unfortunately the page limitation leads some contestants to very bad choices, as they cram content into dense typefaces and thick texts, making their plans worse, not better.

Palo Alto Software’s business plan contest ran four years. Several hundred plans entered that competition. Finalists never had less than 20 pages or more than 50 pages. Most run 30-40 pages. These are all 20-30 pages of text, not counting useful graphic additions to show locations, designs, menus, etc., and not counting the appendices pages containing monthly financial projections, resumes of team leaders, etc. You’ll want to add some pages for the standard financials; usually that means appendices with monthly tables for sales, personnel, income statement, cash flow, and balance sheet. You also want to include the main annual numbers of those tables in the body of the plan.

• Use graphics wisely

Don’t ever shorten a plan by taking out useful graphics. Page count matters far less than readability. Use business charts to illustrate numbers so your projections are easier to absorb. Use photographs and drawings to show locations, products, sample menus, product pictures, and other illustrations as much as possible. However, don’t ever add extra graphics, like clip art, not directly relevant to the matter at hand, as if that would make a plan better.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

Table of Contents

• Your business plan shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to skim
• Your plan’s length should mirror its audience

Related Articles

5 Min. Read

Business Plan Vs Strategic Plan Vs Operational Plan—Differences Explained

12 Min. Read

Do You Need a Business Plan? Scientific Research Says Yes

3 Min. Read

5 Fundamental Principles of Business Planning

10 Min. Read

When Should You Write a Business Plan?

The Bplans Newsletter

The Bplans Weekly

Subscribe now for weekly advice and free downloadable resources to help start and grow your business.

We care about your privacy. See our privacy policy .

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

Business Plan Length: How Long Should a Business Plan Be?

Fifteen to 25 pages is enough room to explain your business’ vision and excite readers to support your company. Importantly, your business plan is not supposed to answer every question someone might possibly have about your business. Rather, it is to give the reader a solid understanding of your business, and allow them to make an informed decision as to whether they should meet with you to take next steps such as to fund or partner with your business.

Having written thousands of business plans over the past 20+ years, Growthink’s business plan consultants have found 15 to 25 pages of text to be the sweet spot. Any more and the time-constrained investor will be forced to skim certain sections of the plan, even if they are generally interested, which could lead them to miss essential information. Any less and the investor will think that the business has not been fully thought through, or will simply not have enough information to make an investment decision.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here

These essential components, taken from our best business plan template , are as follows:

• Executive Summary
• Company Overview
• Industry Analysis
• Customer Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Operations Plan
• Management Team
• Financial Plan

Business plans, like other marketing communications documents, should be visually appealing and easy-to-read. This can be accomplished by using charts and graphics and by formatting the plan for readability. Effectively using these techniques will enable the investor to more quickly and easily understand the company’s value proposition within fewer pages.

While a business plan writer should make the body of document between 15 and 25 pages, the Appendix can be used for supplemental information, thus potentially making your full plan longer.

The Appendix should include a full set of financial projections, and as appropriate, technical and/or operational drawings, partnership and/or customer agreements, expanded competitor reviews, and lists of key customers among others.

If the Appendix is long, if you a printing it out, a divider should be used to separate it from the body of the plan, or a separate Appendix document should be prepared. These techniques ensure that the investor is not handed a thick plan, which will make them queasy before even opening it up.

To summarize, the goal of your plan is to create interest – not to have an investor write you a check.

In creating interest, the full story of your company need not be told. Rather, the plan should include the essential elements regarding why an investor should invest and spend more time examining the business opportunity.

The shorter length does not mean that your plan should take less time to prepare. Rather, the entire process will take more time. As Mark Twain once said, “If I had more time, I would write a shorter story.”

So, in answering how long should a business plan be, you can keep it short, yet quite compelling and comprehensive. While condensing your plan to a concise, strong document is challenging and time consuming, fortunately the rewards are significant.

How to Finish Your Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

• 400+ Sample Business Plans
• WHY UPMETRICS?

Customers Success Stories

Business Plan Course

Strategic Canvas Templates

E-books, Guides & More

Business consultants

Entrepreneurs and Small Business

Accelerators and Incubators

Educators & Business Schools

Students & Scholars

AI Business Plan Generator

Financial Forecasting

AI Assistance

Ai Pitch Deck Generator

Stratrgic Planning

See How Upmetrics Works  →

• Sample Plans

Small Business Tools

Business Plan Length: How Long Should a Business Plan be?

Business Plan Template

• April 17, 2024

What should be my business plan length? It is a common question for entrepreneurs who are new to business planning.

Certain people hold the opinion that a business plan should be one page long, while some believe a business plan should be extensive and filled with minute details.

Every business plan and business is different. While some may be heavily text-based and include extensive market research, others may rely on graphics to make their points.

If your business plan is too brief, you’re probably not offering potential investors enough details about your operation. In contrast, if it goes on for too long, you will bore them, and they will lose interest since you are giving them too much information.

Confused about the length of a business plan? Make sure your business plan is detailed enough to show that investing in or getting involved with your business is a good idea.

In light of this, a business plan length should typically be between 15-30 pages . Let’s see the detailed guide on how long should a business plan be

Length Depends on the Purpose of Your Business Plan

Don’t overlook the main mission of your plan while you determine the ideal length of your business plan. The goal of your plan is to persuade readers to support your business, financially or by being an active part of your business.

Certain questions to answer to know your purpose are:

• Who is the target audience, first, for whom you are creating a business plan? (E.g., banks, investors, potential partners, etc.)
• Will it have details of the business and the management team that everyone can read?
• Do you require showing the whole business plan or only the executive summary to your readers?
• Does it contain thorough research, plans, designs, and charts?

Length Also Depends on the Type of Business Plan

The page count of a business plan also depends on its type. There are three types of business plans, let’s deep dive into them, and then you can decide the ideal length of your business plan.

One-Page Business Plan

A business owner prefers a one-page business plan to introduce their business to investors. A one-page startup business plan encompasses the key elements of the company into just one page, much like an executive summary.

One of the advantages is that investors can read it quickly because it is simply one page long and has just enough details to pique their interest.

Mini Business Plan

A mini business plan contains 1 to 10 pages and has every component that is in a normal traditional business plan, but all are synchronized.

A short plan has all the essential elements of your business in bullet points to make it concise. Even though it contains some of the same details, a detailed business plan is still necessary.

If an investor asks for further details, after reading a one-page business plan, then this mini-business plan can come in handy.

This version will contain more detailed information, such as the problem, the solution, the marketing plan, the expected financial results, the target market, the company and management team, short financial tables, business charts, and the details to secure funding.

The Comprehensive Business Plan

Comprehensive business plans can range in length from 15 to 35 pages and beyond.

This business plan provides readers with a complete overview of the company, including the market problem, the proposed solution, company description, objectives, and goals, as well as its marketing plan, competitive analysis, operational plan, financial projections, management team, and funding request.

A comprehensive plan starts with an executive summary and then expands on it with supporting data. This plan includes essential research to validate the overall business idea.

These business plans should only be provided upon request and following the delivery of a one-page or mini-business plan. An extensive business plan gives investors a complete picture of the company while raising the starting capital.

Need help in writing a business plan?

Write winning business plans in minutes with AI

Plans starting from $7/month

Elements to Include in a Business Plan

Now that you know the types of businesses and the average length of a plan, let’s move ahead with what to actually include in a plan. By exploring these essential components, you will be able to create a solid plan.

Executive summary

It is an overview of the whole business plan. Generally, entrepreneurs prefer to write it at the last, after having the clarity of each section of the business plan.

Company description

There is a detailed introduction to your business in this section, including the structure, name of your business, location, history, etc.

Market analysis

This is the section where you provide information about the market, like market size, market trends, target market, industry trends, regulatory environment, etc.

Products or services

Mention the products or services you will provide in this section, including the competitive advantage, unique value proposition, and benefits of the product or service.

Sales and marketing strategy

Here should be your marketing plan on how will attract new and retain old customers.

Management team

Here, mention the names, roles, and experience of key members, managers, and owners.

Financial projections

Attach financial forecasts of at least 3 years to 5 years in this section, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Additional information that supports the main sections of the business plan, such as resumes, market research data, legal documents, and any other relevant materials.

Tips for Writing a Concise Business Plan

Writing a concise business plan is essential for capturing the attention of potential investors and partners. Here are some tips to help you write a concise business plan:

1. The Length of an Executive Summary is Crucial

The executive summary is typically the whole overview of the business plan, so it is one of the essential components. Therefore, make sure your summary is well-presented and brief with all the details.

The executive summary’s opening paragraph, in particular, is of utmost significance, since if you don’t grab the reader’s attention right away, they won’t continue reading.

It should normally be one to two pages long to get the reader’s interest in your plan.

A good executive summary should be 5-10% of the whole business plan, so write all the information in a synchronized yet clear manner.

Your business plan has six essential components after the executive summary. These sections should each be between one and two pages long.

2. Correctly Format Your Plan

By organizing your plan, you can avoid including information that would make the plan too cluttered, long, and difficult to read.

Formatting will:

• Give readers a more enjoyable experience
• Make it simple for them to locate the exact information
• Help you fit in the ideal length of the business plan
• Increases engagement and your chances of getting results
• Will also help you understand key elements of your business

3. No One Wants a Novel

When it comes to your business plan length, no one would be interested in reading 100 long pages.

If you include every minute detail of your business, then the plan will be excessively lengthy, and the majority of readers will become bored. Keep in mind that no one will read a 100-page business plan.

Instead, include the most significant information in the executive summary, and then in the other sections of your plan, validate what you mentioned in the executive summary.

4. Move Supporting Documents to the Appendix

While an executive summary gives a quick overview of your whole plan, the appendix supports the data presented in the plan, making it simple to read with all the evidence.

For instance, the primary component of your plan includes revenue projections for years 1 and 5. You can include the specifics of how those forecasts were made in your appendix, rather than putting all pertinent information in the main text.

Therefore, to make your plan clutter-free, move all the supporting documents to the appendix.

5. The 15 Minutes Readability

The 15-minute readability is an actual answer to the question; how long should a business plan be? After quickly scanning the main points of a strong business plan for 15 minutes, the reader should have a good understanding of its main components.

Format, headlines, white space, and graphics all significantly impact readability. The main ideas of a business strategy should be presented as rapidly as they are in a business proposal or business presentation.

If you are still confused about how to write a business plan, then you can also use free business plan samples to make your plan perfect.

6. Use Graphics Wisely

Never reduce a plan by removing helpful graphics. Readability and understanding of the plan are much more important with the help of graphics.

Make your financial projections easier to understand by using business charts to illustrate the numbers. As much as possible, use pictures and drawings to illustrate locations, items, sample menus, product images, and other things.

Are You Ready for Your Business Plan?

In final words, a business plan’s length depends on various factors, like the type & complexity of your plan, the audience of your plan, the purpose of the plan, and many more.

The thing that only matters is your plan should reflect all the main elements of your business, whether it is 15 pages or 30 pages with clarity.

Don’t worry if the ideal length of your business plan is still confusing, because you can always rely on a good business plan software like Upmetrics for writing a business plan. So, start writing, and all the best!

Build your Business Plan Faster

with step-by-step Guidance & AI Assistance.

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

Related Articles

How to Write a Business Plan Complete Guide

17 Reasons Why do you Need a Business Plan?

How to Prepare a Financial Plan for Startup Business (w/ example)

Reach your goals with accurate planning.

No Risk – Cancel at Any Time – 15 Day Money Back Guarantee

Popular Templates

The Art of Creating a Pitch Deck Team Slide

The Startup’s Guide to Hiring a Pitch Deck Writer

The Airbnb Pitch Deck: An Expert Breakdown

Expert Tips: How To Launch A Startup

• Business Planning

Ask The Experts: How Long Should A Business Plan Be?

Business planning can be confusing, and one of the questions that entrepreneurs often ponder is, “how long should a business plan be?”

Asking around doesn’t seem to help much. One camp of people believes that a business plan should be a single page, while the other camp believes that a business plan should be comprehensive and extremely detailed.

The truth is, there is no perfect answer to this question. A plan should be as long as is needed to fulfill its purpose – and not everyone has the same objective when developing a business plan.

Each business plan is unique. While some plans may be text-heavy and go into deep detail with research about its market, others may use graphics to get their points across. The way a business plan writer presents their information can drastically affect the overall length of their business plan.

Does business plan length matter? Yes, but the length of your business plan is highly dependent upon your business, your audience, your writing style, and the type of plan you are developing.

The One-Page Business Plan

Over the last several years, the one-page business plan has become more and more popular as an introduction tool. Very similar to a standard executive summary, a one-page business plan summarizes the important points of the business into a single page. This  business plan format  is extremely digestible but isn’t acceptable for all situations.  

The most applicable scenario for a one-page business plan is for introducing an investor (or another party) to a business that they are unfamiliar with. With only one page, it isn’t too time-consuming for them to read, and provides just enough information to spark their curiosity.

When building your one-page business plan, it is important to realize that a single page does not leave much room for extreme detail. With a one-pager, you will have to choose the elements that are most important and the information that will best describe your business to drive the interest of readers.

However, for an investor who is already curious about your business and seeking to learn about it in detail, a one-page business plan is often not enough. Unfortunately, a business plan of this length does not provide enough context to get into the fine details of your overall strategy.

Is a one-page business plan right for you? Consider the following pros and cons.

• Easy to put together quickly when in a pinch.
• Provides just enough content for readers to easily digest.
• Allows entrepreneurs to explain the market problem, their solution and their strategy for reaching the market.
• Often does not provide enough context for readers to fully understand your business.
• If investors are interested after reading the one-pager, they will likely request a more comprehensive business plan.
• A one-page business plan doesn’t provide enough research and won’t prove the feasibility of a company.

The Mini Business Plan

A “mini business plan” is typically around 1-10 pages and provides much of the same information as a comprehensive business plan. However, the information is condensed and minimizes all fine details and explanations.

A mini business plan cuts to the chase, often using bullet points to fulfill the section. While it includes some of the same information, it doesn’t replace a comprehensive plan. It is perfect in a situation where more detail is required to prove the feasibility of the business but immense detail is not yet necessary.

For example, if an entrepreneur has already shared their one-page plan, but the investor requests more information, a mini business plan can be sent. This version will include more extensive information including the problem, solution, marketing strategy, financial projections, and financial requirements.

Is a mini business plan right for you? Consider the following pros and cons.

• Much more inclusive than a one-pager, but easier to digest than a comprehensive business plan.
• Provides a better balance between document length and business information.
• Can be written within several days.
• Meant for brevity. Does not give enough room to thoroughly explain the major points within the plan.
• Typically excludes certain information such as an operational strategy, exit strategy, and etc.
• Provides a strong introduction to the business, but does not typically include enough research or background information to prove feasibility.

