business plan vorlage

Kostenlose Businessplan-Vorlage und -Muster nutzen sowie Businessplan-Beispiele lesen

Unser Businessplan-Muster dient zur Orientierung, wie das Geschäftskonzept für Ihr Unternehmen aussehen kann. Direkt erstellen können Sie den Businessplan mit unserer Businessplan-Vorlage kostenlos, die als Word und PDF zum Download oder auch digital für Ihr Gründungskonzept zur Verfügung steht. 

Inspiration bietet ein Businessplan-Beispiel . Wir haben fertige Businessplan-Beispiele als PDF inkl. Finanzplan aus unterschiedlichen Branchen (u. a. Handwerk und Gastronomie) zum kostenlosen Download vorbereitet. 

Von René Klein Chefredakteur

René Klein verantwortet als Chefredakteur seit über 10 Jahren die Inhalte auf dem Portal und aller Publikationen von Für-Gründer.de. Er ist regelmäßig Gesprächspartner in anderen Medien und verfasst zahlreiche externe Fachbeiträge zu Gründungsthemen. Vor seiner Zeit als Chefredakteur und Mitgründer von Für-Gründer.de hat er börsennotierte Unternehmen im Bereich Finanzmarktkommunikation beraten.

Businessplan schreiben: Gliederung, Leitfragen und Beispiel inklusive. Ebenso ein Beispiel für die Gründerperson, ein Muster für die Umsatzplanung und eine Excutive Summary.

Businessplan-Gliederung und Erklärungen einzelner Kapitel als Word-Datei. Die Businessplan Word Vorlage enthält auch Hinweise zum Finanzplan.

  | Businessplan-Muster für das Geschäftskonzept

Damit Gründer nicht mit einem leeren Blatt Papier starten müssen, haben wir ein Businessplan-Muster entwickelt. Das Geschäftsplan-Muster zeigt, wie der Businessplan für die Selbstständigkeit aufgebaut und was enthalten sein sollte, damit das Firmenkonzept bei Banken (Stichwort bankfähig) oder der Arbeitsagentur gut angekommt. Was das Businessplan-Muster bietet, zeigt der Businesslan-Muster Aufbau:

• Businessplan-Deckblatt Vorlage
• Komplettes Inhaltsverzeichnis und Kapitelstruktur (u.a. Gründerperson, Marktanalyse, Marketing-Beispiel, SWOT, Finanzplan)
• Übersicht zu Kapitelinhalten und Links zu vertiefenden Informationen
• Professionelles Layout & Design-Vorlage

Das Businessplan-Muster PDF ist kostenlos und kann ganz einfach für Ihr Firmen- und Unternehmenskonzept genutzt werden. Bevor Sie das Businessplan-Muster kostenlos herunterladen können, stellen wir die Gliederung vor:

Gliederung für den Muster-Businessplan

Wer im Internet nach Businessplänen-Mustern sucht, findet viele verschiedene Gliederungen. Die nachfolgende Gliederung haben wir mit Kapitalgebern, Gründerberatern und aus Gesprächen mit zahlreichen Gründern in den vergangenen Jahren entwickelt.

Wie Sie im Businessplan-Muster sehen, hängt der Umfang des Geschäftsplans von der jeweiligen Gründung ab. Dabei spielen die Komplexität des Vorhabens und die Branche eine wichtige Rolle. Nehmen Sie sich bei der Erstellung des Planwerks genügend Zeit - ein paar Wochen können für das Schreiben durchaus angebracht sein. Der Geschäftsplan ist nicht nur die Grundlage für die Gründung, sondern auch für die ersten drei Jahre der Selbstständigkeit. Noch mehr Details zu jedem Gliederungspunkt finden Sie auf der Seite Businessplan-Gliederung .

Businessplan-Muster PDF kostenlos

Tipp: Businessplan-Muster richtig einsetzen

Es gibt zwar nicht das "eine" Businessplan-Muster. Doch es lohnt sich bei der Businessplanerstellung an einem etablierten Standard festzuhalten. So finden sich bspw. Kapitalgeber schnell im Geschäftsplan zu recht.

Sie können ein Businessplan-Muster als Grundlage verwenden, wenn Sie den persönlichen, auf Ihre Geschäftsidee angepassten, Businessplan schreiben. Sei es als Vorlage für den Gründungszuschuss oder für die Bank. Wir raten dazu, die Planung auf jeden Fall selbst zu erstellen - Ihre Geschäftsidee ist einzigartig und das sollte im Businessplan berücksichtigt werden! Es spricht jedoch grundsätzlich nichts dagegen, ein Businessplan-Beispiel bzw. ein Businessplan-Muster (von Für-Gründer.de oder von der IHK) vor der Erstellung ihres eigenen Geschäftsplans durchzulesen.

Wir haben eine Reihe an Vorlagen und Tools entwickelt, die Gründer und Selbstständige kostenfrei nutzen können. Neben dem digitalen Businessplan-Tool , mit dem Sie Schritt für Schritt einen professionellen Businessplan erstellen, haben wir z.B. ein Finanzplan Tool entwickelt, ein Tool für die Konkurrenzanalyse , für die Preiskalkulation sowie ein Tool für die SWOT Analyse .

  | Businessplan erstellen per Vorlage

Die Businessplan-Vorlage im Word-Format ist weiterhin eine beliebte Starthilfe für die Businessplanerstellung. Im Netz gibt es die Word-Vorlage in unterschiedlichsten Varianten zum kostenfreien (u.a. eine IHK Businessplan-Vorlage, ein KfW Businessplan-Muster) oder kostenpflichtigen Download.

Eine Vorlage für den Businessplan aus dem Internet zeichnet sich durch einige Vorteile aus. Hat aber auch Nachteile:

• Hilfreicher Ausgangspunkt
• Einfach zu bedienen
• Formatierungsaufwand
• Schlechte Teamfähigkeit, Versionierungschaos
• Integration des Finanzplans schwierig
• Je nach Anbieter nicht aktuell

Auf Für-Gründer.de bieten wir die Vorlage mit allen wichtigen Kapitel und Detailinformationen kostenlos an. 

Tipp: Businessplansoftware statt Word nutzen

Der Trend geht von der Word-Vorlage eindeutig in Richtung Businessplansoftware . Diese digitale Businessplan-Vorlage bietet gegenüber Word zahlreiche Vorteile. Unsere Lösung für den Online-Businessplan finden Sie in unserer Software-Lösung Unternehmerheld. Die Businessplan-Vorlage können Sie kostenfrei nutzen. Enthalten ist ein Inhaltsverzeichnis, das alle relevanten Bereiche des Geschäftsplans enthält. Zu jedem Punkt finden Sie mit einem Klick Leitfragen und Beispiele, die Ihnen Schritt für Schritt aufzeigen, welche Inhalte in der Planung für das Firmenkonzept nicht fehlen dürfen.

Kostenfrei starten mit dem Businessplan-Tool im Unternehmerheld

Für den Unternehmerheld können Sie sich kostenfrei registrieren und anhand von wertvollen Leitfragen und Praxis-Beispielen Ihren Geschäftsplan erstellen. Sie profitieren außerdem von folgenden Aspekten:

Übersichtlich, kostenfrei, sicher: Wenn Sie die digitale Businessplan-Vorlage in der Onlinelösung Unternehmerheld nutzen, profitieren Sie von mehr Übersichtlichkeit. Die Nutzung der Businessplan-Vorlage ist kostenfrei - dabei garantieren wir strengen Datenschutz.

Einfache Zusammenarbeit im Team: Über die Teamfunktion in unserem Unternehmerheld können Sie Mitgründer, Berater sowie weitere Vertraute dazu einladen, gemeinsam an Ihrem Geschäftsplan zu feilen. Ob Lesen, Kommentieren oder Bearbeiten – die individuellen Benutzerrechte liegen ganz in Ihrer Hand.

Druckfähig & exportierbar: Wenn Sie Ihren Businessplan mit der Onlinelösung Unternehmerheld fertiggestellt haben, können Sie diesen als PDF-Dokument herunterladen.

Businessplan-Tool kostenfrei nutzen

  | Business- und Finanzplan-Beispiele: Branchen-Pakete zum Download

Bevor Sie als Gründer oder Selbstständiger bei Ihrer Hausbank einen Kredit beantragen, müssen Sie einen Businessplan für die Bank erstellen. Sonst gibt es in der Regel kein Darlehen. Nutzen Sie am besten eine Businessplan-Vorlage. Diese hilft bei der Strukturierung des Inhaltes und stellt eine gute Grundlage für den eigenen Geschäftsplan dar.

Je nach Branche sind besondere Aspekte zu beachten, die in einer allgemeinen Businessplan-Vorlage oft nicht zu finden sind. Daher empfiehlt es sich, beim Schreiben des Geschäftsplans auch eine beispielhafte Businessplan-Vorlage aus der jeweiligen Branche als Hilfsmittel zu nutzen. Ein solches Businessplan-Muster gibt nicht nur die Strukturierung vor, sondern liefert auch branchenspezifische Inhalte. Ob Sie nun im Einzelhandel, in der Gastronomie oder mit einem Onlineshop gründen – wir bieten Ihnen nachfolgend einen Überblick über die die wichtigsten Branchen und verweisen jeweils auf tiefergehende Informationen sowie fertige Businessplan-Beispiele als PDF zum Download.