The Comprehensive Business Plan

Comprehensive business plans are full-scale plans that can be anywhere from 15-35 pages and beyond. This business plan gives readers a full view of the business including the market problem, the solution, company mission, objectives and goals, marketing strategy, competitive analysis, operational strategy, financial projections, management team, financial ask, and more.

A comprehensive plan begins with an executive summary (similar to the one-page business plan) and then expands on the summary with details and supporting information. This plan tells the story of the business, connects the entire strategy together, and provides the necessary research to validate the entire idea.

However, comprehensive business plans have their place. Virtually no one will read a 35-page document with no prior knowledge of the business. Instead, these business plans are best given on request, and after a one-page or mini-business plan has already been sent. When  raising seed funding , a comprehensive business plan provides investors with a full scope of the business.

Is writing a comprehensive business plan right for you? Consider the following pros and cons.

• Provides the most detail and information with supporting research and data using text, pie charts , and other visual aids.
• Examines every aspect of the business with a solid go-to-market strategy.
• Gives the most context and answers reader’s questions with full detail.
• Readers may not read through the entire plan and flip directly to specific sections.
• Comprehensive plans require thorough research and preparation and may take weeks to fully complete.
• Plans must be extremely informative and be presented in a way that captures the reader’s attention. If they get bored while reading, they may miss important points.

What Type of Plan Do You Need?

Many entrepreneurs only complete one business plan, and they send that one business plan out for every situation. Unfortunately, this is not an effective method. Instead, entrepreneurs should have all three types of business plans in their arsenal and be able to supply the right business plan when needed. The length of your plan isn’t what’s most important – knowing what type of plan to use, and when, is what will give you an advantage when seeking funding.

Whether you need a one-pager, a mini-plan, or a full-scale comprehensive business plan, we can help. Our experts have written hundreds of winning business plans for startups around the world. We’d love to help you, too.  Contact us  today and let’s write your investor-ready business plan!

You may also like

How To Win A Business Plan Contest

9 of the Most Important Slides For An Excellent Pitch Deck

30 of the Best Pitch Decks That We’ve Ever Seen

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

How Long Should a Business Plan Be?

The short answer is “as long as it needs to be”.  The length of your business plan depends on several factors such as who your audience is, the complexity of your product or service, and how long it takes to prove your mastery of the market.

In similar articles, you’ll hear things like this: “Your business plan should be as long as it takes to convince the reader that your company is worth investing in.”  This is true if your only objective is to secure an investment, but research shows that people use business plans for so much more than that.

In this article, I’ll answer the general question of, “How long should a business plan be?” based on who your audience is, and what their requirements are.

Internal Audience

An internal audience like yourself, a small team, or even a medium to a large group can benefit from a lean business plan, standard business plan or a comprehensive business plan.

A lean business plan may only be a page or two in length but can be incredibly helpful in developing the leadership qualities of your management team.

Business Plan, not an Operations Manual

It’s fascinating when it comes to standard or comprehensive business plans.  Most people believe that startups only write long business plans when they’re writing for an outside audience.  This is completely inaccurate, especially for startups with a complex product, or service.

What happens is the founders write word for word how their technology or intellectual property works.  Remember, a business plan requires a summarization of operations, not a focus on the actual operational plan.

Your business plan should dial in on the strategic direction of the company.  Any detailed explanations of IP, or specific processes should be done separately.

External Audience With Criteria

Some audiences will require your business plan to be a certain length.  It’s important to review these criteria to ensure you’re meeting all of their requirements.  Here are a few examples:

• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) requests basic business plans to be 38 to 50 pages in length, and complex plans to be 80 to 100 pages.

https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/az/phoenix/resources/sba-recommended-business-plans-length#:~:text=This%20is%20one%20of%20the,on%20their%20own%20personal%20perspective.

• The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs requires a business plan to be 10-30 pages in length, typed and double spaced, with adequate margins for adding notes or questions

https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/facts/08-051.htm

• The DECA International Business Plan requirements are that the body of the written entry must be limited to 30 numbered pages, including the appendix

https://www.deca.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/HS_IBP_Guidelines1.pdf

• Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program encourages candidates to provide business plans not exceeding 10 pages plus required appendices.

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/lbr-ainp-business-plan-guidelines.pdf

●        Yahoo Small Business suggests a business plan can range from 20 to 50 pages in total.

https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/resource-center/does-business-plan-140000974/

As you can see every audience is drastically different.  That is why your business plan’s length should mirror the audience it’s going in front of.

External Audience With No Criteria

In the situation that your business plan is for an external audience that hasn’t set forth any criteria, simply follow this procedure:

• Do all the research you can to ensure that your business plan answers every question it should.  Ensure your content is based on evidence.
• Once completed, revise your business plan for readability.  Is your business plan easy to read?
• Get your business plan in front of people you know: small business owners, friends, family, people with English degrees.  Get the advice you need, not just what you want to hear.
• Next, you can contact our team.  We’ll peer-review your business plan and offer our thoughts based on your goals and objectives.

Every business plan should be written with a consideration of who the audience is.  A bank may focus on financial projections, while an investor might be more focused on the life-cycle of the market.  A great business plan starts with a clear understanding of the audience, their requirements and criteria.

Use Charts and Graphs

That’s right.  Business plans with strictly text are boring, and rarely ever get the point across.  By using charts, graphs, and other visuals you can illustrate your concept while keeping your audience engaged.

The Average Length of a Business Plan

A standard business plan is usually 2,600 to 4,000 words in length, which is around 10-15 pages of text.

A comprehensive business plan can be anywhere from 4,000 to 26,000 words, which is equivalent to anywhere from 15-100 words in length.

“Our best approximation of the average length of a business plan is 3,200 words throughout 12-15 pages.”

Our main takeaways are to:

Excite your readers, and keep them focused on your idea.  Speak to your audience. Figure out what will be most compelling to them, while ensuring your content is evidence-based.

More important to length is the content inside your business plan.  Some long plans may communicate very little, while some short plans will communicate the essence of the business more effectively and with fewer words.

Most audiences skim business plans.  This means you never know where your audience’s eyes will land; therefore, every sentence must be your best sentence.  To help your audience with their skim you should:

Use Headers To Help Them Navigate

Headers will give your audience an idea of the business plan’s structure, so they can dial in on their areas of interest.

One option is to write your plan at a length you’re confident with, provide it to your audience, and allow them to suggest areas that can be expanded upon.

So, how long should a business plan really be?  A winning business plan is not based on its length, but rather on what’s inside.  A good rule is do not make your business plan longer than it needs to be.

How can we help you?

Get in touch with us or visit our office

• Business Guides

How long your business plan should be?

It’s a common question: How long should a business plan be? This is one of the most important questions to ask when you’re creating your business plan since it impacts how much time and effort you put into writing the document.

Introduction (3 to 5 pages)

Market analysis (9 to 22 pages), company description (1 to 2 pages), organization and management (3 to 5 pages), marketing and sales strategies (4 to 6 pages), product or service (4 to 10 pages), equity investment and funding request (2 to 4 pages), financial information (12 to 25 pages), in conclusion.

In answering the question as to how long a business plan should be, the first thing to know is that it shouldn’t be any longer than necessary. Why are you writing the document in the first place? Recall that it should be considered a “living document.” You’ll want to revise it over time.

In this article, we’ll give you a good idea about how many pages should a business plan be so that you know how much work is required ahead of time!

The introduction section of your business plan should be around three to five pages long and is your chance to seize the reader’s attention and give them a broad overview of what you’re trying to do. You should include:

• The problem that you are solving or an issue in need of resolution
• How your product, service, or company can solve the problem
• Why it matters for the reader (the investor or company executive) and why they’ll care about the suggested solutions
• How much of a profit do you believe you’ll realize?
• Who is your target audience? What are their demographics?
• What is the size of the market?
• How large of a market share do you believe you can seize?

These points help paint a picture of who you are and what you intend to achieve.

• How to use wire strippers correctly
• The best phone system for your small business
• Make your next company event an outdoor movie party

In brief, your introductory section should include:

• An attention-grabbing Cover Page (1 page)
• An Executive Summary (1 to 2 pages); and
• A Table of Contents (1 page)

Generally, a market analysis should include the following:

• Background information about your company and its products/services
• An overview of the industry with an examination of key trends that are driving change in the marketplace (industry structure)
• Identification of customer needs and how these compare to competitive offerings (customer profiles), which will help you determine where there is an opportunity for profitable growth.

It’s also essential to understand how well positioned your company is relative to competitors on various performance indicators such as product quality or service levels.

The company description is a snapshot of your organization’s history, what you do, and how the values that drive success. It should be succinct – no more than two pages.

The following are some potential parts to include in this section:

• How long has the company existed? What were its early years like?
• How does it operate today?
• How have recent changes impacted operations or strategy, and why was change needed?
• What sets your business apart from competitors (products/services)?
• Why would someone want to work at the organization as opposed to others out there in similar industries?

The organization and management section of a standard business plan includes all the information about running and developing your organization. You also explain what your company’s culture is like and who your executive team members are.

This section should cover how you will promote your products/services, the media channels being used, and whether or not there is any need for additional help. How much of a budget do you have? What’s your target audience? Have all these questions been answered before spending valuable time creating ads without knowing if they will produce results?

The product or service section is one of the most important parts and should give an in-depth look at your company’s products and services. How will they be produced? How much do you charge for them? This section may take some time to write if it includes things like manufacturing costs, but it’ll save time later when making decisions about how to sell your goods.

The investment and funding request section is a brief overview of the requester’s strengths, what you need from an equity partner, how much it’ll cost an investor to be invested in your business, and other pertinent information.

This section is detailed and provides all relevant information about the company’s financials, such as how much money you’ve made in past years. This includes a comparison to other companies of similar size or industry.

The length of a typical business plan ranges from 15-25 pages. How long yours be? That’s up to you. How much information do your readers need or want about your company and its plans for growth? For example, if investors are looking at investing in your company, they may require more detailed financial information.

Finally, keep in mind that the Executive Summary at the beginning of your plan is the section most people will read and pay attention to the most. You’ll want to write it after you’ve written the rest of your document as it summarizes everything you’ve put together. However, you’ll want to ensure that the summary is presented in an exciting and engaging style so that it keeps the reader’s interest.

Editors' Recommendations

• How to crimp wires together in 4 easy steps
• How to start your own landscaping business
• Find use for these handy products in your workspace
• Great ideas to keep your kid busy while you WFH
• 5 great automotive essentials for your commute
• Business plans

You are a hard worker who does constant labor on the job. You could be a construction worker, electrician, fisherman or woman, or a scientist, hard labor requires a lot of supplies. You want certain tools for your job that prevents you from possible issues or injuries. Your job can be dangerous, and it could be quite stressful not being able to accomplish one thing during your work hours. Your safety is your top priority. You enjoy the hard labor, so you rely on a lot of planning ahead. Your job requires tools for safety and for storage as well.

You want constant supplies for your job, supplies that make it easier for you to finish the task at hand. In your job, you run the risk of toxication, burned from chemicals, and electrocuted. You risk your life every day in your labor job. That is why supplies are essential to your daily work life. The listed supplies are some supplies that are required for your daily work life. These supplies are a way to plan your job and accomplish your job tasks. You will appreciate having the supplies to make it easier for you to do your job in labor.

Event planning can make or break a business. Events can help market products, improve business networks, and launch successful ventures, but that is only if they are considered a success. Whether your event includes a series of speakers or simply a short welcome from the CEO, the business's message can be lost if the audio isn't up to par. That's why the products on this list are so important to planning the event.

This list goes beyond the microphone and speaker, since those are often provided by the venue. A professional event planner should bring their own inventory of a few key products to ensure they can handle the audio. A couple of cords, a filter, and some stands should cover any last minute concerns that might arise. It's definitely a good idea to have these products on stand by because the audio is one of the most important aspects of the event.

As a part of your journalism career, it involves traveling and the weather. You report the weather, and sometimes it could be hard to speak with your microphone with chattering teeth. When it comes to the cold or rainy seasons, it can be tough for you to report the weather. You need the supplies to keep you dry and warm while reporting the weather news forecast. You do not want to catch a cold or get frostbite while trying to warn people about the current weather conditions. It is a part of your job that involves traveling and the weather.

It can be freezing during the winter season, especially when you have to stand outside to report the news. You want to stay focused on the camera and speak clearly without your teeth chattering or the distraction from the cold breeze. As a reporter, the weather can make it difficult for you to have a clear mind and clear speech. You are risking your body during the cold season with determination to report information for everyone's safety. You love your career in journalism, but you also have to rely on thinking ahead. Importantly, you need the supplies to keep yourself and your equipment from freezing during the winter season.

Where Thought Leaders go for Growth

How long should a business plan be? Mistakes and tips

Table of contents, how long should a business plan be, #1. correctly format your plan, #2. create different size versions, #3. adapt the business plan to the reader, #4. use graphics wisely, #5. ask for feedback, mistakes of a business plan length, the business plan for you.

If you are wondering “ how long should a business plan be?” , you must know that it would depend on your short-, medium- and long-term objectives. Asking strategic questions as: “what is your main goal?” and “how to achieve it?” will help you to clarify your business idea and will determine the length of your business plan .

Remember the main purpose of a business plan is to correctly scale or grow a business , meaning to efficiently prepare a plan for future business growth , where it becomes both economically and operationally optimal.

Creating a business plan is one of the most arduous parts of starting a company and has to be done with the utmost diligence. This, of course, presents many challenges that if not taken into consideration can create many missed opportunities for a company . n this article you’ll be able to understand which mistakes to avoid and you’ll learn some tips for creating the correct Business Action Plan (BAP).

There is no precise answer to this question. The correct standard length of a business plan does not exist ; it all depends on your company's planned objectives; whether it is a big company, startup, etc. The length of your business plan is up to you, however, it is important for a business plan to contain the following:

• cover page,
• table of contents,
• executive summary,
• company description,
• market analysis,
• balance sheets,
• financial projections.

Tips for an adequate length business plan:

Formatting your action plan allows you to be organized and not include useless information, which only makes the document busy and not reader-friendly. Including precise information in a uniform way:

• enables readers a more pleasant experience ,
• allows them to easily localize precise information .
• increases audience engagement and the possibilities of a more positive outcome .

Because a BAP serves as the company's introduction, it is imperative to hold different length versions of the business plan in order to supply it when the occasion arises:

• a long (25 to 35 pages),
• medium (15 to 25 pages),
• version (5 to 15 pages). of the plan.

An example of this is, if a company wants to get a venture capitalist , it should primarily show him/her an executive summary of the plan, in order to not overwhelm him/her with information, but rapidly captivate his/her attention. Once this happens, the company should send the long version for a detailed action plan.

Going hand in hand with the previous tip, if you want to effectively captivate the reader , and not have them just briefly skimming through it, it’s important to adapt your plan for the type of audience you have . Whether you are demonstrating it to a financial institution, a marketing specialist, or a potential customer for your product and service .

For example , if trying to get the first attention of a potential investor, they typically only need a summary of your product offer, and a detailed description of your cash flow projections , (sales, budget, etc.). This allows you to hold their attention and interest them in what they specifically have a passion for.

Because business plans are so precise and tend to contain copious amounts of information, it is important to utilize graphics wisely . Graphics are good tools for explaining data and summarising information. However, the excessive use of this tool can be harmful to particular types of readers.

Not everyone is comfortable with pages full of data and no explanation and so for a successful BAP, it is imperative to have the correct balance between graphics and images.

The most recommended tip for an adequate length is to get feedback from reliable sources . It is always a good practice to understand other people's perception of a person's work. Feedback allows people a trial of how targeted readers can react to reading your business plan , it helps you understand the different points of view, new ideas, and opens a space for improvement.

According to the feedback, you’ll understand how engaging your BAP is, whether you have to shorten it, add information, or be more precise. These are key suggestions that can lead you towards a successful action plan.

An effective business plan takes more into account than the overall proposition of the company. If a plan is not well established, doesn’t contain the essential elements, and doesn’t offer captivating information, the audience won’t continue to read it , will get bored, and won’t effectuate any initiatives .

Some common mistakes to avoid of a BAP are:

• not giving enough precision ,
• excessive or minimal use of words ,
• wrong targeted audience ,
• being non-realistic about financial projections ,
• excessive use of graphics ,
• not being adapted for skimming ,
• being out of order .

Remember: an effective business plan must be appealing , easy to read , available to skim , and captivating, in order for the audience to be engaged with your action plan, thus getting positive results from your business.

It’s normal for companies to have an extensive business action plan . After all, it details a company's business model based on amp research, thus defending its value proposition in light of the global context data. However, it is imperative to exercise different versions of the same plan in order for the reading parties to be instantly and easily engaged .

This will allow the company a versatile and straight to the point proposition for their audience, captivating different types of readers and adapting their plan towards their main areas of interests. Furthermost, positioning itself as an efficient company that does their homework and research for optimal delivery.

Work Smarter : the Appvizer newsletter

New trends and tips to be more efficient at work, in your mailbox.

Best tools for you

Software vendors

Work smarter by appvizer.

Novice to Advanced Marketing System

NAMS | Building an Online Business to Support Your Dreams

By Jen Perdew Leave a Comment

The Ultimate Guide: How Long Should Your Business Plan Be?

One of the most common business questions entrepreneurs and leaders grapple with is, How long should your business plan be? Also, the length of your business plan is a critical decision that can impact your ability to communicate your vision, secure funding, and navigate the path to success. 

The Concise Business Plan

A concise business plan is a streamlined and abbreviated version of a traditional business plan that provides a clear and straightforward overview of your business. So, while it may not delve into every detail, it focuses on the most critical aspects, making it suitable for specific situations and types of businesses. 

• A concise plan is a shorter, more condensed version of a comprehensive business plan.
• Its primary purpose is communicating your startup concept, strategy, and objectives to key stakeholders, such as potential investors, partners, or team members.
• It aims to provide essential information without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details.

When a Concise Plan is Appropriate

• Startups and early-stage businesses often use concise plans when presenting their ideas to potential investors or partners.
• It can benefit entrepreneurs who want to test the feasibility of their concept before committing to a more detailed plan.
• Concise plans are suitable for internal use when team members need a clear understanding of the startup direction and goals without getting bogged down in extensive documentation.

The Comprehensive Business Plan

A comprehensive business plan is a detailed and thorough document that provides an in-depth analysis and roadmap for your business. Also, unlike a concise business plan, which focuses on essential elements, a comprehensive business plan leaves no stone unturned, covering every aspect of your business in great detail.

• A comprehensive business plan is a complete and detailed document that outlines every facet of your business, from its mission and vision to its operations, marketing strategy, financial projections, and more.
• Its primary purpose is to serve as a comprehensive guide for business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders. So, it provides a complete picture of the business and its strategies, making it suitable for securing funding, guiding day-to-day operations, and long-term planning.

Benefits and Drawbacks

• In-depth understanding: Offers a comprehensive and detailed knowledge of every aspect of the business.
• Effective communication: Provides a thorough document for potential investors or lenders.
• Strategic planning: Serves as a roadmap for managing and growing the business.
• Time-consuming: Creating a comprehensive plan can be time-intensive and needs extensive research and analysis.
• It may be too detailed: For some audiences, the level of detail in a comprehensive plan may be overwhelming or unnecessary.
• Frequent updates: Requires regular updates to reflect changing circumstances and goals.

Factors Influencing Business Plan Length

The length of a startup plan can vary based on several factors. So, it’s essential to tailor the plan’s distance to the specific needs of your business and your target audience.

• Business Type and Industry: The complexity of your business model and industry can impact the length of your business plan. 
• Target Audience: Consider who will be reading your business plan. A concise plan, such as guiding your team, may suffice for internal use.
• Stage of Business Development: Early-stage startups often create shorter, more focused business plans, known as pitch decks or executive summaries, to attract initial investors or partners. Also, as the business matures, it may develop a more detailed and comprehensive plan.
• Specific Goals and Objectives: Your business plan’s length can be influenced by your goals. If your primary goal is to secure funding, you’ll need a more detailed business planner to convince investors of your business’s potential.

The Art of an Elaborate Business Plan

“The Art of an Elaborate Business Plan” refers to creating a comprehensive and detailed business plan that provides a deep and thorough understanding of a company’s vision, strategies, operations, and financial projections. Also, Elaborate business plans are often necessary when a business requires significant resources, investment, or partnerships.  

• Risk Mitigation: By analyzing and documenting potential risks and challenges, an elaborate business plan allows the business to identify mitigation strategies. So, this proactive approach helps the company be better prepared for unforeseen obstacles.
• Long-Term Planning: Elaborate business plans are often associated with long-term planning. Also, they help chart a clear course for the business over several years, outlining milestones, growth strategies, and resource requirements.

The length of your business plan should align with its purpose and audience. So, while there is no universal answer to how long your business plan should be, the key lies in striking the right balance between depth and brevity.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Become a master business planner and propel your success forward. Get started today!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

How long should your business plan be?

Having a business plan is essential for any successful venture, but how long should it be? Is there a right or wrong answer when it comes to the length of your business plan?

The short answer is no – every business has unique needs and goals which will determine what should go into their plan. However, there are some guidelines that can help you figure out how long your plan should be.

In this guide, we’ll discuss why having an appropriate length for your business plan is important, how the length should vary based on the type of business plan you are writing, as well as provide tips on striking the perfect balance between detail and conciseness.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of how long your own business plan should be based on your use case.

In this guide:

Guiding principles when it comes to your business plan's length

How long should a business plan for a bank be, how long should a business plan for an investor be, how long should a business plan for a supplier be, how long should a business plan to find a business partner be, how long should an internal business plan be.

• Final Thoughts

A business plan should contain enough information to convince its reader, but it should also be as short as possible so that people don't get bored reading it.

The amount of convincing you need to do depends on what you are asking to the reader. Therefore, the ideal length and depth of your document will vary depending on the type of business plan you are writing.

For example, an internal business plan to make sure your team is aligned on your company goals does not need to be as long or detailed as one you would send to an investor in order to secure $10 million in funding.

An internal business plan should focus more on helping employees understand how their roles contribute to achieving organisational objectives instead of providing complex financial information which investors may require.

Yet, and even though it's possible to write a one-page business plan in some rare instances, most documents follow the standard business plan outline that investors and lenders expect to see. Documents which follow this structure are quite comprehensive and as a result usually have a minimum length of 15 pages.

One reason for this is the space taken by the financial tables. Including a P&L, balance sheet and cash flow statement will take at least 3 pages (6 if you include three years of monthly cash flow statements as well - as required by most financial institutions).

Now that we understand the guiding principles, let's look at the main use cases and the typical business plan length in each situation.

Need a convincing business plan?

The Business Plan Shop makes it easy to create a financial forecast to assess the potential profitability of your projects, and write a business plan that’ll wow investors.

Writing a business plan to obtain a loan from a bank gives potential lenders the opportunity to evaluate your borrowing capacity and consider all the risks involved with lending to your business.

Your business plan must demonstrate the viability of your proposed venture (or existing business if you're already trading) and provide reassurance that your company will be in a position to repay the sums borrowed.

It should therefore include a description of your business’s goals, strategies, and tactics; detailed financials including cash flow forecasts; and information about how you will use the funds borrowed and repay the loan.

The typical length of a business plan to obtain a bank loan is usually between 15 and 30 pages, plus any appendices.

However, it's important to note that the complexity and level of details in the document should be tailored to the situation.

The more you wish to borrow, the greater the risk for lenders, and therefore, the more convincing and due diligence it takes. For instance, if you're writing a business plan to borrow $10m, the bank will ask more questions (and need more details) than if you want to borrow $10k.

Similarly, the business plan of a clothes shop which has been in business for 10 years can be shorter than the business plan of a new startup operating in a niche industrial area.

This is due to two reasons:

• The shop is already in business and therefore the bank can partly rely on historical trading to assess the loan application, whereas the projections of the new startup can't be backed by historical trading data
• The retail industry is relatively straightforward to understand, whereas a niche industrial area will require more explaining - and therefore more pages - before the lender is able to form a view

In summary, you need to provide enough information for lenders to assess whether or not they are willing to enter into a loan agreement with you. The more you ask and the more complex your business is, the longer your business plan.

Need inspiration for your business plan?

The Business Plan Shop has dozens of business plan templates that you can use to get a clear idea of what a complete business plan looks like.

Writing a business plan to attract investors has slightly different requirements to that for obtaining a loan from a bank. Whereas lenders tend to focus on your ability to repay them and not to go bankrupt, investors are primarily interested in the return they can expect from their investment.

Investors, therefore, have a more bullish and upside focused mindset than lenders who are primarily concerned about the downsides. You can read more about this difference in mindset in our guide on how investors analyse business plans .

In this sense, a well-written business plan for an investor should put a greater focus on your company's products or services and the market opportunity and competitive landscape in order to demonstrate why you are uniquely positioned to capture that opportunity.

The goal is to demonstrate that there is potential for significant returns, convince potential investors that you have a solid strategy for achieving those returns, and present data which shows you are capable of executing the strategy and detailed financial projections which show them the money.

Generally speaking though, your business plan should contain enough detail so that even someone with little knowledge on the subject matter can quickly understand what your company does and how it will return money to them.

This means having at least 20-30 pages explaining all relevant particulars including market analysis, competitive landscape assessment, branding strategies, product offerings, financials, etc.

Although most business plans follow roughly the structure mentioned above, like for banks, their length can vary depending on the type of investment and amount sought (for example venture capital vs. angel investments).

Overall, when writing a business plan for prospective investors - whether it’s venture capitalists or angel investors - make sure you provide enough information both on yourself as well as on the market dynamics so they can assess if investing in your company makes sense financially, while still keeping things concise enough so they don’t lose interest partway through reading it. Easier said than done!

A comprehensive business plan for a supplier should provide enough information about the company and its services in order to clearly define the potential mutually beneficial relationship.

It should also enable them to assess the size of the opportunity (how much will you buy from them) and financial viability (do they need to be worried about getting paid) in order to decide if they want to do business with you and on which terms.

Depending on how deep and complex your products or services offered are, this may require anywhere from 10 to 20 pages.

When looking for a business partner, you need to present an attractive opportunity that is easy to understand.

Your business plan should explain why this partnership would be beneficial for both parties, how you plan on achieving success together, and the details of what each party will bring to the table. It is also important to be transparent about any potential risks or areas of difficulty so that your potential partner has a full understanding of what they are getting into.

The length of this type of business plan will ultimately depend on the nature of the partnership.

For example, are you looking for an non-executive director helping you 1 day a month, or for a full time cofounder? Will your business partner invest in the business? Will they receive sweat equity? Will they receive a salary or financial compensation?

If you expect your business partner or cofounder to invest money in the business, then they will likely expect the same fully fledged business plan you will give to an investor (20-30 pages).

If there isn't an investment involved, then you can afford to condense the necessary information into a short and concise document of no more than 10 pages.

An internal business plan is typically a shorter version of the business plan that you would use to provide to an investor, bank, or other third parties.

It should be between 1 to 20 pages long and contain all essential information such as company overview, mission statement, market analysis, competitive environment assessment, product/service offerings, milestones, marketing plan, etc.

Depending on the audience of your internal business plan you may decide not to include financial projections. For example, you might want to share your financials with your board but not with your staff.

You may also decide just to include financial highlights without having complete financial statements. Not including complete forecasted financial statements will reduce the length by 3 to 6 pages.

The length will also vary based on your reason for sharing the internal business plan, but it should generally be concise enough so those reading it can quickly get the gist of things without having to devote too much time to reading it.

Use our online business plan software to write business plans of any length!

Using our online business plan software to write your business plan provides you with an efficient way to create a comprehensive and professional document.

There are several advantages to using specialised software:

• You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
• You can be inspired by already written business plan templates
• You can easily make your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you
• You get a professional document, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
• You can easily compare your financial forecast against the actual financial performance of your company and keep the business plan up to date

If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try our software for free by signing up here .

We hope this guide has given you a much better understanding of how long a business plan should be.

Remember that the length of your business plan should be tailored to the audience you are sharing it with and the size of what you are asking for in the plan.

Ultimately, no matter what type of business plan you’re writing, its length will also depend on how complex your products and services offerings are. Always strive to be as concise as possible!

Please do not hesitate to contaxct us if you'd like advice on any of the points mentioned above or would like to speak to a member of our team about anything else related.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

• Business plan steps: everything you need to know
• What is a business plan and how to create one?

Know someone who needs to write a business plan? Share this article with them!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

Create a convincing business plan

Assess the profitability of your business idea and create a persuasive business plan to pitch to investors

500,000+ entrepreneurs have already tried our solution - why not join them?

Not ready to try our on-line tool ? Learn more about our solution here

Need some inspiration for your business plan?

Subscribe to The Business Plan Shop and gain access to our business plan template library.

Need a professional business plan? Discover our solution

Write your business plan with ease!

It's easy to create a professional business plan with The Business Plan Shop

Want to find out more before you try? Learn more about our solution here

Business Plan Length: How Long Should Your Plan Be?

Your business plan should be as long as is required to convince the reader that your business plan is worth investing in or taking an interest in., that being said, the average length of a business plan to accomplish that goal is 15 to 25 pages., the ultimate mission of your business plan.