Damit Sie sich einen Eindruck über Business- und Finanzpläne Ihrer Branche verschaffen können, haben wir Ihnen unsere vom Unternehmensberater geprüften Geschäftsplane mit Finanzteil als branchenspezifische Pakete zusammengeschnürt. So haben Sie alle wichtigen Informationen in einem Dokument.

Jedes Dokument beinhaltet unsere Business- sowie die Finanzpläne für verschiedene Geschäftsideen aus der Branche.

Businessplan-Beispiele inkl. Finanzplan für Handel (stationär & online)

Unser Business- und Finanzplan-Paket "Handel" beinhaltet vier typische Geschäftsmodelle, an denen Gründer sich orientieren können, wenn sie ihren eigenen Businessplan schreiben.

• Fahrradshop inkl. Gründerperson, Marktanalyse, Meilensteine
• Frischemarkt inkl. Marketing-Beispiel, Unternehmensziele, Investitionsplan
• Brautmoden inkl. Executive Summary, Umsatzplanung, Vertrieb
• Onlineshop inkl. Finanzplan, Gründerperson, Geschäftskonzept

Jetzt herunterladen

Häufige Fragen

Wenn Sie eine Existenzgründung im Einzelhandel planen ( Leitfaden Laden eröffnen ), dann helfen unsere Businessplan-Beispiele aus dem Einzelhandel. Dazu gehören bspw. ein Fahrradgeschäft und ein Lebensmittelladen. Diese enthalten neben den allgemeinen Informationen viele wichtige Punkte, auf die Sie in einem Businessplan für den Einzelhandel besonders eingehen sollten. So spielt die Standortwahl beispielsweise eine große Rolle. Außerdem geht unser Muster-Businessplan für den Einzelhandel auf die handelsspezifischen Marketinginstrumente ein, erläutert die Kalkulation Ihrer Verkaufspreise und hilft bei der Berechnung des benötigten Startkapitals – inklusive der Startkosten für den erstmaligen Warenbestand.

Unser Businessplan-Muster PDF für einen Onlineshop unterscheidet sich in einigen Punkten zu den Businessplan-Beispielen für den stationären Einzelhandel. Bei einem Onlineshop spielt die Wahl des Standorts nämlich keine Rolle. Wollen Sie einen  Onlineshop eröffnen , ist für Sie der Aspekt Marketing zentral. Wie wollen Sie inmitten der Masse der bestehenden Onlineshops Sichtbarkeit generieren? Zudem können Ihre Kunden im Gegensatz zum stationären Handel nicht über Ihren Onlineshop "stolpern".

Alle Businessplan-Beispiele wurden mit unserer Businessplansoftware erstellt. Nutzen Sie diese kostenfrei.

Businessplan-Beispiele mit Finanzplan für Dienstleister

In unserem Finanz- und Businessplan-Paket "Diensteister" finden Sie zwei Beispiele für Geschäftsmodelle in der Service-Branche. An diesen können Sie sich orientieren, wenn Sie in der Dienstleistungsbranche gründen wollen und noch Inspiration benötigen:

• Unternehmensberater inkl. Gründerpersion, Marktanalyse und Marketing-Beispiel
• Fitnessstudio inkl. Finanzplan-Beispiel, Executive Summary, Meilensteine
• Fotograf inkl. Markt- und Konkurrenzanalyse, Finanzplan und Gründerperson
• Hochzeitsplaner inkl. Wettbewerbsbetrachtung, Marketing & Finanzplan

Als Dienstleister sind andere Dinge wichtig für den Businessplan als in anderen Branchen, ganz unabhängig davon, ob Sie Freiberufler sind oder nicht. Im Falle unserer Businessplan-Beispiele für stationäre Dienstleistungen kommen dazu noch Standort-Aspekte hinzu. Dienstleister sollten auf jeden Fall ihr Leistungsangebot in den Fokus des Businessplans stellen, wie in unserem Businessplan-Muster für Unternehmensberater dargestellt.

Finanz- und Businessplan-Beispiele für die Gastronomie

Mit unserem Starter-Paket für Gründer erhalten Sie ein realitätsnahes Business- und Finanzplan-Beispiel eines französischen Restaurants. Anhand von diesem können Sie alle Detailaspekte, die ein Gastro-Businessplan benötigt, eingehend betrachten und sich frische Ideen für Ihren eigenen Businessplan holen.

• Businessplan-Beispiel Restaurant inkl. Investitionsplan, Executive Summary, Gründerperson

Ein Restaurant eröffnen , eine Bar oder ein Café zu gründen  mag unkompliziert klingen, wird jedoch nur mit einem durchdachten Gastronomie-Businessplan ein richtiger Erfolg. Ein guter Beispiel-Businessplan für die Gastronomie beantwortet die Frage nach der Standortwahl und geht insbesondere auf die Zielgruppen-Definition ein. Denn je nach Zielgruppe müssen die Inneneinrichtung, die Produktauswahl und die Preise gestaltet werden. Außerdem sollte die Kundenbindung ein wichtiger Aspekt der Planung sein. Unsere fertigen Businessplan-Muster für die Gastronomie decken all dies ab.

Businessplan-Beispiele für Handwerker

Unser Businessplan-Muster "Handwerk" enthält Beispiele zweier Businesspläne mit Finanzteil. Wenn Sie sich als Handwerker selbstständig machen möchten, empfehlen wir, einen Blick darauf zu werfen. So gewinnen Sie einen Eindruck, wie der Businessplan für diese Branche aussehen muss und welche Inhalte nicht fehlen dürfen.

• Büromöbel-Manufaktur inkl. Marktanalyse, Unternehmensziele, Umsatzplanung
• Kinderfriseur inkl. Liquiditätsplanung, Meilensteine, Gründerpersonen

Unser Businessplan-Muster fürs Handwerk enthält auch diejenigen Punkte, die individuell für eine Gründung im Handwerk bezeichnend sind (Leitfäden Friseursalon eröffnen , Bäckerei eröffnen ). Dazu gehören beispielsweise die Zugangsvoraussetzungen, wie etwa die Meisterprüfung oder die Besonderheiten bei der Preiskalkulation im Handwerk. Außerdem werden in unserem Beispiel- Geschäftsplanplan fürs Handwerk die besonderen rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen sowie der Schutz durch Versicherungen angesprochen.

Noch mehr Branchen-Tipps für Ihren Businessplan

• Einzelhandel
• Freiberufler
• Gastronomie

Sie möchten einen professionellen Businessplan erstellen?

Mit unserer kostenfreien Online-Lösung Unternehmerheld erstellen Sie Ihren professionellen Geschäftsplan ganz schnell und einfach online - inklusive interaktiver Businessplanvorlage, 1 Businessplan-Beispiel, Leitfragen, Teamfunktionalität und und und...!

Jetzt kostenfrei Businessplan-Tool nutzen

  | Weitere Excel-Tools für verschiedene Businessplan-Kapitel

Damit Sie die einzelnen Kapitel der Businessplan-Vorlage aussagekräftig bearbeiten können, haben wir für Gründer zahlreiche Tools auf Excel-Basis entwickelt. Diese können Sie kostenfrei nutzen und die Ergebnisse per Screenshot in Ihren Geschäftsplan integrieren.

Vergleichen Sie Standorte und finden den passenden für Ihr Geschäft!

Legen Sie die optimale Positionierung Ihres Angebots fest. 

Bestimmen Sie das optimale Preis-Leistungsverhältnis.

Noch mehr kostenfreie Excel-Tools

Zur Unterstützung der Arbeit mit einer Businessplan-Vorlage stellen wir weitere Tools auf Excel-Basis zur Verfügung.

• SWOT Analyse
• Gründungskosten
• Konkurrenzanalyse
• Umsatzpotenzial
• Marktanteilsberechnung
• Marketingbudget

Mit dem kostenlosen Businessplan-Tool von Unternehmerheld schreiben Sie einen Geschäftsplan ganz einfach und unkompliziert online. Am Ende können Sie Ihren bankfähigen Businessplandokument einfach als PDF downloaden.

  | Offene Fragen

Eine Businessplan-Vorlage ist eine Hilfe, einen Geschäftsplan zu erstellen. Das Businessplan-Muster gibt sämtliche Kapitel vor, der der Gründer einfach ausfüllen kann. Die Businessplan-Vorlage von Für-Gründer.de stellt zusätzlich umfangreiche Informationen zur Texterstellung zur Verfügung und ist damit als Muster für den Gründungszuschuss oder die Bank geeignet. Eine Word-Vorlage für den Businessplan ist aber kein fertiger Businessplan, sondern sollte stets individuell auf das eigene Geschäftskonzept angepasst werden.

Businessplan-Muster bzw. Businessplan-Vorlagen gibt es bei Jobcentern der Arbeitsagentur, bei örtlichen IHKs oder auch bei Förderbanken wie der KfW. In der Regel handelt es sich hier um statische Vorlagen, die teils mehrere Jahre alt sind. Der Trend geht weg von reinen Mustern zur dynamischen Businessplansoftware, wie sie der Unternehmerheld bietet.