Importantly, to determine the ideal length of your plan, remember the ultimate mission of your plan. That mission is to convince the reader to get involved in and or fund your business. If your business plan is too short, you’re probably not giving them enough information on your business. Conversely, if it’s too long, you’re providing too much information and you’re going to bore them, with the result being that they’ll lose interest.

Because length matters, the most important part of your business plan is clearly the first page or pages of your business plan. The first page is usually the cover page, followed by the table of contents. And then, the first real page of content is your Executive Summary. This is why the Executive Summary is so important. Because if you don’t capture the interest of the reader here, on these first pages, they’re just not going to read on.

In particularly, the very first paragraph of the Executive Summary is of critical importance because if you don’t excite somebody right away, they are not going to keep reading.

I typically want the Executive Summary to be one to two pages to get the reader interested in your business. Then, the rest of your plan supports the Executive Summary and goes into more detail about what your business is about, what products and or services you will offer, what is your marketing plan, what are the highlights of your financial plan, etc.

After the Executive Summary, there are 9 other key sections of your business plan. Each of these sections should be one to two pages each. And so, if we take an average of 1.5 pages per section times 10 sections (including the Executive Summary), we now have our 15-page business plan.

Importantly, the final section of your plan is your Appendix. Your Appendix could be longer than other sections because here you’ll include your full financial statements — your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement – and any other supporting documentation. But once again, the core of your business plan should be only 15 to 25 pages, or whatever amount of text and or pages is required to convince the reader that this is an opportunity worth pursuing.

Your Plan Supports Your Executive Summary

Let’s revisit your Executive Summary since it’s so important to the success of your plan. Importantly, in your Executive Summary, you must convey why your business is exciting and why it’s going to be successful.

Then, the rest of the document, that is, in the rest of your business plan, you will support this. For example, you might say in the Executive Summary that “our business is poised for success because we are competing in this market. This market currently enjoys sales of $845 million per year and is growing at a rate of 9% per year.”

This is enough research to include in the Executive Summary to get the reader or investor interested. Then, in the body of your plan, particularly in the Industry Analysis section, you must include whatever supporting information to prove this fact and go into more depth.

Specifically, in the Industry Analysis section, you would not only repeat that “the market size is $845 million and is growing by 9% per year” but you’ll cite different sources proving these figures. You’ll discuss different segments of the market. You’ll mention different geographic regions of the market, and so on. In summary, in the Industry Analysis section of your plan, you’ll go into as much detail as is required to further prove that the market opportunity is sound.

Likewise, in your Marketing section, you’ll go into as much detail as is required to prove your marketing plan is sound. For example, if one of your promotional strategies is PR or public relations, you’ll detail what specific newspapers, magazines, and websites you will target backed up by research on the customer demographics of those media sources. You’ll also discuss your PR strategy, such as whether you’re going to hold events or create stories.

Nobody’s Going to Read a 100 Page Business Plan

A final and important point on the ideal length of your business plan is that you want to make sure to include enough information to answer the reader’s most important questions, but not every question.

If you answer every question, your plan will be too long and you will bore most readers. Remember, nobody’s going to read a 100-page business plan. Rather, include the critical, concise information upfront in your Executive Summary and then, in the other sections of your plan, provide enough information to prove what you’ve said in the Executive Summary, add additional detail, and answer core questions that investors or readers will have when reading your plan.

Business Plan Length Infographic

Below is an infographic of this article for quick reference.

Recommended Slideshare

We put together the slide presentation below entitled “How Your Business Plan Should Look” to give you additional pointers on creating a great business plan. These pointers allow you to keep your business plan short in length, but still very impactful.

Comments are closed.

Get the Free Business Plan Guide

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

When Should Entrepreneurs Write Their Business Plans?

• Francis J. Greene
• Christian Hopp

Don’t write a plan before you understand your customer.

It pays to plan. Entrepreneurs who write business plans are more likely to succeed, according to research. But while this might tempt some entrepreneurs to make writing a plan their very first task, a subsequent study shows that writing a plan first is a really bad idea. It is much better to wait, not to devote too much time to writing the plan, and, crucially, to synchronize the plan with other key startup activities.

It pays to plan. Entrepreneurs who write business plans are more likely to succeed, according to our research, described in an earlier piece for Harvard Business Review . But while this might tempt some entrepreneurs to make writing a plan their very first task, our subsequent study shows that writing a plan first is a really bad idea. It is much better to wait, not to devote too much time to writing the plan, and, crucially, to synchronize the plan with other key startup activities.

• FG Francis J. Greene is Chair in Entrepreneurship in the University of Edinburgh Business School.
• CH Christian Hopp is Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship in the TIME Research Area, the Faculty of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University.

Partner Center

Business Plan Development

Masterplans experts will help you create business plans for investor funding, bank/SBA lending and strategic direction

Investor Materials

A professionally designed pitch deck, lean plan, and cash burn overview will assist you in securing Pre-Seed and Seed Round funding

Immigration Business Plans

A USCIS-compliant business plan serves as the foundation for your E-2, L-1A, EB-5 or E-2 visa application

Customized consulting tailored to your startup's unique challenges and goals

Our team-based approach supports your project with personal communication and technical expertise.

Pricing that is competitive and scalable for early-stage business services regardless of industry or stage.

Client testimonials from just a few of the 18,000+ entrepreneurs we've worked with over the last 20 years

Free tools, research, and templates to help with business plans & pitch decks

How Long Does It Take to Write A Business Plan? Well, It Depends.

You've been thinking about this for a decade. You are going to open the perfect coffee shop. You've worked at three different cafés in the last nine years (four if you include the one where they didn't have a POS and you only lasted a week). Your list of what-not-to-do is as long as your list of to-dos. You even have your eye on a spot with great sidewalk seating. You bought some rad chairs last month and have them stored in your cousin’s garage.

But you know that starting a coffee shop is expensive, and you’re going to need more money than you have saved. So the first thing you think to do is call your bank, and the first thing they ask you is if you have a business plan. You pause, and for a split second, you think to reply, “Yeah, my plan is to open a café.” But you're smarter than that, and you know that can't be what she's asking. “Um,” you say, formulating your thoughts, “I’m still working on the formal plan. Will I need that ready for next month’s meeting?” The banker says yes, and you start to sweat.

So after hanging up, you Googled “how long does it take to write a business plan,” and that brought you here. And now you’re waiting for us to get to the point and finally tell you the answer. First, take a deep breath. You got this.

What Is a Business Plan?

Let’s start with a simple definition:

A business plan is a document that describes a company's objectives and its marketing, financial, and operational strategies for achieving them.

Depending on the needs of your business, the length of your plan (and the time needed to create it) will vary. But one thing is certain: your business plan should be written with the audience in mind, and the closer you are to opening your business, the more details and specifics they'll want to see.

A business plan should not only be a guide for you but also be a way for you to share your vision with others. And a business plan isn’t just for startups; it should be a living document that is flexible and can expand to meet your needs.

However, keep in mind that not every type of business plan is useful when it comes to obtaining a bank loan, but we'll get to that later. First, let's go over the four different kinds of business plans and what they're used for.

The Back-of-Napkin Business Plan

Time consideration.

30 minutes to 1/2 day

Key Elements

Ideation and initial thoughts.

This type of business plan is all about spontaneity and creativity. It's where the business owner jots down initial thoughts, market analysis, potential customers, and even a rough financial projection. It's a free-flowing brainstorming session that captures the essence of a business idea.

The Spontaneity of Ideas

The Back-of-Napkin Business Plan thrives on spontaneity. Whether you're an aspiring small business owner or an experienced entrepreneur, this plan allows you to explore your business goals, target market, and competitive advantage without the constraints of a formal business plan format.

Application and Use

Capturing inspiration.

Capturing inspiration is vital for crafting a good business plan. It's about recognizing a good idea when it strikes and having the foresight to jot it down. This plan is not about detailed industry analysis or a polished executive summary. It's about the raw, unfiltered vision that could become a success story.

Part of the Process

Writing a business plan is an iterative process. No one sits down the day they come up with a new business idea and just cranks out a full business plan. The Back-of-Napkin Business Plan is that beginning step. It may lead to a more solid business plan, complete with a company description, mission statement, business model, and company overview, or it may inform you what market research is necessary to pursue. But no matter what comes next, the Back-of-Napkin Business Plan is a stepping stone towards achieving your entrepreneurial dreams.

Audience: Yourself, Trusted Friends & Family

The audience for this plan is limited to yourself and perhaps a few trusted friends or family members. It's not meant for a potential investor or the Small Business Administration. It's a personal, intimate document that serves as a starting point for your business planning.

The Lean Business Plan

1/2 day to a week

The Lean Business Plan represents a significant step forward in the business planning process. It's more structured than the Back-of-Napkin Plan but retains a sense of flexibility and agility. This plan typically takes anywhere from half a day to a week to complete, depending on the complexity of the business idea.

Unique Value Proposition

At the heart of the Lean Business Plan is the Unique Value Proposition. This is where you define what your business is trying to accomplish, the problem it will solve, and who it will solve this problem for. It's a concise statement that encapsulates the essence of your business and sets it apart from competitors.

Goals, Timelines, and Metrics

The Lean Business Plan is about setting clear goals, timelines, and metrics. It's a roadmap that guides you from where you are to where you want to be. It includes considerations for finances, potential competition, and strategies for finding your first customers.

Flexibility

Unlike more detailed plans, the Lean Business Plan thrives on flexibility. Bullet points, simple charts, and concise language make it a living document that can adapt to changes and new insights.

Defining the Business

The Lean Business Plan helps you articulate your business idea in a more formal way. It's about getting the idea out on paper, exploring how much money you'll need, where you could get those resources, and how you'll find your target market.

Collaboration and Feedback

Share your plan with someone you trust, like a friend or family member, to gain perspectives and enhance collaboration. The more collaboration, the better the plan becomes.

A Tool for Vision Sharing

Once you have your Lean Business Plan, it becomes a perfect tool to share your vision with possible business partners. It gives you a sense of what you know, what you need to know, and the next steps to take.

Audience: Yourself, Potential Partners, Advisors, Internal Strategy

This plan is meant for a broader audience than the Back-of-Napkin Business Plan, including potential partners, advisors, and as an internal strategy document. It's a tool to share your vision and gain insights from others. 

The LeanPlus Business Plan

A week to 2 weeks

10-12 Pages

The LeanPlus Business Plan is a document that combines clarity and conciseness with a high-level overview of the business, including simple financials. This plan is designed to be presented to landlords, pre-seed investors, vendors, and partners. But how long does it take to write a business plan of this nature? The time consideration for the LeanPlus Business Plan ranges from a week to two weeks.

Clarity & Conciseness

The LeanPlus Business Plan emphasizes clarity and conciseness. It provides a high-level executive summary and includes a simple Profit & Loss Statement. Unlike the Lean Business Plan, the LeanPlus Business Plan should be a narrative document with key headers for organization. It's a document that's prepared for an outside party to read, offering a clear and concise overview of the business idea, target market, and financial projections.

High-Level Overview

This plan offers a high-level overview of the business, addressing key aspects such as the problem or opportunity, product or service features, marketplace, target customers, revenue model, and management team. It's a snapshot of the business that provides essential information without delving into excessive detail.

Simple Financials

The financial aspect of the LeanPlus Business Plan is simplified, focusing on expected revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, and key expenses like marketing, rent, and utilities. However, it's worth noting that for pre-revenue companies, especially those in a development phase like SaaS, the financial forecast may not include revenue forecasting at all. Instead, they may opt for a cash burn analysis, which measures the rate at which the company spends its cash reserves, or a burdened cash flow analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of how money will be spent over time, including all associated expenses.

Presenting to Outsiders

At some point during the business planning process, you will almost certainly need to present your vision to outsiders. The LeanPlus Business Plan serves this purpose, providing a more professional document that offers a general overview of the business. It's a tool for sharing your vision and securing support from key stakeholders.

A Professional Document

The creation of the LeanPlus Business Plan is a professional endeavor. It requires careful consideration of the content, structure, and presentation. The LeanPlus Business Plan bridges the gap between the initial ideation and the detailed Traditional Business Plan. It's a document that reflects the entrepreneur's evolving understanding of the business, the market, and the path to success. It's a tool for communication, collaboration, and progress, aligning with the goals of the business owner and the expectations of potential investors and partners.

Audience: Landlords, Pre-Seed Investors, Vendors & Partners

The LeanPlus Business Plan is tailored for landlords, pre-seed investors, vendors, and partners. It's a document that conveys the essence of the business without overwhelming the reader with complexity. It's suitable for presenting to stakeholders who have a vested interest in the company's success but don't require exhaustive detail.

Traditional Business Plan

1 month to 12 months

40 to 60 pages

The Traditional Business Plan is the most comprehensive and detailed of all business plans. It's the tool you need when you want to confidently convince someone to share their money with you, and it's also useful for setting key goals and tracking your progress as your business grows. 

Cited Market Research

The Traditional Business Plan is characterized by its thoroughness. It covers a lot of the same topics as the Lean and LeanPlus Business Plans but in much more detail. It requires meticulous market research and citation, adhering to an established business plan outline.

Pro Forma Financials

This plan includes a full financial projection, with a detailed five-year revenue forecast and key financial statements such as the Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Statement. It's a comprehensive financial plan that provides potential investors, banks, and other stakeholders with a clear understanding of the business's financial forecast. A full financial model typically comprises 12-15 pages of the document.

Demonstrates Deep Understanding

The Traditional Business Plan is a comprehensive document that requires careful planning and consideration. It's not merely a written document but a strategic roadmap for the business. This plan demands a deep understanding of various aspects, including the industry, the target customer (and a marketing strategy for reaching them ), and a full competitive analysis that includes a profile of each key competitor and your competitive advantage.

Not Done In One Sitting

Creating a Traditional Business Plan is an iterative and time-consuming process. It's not something that can be done in one sitting. Instead, it requires continuous drafting, thinking, re-writing, researching, and re-thinking. 

Audience: Banks, Investors, Government Agencies, Board of Directors

The Traditional Business Plan is typically employed to solicit funding for startups from banks and investors. It also plays a crucial role in various government applications, such as petitioning the USCIS for entrepreneurship visas or applying for specific licensing, such as in the cannabis industry. While all Traditional Business Plans are well-researched and written in a professional manner, it's essential to recognize that each audience has distinct needs that must be addressed. This customization ensures that the plan resonates with the specific stakeholders, aligning with their expectations and requirements.

Crafting a Sustainable Business Through Planning

Planning is the backbone of a successful business, serving as a bridge that aligns vision with reality. It transforms ideas into actionable strategies, guiding entrepreneurs through the multifaceted journey of starting and growing a business. Whether a fleeting sketch or a comprehensive Traditional Business Plan, proper planning harmonizes all aspects of the business, defining competitive advantages, shaping marketing strategies, and forecasting financial needs.

Going Beyond the Clock

Creating a business plan transcends mere time constraints. It's not about plugging your information into a business plan template; it's about capturing the essence of the business idea, analyzing the market, and devising robust strategies. The emphasis is not on the hours and days but on the depth and breadth of understanding required to lay a solid foundation for the business.

The Role of Professional Guidance

Business plans are complex, and entrepreneurs don’t have to go it alone. Professional business planners like Masterplans provide expertise in aligning vision with reality and transforming ideas into actionable strategies. We serve as invaluable sounding boards, allowing entrepreneurs to refine their ideas with experienced insights.

A good business plan writer can take your ideas and tailor them to the specific needs of diverse audiences, whether investors, lenders, or government agencies like USCIS. It's a collaborative process that goes beyond mere document-creation.

A Living Document

A business plan is not a static document but a living guide that evolves with the business. It must be revisited and updated regularly to reflect changes in the market, goal-setting, and strategies to reach those goals. This continuous journey ensures alignment with the dynamic landscape of business, reinforcing the plan's role as an essential tool for sustained success.

How to Write a Management Summary for Your Business Plan

Entrepreneurs are often celebrated for their uncanny ability to understand others – their customers, the market, and the ever-evolving global...

Understanding Venture Debt vs Venture Capital

Despite growth in sectors like artificial intelligence, venture capital funding has seen better days. After peaking at $347.5 billion in 2021, there...

Going Beyond Writing: The Multifaceted Role of Business Plan Consultants

Most people think of a professional business plan company primarily as a "business plan writer." However, here at Masterplans, we choose to approach...

HOW LONG SHOULD A BUSINESS PLAN BE: 10 Things You Must Know

• by Folakemi Adegbaju
• August 14, 2023
• No comments
• 10 minute read

Table of Contents Hide

When and why do you need a business plan, what should a business plan include, factors that should be considered when determining how long a business plan should be, #1. executive summary, #2. describe your company, #3. state your business goals, #4. describe your products and services, #5. market analysis, #6. marketing strategy, #7. competitive analysis, #8. management and staffing, #9. funding, #10. financial projections, #11. appendix, final thoughts, how many pages should a business plan be uk, can a business plan be short, what are the 7 parts of a business plan.

Business professionals recommend a minimum of 30 to 50 pages. However, some may recommend fewer or more, according to their own personal preferences. We advise companies to keep their business plans to a word count of between four and five thousand words. It also depends on formatting, font size, and even how many big words are used. Four or five thousand words could be ten or twenty-five pages long. So it’s important you take note of the length of your business plan so it won’t be ignored by the reader. This article discusses how long a business plan should be for a startup and how to write a business plan.

Have a smooth ride!

What Is a Business Plan?

Your business plan should begin with the fundamentals of your company. Making a business plan should be a fun activity rather than a stressful one. It is important that you know how to write a business plan. Your business plan should explain and demonstrate to you, before anybody else, what your company is and what it intends to accomplish.

Your business plan should include:

• Explain your business objectives;
• Be a roadmap that can help you achieve your business objectives;
• Highlight potential problems so that you can avoid their impact on the business;
• Identify opportunities and gaps in the market;
• Write out shortcomings, such as running out of money.
• They provide information to help secure a loan or investment

If you really want new investors to put money into your company, you’ll need to persuade them that your business will surely succeed and be productive. And besides, seasoned investors, such as venture capitalists, want to see that you have a strong business plan. A well-written business plan can go a long way toward persuading them that it’s worth their investment in the business. That’s why it’s important that you know how to write a business plan.

Potential investors will ask for evidence that you’ve conducted a thorough competitor study, have a good marketing strategy, and are familiar with the demographics of your target market. This can provide them with the peace of mind they need to invest in the business’s growth.

In addition, it assists in gaining input from potential investors and helps in keeping the team on the same page, in addition to helping you focus on corporate goals.

There are no specific things to be included in your business plan, but here is key information that is needed in your business plan:

• An executive summary
• A short description of the business
• Your marketing research and sales strategy
• management team
• Information about how the business operates
• Financial forecasts

In our guide to writing a business plan, we learn more about them and what they entail.

How Long Should a Business Plan Be for a Startup?

A business plan is developed for a specific audience and might vary in length depending on a variety of criteria. It should not exceed 1,000 words. Any reader should be able to obtain a fair sense of the company from the summary of your business plan as a startup. In reality, this summary may be the only chance you have to convince investors of your argument and win over their hearts as a startup, knowing how to write a business plan comes with a bonus for you!

When researching how long a business plan should be for a startup, “How well does your business plan present itself?” should be the first question that comes to your mind, and not how long it is, because what is the essence of an extended and lengthy business plan with no effect on your reader or investor?

To help the reader, format your document to make it easy to read:

• Use bullet points and clear headings to break up the dense text.
• We have plenty of white space around the margins.
• Use tables, graphs, and pictures of products.

There are some factors you should consider to check how long you should make a business plan for a startup, and it is important you know how to write a business plan as well. You should keep the following in mind as a startup when writing a business plan:

#1. The Danger of Too Many Words

The use of excessive words to express information is unnecessary and will likely leave the reader confused and bored. Consider that a business plan just tells the most relevant details about your company, not the entire tale. Always go straight to the point. Investors are always busy. Do you want to know how they go about reading a business plan? They only look at the surface of it and not the whole document.

They’re scanning for the information they’re looking for. The idea is to harness this and assist them by focusing their attention on the most important aspects. There are numerous approaches to this, ranging from removing unnecessary information to using a smart layout.

Investors are always busy. Do you want to know how they go about reading a business plan? They only look at the surface of it and not the whole document.

#2. The Problem With Too Few Words

The use of a few words provides the appearance that your proposal hasn’t been well considered, that you’re still in the early stages of development. Your business plan should give answers to your readers’ most pressing queries as well as crucial information about your business.

#3. The Range

Depending on formatting, font size, and even how many big words are used, four or five thousand words could be ten or twenty-five pages long. That’s why you should concentrate on the substance rather than the document’s overall length.

Write something in the appendix if it seems important but is longer than 5,000 words. It’s possible that you’ll need to work with a professional to help you figure out what’s important and what’s not for your business plan.

#4. What to Focus On

You need to entice readers to read your business plan by making it simple to read and grasp while still delivering all of the necessary details. It may appear straightforward, but some companies write in a style that isn’t intended for people.

Engage your audience and keep them focused on your main point. Also, don’t forget to address your audience. Determine what will be most appealing to the readers.

#5. Formatting Tips

To make your point, employ sufficient spacing, a readable font, and informative charts or images. If you want your strategy to be visually appealing, then you need to avoid making it complex. Never let your formatting get in the way of your business idea. Use headers to divide the text into readable parts.

#6. Get Feedback

Getting a second set of eyes on your business plan can help verify that it makes sense and make sure it answers all of the crucial issues. You’ll be in the best position to attain the result you want if you take the time to provide a comprehensive review of everything lenders and investors want to know.

Another team member, a trusted individual who understands your idea, or a professional business plan consultant would be the best proofreaders.

How To Write a Business Plan

For business owners, knowing how to write a business plan comes with great relief. A business plan must begin with the fundamentals of your business. The business name, address, and current owners should all be listed on the cover page. Begin by establishing your company’s legal structure and who owns it. Keep it short because a reader or possible investor will be more interested in how the business will develop in the foreseeable future. Business and its possibilities for growth and success. You might be able to use competitors to demonstrate the size of the market and the percentage of sales you believe you can achieve.

The following steps should be followed to write a good and solid business plan:

The Executive Summary is the most important section of your business plan. It gives a quick overview of your company and what you hope to accomplish with it, as well as a brief overview of the other sections of your business plan. This is the section of your business plan that an investor will examine if they only read a component of it. They’ll need to know who you are, what you do, where you need to go, and how much it’ll cost to go there from here. You’ll start with a simple one so you can finish the rest of your business plan, but you’ll want to go over it, again and again, to make sure it’s simple, targeted, and precise.

You’ll write about your main idea and give the reader a more detailed introduction to it in this section. You need to specify what you do, why it matters, and the path you want to follow. Also, talk about the possible nature of the business you’re establishing. Your business model, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, should be defined in your company description, as well as the percent ownership held by each owner and the level of each owner’s engagement in the company.

Finally, it should go into your company’s history as well as the current status of your business.

The following information should also be included in your company description:

• Your business’s registered name.
• Address of your business location.
• Names of key people in the business

This is an important stage that many companies overlook when they first get started. This part fully explains everything you want to achieve in the short and long term. When you’re seeking a business loan or funding, this section can help you explain why you need the money, how the money will help your company grow, and how you plan to meet your growth goals. The goal is to give a detailed explanation of the possibility and how the loan or investment would help your business grow. 

You need to explain what products and services your company will provide in your business plan.

Include the following when describing your products and services:

• A description of your product or service’s operation
• Your product or service’s pricing strategy.
• Customers who you serve on a regular basis.
• Your order fulfilment and supply chain strategy.
• Your sales approach.
• Explain your plan for distribution.

Your business plan must include solid market research. The market as a whole, as well as your addressable market and market share, should all be identified in a market analysis. Based on this information, you may begin to gain a sense of your target market based on this information, which will impact your content, placement, and unique selling point. Lenders and investors will be interested in learning what distinguishes your goods from the competition. It’s important you explain who your competitors are in your market analysis section.

Your market analysis focuses on these three important aspects:

• Your target market.
• Your customers 
• Your competitors

Highlighting details about your ideal consumer will assist you in identifying marketing and sales approaches that will appeal to them. In addition, emphasising your competitor’s strengths and faults allows you to highlight what you do better than the competition.

A marketing strategy is essential for getting new businesses off the ground and growing existing ones. Here you can discuss how you want to persuade clients to acquire your products or services, as well as how you intend to build customer loyalty. Before outlining how you want to market your company, you should review your growth plan and target market. This marketing strategy may involve internet promotions, loyalty programmes, social media advertisements, and customer retention tactics. When you sit down to decide how to go about your marketing strategy, ask yourself this question: what is the most efficient method of acquiring customers? Well, online client acquisition is becoming increasingly cost-effective and productive by the day.

Your competitive analysis looks at the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.  Threats and opportunities, such as economic concerns or legal constraints, can also be included. A conventional SWOT analysis is the best approach to summarise this subject. This will clarify where your organisation is in reference to its competition

It’s critical to include a section on staffing in your business plan. Talk about your current team and, if necessary, where you’re looking to hire more people. You should also think about your legal structure, such as whether you’ll form an LLC or incorporate your company, as well as the expense of engaging legal and accounting specialists to assure compliance.

Any investor in this situation needs to know what you intend to do with their money. How much money do you require to advance to the next round of your investment? What kind of investment do you want to make? Is it going to be a loan, an equity round, or a grant?

If you’re seeking funding or investors, this is an important aspect of your business plan. It explains how your business will make enough money to repay the debt or provide investors with a reasonable return. Financial projections augment your funding data by demonstrating to potential lenders and investors that your business has great potential.

Before making projections, thoroughly examine your previous financial accounts. Your objectives should be ambitious, but they should also be achievable.

Any valid document should be placed in the appendix. If no additional documents have been requested by a lender or investor, you can skip this stage. Include any additional resources or supporting information that you couldn’t fit elsewhere, such as essential staff resumes, licenses, equipment leases, permits, patents, receipts, bank statements, contracts, and personal and business credit history. A table of contents should be included at the start of this section if the appendix is lengthy. However, it’s a good place to improve your business plan.

You’re good to go with the knowledge of how long a business plan should be for a startup.

The question “How long should a business plan be for a startup?” might seem confusing, but when you get help from a professional , it relieves you of the stress and saves you time too.

Your business plan should be concise and easy to understand, often no more than 15 to 20 pages, regardless of who you are writing it for.

You must keep it brief. With an additional 10 pages of appendices for monthly estimates, management resumes, and other information, you can likely explain everything you need to say in 20 to 30 pages of text. You’re probably not summarising very well if your strategy is more than 40 pages.

• Executive summary.
• Market analysis.
• Company overview.
• Organizational structure.
• Marketing and advertising.
• Product/service description.
• Financial analysis.

Related Article

• STARTUP IDEAS 2023: Best Startup Ideas to Venture in This Year
• BUSINESS CREATION: Step by Step Process of Business Creation
• HOW TO START A BUSINESS WITH NO MONEY: All You Need
• BUSINESS CONTINGENCY PLAN: Easy How-to-Create Guide

Folakemi Adegbaju

She is a passionate copywriter and a good listener

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

CLEANING BUSINESS PLAN: Template & All You Need to Know

Business consultant insurance: professional and general liability cover.

We noticed you're visiting from Netherlands. We've updated our prices to Euro for your shopping convenience. Use Pound sterling instead. Dismiss

ZenBusinessPlans

Home » Business Plan Tips

How Many Pages Should a Business Plan Be? 10, 25, 50 or 100?

How many pages should a business plan be? 10, 25, 50, 100 or more? Here is a quick comparison of the business plan types available and their optimum length.

A lot of new entrepreneurs often wonder how long is too long for a business plan. Most business experts and counselors say it should be 30 to 50 pages, as a minimum, while others give a more or lesser number than the one named above. One thing you have to understand is that there is no specific number a business plan should be before it is considered perfect. Everything depends on your audience and what you intend to use the business plan for.

According to the United States’ Small Business Association, ‘a business plan needs to be whatever length is required to excite the financing source, prove that management truly understands the market, and detail the execution strategy’.

From various surveys done by many organizations and professionals, it was concluded that a workable business plan should be in the ranges of 25 to 100 pages, depending on the various factors involved in writing the plan. Some of these factors may include; targeted markets, difficult assumptions or non-industry data, industry risk, poor credit factors that require additional explanation or documentation, financing source, etc.

Using the SBA model, a business plan can range in size from 38 to 50 pages for a basic plan to as high as 80 to 100 pages for complex plans. On the other hand, venture contests have come to the conclusion that an effective business plan should be around 30 pages, sometimes 40, but rarely 50 – and that includes detailed financials in the appendices.

Page Length Expectation for Various Kinds of Business Plans

The various kinds of business plans in existence have their own page length expectation according to experts. They usually fall within these indices;

• For small internal reports, the page length is usually Ten to fifteen pages
• For corporate business plans, the page length allowed can be up to hundred and even over
• Startup and expansion plans used for potential investors, vendors or other business partners can be 20 to 40 pages.
• Venture contests limit page length (including the appendix with financial information), at a minimum 30 pages, and in some rare instances as many as 50 pages.