Die beste Businessplan-Vorlage ist die, mit der der Gründer einen Businessplan erstellt, der zu einer erfolgreichen Finanzierung führt. Sie sollte gut bedienbar sein, sowie mit Leitfragen zu jedem Kapital Hilfe und Inspiration bei der Erstellung liefert. Idealerweise bindet die Vorlage auch gleich den Finanzplan ein, der letzten Endes über die Finanzierung entscheidet. Ideal für die Erstellung ist interaktives Online-Businessplantool, mit dem der Gründer viel Zeit spart.

Es gibt statische Vorlagen, die Gründer als Word-Datei, PDF im Web herunterladen können. Und es gibt interaktive Businessplan-Vorlagen. Sie werden als Online-Businessplan benutzt und bieten interaktive Hilfen beim Erstellen der einzelnen Businessplan-Kapitel. Auch die Fertigstellung und Formatierung des Businessplans erfolgt automatisch. Das Businessplan-Tool "Unternehmerheld" ist so eine interaktive Businessplan-Vorlage.

Ein Musterbeispiel hilft als Anregung und Anschauungsmaterial. Hilfreich sind beispielsweise Businessplan-Beispiele für bestimmte Branchen (Gastronomie, Handwerk, Dienstleistungen). Damit bekommt der Gründer häufig bereits erste Informationen zu allgemeinen Marktdaten und wichtigen Erfolgsfaktoren einer Branche. So ein Branchen-Businessplan ist immer nur Ausgangspunkt: Branchendaten sollten überprüft werden und Erfolgsfaktoren sollten auf das eigenen Konzept in Form von Alleinstellungsmerkmalen übertragen werden.

Zum bloßen Kopieren der Kapitel, wenn also nur die Daten ausgetauscht werden. In der Regel leiden dann vor allem die Abschnitte zu Alleinstellungsmerkmalen und Wettbewerbern darunter. Ein fertiges Businessplan-Beispiel soll zur aktiven Arbeit anregen und nicht zum passiven Abkupfern.

Es gibt keinen Unterschied, beide Begriffe meinen das gleiche.

  | Unser Fazit

Ein Beispiel Businessplan ist eine riesige Hilfe – keine Frage. Allerdings verleiten solche Businessplan-Vorlagen dazu, vorhandene Inhalte zu übernehmen, ohne sich selbst intensiv mit der eigenen Geschäftsidee zu befassen. Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie sitzen beim Finanzierungsgespräch und der Bankberater stellt tiefergehende Fragen, die Sie nicht beantworten können, da Ihr gesamter Businessplan fast ausschließlich auf einer Vorlage basiert.

Diese Situation lässt sich vermeiden, indem Sie ein Businessplan-Muster als Hilfe und Inspiration nutzen, die Kapitel des Geschäftsplans selbst zu formulieren, Alleinstellungsmerkmale herauszuarbeiten und den Markt und die Wettbewerber darzustellen. Zwar ist der Zeitaufwand deutlich größer, sie beschäftigen sich dadurch jedoch so umfassend mit Ihrer Existenzgründung, dass viele Fehler beim Businessplan von Beginn an vermieden werden - den Businessplan selbst zu schreiben lohnt sich! Zumal es mit interaktiven Businessplan-Vorlagen wertvolle Hilfen gibt.

Kostenloses Businessplan-Tool kennenlernen

frage[at]fuer-gruender.de

How to make a business plan

Table of Contents

How to make a good business plan: step-by-step guide.

A business plan is a strategic roadmap used to navigate the challenging journey of entrepreneurship. It's the foundation upon which you build a successful business.

A well-crafted business plan can help you define your vision, clarify your goals, and identify potential problems before they arise.

But where do you start? How do you create a business plan that sets you up for success?

This article will explore the step-by-step process of creating a comprehensive business plan.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a formal document that outlines a business's objectives, strategies, and operational procedures. It typically includes the following information about a company:

Products or services

Target market

Competitors

Marketing and sales strategies

Financial plan

Management team

A business plan serves as a roadmap for a company's success and provides a blueprint for its growth and development. It helps entrepreneurs and business owners organize their ideas, evaluate the feasibility, and identify potential challenges and opportunities.

As well as serving as a guide for business owners, a business plan can attract investors and secure funding. It demonstrates the company's understanding of the market, its ability to generate revenue and profits, and its strategy for managing risks and achieving success.

Business plan vs. business model canvas

A business plan may seem similar to a business model canvas, but each document serves a different purpose.

A business model canvas is a high-level overview that helps entrepreneurs and business owners quickly test and iterate their ideas. It is often a one-page document that briefly outlines the following:

Key partnerships

Key activities

Key propositions

Customer relationships

Customer segments

Key resources

Cost structure

Revenue streams

On the other hand, a Business Plan Template provides a more in-depth analysis of a company's strategy and operations. It is typically a lengthy document and requires significant time and effort to develop.

A business model shouldn’t replace a business plan, and vice versa. Business owners should lay the foundations and visually capture the most important information with a Business Model Canvas Template . Because this is a fast and efficient way to communicate a business idea, a business model canvas is a good starting point before developing a more comprehensive business plan.

A business plan can aim to secure funding from investors or lenders, while a business model canvas communicates a business idea to potential customers or partners.

Why is a business plan important?

A business plan is crucial for any entrepreneur or business owner wanting to increase their chances of success.

Here are some of the many benefits of having a thorough business plan.

Helps to define the business goals and objectives

A business plan encourages you to think critically about your goals and objectives. Doing so lets you clearly understand what you want to achieve and how you plan to get there.

A well-defined set of goals, objectives, and key results also provides a sense of direction and purpose, which helps keep business owners focused and motivated.

Guides decision-making

A business plan requires you to consider different scenarios and potential problems that may arise in your business. This awareness allows you to devise strategies to deal with these issues and avoid pitfalls.

With a clear plan, entrepreneurs can make informed decisions aligning with their overall business goals and objectives. This helps reduce the risk of making costly mistakes and ensures they make decisions with long-term success in mind.

Attracts investors and secures funding

Investors and lenders often require a business plan before considering investing in your business. A document that outlines the company's goals, objectives, and financial forecasts can help instill confidence in potential investors and lenders.

A well-written business plan demonstrates that you have thoroughly thought through your business idea and have a solid plan for success.

Identifies potential challenges and risks

A business plan requires entrepreneurs to consider potential challenges and risks that could impact their business. For example:

Is there enough demand for my product or service?

Will I have enough capital to start my business?

Is the market oversaturated with too many competitors?

What will happen if my marketing strategy is ineffective?

By identifying these potential challenges, entrepreneurs can develop strategies to mitigate risks and overcome challenges. This can reduce the likelihood of costly mistakes and ensure the business is well-positioned to take on any challenges.

Provides a basis for measuring success

A business plan serves as a framework for measuring success by providing clear goals and financial projections . Entrepreneurs can regularly refer to the original business plan as a benchmark to measure progress. By comparing the current business position to initial forecasts, business owners can answer questions such as:

Are we where we want to be at this point?

Did we achieve our goals?

If not, why not, and what do we need to do?

After assessing whether the business is meeting its objectives or falling short, business owners can adjust their strategies as needed.

How to make a business plan step by step

The steps below will guide you through the process of creating a business plan and what key components you need to include.

1. Create an executive summary

Start with a brief overview of your entire plan. The executive summary should cover your business plan's main points and key takeaways.

Keep your executive summary concise and clear with the Executive Summary Template . The simple design helps readers understand the crux of your business plan without reading the entire document.

2. Write your company description

Provide a detailed explanation of your company. Include information on what your company does, the mission statement, and your vision for the future.

Provide additional background information on the history of your company, the founders, and any notable achievements or milestones.

3. Conduct a market analysis

Conduct an in-depth analysis of your industry, competitors, and target market. This is best done with a SWOT analysis to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Next, identify your target market's needs, demographics, and behaviors.

Use the Competitive Analysis Template to brainstorm answers to simple questions like:

What does the current market look like?

Who are your competitors?

What are they offering?

What will give you a competitive advantage?

Who is your target market?

What are they looking for and why?

How will your product or service satisfy a need?

These questions should give you valuable insights into the current market and where your business stands.

4. Describe your products and services

Provide detailed information about your products and services. This includes pricing information, product features, and any unique selling points.

Use the Product/Market Fit Template to explain how your products meet the needs of your target market. Describe what sets them apart from the competition.

5. Design a marketing and sales strategy

Outline how you plan to promote and sell your products. Your marketing strategy and sales strategy should include information about your:

Pricing strategy

Advertising and promotional tactics

Sales channels

The Go to Market Strategy Template is a great way to visually map how you plan to launch your product or service in a new or existing market.

6. Determine budget and financial projections

Document detailed information on your business’ finances. Describe the current financial position of the company and how you expect the finances to play out.

Some details to include in this section are:

Startup costs

Revenue projections

Profit and loss statement

Funding you have received or plan to receive

Strategy for raising funds

7. Set the organization and management structure

Define how your company is structured and who will be responsible for each aspect of the business. Use the Business Organizational Chart Template to visually map the company’s teams, roles, and hierarchy.

As well as the organization and management structure, discuss the legal structure of your business. Clarify whether your business is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC.

8. Make an action plan

At this point in your business plan, you’ve described what you’re aiming for. But how are you going to get there? The Action Plan Template describes the following steps to move your business plan forward. Outline the next steps you plan to take to bring your business plan to fruition.

Types of business plans

Several types of business plans cater to different purposes and stages of a company's lifecycle. Here are some of the most common types of business plans.

Startup business plan

A startup business plan is typically an entrepreneur's first business plan. This document helps entrepreneurs articulate their business idea when starting a new business.

Not sure how to make a business plan for a startup? It’s pretty similar to a regular business plan, except the primary purpose of a startup business plan is to convince investors to provide funding for the business. A startup business plan also outlines the potential target market, product/service offering, marketing plan, and financial projections.

Strategic business plan

A strategic business plan is a long-term plan that outlines a company's overall strategy, objectives, and tactics. This type of strategic plan focuses on the big picture and helps business owners set goals and priorities and measure progress.

The primary purpose of a strategic business plan is to provide direction and guidance to the company's management team and stakeholders. The plan typically covers a period of three to five years.

Operational business plan

An operational business plan is a detailed document that outlines the day-to-day operations of a business. It focuses on the specific activities and processes required to run the business, such as:

Organizational structure

Staffing plan

Production plan

Quality control

Inventory management

Supply chain

The primary purpose of an operational business plan is to ensure that the business runs efficiently and effectively. It helps business owners manage their resources, track their performance, and identify areas for improvement.

Growth-business plan

A growth-business plan is a strategic plan that outlines how a company plans to expand its business. It helps business owners identify new market opportunities and increase revenue and profitability. The primary purpose of a growth-business plan is to provide a roadmap for the company's expansion and growth.

The 3 Horizons of Growth Template is a great tool to identify new areas of growth. This framework categorizes growth opportunities into three categories: Horizon 1 (core business), Horizon 2 (emerging business), and Horizon 3 (potential business).

One-page business plan

A one-page business plan is a condensed version of a full business plan that focuses on the most critical aspects of a business. It’s a great tool for entrepreneurs who want to quickly communicate their business idea to potential investors, partners, or employees.

A one-page business plan typically includes sections such as business concept, value proposition, revenue streams, and cost structure.

Best practices for how to make a good business plan

Here are some additional tips for creating a business plan:

Use a template

A template can help you organize your thoughts and effectively communicate your business ideas and strategies. Starting with a template can also save you time and effort when formatting your plan.

Miro’s extensive library of customizable templates includes all the necessary sections for a comprehensive business plan. With our templates, you can confidently present your business plans to stakeholders and investors.

Be practical

Avoid overestimating revenue projections or underestimating expenses. Your business plan should be grounded in practical realities like your budget, resources, and capabilities.

Be specific

Provide as much detail as possible in your business plan. A specific plan is easier to execute because it provides clear guidance on what needs to be done and how. Without specific details, your plan may be too broad or vague, making it difficult to know where to start or how to measure success.

Be thorough with your research

Conduct thorough research to fully understand the market, your competitors, and your target audience . By conducting thorough research, you can identify potential risks and challenges your business may face and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Get input from others

It can be easy to become overly focused on your vision and ideas, leading to tunnel vision and a lack of objectivity. By seeking input from others, you can identify potential opportunities you may have overlooked.

Review and revise regularly

A business plan is a living document. You should update it regularly to reflect market, industry, and business changes. Set aside time for regular reviews and revisions to ensure your plan remains relevant and effective.

Create a winning business plan to chart your path to success

Starting or growing a business can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, a well-written business plan can make or break your business’ success.

The purpose of a business plan is more than just to secure funding and attract investors. It also serves as a roadmap for achieving your business goals and realizing your vision. With the right mindset, tools, and strategies, you can develop a visually appealing, persuasive business plan.

Ready to make an effective business plan that works for you? Check out our library of ready-made strategy and planning templates and chart your path to success.

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Businessplan-Vorlage

Um einen guten Start für Ihr Unternehmen zu ermöglichen, sollten Sie auf eine Businessplan-Vorlage zurückgreifen. Dadurch erhalten Sie eine solide Grundlage für Ihre Geschäftsstrategie – und mit nur wenigen Klicks können Sie die kostenlose Businessplan-Vorlage von Asana nutzen.

Jetzt registrieren und Vorlage nutzen.

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Folgendes Szenario: Ihnen ist unter der Dusche die genialste Geschäftsidee aller Zeiten eingefallen. Sie würden am liebsten direkt mit der Umsetzung beginnen, doch Sie haben noch keinen Plan ausgearbeitet. Um Ihre Idee umzusetzen, brauchen Sie Startkapital, doch die Bank möchte dafür einen detaillierten Businessplan vorliegen haben. Und genau dabei möchten wir Ihnen in diesem Artikel helfen.

Was ist eine Businessplan-Vorlage?

Eine Businessplan-Vorlage ist ein Leitfaden, mit dessen Hilfe Sie Ihre Ideen strukturieren können. Unsere kostenlose Businessplan-Vorlage hilft Ihnen dabei, Ihr Unternehmen von Grund auf neu zu gestalten oder Ihr bestehendes Unternehmen auf einen neuen Markt auszuweiten.

Wie setzt sich eine Businessplan-Vorlage zusammen?

Unsere Businessplan-Vorlage soll die Ziele eines Unternehmens für die nächsten drei bis fünf Jahre umreißen. Wenn Sie dazu unsere Vorlage verwenden, können Sie dort alle wichtigen Informationen einfügen, die Sie für Ihren Businessplan brauchen. Dazu zählen:

Unternehmensbeschreibung : Dinge wie Ihre Executive Summary , Ihre Mission, das Vision Statement Ihres Unternehmens und die Biografie des Unternehmensgründers. 

Produkte und Dienstleistungen: Eine Übersicht darüber, was Ihr Unternehmen anbietet, einschließlich aller wichtigen Produkte und Dienstleistungen. Dazu können auch eine Dokumentation über die Entwicklung Ihrer Produkte, Screenshots oder Prototypen sowie die Preisgestaltung gehören.

Marketingpläne: Eine Übersicht darüber, wie Sie Ihr Produkt vermarkten zu gedenken. Fügen Sie in diesem Abschnitt auch Informationen wie eine SWOT-Analyse , Ergebnisse Ihrer Zielmarktforschung und die Positionierung Ihrer Marke hinzu.

Finanzierungsplan: Wichtige Informationen bezüglich der Finanzierung, wie etwa eine Bilanz, Gewinnschwellen-Analyse und Ihre Cashflow-Prognosen. 

Informationen über die Unternehmensführung und Geschäftsstruktur: Dazu zählen Daten zu den Unternehmensgründern, der Führungsetage und dem Vorstand.

So nutzen Sie unsere kostenlose Businessplan-Vorlage

Die Nutzung der kostenlosen Businessplan-Vorlage ist denkbar einfach: Erstellen Sie einfach ein neues Projekt mit unserer kostenlosen Vorlage. Fügen Sie dann die entsprechenden Informationen für Ihren spezifischen Businessplan in die einzelnen Abschnitte ein. Wenn Sie weitere Informationen in Ihren Businessplan einfügen möchten, können Sie bei Bedarf beliebig viele neue Abschnitte, benutzerdefinierte Felder oder Aufgaben zu dieser Vorlage hinzufügen.

Enthaltene Funktionen

Ziele . In Asana werden Ihre Ziele direkt mit der jeweiligen Arbeit verknüpft, die zum Erreichen dieser Ziele erforderlich ist. Dies ermöglicht es den Teammitgliedern, zu sehen, worauf sie hinarbeiten. Leider sind die Zielvorgaben und die zugrundeliegende Arbeit in vielen Unternehmen immer noch voneinander getrennt, doch indem Sie Ihre Team- und Unternehmensziele mit der damit verbundenen Arbeit verknüpfen, verschaffen Sie Ihren Teammitgliedern einen Echtzeit-Einblick darin, wie ihre Arbeit zum Erfolg des gesamten Teams – und Unternehmens – beiträgt. So erhalten Teams eine bessere Entscheidungsgrundlage und sind in der Lage, die Projekte zu identifizieren, die der Unternehmensmission zuträglich sind, und die Arbeit zu priorisieren, die messbare Ergebnisse liefert.

Berichterstellung . Diese Asana-Funktion übersetzt Projektdaten in visuelle Diagramme und leicht verständliche Schaubilder. Indem die Berichterstellung dort stattfindet, wo sämtliche Aufgaben erfasst werden, können Sie doppelte Arbeit vermeiden und das unnötige Hin und Her zwischen verschiedenen Apps verringern. Und weil die gesamte Arbeit des Teams bereits in Asana ist, können Sie Informationen aus dem jeweiligen Projekt oder Team beziehen, um so ein akkurates Gesamtbild über alle Geschehnisse an einem einzigen Ort zu erhalten.

Meilensteine . Meilensteine stellen wichtige Etappenziele für das Projekt dar. Sie geben den Teammitgliedern und Projektbeteiligten Aufschluss darüber, wie weit Sie mit dem Projekt vorangeschritten sind. Betrachten Sie Meilensteine als Anlass, die kleinen Erfolge auf dem Weg zum großen Projektziel zu feiern. 

Projektübersicht . Die Projektübersicht ist Ihre zentrale Anlaufstelle für alle wichtigen Projektzusammenhänge. Verschaffen Sie Ihrem Team einen Überblick über das Was, Warum und Wie Ihrer Projektarbeit aus der Vogelperspektive. Fügen Sie eine Projektbeschreibung hinzu, um die Zusammenarbeit in Asana zu definieren. Teilen Sie dann alle wichtigen Ressourcen und Zusammenhänge wie Meeting-Details, Kommunikationskanäle und Projektbriefings an einem Ort.