A Breakdown of the Pages of a Business Plan 

The SBA model allows business plans to run from 38 pages to as much as hundred pages depending on the kind of plan in question. The pages of the typical business plan are broken down as follows;

• Part 1: Introduction (3 to 5 pages)
• Part 2: Market Analysis (9 to 22 pages)

The market analysis section illustrates the knowledge about the particular industry in question. It presents general highlights and conclusions of any marketing research data that have been have collected; however, the specific details of the marketing research studies should be moved to the appendix section of the business plan .

• Part 3: Company Description (1 to 2 pages)

Without going into detail, this section usually includes a high-level look at how all of the different elements of the business fits together. The company description section should include information about the nature of the business as well as list the primary factors that is believe will make the business a success.

• Part 4: Organization and Management (3 to 5 pages)

This section should include the company’s organizational structure, details about the ownership of the company, profiles of the management team, and the qualifications of the board of directors.

• Part 5: Marketing and Sales Strategies (4 to 6 pages)

Marketing is the process of creating customers, and customers are the lifeblood of a business. In this section, the first thing to do is define the company’s marketing strategy. There is no single way to approach a marketing strategy; the strategy should be part of an ongoing self-evaluation process and unique to the company.

• Part 6: Product or Service (4 to 10 pages)

What is the company selling? What is their service? In this section, describe the service or product, emphasizing the benefits to potential and current customers. Focus on the areas where it has a distinct advantage. Identify the problem in your target market for which your service or product provides a solution. Give the reader hard evidence that people are, or will be, willing to pay for your solution.

• Part 7: Equity Investment and Funding Request (2 to 4 pages)

In this section, you will identify how much you plan or have already invested in the business. Identify the exact amount of funding you will need to start and make sure it ties specifically to your Financial Plan.

If necessary, you can include different funding scenarios, such as a best and worst case scenarios, but remember that later, in the financial section, you must be able to back up these requests and scenarios with corresponding financial statements and projections.

• Part 8: Financial Information (12 to 25 pages)

This section is considered the most important part of your business plan and requires significant effort. Make sure your financial information is reviewed by a professional such as your accountant. The financials should be developed after you’ve analyzed the market and set clear objectives. That’s when you can allocate resources efficiently.

More on Business Plan Tips

Does your business plan need a push?

Writting a business plan can be a springboard exercise for your business, and it's not as difficult as people think. All it takes is a bit of method, and some efficient tools. The good news our free articles and paid course have you covered!

Resources on Business Plan Writing :

An article of the Accelerated MBA written by:

Antoine Martin (Ph.D) | Business coach

Is this article relevant? Share it & help someone!

In this article:

How long does it take to write a business plan.

Writing a business plan is usually a time-consuming process, and many business owners and entrepreneurs get quickly put off by it. As a result, we often receive questions from small business owners who wonder how much time they should spend writing their business plans. How long does it take to write a business plan? How much time should I spend on it? What parts should I really focus on? Should I write it myself or have someone else write it for me? So forth and so on.

In this article, we not only answer those questions.

We also give you tips on approaching business plan writing efficiently and effectively. We bust a myth or two since we’re at it. And we put you on tracks to get things started, easy as 1, 2, 3.

Long story short? Writing a business plan takes time, especially when you don’t have a clear framework to follow and tools to use to facilitate the process. And, no, having it written by someone else makes no real sense. Why? Because the point of business plan writing is not to get a damn pdf (Excuse our French). It is to conduct an impactful business planning exercise that’ll give you some perspective on how to get your business to its next level.

Before we dig into the topic, though, please keep three essential points in mind!

First, in this article, we will not explain what a business plan is and why it is important to your business . As we’ve said before, a business plan is a storytelling tool that you should use to show your interlocutors that you have a business AND a strategic plan for that business . If that concept doesn’t sound very clear to you, please follow the link and read the other article before moving on. It’s fundamental.

Second, this article is part of a comprehensive series of blog posts on business plan writing that we’ve made available on Impactified for free. We’re trying to make your life easier with these, so give them a look!

Third, if you wonder how to write your business plan in no time and without breaking the bank, our best-selling Business Plan Builder module was designed for you.

That module includes a complete business plan template, two designer-made decks, a work tool to get you started and tell you what to write (and how), the automated financial tables you’ve been dreaming of, and over two hours of video designed to take you by the hand! So, if writing a business plan is a serious issue for you, you have no excuse!

Now, back to our topic: how long does it take to write a business plan? And is it worth having it written by someone else? Let’s dig.

Why does writing a business plan take time?

Before we elaborate on how long it takes to write a business plan, we first want to clarify ‘why’ business plan writing takes time. There are several factors and variables to take into account here.

Format vs. Substance

One of the critical factors you have to consider here is that people often confuse format and substance.

we know. Let us explain.

For instance, those who think that a business plan is a matter of getting a pdf document written, quick and dirty, to make the bankers happy typically see the exercise as a matter of formatting. Put the information into boxes, format the boxes, and you are done.

However, the essential keyword in the previous paragraph is not “getting a pdf document written”. Instead, it relates to the importance of gathering information. Not generic information, though, the correct information for the right interlocutor.

Said differently, business plan writing is a time-consuming exercise because it involves a very significant amount of work on the information-gathering side of things. In contrast, formatting is very straightforward and doesn’t create any specific issue – especially if you follow the right section structure and have access to a proper template. We’ll get back to that later

Alone vs. By someone else

Another critical factor to consider is ‘who’ writes the document.

On the one hand, working on your business plan yourself will take time and is very likely to slow you down. Depending on how well you know your business and on how deep you have pushed your strategic thinking, the exercise could take between a couple of days and a couple of months.

A couple of days, if your ideas are clear and all you have to do is format your information. A couple of months, if you can’t explain clearly what makes you different. Or what your business model is and what traction you have.

Not to forget the financial projections you have in mind , so forth, and so on. Then, of course, add the work you need to do alongside your writing, and you quickly get a couple of months of work.

On the other hand, having someone to work on your plan will also take time, but for different reasons. Whoever does the writing will need to know your business as precisely as possible before they can come up with anything serious.

Hence they will require you to spend time on data compilation and clarification. Perhaps more importantly, you will have to go through all the work and trust that their research reflects your market and positioning. Of course, you will also lose a fantastic opportunity to develop your thinking on your own business.

Think about time-saving twice.

Timewise, business plan writers will promise to deliver results within a few weeks. Still, of course, they won’t come up with miracles if you have no clue about your own business. More on business plan consultants and writers here by the way.

That being said, one clever exception to that logic could be to delegate the brainstorming and writing exercise to someone close to you.

For instance, someone from your team. Someone who knows the business well enough to develop sharp insights and relevant ideas. In that case, though, you will still need to spend some time on collaboration, clarification, questioning. Needless to say, you will also need to digest and assimilate the plan well enough to defend it when the time comes.

Deep plan vs. Surface scratching

Of course, the time you will need to spend on your business plan writing exercise also depends on how deep you want to go into your thinking.

Please stop smiling. we’m trying to be serious here!

Suppose your goal is to write a one-page business plan , quick and dirty style, without going into the details? You could probably come up with results you’ll like after a couple of days. However, the issue is that nobody cares if you like the result you obtain. What matters is not what YOU think, but what THEY think about your business proposal and whether you give them the type of information THEY want to hear. That’s a very different story.

In contrast, conducting a deep business planning exercise will take you a lot more time. Still, you will develop genuine insights regarding your business and your industry. In addition, you will gain some forecast on your earning potential to help you communicate with stakeholders. And all these will equip you to formulate storytelling your interlocutors will want to listen and remember.

The choice is yours here. But we’re sure you understand what we’d do if we were in your seat right now.

Don’t forget the pitching preparation

One last thing, before we move on to the next point. Another critical factor to consider when assessing how long you’ll need to write your business plan is the preparation time you’ll have to put into the exercise.

Whether you write your plan or whether someone does that for you, you will have no choice but learn to defend it yourself in front of investors if you write an investor proposal for funding purposes . Or in front of a banker if you write a business plan to obtain a loan .

From there, the work thus becomes a matter of working on your pitch. Then a matter of working on your pitch again. Then a question of actually pitching it, pitching it again, and revising that pitch until someone bites. But, again, that takes a lot of time – specifically when someone else wrote the damn thing for you.

Either way, having your document ready is only the beginning, and you have no choice but to think thoughtfully about what to do AFTER creating your business plan .

Four time-consuming variables when writing a business plan

• Focusing on substance vs. just working on formatting
• Writing the business plan yourself vs. paying someone to do it
• Going deep into the topic vs. scratching the surface
• Pitching preparation, pitching, and pitching revision

Four typical time-wasters that systematically ruin a business plan

Now that we’ve explained why the exercise typically takes time, let me explain what entrepreneurs and business owners usually waste their time on. Spoiler alert: the following paragraphs are strategic business killers (or savers, it depends), so don’t just skim through them.

Time waster #1: Figuring out what’s expected from you

First, business owners typically get into their business plan writing exercise fast to get the thing done once and for all. However, they forget to start with the basics by doing this, i.e., understanding what their final reader or interlocutor expects from the pitch and wants to hear.

That’s a business killer because, by building their pitch around what makes sense for themselves, these business owners shoot themselves in the foot.

For instance? If you ask us a million dollars to boost your business because you think that your idea is excellent and you are convinced that it is the next unicorn, then think twice. Your point needs to be a lot better than that, and it’d better be built around something more reasonable than “trust me!” or “I can feel it in my bones”.

Please don’t roll your eyes here; that’s typical.

As investors, we expect some persuasive arguments! First, say, on market research and the traction you have obtained so far. Then, some numbers showing how viable the business is. More numbers and insights as to how you’ll spend our million. And something to show me how you estimate the company’s valuation a few years from now.

Let us provoke you here: we won’t explain why we wrote the previous paragraph like this. If you understand our point, then keep reading. If you don’t, then do yourself a favor and watch our videos on the business plan logic. You have no chance whatsoever if you can’t master that kind of discussion.

The expectations, by the way, are also super important as far as the structure of your business plan is concerned. Business plan writing is a codified exercise, remember? Hence your interlocutors will expect a few points to be treated one by one, in a specific order.

We explain all these points in our Business Plan Builder module, so go for it if you need clarification.

If you’d rather try and find some free information first, our articles on what a business plan outline should look like and how long a business plan should be will give you some food for thought.

Time waster #2: Clarifying what creates a viable opportunity worth betting on

Second time-waster and business plan killer: business owners typically focus on obtaining what they want. However, they usually fail to explain what viable opportunity they create for the partners and why it is worth the investment.

There are a few critical points in what we just said.

One, the point is not to explain what YOU want. It is to explain what you want AND why that makes sense from an investment perspective.

Two, the point is not to say that you are producing the next unicorn.

Seriously, that’s how it looks.

No. The point is It is to show that you are giving investors an opportunity to put money into a viable and promising new venture that mainly needs capital to grow exponentially.

And if you are talking to a banker? Don’t waste your time on the promising side of the business. Instead, show that your finances and sales projections are viable enough to repay the loan asap. Period.

Three, the point is not to convince your interlocutor to give you money. Instead, it is to show them that their money will provide them with access to a successful business that will pay back – money in their pocket – down the road.

Said differently, what matters is not you. It’s them. And writing a business plan without having this clearly in mind will waste your time (and theirs) without the slightest doubt.

Time waster #3: Coming up with numbers that make no sense in the medium and long term

Third-time-waster and business-killer: business owners typically struggle with building and writing their business plan’s financial statements.

The complexity, indeed, is not simply to find a comprehensive template. That’s pretty easy these days. However, that template needs to tell you what needs to be done. It should tell you why things have to be done this or that way. And it has to explain how understanding the logic can help you from a storytelling perspective!

In plain English? Can you tell me, right now, without thinking more than five seconds, how much your business is worth? And no, not now. Five years from now.

Again, this question is fundamental, and you have no choice but to have a clear answer for it. If you can’t give me that answer, or if the logic isn’t clear, you need to clarify quickly.

We have some good news, though: the Impactified Business Plan Builder tool and videos can help! It will provide you with video explanations, and with the automated financial tables you’ll need to get to a result you’ll be able to use – you have no excuse.

Okay. You sound fantastic, so here’s a hint. The money you can raise relates directly to the amount of shareholding you’ll have to give away. And both depend on the valorization of your business, not now but in three to five years. As to how to get those numbers, everything is in the module; give it a try!

Time waster #4: Building some storytelling with real sex-appeal

Fourth time-waster and business killer: storytelling is super, duper, important. And you have to prepare it sharp, sharp, sharp.

We heard a guy once who thought that he would get people in his pocket by being natural. In plain English? He refused pitch training because he had a natural talent and thought people wanted authenticity rather than a fake, prepared pitch.

Well, guess what? That guy was an ass.

Excuse our French (again), but he really was.

He spoke so much that his point wasn’t clear. Worse, his pitching was boring because it was all about him and him again, so people lost interest after a couple of minutes. We won’t tell you the feedback we had on that guy: if the previous paragraph was rude, the next would be indecent.

The lesson here is simple: the point is not you, and it’s not to build a pitch based on boring facts and numbers either. No, the point is to use your business plan as an excuse to develop some strong business planning skills and to build storytelling with so much sex appeal that people will want to hear more and get on board.

The four biggest time waster with business plan writing

• Not knowing what you are expected to provide
• Failing to show that you are creating a viable business opportunity worth investing in
• Coming up with numbers that make no sense
• Going to war when your storytelling sucks (and you have no clue)

Is there a format I can use to save on preparation time?

Still with me? Great.

If you wonder how long it takes to write a business plan, the next question on the list often relates to formatting. And there, the answer is easy: yes, you can use template formats to save a lot (lot, lot) on preparation time. You just have to opt for the proper one, however.

Again, we’ve explained what your business plan outline should look like in another article, so we’re not coming back on this here. Still, there are two routes to consider here as far as short formats are concerned.

Is the one-pager a good idea?

First route: from a pure formatting perspective, business owners often look to write a one-page business plan . In their mind, this is a time-saver because one page is more accessible to write than a complete plan; hence the idea is smart.

Okay. But not okay.

Like it or not, the only way your one-pager can make sense is if it is built as an innovative and highly visual executive summary . However, getting there implies that you have gone through the whole process of business planning. Otherwise, what can you summarize?

That’s not what you wanted to read, but we’re a business coaches, not a candy seller. Oopsie but no sorrrieees!

Using a pitch deck template makes a lot more sense

Second route: relying on a business plan writing framework and using a predefined template will save you tons of time.