Empfohlene Apps

Microsoft Teams . Mit der Integration von Microsoft Teams und Asana können Sie die Informationen suchen und mit anderen teilen, die Sie benötigen, ohne Teams verlassen zu müssen. Verbinden Sie einfach Ihre Unterhaltungen in Microsoft Teams mit Aktionspunkten in Asana. Sie können auch während eines Meetings in MS Teams Aufgaben erstellen, zuweisen und ansehen, ohne den Browser wechseln zu müssen.

Slack . Alle Ideen, Anfragen und Handlungsanweisungen aus Slack können direkt als Aufgaben oder Kommentare in Asana erfasst werden. So werden aus kurzen Fragen und erwähnten Handlungen im Handumdrehen Aufgaben mit verantwortlichen Personen und klaren Fristen. Halten Sie Arbeitsschritte ganz einfach fest, damit Anfragen und To-dos nicht in Slack untergehen.

Google Workplace . Mit der Dateiauswahl von Google Workplace, die im Aufgabenfenster von Asana integriert ist, können Sie Dateien direkt an Ihre Aufgaben in Asana anhängen. Mit nur wenigen Klicks lassen sich beliebige Dateien aus My Drive anhängen.

Gmail . Mit der Asana-Integration für Gmail können Sie Asana-Aufgaben direkt über Ihr Gmail-Postfach erstellen. Alle von Ihnen mit Gmail erstellten Aufgaben werden automatisch den Inhalt Ihrer E-Mail einbinden, sodass Ihnen nichts entgeht. Sie müssen auf eine Asana-Aufgabe verweisen, während Sie eine E-Mail verfassen? Anstatt Asana zu öffnen, können Sie ganz einfach das Asana-Add-on für Gmail verwenden, um direkt über Ihr Gmail-Postfach nach dieser Aufgabe zu suchen.

Wie erstelle ich eine Businessplan-Vorlage?

Statt Ihren Businessplan von Grund auf neu zu erstellen, sollten Sie auf die kostenlose Asana-Vorlage zurückgreifen. Sobald Sie die Vorlage vor sich haben, können Sie aktuelle unternehmensspezifische Informationen wie das Geschäftsmodell, den Unternehmensnamen, die Adresse, das Mission Statement, Wertversprechen und die Zielgruppe hinzufügen. Wenn Sie diese Daten zu Ihrer Vorlage hinzufügen, müssen Sie nicht jedes Mal von Neuem beginnen, wenn Sie einen neuen Businessplan erstellen.

Welche Punkte sollte ich in meine Businessplan-Vorlage aufnehmen?

Businessplan-Vorlagen bestehen üblicherweise aus fünf Abschnitten: Eine Unternehmensbeschreibung, Produkte und Dienstleistungen, ein Marketingplan, grundlegende Informationen über die Unternehmensführung und Geschäftsstruktur und Ihr aktueller Finanzplan.

Wie umfangreich sollte mein Businessplan sein?

Die einfache Antwort: So umfangreich, wie nötig. Die ausführliche Antwort: Ihr Businessplan sollte für potenzielle Investoren nachvollziehbar beschreiben, wie Sie Ihr Unternehmen führen werden. Das Ziel eines Businessplans ist es, Ihre Geschäftsstrategie für die nächsten drei bis fünf Jahre zu schildern. Es sollten daher sämtliche wichtigen betrieblichen, finanziellen und strategischen Informationen enthalten sein. 

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Mit dieser Go-to-Market-Strategievorlage können Sie Ihre GTM-Strategie vereinfachen, Ihre Teams aufeinander abstimmen und den Arbeitsprozess steuern. So geht's mit Asana.

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Abschlüsse sind wichtig. Erstellen Sie eine Vorlage für Projektabschlüsse, um Ihrem Team zu helfen, offene Fragen zu klären und Projekte erfolgreich abzuschließen.

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Behalten Sie jederzeit den Überblick über Ihr Projekt. Wir zeigen Ihnen, wie Sie eine Projektbericht-Vorlage erstellen!

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Was, wenn Sie Ihren Produktfahrplan an einem Ort erstellen, teilen und aktualisieren könnten? Jeder würde sehen, dass Sie die richtigen Prioritäten setzen. Beginnen Sie die Planung Ihres Produktfahrplans mit dieser Vorlage.

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Erstellen Sie eine Vorlage für eine Programm-Roadmap, sodass Sie die genaue Struktur aller Programme, deren Funktionen sowie zukünftige Pläne kennen, und das unternehmensweit.

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Vorlagen für die operative Planung sind Workflows für alle wesentlichen Planungsprozesse im operativen Bereich. Mehr dazu hier!

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Wenn Sie mit einem neuen Produkt, einem neuen Team oder sogar einem neuen Unternehmen durchstarten möchten, können Sie sich mithilfe von Vorlagen für die strategische Planung ausschließlich auf Ihre wesentlichen Aufgaben konzentrieren.

Vorlage für die Jahresplanung

Setzen Sie klare Ziele und optimieren Sie Ihren Planungsprozess, damit jeder im Unternehmen weiß, worauf es wirklich ankommt.

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Je mehr Sie über Ihre Wettbewerber wissen, desto besser wird Ihre Strategie. Wettbewerbsanalysen verfolgen einen datenbasierten Ansatz, um das eigene Unternehmen, die eigenen Produkte und Funktionen mit den Wettbewerbern zu vergleichen.

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Weiß Ihr Team, was in einer Krise zu tun ist? Der Einsatz einer Vorlage für einen Krisenmanagementplan trägt dazu bei, dass alle Beschäftigten an einem Strang ziehen.

LIPOK-Vorlage

Mit einer SIPOC-Vorlage können Sie sicherstellen, dass die Prozesse in Ihrem SIPOC-Diagramm einheitlich sind und Ihren Standards entsprechen.

Kleines Unternehmen, große Ziele

Die Entwicklung Ihrer Geschäftsstrategie kann entmutigend sein. Asana hilft Unternehmen jeder Größe, ihre Ziele zu verfolgen und diese zu erreichen. Sehen Sie selbst, mit einer kostenlosen Testversion.

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10 Free Business Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

February 13, 2024

Turning your vision into a clear and coherent business plan can be confusing and tough. 

Hours of brainstorming and facing an intimidating blank page can raise more questions than answers. Are you covering everything? What should go where? How do you keep each section thorough but brief?

If these questions have kept you up at night and slowed your progress, know you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together the top 10 business plan templates in Word, Excel, and ClickUp—to provide answers, clarity, and a structured framework to work with. This way, you’re sure to capture all the relevant information without wasting time. 

And the best part? Business planning becomes a little less “ugh!” and a lot more “aha!” 🤩

What is a Business Plan Template?

What makes a good business plan template, 1. clickup business plan template, 2. clickup sales plan template, 3. clickup business development action plan template, 4. clickup business roadmap template, 5. clickup business continuity plan template, 6. clickup lean business plan template, 7. clickup small business action plan template, 8. clickup strategic business roadmap template , 9. microsoft word business plan template by microsoft, 10. excel business plan template by vertex42.

A business plan template is a structured framework for entrepreneurs and business executives who want to create business plans. It comes with pre-arranged sections and headings that cover key elements like the executive summary , business overview, target customers, unique value proposition, marketing plans, and financial statements.  

A good business plan template helps with thorough planning, clear documentation, and practical implementation. Here’s what to look for:

• Comprehensive structure: A good template comes with all the relevant sections to outline a business strategy, such as executive summary, market research and analysis, and financial projections 
• Clarity and guidance: A good template is easy to follow. It has brief instructions or prompts for each section, guiding you to think deeply about your business and ensuring you don’t skip important details
• Clean design: Aesthetics matter. Choose a template that’s not just functional but also professionally designed. This ensures your plan is presentable to stakeholders, partners, and potential investors
• Flexibility : Your template should easily accommodate changes without hassle, like adding or removing sections, changing content and style, and rearranging parts 🛠️ 

While a template provides the structure, it’s the information you feed it that brings it to life. These pointers will help you pick a template that aligns with your business needs and clearly showcases your vision.

10 Business Plan Templates to Use in 2024

Preparing for business success in 2024 (and beyond) requires a comprehensive and organized business plan. We’ve handpicked the best templates to help you guide your team, attract investors, and secure funding. Let’s check them out.

If you’re looking to replace a traditional business plan document, then ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is for you!

This one-page business plan template, designed in ClickUp Docs , is neatly broken down into the following sections:

• Company description : Overview, mission, vision, and team
• Market analysis : Problem, solution, target market, competition, and competitive advantage
• Sales and marketing strategy : Products/services and marketing channels
• Operational plan : Location and facilities, equipment and tools, manpower, and financial forecasts
• Milestones and metrics: Targets and KPIs

Customize the template with your company logo and contact details, and easily navigate to different sections using the collapsible table of contents. The mini prompts under each section guide you on what to include—with suggestions on how to present the data (e.g., bullet lists, pictures, charts, and tables). 

You can share the document with anyone via URL and collaborate in real time. And when the business plan is ready, you have the option to print it or export it to PDF, HTML, or Markdown.