Shameless plug here again, but really, as business coaches and entrepreneurs, we know that writing a business plan is complicated when you don’t know where to start. So, we built a package tool:

One is a preparation template. It gives you all the points you need to deal with in the correct order and with a world limit—no way to go crazy with the number of words.

Then, two design-made templates to put your work into a visually appealing shape. One gives you a comprehensive format to give people a clean document with your storytelling, eight pages max. And the other gives you a slides-shaped structure, ideal if you prefer presenting your business plan on a screen.

Of course, we also provide you with a dummy case you can use for educative purposes. And finally, we added a complementary set of videos (two hours, guys!) to ensure that you get all the logic right.

Look, it’s simple. Business plan writing can kill your business because focusing on the wrong things and is a waste of time from A to Z !

We built this tool to make sure that doesn’t happen to you – there isn’t much we can add to that – except perhaps that the rest depends on you.

Wrap up: How long does it take to write a business plan? Depends on your goal…

To wrap things up? Writing your business plan is likely to require two days if your mind and storytelling are crystal clear, up to a couple of months if you have to build things from scratch.

Some do it themselves or with a team. Others just leave this with a consultant, so you have several options. The latter typically makes no sense and won’t make you save on costs for sure , so we would advise against it.

However, going through the exercise is important whether you are a Palo Alto startup or a small business. And doing the exercise yourself or with your team will give you a real opportunity to put some vital business planning into place. Beyond writing a stupid pdf, that’s one of the best ways available to get your business to its next step.

And just in case you wondered – no, we won’t write your business plan for you because that makes no sense (and you can read our opinion about business plan consultants here ). However, our Business Plan Builder with its framework, templates, and videos was made to get you started, so give it a look.

Alternatively, a business coach will also guide you through the exercise ( you can book a business coach here ). And they will also be at best to facilitate dedicated workshops if you want to build your business plan while involving your team. Get in touch!

Psss! Share this Article!

Topics related to How long does it take to write a business plan?:

• Startup business plan template free
• Ideal business plan
• Prepare a business plan for a small business

Need help with building & scaling your business?

At Impactified , we are on a mission to make you build, grow, and scale businesses you can be proud of, and we do that by making our business coaching expertise available to you, in person and through kick-ass self-coaching modules. You will love the experience either way, the only question is, what makes the most sense to you?

More Insights on Business Plan Writing

Financial Projections: How to write the financial plan in business plan

Hey coach! I’m writing a business plan and I’m wondering how to build the financial projections part of the document. What’s the importance of financial projections exactly – I mean, isn’t it absolute BS? How do I write the financial plan in business plan, and even more importantly, how can I make sense of all those messy tables? Can you help me understand this? Thanks in advance!

Do I Need a Business Plan Consultant? No, You Don’t!

Hey there Coach! I’m a small business owner and I need to find some support with my business plan. People suggested that I find a business plan consultant near me, but that’s a big cost and I’m not too sure about what to expect from that. What’s your opinion about business plan consultants in general? Is there any alternative you would highly recommend? Thanks!

How Much Does a Business Plan Cost? Just Under $100!

Hey coach! I was wondering – how much does a business plan cost? I need one, and I’m thinking about having it written for me, so I’d love your insights. Also, I’ve heard business plan writers cost a lot of money, so I’m interested if you have tips for writing a low-cost business plan! Thanks!

The #1 Growth & Scale Facilitation Platform for Entrepreneurs

Building & scaling a business is tough, so we’ve built easy-to-use tools & programs you can leverage anytime to make your business rock. The rest is up to you!

Get Started

• Book a Call!
• Pitch Your Biz!
• Read our Entrepreneurs' blog!

Business Facilitation

• Why Hire a Facilitator?
• Entrepreneur Training
• Our Brochures
• Team performance Survey
• The FREE Coaching Newsletter
• Impactified News
• Get in touch

© 2019-Present - All Rights Reserved - Impactified.com

Business plan

How to write an effective business plan in 11 steps (with workbook)

February 28, 2024 | 14 minute read

Writing a business plan is a powerful way to position your small business for success as you set out to meet your goals. Landmark studies suggest that business founders who write one are 16% more likely to build viable businesses than those who don’t and that entrepreneurs focused on high growth are 7% more likely to have written a business plan. HBR. July 14, 2017. Available online at https://hbr.org/2017/07/research-writing-a-business-plan-makes-your-startup-more-likely-to-succeed" data-footnote="sevenpercent" aria-label="Footnote 1" data-options="{"interstitialType":"leaving-site","targetAction":"new-tab"}" class="spa-ui-layer-link spa-fn spa-ui-layer-interstitial"> Footnote [1] Even better, other research shows that owners who complete business plans are twice as likely to grow their business successfully or obtain capital compared with those who don’t. Footnote [2]

The best time to write a business plan is typically after you have vetted and researched your business idea. (See How to start a business in 15 steps .) If conditions change later, you can rewrite the plan, much like how your GPS reroutes you if there is traffic ahead. When you update your plan regularly, everyone on your team, including outside stakeholders such as investors, will know where you are headed.

What is a business plan?

Typically 15-20 pages long, a business plan is a document that explains what your business does, what you want to achieve in the business and the strategy you plan to use to get there. It details the opportunities you are going after, what resources you will need to achieve your goals and how you will define success.

Why are business plans important?

Business plans help you think through barriers and discover opportunities you may have recognized subconsciously but have not yet articulated. A business plan can also help you to attract potential lenders, investors and partners by providing them with evidence that your business has all of the ingredients necessary for success.

What questions should a business plan answer?

Your business plan should explain how your business will grow and succeed. A great plan will provide detailed answers to questions that a banker or investor will have before putting money into the business, such as:

• What products or services do you provide?
• Who is your target customer?
• What are the benefits of your product and service for customers?
• How much will you charge?
• What is the size of the market?
• What are your marketing plans?
• How much competition does the business face in penetrating that market?
• How much experience does the management team have in running businesses like it?
• How do you plan to measure success?
• What do you expect the business’s revenue, costs and profit to be for the first few years?
• How much will it cost to achieve the goals stated in the business plan?
• What is the long-term growth potential of the business? Is the business scalable?
• How will you enable investors to reap the rewards of backing the business? Do you plan to sell the business to a bigger company eventually or take it public as your “exit strategy”?

How to write a business plan in 11 steps

This step-by-step outline will make it easier to write an effective business plan, even if you’re managing the day-to-day demands of starting a new business. Creating a table of contents that lists key sections of the plan with page numbers will make it easy for readers to flip to the sections that interest them most.

Use our editable workbook to capture notes and organize your thoughts as you review these critical steps. Note: To avoid losing your work, please remember to save this PDF to your desktop before you begin.

1. Executive summary

The executive summary is your opportunity to make a great first impression on investors and bankers. It should be just as engaging as the enthusiastic elevator pitch you might give if you bumped into a potential backer in an elevator.

In three to five paragraphs, you’ll want to explain what your business does, why it will succeed and where it will be in five years. The executive summary should include short descriptions of the following:

• Business concept. What will your business do?
• Goals and vision. What do you expect the business to achieve, both financially and for other key stakeholders, such as the community?
• Product or service. What does your product or service do — and how is it different from those of competitors?
• Target market. Who do you expect to buy your product or service?
• Marketing strategy. How will you tell people about your product or service?
• Current revenue and profits. If your business is pre-revenue, offer sales projections.
• Projected revenue and profits. Provide a realistic look at the next year, as well as the next three years, ideally.
• Financial resources needed. How much money do you need to borrow or raise to fund your plan?
• Management team. Who are the company’s leaders and what relevant experience will they contribute?

2. Business overview

Here is where you provide a brief history of the business and describe the product(s) or service(s) it offers. Make sure you describe the problem you are attempting to solve, for whom you will solve it (your customers) and how you will solve it. Be sure to describe your business model (such as direct-to-consumer sales through an online store) so readers can envision how you will make sales. Also mention your business structure (such as a sole proprietorship , general partnership, limited partnership or corporation) and why it is advantageous for the business. And be sure to provide context on the state of your industry and where your business will fit into it.

3. Business goals and vision

Explain what you hope to achieve in the business (your vision) as well as its mission and value proposition. Most founders judge success by the size to which they grow the business using measures such as revenue or number of employees. Your goals may not be solely financial. You may also wish to provide jobs or solve a societal problem. If that’s the case, mention those goals as well.

If you are seeking outside funding, explain why you need the money, how you will put it to work to grow the business and how you expect to achieve the goals you have set for the business. Also explain your exit strategy—that is, how you would enable investors to cash out, whether that means selling the business or taking it public.

4. Management and organization

Many investors say they bet on the team behind a business more than the business idea, trusting that talented and experienced people will be capable of bringing sound business concepts to life. With that in mind, make sure to provide short bios of the key members of your management team (including yourself) that emphasize the relevant experience each individual brings, along with their special talents and industry recognition. Many business plans include headshots of the management team with the bios.

Also describe more about how your organization will be structured. Your company may be a sole proprietorship, a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation in one or more states.

If you will need to hire people for specific roles, this is the place to mention those plans. And if you will rely on outside consultants for certain roles — such as an outsourced CFO — be sure to make a note of it here. Outside backers want to know if you’ve anticipated the staffing you need.

5. Service or product line

A business will only succeed if it sells something people want or need to buy. As you describe the products or services you will offer, make sure to explain what benefits they will provide to your target customers, how they will differ from competing offerings and what the buying cycle will likely be so it is clear that you can actually sell what you are offering. If you have plans to protect your intellectual property through a copyright or patent filing, be sure to mention that. Also explain any research and development work that is underway to show investors the potential for additional revenue streams.

6. Market/industry analysis

Anyone interested in providing financial backing to your business will want to know how big your company can potentially grow so they have an idea of what kind of returns they can expect. In this section, you’ll be able to convey that by explaining to whom you will be selling and how much opportunity there is to reach them. Key details to include are market size; a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis ; a competitive analysis; and customer segmentation. Make it clear how you developed any projections you’ve made by citing interviews or research.

Also describe the current state of the industry. Where is there room for improvement? Are most companies using antiquated processes and technology? If your business is a local one, what is the market in your area like? Do most of the restaurants where you plan to open your café serve mediocre food? What will you do better?

In this section, also list competitors, including their names, websites and social media handles. Describe each source of competition and how your business will address it.

7. Sales and marketing

Explain how you will spread the word to potential customers about what you sell. Will you be using paid online search advertising, social media promotions, traditional direct mail, print advertising in local publications, sponsorship of a local radio or TV show, your own YouTube content or some other method entirely? List all of the methods you will use.

Make sure readers know exactly what the path to a sale will be and why that approach will resonate with customers in your ideal target markets as well as existing customer segments. If you have already begun using the methods you’ve outlined, include data on the results so readers know whether they have been effective.

8. Financials

In a new business, you may not have any past financial data or financial statements to include, but that doesn’t mean you have nothing to share. Preparing a budget and financial plan will help show investors or bankers that you have developed a clear understanding of the financial aspects of running your business. (The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has prepared a guide you can use; SCORE , a nonprofit organization that partners with the SBA, offers a financial projections template to help you look ahead.) For an existing business, you will want to include income statements, profit and loss statements, cash flow statements and balance sheets, ideally going back three years.

Make a list of the specific steps you plan to take to achieve the financial results you have outlined. The steps are generally the most detailed for the first year, given that you may need to revise your plan later as you gather feedback from the marketplace.

Include interactive spreadsheets that contain a detailed financial analysis showing how much it costs your business to produce the goods and services you provide, the profits you will generate, any planned investments and the taxes you will pay. See our startup costs calculator to get started.

9. Financial projections

Creating a detailed sales forecast can help you get outside backers excited about supporting you. A sales forecast is typically a table or simple line graph that shows the projected sales of the company over time with monthly or quarterly details for the next 12 months and a broader projection as much as five years into the future. If you haven’t yet launched the company, turn to your market research to develop estimates. For more information, see “ How to create a sales forecast for your small business .”

10. Funding request

If you are seeking outside financing such as a loan or equity investment, your potential backers will want to know how much money you need and how you will spend it. Describe the amount you are trying to raise, how you arrived at that number and what type of funding you are seeking (such as debt, equity or a combination of both). If you are contributing some of your own funds, it is worth noting this, as it shows that you have skin in the game.

11. Appendix

This should include any information and supporting documents that will help investors and bankers gain a greater understanding of the potential of your business. Depending on your industry, you might include local permits, licenses, deeds and other legal documents; professional certifications and licenses; media clips; information on patents and other intellectual property; key customer contracts and purchase orders; and other relevant documents.

Some business owners find it helpful to develop a list of key concepts, such as the names of the company’s products and industry terms. This can be helpful if you do business in an industry that may not be familiar to the readers of the business plan.

Tips for creating an effective business plan

Use clear, simple language. It’ll be easier to win people over if your plan is easy to read. Steer clear of industry jargon, and if you must use any phrases the average adult won’t know, be sure to define them.

Emphasize what makes your business unique. Investors and bankers want to know how you will solve a problem or gap in the marketplace differently from anyone else. Make sure you’re conveying your differentiating factors.

Nail the details. An ideal business plan will be detailed and accurate. Make sure that any financial projections you make are realistic and grounded in solid market research. (If you need help in making your calculations, you can get free advice at SCORE.) Seasoned bankers and investors will quickly spot numbers that are overly optimistic.

Take time to polish it. Your final version of the plan should be neat and professional with an attractive layout and copy that has been carefully proofread.

Include professional photos. High-quality shots of your product or place of business can help make it clear why your business stands out.

Updating an existing business plan

Some business owners in rapidly growing businesses update their business plan quarterly. Others do so every six months or every year. When you update your plan make sure you consider these three things:

1. Are your goals still current? As you’ve tested your concept, your goals may have changed. The plan should reflect this.

2. Have you revised any strategies in response to feedback from the marketplace? You may have found that your offerings resonated with a different customer segment than you expected or that your advertising plan didn’t work and you need to try a different approach. Given that investors will want to see a marketing and advertising plan that works, keeping this section current will ensure you are always ready to meet with one who shows interest.

3. Have your staffing needs changed? If you set ambitious goals, you may need help from team members or outside consultants you did not anticipate when you first started the business. Take stock now so you can plan accordingly.

Final thoughts

Most business owners don’t follow their business plans exactly. But writing one will get you off to a much better start than simply opening your doors and hoping for the best, and it will be easier to analyze any aspects of your business that aren’t working later so you can course-correct. Ultimately, it may be one of the best investments you can make in the future of your business.