But that’s not all. This template is equipped with basic and enterprise project management features to streamline the business plan creation process . The Topics List view has a list of all the different sections and subsections of the template and allows you to assign it to a team member, set a due date, and attach relevant documents and references.

Switch from List to Board view to track and update task statuses according to the following: To Do, In Progress, Needs Revision, and Complete. 

This template is a comprehensive toolkit for documenting the different sections of your business plan and streamlining the creation process to ensure it’s completed on time. 🗓️

If you’re looking for a tool to kickstart or update your sales plan, ClickUp’s Sales Plan Template has got you covered. This sales plan template features a project summary list with tasks to help you craft a comprehensive and effective sales strategy. Some of these tasks include:

• Determine sales objectives and goals
• Draft positioning statement
• Perform competitive analysis
• Draft ideal customer persona
• Create a lead generation strategy

Assign each task to a specific individual or team, set priority levels , and add due dates. Specify what section of the sales plan each task belongs to (e.g., executive summary, revenue goals, team structure, etc.), deliverable type (such as document, task, or meeting), and approval state (like pending, needs revisions, and approved).

And in ClickUp style, you can switch to multiple views: List for a list of all tasks, Board for visual task management, Timeline for an overview of task durations, and Gantt to get a view of task dependencies. 

This simple business plan template is perfect for any type of business looking to create a winning sales strategy while clarifying team roles and keeping tasks organized. ✨

Thinking about scaling your business’s reach and operations but unsure where or how to start? It can be overwhelming, no doubt—you need a clear vision, measurable goals, and an actionable plan that every member of your team can rally behind. 

Thankfully, ClickUp’s Business Development Action Plan Template is designed to use automations to simplify this process so every step toward your business growth is clear, trackable, and actionable.

Start by assessing your current situation and deciding on your main growth goal. Are you aiming to increase revenue, tap into new markets, or introduce new products or services? With ClickUp Whiteboards or Docs, brainstorm and collaborate with your team on this decision.

Set and track your short- and long-term growth goals with ClickUp’s Goals , break them down into smaller targets, and assign these targets to team members, complete with due dates. Add these targets to a new ClickUp Dashboard to track real-time progress and celebrate small wins. 🎉

Whether you’re a startup or small business owner looking to hit your next major milestone or an established business exploring new avenues, this template keeps your team aligned, engaged, and informed every step of the way.

ClickUp’s Business Roadmap Template is your go-to for mapping out major strategies and initiatives in areas like revenue growth, brand awareness, community engagement, and customer satisfaction. 

Use the List view to populate tasks under each initiative. With Custom Fields, you can capture which business category (e.g., Product, Operations, Sales & Marketing, etc.) tasks fall under and which quarter they’re slated for. You can also link to relevant documents and resources and evaluate tasks by effort and impact to ensure the most critical tasks get the attention they deserve. 👀

Depending on your focus, this template provides different views to show just what you need. For example, the All Initiatives per Quarter view lets you focus on what’s ahead by seeing tasks that need completion within a specific quarter. This ensures timely execution and helps in aligning resources effectively for the short term.

This template is ideal for business executives and management teams who need to coordinate multiple short- and long-term initiatives and business strategies.

In business, unexpected threats to operations can arise at any moment. Whether it’s economic turbulence, a global health crisis, or supply chain interruptions, every company needs to be ready. ClickUp’s Business Continuity Plan Template lets you prepare proactively for these unforeseen challenges.

The template organizes tasks into three main categories:

• Priorities: Tasks that need immediate attention
• Continuity coverage: Tasks that must continue despite challenges
• Guiding principles: Resources and protocols to ensure smooth operations

The Board view makes it easy to visualize all the tasks under each of these categories. And the Priorities List sorts tasks by those that are overdue, the upcoming ones, and then the ones due later.

In times of uncertainty, being prepared is your best strategy. This template helps your business not just survive but thrive in challenging situations, keeping your customers, employees, and investors satisfied. 🤝

Looking to execute your business plan the “lean” way? Use ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template . It’s designed to help you optimize resource usage and cut unnecessary steps—giving you better results with less effort.

In the Plan Summary List view, list all the tasks that need to get done. Add specific details like who’s doing each task, when it’s due, and which part of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) it falls under. The By Priority view sorts this list based on priorities like Urgent, High, Normal, and Low. This makes it easy to spot the most important tasks and tackle them first.

Additionally, the Board view gives you an overview of task progression from start to finish. And the BMC view rearranges these tasks based on the various BMC components. 

Each task can further be broken down into subtasks and multiple checklists to ensure all related action items are executed. ✔️

This template is an invaluable resource for startups and large enterprises looking to maximize process efficiencies and results in a streamlined and cost-effective way.

The Small Business Action Plan Template by ClickUp is tailor-made for small businesses looking to transform their business ideas and goals into actionable steps and, eventually, into reality. 

It provides a simple and organized framework for creating, assigning, prioritizing, and tracking tasks. And in effect, it ensures that goals are not just set but achieved. Through the native dashboard and goal-setting features, you can monitor task progress and how they move you closer to achieving your goals.

Thanks to ClickUp’s robust communication features like chat, comments, and @mentions, it’s easy to get every team member on the same page and quickly address questions or concerns.

Use this action plan template to hit your business goals by streamlining your internal processes and aligning team efforts.

For larger businesses and scaling enterprises, getting different departments to work together toward a big goal can be challenging. The ClickUp Strategic Business Roadmap Template makes it easier by giving you a clear plan to follow.

This template is packaged in a folder and split into different lists for each department in your business, like Sales, Product, Marketing, and Enablement. This way, every team can focus on their tasks while collectively contributing to the bigger goal.

There are multiple viewing options available for team members. These include:

• Progress Board: Visualize tasks that are on track, those at risk, and those behind
• Gantt view: Get an overview of project timelines and dependencies
• Team view: See what each team member is working on so you can balance workloads for maximum productivity

While this template may feel overwhelming at first, the getting started guide offers a step-by-step breakdown to help you navigate it with ease. And like all ClickUp templates, you can easily customize it to suit your business needs and preferences.

Microsoft’s 20-page traditional business plan template simplifies the process of drafting comprehensive business plans. It’s made up of different sections, including:

• Executive summary : Highlights, objectives, mission statement, and keys to success
• Description of business: Company ownership and legal structure, hours of operation, products and services, suppliers, financial plans, etc.
• Marketing: Market analysis, market segmentation, competition, and pricing
• Appendix: Start-up expenses, cash flow statements, income statements, sales forecast, milestones, break-even analysis, etc.

The table of contents makes it easy to move to different sections of the document. And the text placeholders under each section provide clarity on the specific details required—making the process easier for users who may not be familiar with certain business terminology.

No business template roundup is complete without an Excel template. This business plan template lets you work on your business financials in Excel. It comes with customizable tables, formulas, and charts to help you look at the following areas:

• Highlight charts
• Market analysis
• Start-up assets and expenses
• Sales forecasts
• Profit and loss
• Balance sheet
• Cash flow projections
• Break-even analysis

This Excel template is especially useful when you want to create a clear and visual financial section for your business plan document—an essential element for attracting investors and lenders. However, there might be a steep learning curve to using this template if you’re not familiar with business financial planning and using Excel.

Try a Free Business Plan Template in ClickUp

Launching and running a successful business requires a well-thought-out and carefully crafted business plan. However, the business planning process doesn’t have to be complicated, boring, or take up too much time. Use any of the above 10 free business plan formats to simplify and speed up the process.

ClickUp templates go beyond offering a solid foundation to build your business plans. They come with extensive project management features to turn your vision into reality. And that’s not all— ClickUp’s template library offers over 1,000 additional templates to help manage various aspects of your business, from decision-making to product development to resource management .

Sign up for ClickUp’s Free Forever Plan today to fast-track your business’s growth! 🏆

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Die 3 Phasen der Businessplanerstellung meistern

Ein guter Businessplan überzeugt Banken oder Investoren davon, eine Idee zu finanzieren. Gleichzeitig ist der Geschäftsplan der Fahrplan für den unternehmerischen Erfolg. Für ein professionelles Unternehmenskonzept kommt es auf die Informationssammlung, die schriftliche Ausarbeitung und die Präsentation an. Dabei helfen Tools, Tipps und Beispiele.

Vorab: die 3 wichtigsten Fragen rund um den Businessplan

Was ist ein Businessplan? Einfach gesagt, ist der Businessplan die strukturierte Zusammenfassung einer Geschäftsidee und das Planungsdokument eines Unternehmens für die nächsten Jahre.

Welche Aufgaben erfüllt er? Der Businessplan dient dazu aufzuzeigen, worin die Geschäftsidee besteht, an wen sie sich richtet (Zielgruppe), wie das Vorhaben umgesetzt werden soll (Strategie) und ob sich die Idee finanziell lohnt (finanzielle Tragfähigkeit).

Wann wird der Geschäftsplan erstellt? Sobald das Geschäftsmodell steht, prüfen Gründer mit dem Businessplan die Erfolgsaussichten der angestrebten Unternehmensgründung. Dabei können externe Adressaten ebenfalls einen Businessplan verlangen. Bspw. die Arbeitsagentur, wenn der Gründungszuschuss beantragt wird, oder die Bank, wenn ein Kredit zur Finanzierung des Kapitalbedarfs notwendig ist (Stichwort bankfähiger Businessplan).

1. Phase: Informationen sammeln

Ein Großteil der Arbeit für den Businessplan findet vor dem Schreiben statt. Zunächst gilt es, Informationen, Daten und Fakten zum Gründungsvorhaben zu recherchieren. Diese dienen dazu, die Machbarkeit und die wirtschaftliche Attraktivität der Unternehmensgründung zu belegen .

Bei der Auseinandersetzung mit der Branche, dem Markt oder den Zielkunden gewinnen Gründer Erkenntnisse, die in den Businessplan eingearbeitet werden. Nach der Gründung sind diese bspw. wertvoll für Marketingkampagnen. Für die zielgerichtete Recherche dient die Gliederung des Geschäftsplans als Grundlage.

Inhalte: Was muss alles im Businessplan stehen?

Der Inhalt des Businessplans besteht aus vier Teilen: 1. Deckblatt und Inhaltsverzeichnis, 2. Textteil, 3. Zahlenteil ( Finanzplan ) und 4. Anhang.

Auf dem Deckblatt des Businessplans sind Angaben zum künftigen Unternehmen (Name, Logo und Kontaktdaten) und das Datum zu finden. Ein Bild auf dem Deckblatt sorgt für einen guten ersten Eindruck. Das Inhaltsverzeichnis listet alle Haupt- und Unterkapitel inkl. Seitenzahlen auf.

Der Text- und Zahlenteil des Businessplans ist in folgende Kapitel und Inhalte gegliedert:

• Executive Summary : Auf maximal 2 Seiten erfolgt die Zusammenfassung der Hauptkapitel des Businessplans.
• Gründer(team) : Motivation, Qualifikationen und Gründerprofil des Gründers oder des Gründerteams.
• Zielkunden : Wer gehört zur Zielgruppe und wodurch zeichnet sich diese aus?
• Geschäftsidee : Welches Problem löst die Idee für den Kunden? Aus welchen Produkten und Dienstleistungen besteht das Angebot konkret?
• Markt & Wettbewerb : Wie groß ist der Markt? Welches Marktpotenzial besteht? Wer sind die wichtigsten Wettbewerber?
• Ziele und Strategie : Egal ob Freiberufler oder Start-up, Visionen und Ziele benötigt jede Gründungsidee. Wie sieht die Strategie aus, um diese Ziele zu erreichen?
• Marketing : Wie werden Kunden gewonnen? Zu den wichtigen Inhalten im Marketingplan zählen Produkt, Preis, Vertriebskanäle und Werbung.
• Unternehmensorganisation : Im Mittelpunkt stehen die Rechtsform, der Firmenname, Schutzrechte, Genehmigungen, der Aufbau der Mitarbeiter, der Standort und ggf. wichtige Zulieferer.
• Finanzen : Im Finanzteil des Businessplans werden Umsätze, variable und laufende Kosten sowie Investitionen kalkuliert. Ziel ist, mit der Liquiditätsplanung den Kapitalbedarf zu ermitteln. Welche Finanzierung wird zur Deckung des Kapitalbedarfs angestrebt?
• SWOT-Analyse : Auf Basis der Businessplan-Inhalte werden Stärken und Schwächen des Unternehmens sowie Chancen und Risiken aus dem Umfeld bestimmt. Im zweiten Schritt der SWOT-Analyse besteht die Aufgabe darin, Maßnahmen abzuleiten, um Chancen zu nutzen und Risiken zu minimieren.

Eine Meilensteinplanung ergänzt den Geschäftsplan und zeigt dem Leser auf, welche wichtigen Schritte bis zum Unternehmensstart in Angriff genommen werden sollen.

In den Anhang des Businessplans gehören u. a. die Lebensläufe der Gründer, Statistiken und Studien zur Branche, Belege über angemeldete Schutzrechte sowie detaillierte Tabellen des Finanzteils. Der Anhang dient nicht als Sammelbecken für Informationen jeglicher Art. Vielmehr müssen die ergänzenden Dokumente den Businessplan in der Argumentation unterstützen.

Jetzt den eigenen Businessplan aufstellen!

Das Unternehmerheld Businessplan-Tool ist kostenfrei und bietet eine bewährte Gliederung, Leitfragen und Beispiele für die einfache & schnelle Businessplanerstellung.

Kostenfrei nutzen

Woher Daten für die Businessplan-Recherche nehmen?

Besonders viele externe Daten benötigen Gründer für die Kapitel Zielkunden sowie Markt & Wettbewerb, wenn sie den Businessplan erstellen wollen. Bei der Finanzplanung helfen bspw. Branchendaten, wenn es darum geht, Wachstumsraten, Auslastungen oder einen durchschnittlichen Warenkorb im Onlinehandel zu bestimmen.

Zur Datenbeschaffung gibt es zahlreiche Quellen, in denen bereits vorhandenen Daten verfügbar sind. Dazu gehören bspw:

• Statistikportale wie DESTATIS oder Statista, Branchenverbände wie Bitkom oder DEHOGA oder Branchenbriefe der Volksbanken
• Studien von Marktforschungsunternehmen wie GfK
• Steuer- und Unternehmensberater
• Dienste wie Google Maps für die Standort- und Wettbewerbsanalyse oder das Unternehmensregister für Daten über Wettbewerber
• Bewertungsportale
• Angaben der Wettbewerber selbst, bspw. von deren Webseiten oder Social Media Kanälen

Viele Informationen sind kostenfrei verfügbar. Sehr umfangreiche Marktstudien müssen häufig kostenpflichtig von den Anbietern erworben werden.

An einigen Stellen reichen bestehende Informationen für die Businessplanerstellung nicht aus. Eine eigene Marktforschung ist vor allem dann zu empfehlen, wenn es um die Zielkunden und deren Kaufverhalten geht. Die Befragung möglicher Kunden kann über Onlinetools, telefonisch oder persönlich erfolgen. Um Kosten zu sparen, können Gründer dies meist selbst organiseren. Zur Unterstützung - und bei größeren Budgets - gibt es spezialisierte Dienstleister, die die Marktforschung übernehmen.

Tipp: zuerst das Geschäftsmodell entwickeln

Die Idee für die Unternehmensgründung ist meist etwas vage formuliert. Unklar ist häufig, wie konkret Geld verdient werden soll. Auf Basis der Idee entwickeln Gründer ein tragfähiges Geschäftsmodell. Dieser Schritt kann als Vorstufe zum Businessplan erfolgen. Mit dem Business Model Canvas werden die zentralen 9 Bereiche eines Geschäftsmodells visualisiert und geprüft. Dazu zählen u. a. die Kundengruppen, das Werteversprechen, Schlüsselaktiviäten sowie das Einnahmemodell. Sind die wichtigen Bereiche der Geschäftsidee validiert bzw. überzeugend abgedeckt, lohnt es, einen Businessplan aufzustellen. Die Punkte werden aus dem Canvas in den Businessplan übernommen und vertieft.

2. Phase: den Businessplan schreiben

An die Recherche schließt sich die Texterstellung im Businessplan an. Eine Zeitplanung zeigt auf, bis wann welche Kapitel zu schreiben sind. So ist sichergestellt, dass das Unternehmenskonzept bis zu Gesprächen mit Investoren und Banken ausgearbeitet ist. Wird im Team gegründet, ist die Zeitplanung mit einer Aufgabenplanung zu erweitern: Wer liefert welches Kapitel bis wann? Für das Schreiben gibt es Tipps, die beim Businessplan helfen, und Fehler, die unbedingt zu vermeiden sind.

Neben der Organisation stellt sich die Frage, wie der Businessplan geschrieben werden soll. Klassisch per Word und Excel oder zeitgemäß mit einer Businessplansoftware ?

Hilfsmittel: Vorlage, Beispiele und Software

Eine Businessplan-Vorlage und Businessplan-Beispiele dienen als Hilfe für den Businessplan. So erhalten Gründer einen Überblick über den Aufbau und typische Inhalte eines Businessplans. Zum kostenfreien Download bieten wir eine Vorlage und zahlreiche Beispiel-Geschäftspläne an.

Word und Excel waren für das Schreiben eines Businessplans häufig das Mittel der Wahl. Eine Businessplansoftware ist mittlerweile eine hilfreiche Alternative, um den Businessplan zu erstellen. Die Unternehmerheld Businessplansoftware ist eine kostenlose digitale Vorlage. Die Software vereinfacht die Businessplanerstellung mit einer bewährten Gliederung, Leitfragen und einem realen Beispiel für jedes Kapitel. Gegenüber Word- oder Excel-Vorlagen punktet die Software durch:

• Professionelles Layout
• Leitfragen und Beispiele
• Export des Businessplan-PDFs auf Knopfdruck
• Gemeinsam im Team arbeiten
• Am Desktop oder Mobile nutzbar
• Regelmäßige Updates und neue Funktionen
• Backups und hohe Sicherheitsstandards

Im Fokus: der Finanzplan

Der Finanzplan ist eine besondere Herausforderung für Gründer und Unternehmen, wenn sie den Businessplan erstellen. Dies hängt damit zusammen, dass eine ganze Reihe an Annahmen und Schätzungen zur finanziellen Entwicklung des Unternehmens getroffen werden. Die Zahlen müssen plausibel sein, um einen realistischen Kapitalbedarf zu ermitteln und Kapitalgeber von dem Konzept überzeugen zu können. Gleichzeitig ist die Erstellung eines Finanzplans mit Excel sehr komplex und fehleranfällig . Bei der Verwendung von Excel-Finanzplanvorlagen ist Vorsicht geboten, da oft unklar ist, wie aktuell die Vorlagen sind und ob nicht Formelfehler bestehen. Fehler im Finanzplan führen schnell zur Ablehnung des gesamten Businessplans.