Business plan FAQs

The biggest mistake you can make when writing a business plan is creating one before the idea has been properly researched and tested. Not every idea is meant to become a business. Other common mistakes include:

• Not describing your management team in a way that is appealing to investors. Simply cutting and pasting someone’s professional bio into the management section won’t do the trick. You’ll want to highlight the credentials of each team member in a way that is relevant to this business.
• Failing to include financial projections — or including overly optimistic ones. Investors look at a lot of business plans and can tell quickly whether your numbers are accurate or pie in the sky. Have a good small business accountant review your numbers to make sure they are realistic.
• Lack of a clear exit strategy for investors. Investors may want the option to cash out eventually and would want to know how they can go about doing that.
• Slapdash presentation. Make sure to fact-check any industry statistics you cite and that any charts, graphs or images are carefully prepared and easy to read.

There are a variety of styles of business plans. Here are three major types:

Traditional business plan. This is a formal document for pitching to investors based on the outline in this article. If your business is a complicated one, the plan may exceed the typical length and stretch to as many as 50 pages.

One-page business plan. This is a simplified version of a formal business plan designed to fit on one page. Typically, each section will be described in bullet points or in a chart format rather than in the narrative style of an executive summary. It can be helpful as a summary document to give to investors — or for internal use. Another variation on the one-page theme is the business model canvas .

Lean plan. This methodology for creating a business plan is ideal for a business that is evolving quickly. It is designed in a way that makes it easy to update on a regular basis. Lean business plans are usually about one page long. The SBA has provided an example of what this type of plan includes on its website.

Many elements of a business plan for a nonprofit are similar to those of a for-profit business. However, because the goal of a nonprofit is achieving its mission — rather than turning a profit — the business plan should emphasize its specific goals on that front and how it will achieve them. Many nonprofits set key performance indicators (KPIs) — numbers that they track to show they are moving the needle on their goals.

Nonprofits will generally emphasize their fundraising strategies in their business plans rather than sales strategies. The funds they raise are the lifeblood of the programs they run.

A strategic plan is different from the type of business plan you’ve read about here in that it emphasizes the long-term goals of the business and how your business will achieve them over the long run. A strong business plan can function as both a business plan and a strategic plan.

A marketing plan is different from a business plan in that it is focused on four main areas of the business: product (what you are selling and how you will differentiate it), price (how much your products or services will cost and why), promotion (how you will get your ideal customer to notice and buy what you are selling) and place (where you will sell your products). A thorough business plan may cover these topics, doing double duty as both a business plan and a marketing plan.

The Small Business Community is now Small Business Resources .

How Long Does It Take To Write A Business Plan?

Table of Contents

Owning a good business plan comes with a lot of advantages for the entrepreneur. It’s more of a strategic tool that allows business owners to focus on specific steps, which are much needed to make business ideas succeed. That’s not all; a good business plan will also enable entrepreneurs to achieve their short- and long-term business objectives.

Depending on the amount of information you have at your disposal, writing an excellent traditional business plan to completion could take several hours or even days. For a basic business plan, since you’re still pretty much likely to adjust it over time, it shouldn’t take more than 3 hours to write.

What is a business plan, and why is it essential for you to have one? How long does it take to write a business plan? When is the ideal time to write your business plan? What are the components of a good business plan? These and more are the questions that you’ll find answers to as you read through the rest of this article.

Understanding What A Business Plan Means

There’s no denying that many of us have seen business plans before or understand what they mean. However, if you don’t know, a business plan is a formal written document containing the details of business objectives.

A business plan is usually standard for startups. Of course, that’s so because one of the very first steps of starting up a new business from scratch is to craft a business plan.

Why Is It Important To Have A Business Plan?

As earlier mentioned, owning a business plan comes with tons of excellent benefits for people. Let’s have a quick look at some of them below:

• See the entire business

A business plan, as previously defined, is a type of document that contains the goal and objectives of your business. One of the benefits of crafting this type of document is that it will offer you a clearer picture of the whole industry. Furthermore, owning a clearly and effectively crafted business plan will allow you to quickly connect the dots in your business.

• Business plans will help you create a marketing roadmap

A marketing roadmap is more of a specific plan and timeline that allows business owners to finish their projects at the right time frame. It will enable you to develop a long-term view of how you will promote your business and achieve success.

Apart from seeing your entire business, crafting a good business plan will provide you with a good marketing roadmap. With that, you’ll be able to highlight your key projects and set priorities for your company’s marketing department.

• Accountability

The importance of accountability in business can’t be overstressed, and this factor is essential as it helps entrepreneurs eliminate the time and effort often spent on unnecessary activities. That said, with a well-crafted business plan, you will undoubtedly develop accountability for your business.

Having a good business plan will help you set expectations for yourself, and it’ll also enable you to understand what to do and exactly when to do it.

• Recruit top talents

As a business owner or someone interested in turning an idea into a business, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that having top talents in your company is one of the critical factors for business success. It’s one of the few factors that venture capitalists look for before deciding to fund businesses .

Since capital is essential for every business, owning a solid team is also crucial. One of the best ways to attract top talents to your business is by crafting a good business plan. Here’s the thing; every employee looking to make a shift to a new company wants to understand the vision and objectives of the business . Interestingly, that’s exactly what having a business plan will do for you.

• Secure funds

As you know, securing funds for your business is pretty much essential. You can always get capital for your business using several different approaches. However, in most cases, you’ll need a good business plan for you to do that.

So, one of the benefits attached to owning a standard and well-written business plan is that it’ll boost your chances of getting funds for your business.

What Are The Different Types Of Business Plans?

There are several different types of business plans. Some of them are internal business plan, strategic business plan, feasibility business plan, operation business plan, and start-up business plan.

Furthermore, business plans are grouped into two main categories; traditional business plan and lean startup business plan .

The traditional business plan is usually very detailed and requires a longer time to craft. It’s the type that you need to own to attract venture capitalists to your company .

On the other hand, lean startup business plans are pretty quick and easy to draft, and they usually contain the necessary details needed to keep a new business growing fast. To many investors, however, having this type of business plan isn’t always enough.

Compared to lean startup plans, traditional business plans often take more time to be drafted. Well, that is because the document needs to be detailed, including several different things.

A properly written traditional business plan should have about nine different sections, including an executive summary, market analysis, company’s description, management , service line or product line, funding requests, marketing & sales, and a few others.

That said, it could take several working hours or even days to draft an excellent traditional business plan. Yes, it’s not a day job as it requires a lot of readjustment before reaching completion.

Don’t get it twisted; writing your initial or basic business plan is different from writing an excellent traditional business plan. Unlike the latter that could take several days, the former can be concluded within 2 to 3 hours. Again, this is only possible if you already have the necessary data to create the document.

As for a lean startup plan, this shouldn’t take you much time to write. This type of document is pretty much easy to come by because it doesn’t always contain all the long-form writing of a traditional business plan. It’s usually short and precise, containing only superficial descriptions of business strategies and tactics. You can always write this type of document in a couple of hours.

Looking For Targeted Leads?

Find accurate B2B contact information for targeted marketing. Close more deals and start more conversations.

How Long Should Your Business Plan Be?

It varies and depends on the type of plan you’re looking to create.

You can always measure your business plan using readability as a yardstick. When I say “a good business plan,” I mean a type of document that has enough information regarding your business goals and objectives.

That’s not all; the formal document should also leave anybody reading it a pretty good general idea of what it contains. This also extends to when the reader is only having a quick skimming of the document.

That said, in terms of readability, a good business plan provides a good general idea of its contents and shouldn’t take longer than fifteen minutes to read quickly or skim.

When Is The Ideal Time To Write Your Business Plan?

When is the best time to start writing a business plan?  According to Harvard Business Review , writing a good business plan makes a startup business more likely to succeed. However, the probability of that happening also depends on the timing of writing the program.

First, you need to understand that there’s no exact time to write your business plan.

However, according to a study carried out by Francis J. Greene and Christian Hopp of the hbr.org, it was revealed that, on average, the most successful entrepreneurs out of 1,000 of them (which the study was based on), were those that drafted their business plan between 6 and 12 months after deciding to start a business.

That said, the bottom line is that there’s no ideal time to write your business plan. However, based on past success, writing your plan between six months and a year after considering starting a business is okay.

What Are The Components Of A Good Business Plan?

As you now know, there are two main types of business plans. There’s the traditional business plan, which usually takes a long time to draft. There’s also a lean startup plan, which takes little time to create. Below, we’ll be looking at the components of an excellent traditional business plan.

Here Are The Components Of A Traditional Business Plan

A traditional business plan should contain an executive summary, market analysis, company description, and many more. You can check below to see each of them and how they should be drafted:

• Executive summary

An executive summary is one of the nine sections that an excellent traditional business plan should contain. This part should address everything a reader needs to know about your company. That’s not all; an executive summary should also tell people why the business will be successful.

Furthermore, other vital elements often included in an executive summary of a business plan are your company’s mission statement, information regarding its leaders and staff, where it’s located, what you offer (product or service), and your growth plan.

• Company description

The second part that shouldn’t miss out on a traditional business plan is the description of your company. This section needs to provide the readers with detailed information regarding your company . Here’s where you’ll need to state the target consumers and other businesses your company is looking to serve.

It doesn’t end there; you also need to include the advantages your business has over its competitors that’ll make it successful.

• Market analysis 

The third section, market analysis, is the part where you’ll talk about your target market . Let your readers understand how you’ll stand out from other corporations in your target market.

What structure will be used to develop your company? Who will be the CEO and the head of departments in your company? Here are the questions you’ll need to provide answers to in this section.

So, for this section, you need to describe in detail your business’ legal structure. What type of business will you be choosing for your business? Is it a limited liability company (LLC), an S corporation, or a C corporation?

• Product- or service-line

What type of product or service are you looking to offer your target audience? In this section, you’ll need to describe in detail what you’re going to be selling and how it will benefit your consumers.

• Marketing and sales

The ” marketing and sales ” section is another element you need to include in your traditional business plan is the “marketing and sales” section. For this part, you need to describe your marketing strategy, including how you will attract and retain potential customers to your company.

Here’s a quick question, how will your company provide sales to your customers? This is another factor to consider when writing the marketing and sales section of your traditional business plan. The strategies you will most likely use for your marketing and sales campaign are much. So, ensure you list all of them in detail in this section.

• Funding request

Capital is an essential factor for every successful business. Since you won’t be funding the company by yourself every time, it’s necessary to write how you’ll go about sourcing funds in your business plan.

So, for this section, you need to highlight all your funding requirements for your readers to see. In addition to that, you also need to outline how you’ll be utilizing the funds raised for the business.

• Financial projection

The financial projection section of your business plan has to focus on the cash flow of your business. Let the reader understand that your business is stable and will be successful financially over time.

Your business plan isn’t complete without the appendix . This is the section where you need to back up all the information written so far with credit histories, CVs of your members, reference letters, licenses, and legal documents.

Writing a good business plan can take some time, and it’s essential to understand the components of a good one and how long it takes to complete them all to make an educated decision about whether or not you have enough time for this process.

Whether you are starting a new business or looking to grow your existing one, you must have a good blueprint for what the future holds.

In this blog post, we’ve covered the essentials of a business plan. We hope you feel more confident about creating your own and that it will be an essential tool for getting started on launching your new small business, startup, or expanding upon an existing one!

A marketing plan is a business plan, and it tells you how to get customers and potential investors. The business plan writer may use a template to create a marketing plan, including the business idea, business planning, and details of a small business loan.

Marketing Lean plan is the process of planning and executing everything related to strategic marketing. It’s a business discipline that focuses on effectively using limited resources so that campaigns are in harmony with one another.

A balance sheet summarizes the company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity at a point in time (usually near the end of its accounting period).

A business proposal is a written document that outlines the plan for a type of business and communicates it to potential investors. They provide all the details about what you aim to do, how you’ll do it, and what you need from them to make this happen.

A cash flow statement gives a complete picture of a company’s financial health. Unlike a traditional income statement which looks at revenues, expenses, and net profits throughout an accounting period, the cash flow statement deals with actual cash inflows and outflows.

A company’s income statement is a financial statement that provides detailed information about how the company made money, where it spent money. It’s worth it as of the end of its fiscal year.

Industry analysis is the process of examining a particular industry on many levels and using the info to create a strategy that will help improve your company’s position.

Competitor analysis or competitive analysis is the process of studying the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, typically as a means to identify market opportunities. Businesses need to check their competition because it can lead to better decisions about pricing, marketing, product development, and more.

A business model is a plan of how the business will make money, focusing on the inputs needed to operate and produce goods or services and the outputs that it can sell.

A financial forecast is an estimate of future expenditures and revenues. It’s a way for you to plan to know how much money will likely come in, over what period, and how much money will probably have to be spent to make ends meet.

A competitive advantage can be used to distinguish a company in the marketplace from a competitor. It comes down to understanding what a potential customer seeks and how that is communicated effectively , so customers know it is available for them.

Strategic planning involves many processes that lead to an organization maximizing time, resources, and opportunities.

A financial plan consists of the steps one can take to reach a specific financial goal. The three essential elements are income, expenses, and a savings plan.

A financial statement is a document by the management team that shows the financial information for a particular company.

A business structure , in a nutshell, is the form under which your business operates for tax purposes (often incorporating as a limited company) and what percentage of your profit the government invokes rates on.

A swot analysis is an evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats a person or organization intends to succeed in achieving a goal.

A one page business plan is just a summary of your primary objectives. It should be no more than one page and ideally should include the following information: What is the business name , what does it do, who are we targeting (demographic), competitors, address/location, contact information, how will your startup. How much does it cost to start? How much money will you need to reach your goal? What’s the long-term growth plan after project initiation?

An operations plan in the business world is a blueprint for handling an operation, what resources will be needed, and who will handle it. The operational plan can also be put as a template for new or existing processes that need to be taken on.

A strategic plan is a blueprint for all areas of your company to make sure they are working together well. The program typically outlines the goals and what will be done to meet those goals.

A target customer is a specific type of customer a company proposal hopes to reach, typically because they have the most potential as being profitable (i.e., business-wise). A target customer is usually based on demographics like age and gender, or they are chosen to buy products at higher rates or just in general. Target customers are often determined through market research data so that marketing can be more effective over time and space.

Related posts:

• Business Strategy Vs Business Plan
• Business Plan For Climate Change
• Business Strategy Deck

Wasim Jabbar

Hi, I'm Wasim - a startup founder and proud dad of two sons. With 15 years of experience building startups, I'd like to share my secret to achieving business success - quality marketing leads. Signup today to gain access to over 52 million leads worldwide.

Recent Posts

Is Inside Sales Telemarketing?

In my discussions with those new to the sales industry, I often encounter the misconception that inside sales and telemarketing are one and the same. This couldn't be further from the...

Is Inside Sales Part Of Marketing?

When I first ventured into the world of business, I found myself pondering where exactly inside sales fit into the grand scheme of things. Is it a branch of the sales team, or does it fall under the...