Der Unternehmerheld Online-Finanzplan schafft Abhilfe und führt Gründer Schritt für Schritt durch den Zahlenteil des Businessplans. Die wichtigsten Tabellen und Grafiken können einfach in den Businessplan übernommen werden: jetzt mehr über die Finanzplansoftware erfahren .

Typische Fehler im Businessplan vermeiden

Häufige Fehler im Businessplan von Gründern und Unternehmern sind:

# 1 Beispieltexte werden übernommen: Texte aus Businessplan-Beispielen oder einer Vorlage dienen zur Inspiration. Sie passen jedoch nicht 1:1 zu einer anderen Geschäftsidee. Jeder Gründungsvorhaben ist einzigartig. Damit auch jeder Businessplan.

# 2 Gründer und Gründerteam werden nur kurz vorgestellt: Der Gründer bzw. das Gründerteam spielen für die Umsetzung der Idee eine große Rolle. Dementsprechend gehören sie prominent in den Businessplan. Es ist wichtig, zu zeigen, dass die Gründer ausreichend qualifiziert und motiviert sind, die Geschäftsidee richtig umzusetzen.

# 3 Es gibt augenscheinlich keine Konkurrenz: Wer behauptet, es gäbe keine Wettbewerber, hat seine Marktanalyse nicht genau genug durchgeführt. Es ist vielmehr ein Erfolgsfaktor, Wettbewerber gut zu kennen und das eigene Alleinstellungsmerkmal klar herauszuarbeiten.

# 4 Der Finanzplan ist zu optimistisch und das Kapital reicht nicht: Eine realistische Finanzplanung ist das A und O in jedem Businessplan. Die Praxis zeigt, dass der Break-Even meist deutlich später als Plan erreicht wird. Daraus resultieren Liquiditätsengpässe, da der Kapitalbedarf zu niedrig angesetzt wurde. Verschiedene Szenarien und ein Puffer führen zu einer besseren Finanzplanung.

Tipps für Lesbarkeit & Design

Die Lesbarkeit des Businessplans steigern einfache Tipps für die Textarbeit: keine Schreibfehler begehen, lange Schachtelsätze aufteilen und Fremdwörter reduzieren bzw. einfach erklären.

Layout und Design tragen ebenfalls zur Lesbarkeit des Plans bei und erhöhen den professionellen Eindruck:

• Gestaltung des Businessplans gemäß der eigenen Corporate Identity
• Tabellen und Grafiken einsetzen, um komplexe Sachverhalte übersichtlich darzustellen
• Nicht zu kleine Schrift verwenden, Zeilenabstand groß genug wählen
• Fotos gezielt einsetzen, um Aufmerksamkeit zu erhöhen
• Schriftgrößen der Überschriften und des Textes einheitlich gestalten

Businessplanberatung: Businessplan erstellen lassen?

Gründercoaches oder Unternehmensberater leisten mit ihrer Erfahrung wertvolle Hilfe, wenn Gründer einen Businessplan schreiben. Die Beratung wird durch Förderprogramme unterstützt. Die Beratungskosten, die in der Regel zwischen 2.000 und 4.000 Euro liegen, müssen daher meist nur zu 30 bis 50 % selbst getragen werden. Die Businessplanberatung lohnt sich speziell dann, wenn eine Finanzierung angestrebt ist. Gute Gründerberater unterstützten bei der Suche des passenden Hausbank und begleiten Gründer häufig beim Bankgespräch.

Wichtig ist allerdings, dass sich Gründer nicht durch den Berater den Businessplan erstellen lassen. Dies mag komfortabel sein. Doch wer seinen eigenen Geschäftsplan nicht selbst erstellt hat, wird ihn auch nicht selbst umsetzen können.

3. Phase: mit dem fertigen Businessplan überzeugen

Der Businessplan ist in erster Linie ein Dokument für die eigene Planung. Häufig wird er aber auch für externe Adressaten benötigt. Dazu gehören bspw. das Arbeitsamt, um den Gründungszuschuss zu erhalten oder die Bank, wenn Förderkredite augenommen werden sollen. 

Damit der fertige Businessplan überzeugt, helfen ein paar abschließende Tipps.

Vor dem Verschicken: kritisch prüfen & anpassen

Der Businessplan ist fertig geschrieben? Bevor der Businessplan an die Ansprechpartner weitergeleitet wird, sollte genügend Zeit auf die abschließende Prüfung verwendet werden. Dies bedeutet den gesamten Geschäftsplan Korrektur zu lesen und neben Fehlern insbesondere auf Widersprüche zu prüfen. Freunde und Familie können dabei ebenso helfen, wie ein Gründercoach mit einem Businessplan-Check unterstützen kann.

Bei einem Businessplanwettbewerb mitmachen

Kostenfreie Feedback und in bestem Falle sogar Preisgelder erhält ein Businessplan bei den zahlreichen Businessplanwettbewerben, die in Deutschland stattfinden. Wenn es zeitlich und inhaltlich passt, lohnt die Teilnahme an solch einem Wettbewerb auf jeden Fall. Gleichzeitig können Gründer das eigene Netzwerk um wertvolle Kontakte erweitern. Es kann jedoch sein, dass der jeweilige Wettbewerb mit einer eigenen Kapitelstruktur vorgibt, wie die Teilnehmer den Businessplan schreiben sollen. In diesem Fall lohnt es, einfach eine zweite Version des Businessplans zu erstellen.

Adressaten gerecht anpassen

Arbeitsamt, Bank oder Investor: unterschiedliche Adressanten bedeuten unterschiedliche Blickwinkel. Um zu überzeugen, hilft es, den Businessplan-Adressaten gerecht aufzustellen:

• Arbeitsagentur:  Für die erfolgreiche Beantragung des Gründungzuschusses muss der Geschäftsplan aufzeigen, dass der Zuschuss tatsächlich benötigt wird bzw. dieser tatsächlich hilft, die Anlaufphase zu überbrücken. Wird eine zu optimistische Darstellung im Finanzplan gewählt, wird das Amt den Zuschuss ablehnen, da der Gründer es auch ohne schaffen würde. Stellt sich der Finanzierungsbedarf trotz Zuschuss als zu groß dar, erfolgt ebenfalls ein negativer Bescheid durch das Amt.
• Bank: Die Bank möchte im Rahmen des Kredits sicher gehen, dass das Geschäftsmodell mit geringen Risiken verbunden ist und Zinsen und Tilgung bedient werden können. 
• Investoren: Wenn Start-ups Eigenkapital von Business Angeln oder VC-Investoren einsammeln, rücken vor allem die Marktgröße und die Wachstumschancen in dem Mittelpunkt der Betrachtung. 

  Vor diesem Hintergrund entstehen - je nach Empfänger - mehrere Versionen des Businessplans.

Für den Erstkontakt: Unternehmenspräsentation oder Pitch Deck

Beim Kontakt mit Investoren oder für die Präsentation vor Publikum haben sich die Unternehmenspräsentation und das Pitch Deck als gute Instrumente etabliert. In verkürzter Form helfen sie, das Interesse zu wecken. Ist der Kontakt etabliert, geht es an die Detailprüfung mit dem Business- und Finanzplan. Damit dies gelingt, muss die Präsentation visuell und optisch ideal aufbereitet sein. Auf Für-Gründer.de gibt es mehr Details zum Aufbau und Inhalt des Pitch Decks .

Wenn die Präsentation oder das Pitch Deck nicht per Email geschickt, sondern als Präsentation vor Publikum gehalten wird, hängt viel von der Performance des Gründers oder des Gründerteams ab. Eine gute Vorbereitung anhand von Präsentationstechniken und das wiederholte Üben sind dafür notwendig.

Das Businessplan-Tool im Unternehmerheld hilft, einen bankfähigen Businessplan zu erstellen.

Häufige Fragen

Wie viele Seiten ein Businessplan haben sollte, hängt ganz davon ab, wie komplex die Geschäftsidee ist und wer Adressat des Businessplans ist. Sollen Geldgeber mit dem Businessplan von der Idee überzeugt werden, wird in der Regel ein viel ausführlicher Finanz-Teil benötigt, als wenn man dies nicht vorhat. Als groben Richtwert gelten 20 bis 40 Seiten plus Anhang, bei Kleingründungen kann dies durchaus weniger, bei innovativen, größeren Start-ups auch mehr sein.

Die Erstellung eines Businessplans bringt vielerlei Vorteile mit sich. Neben der optimalen Planung und Umsetzung der eigenen Geschäftsidee ist die Risikominimierung wohl der wichtigste Vorteil. Zudem lässt sich oftmals ausschließlich mit einem ausgearbeiteten Businessplan Kapital akquirieren . Dies kann   bei vielen Gründungen letztendlich darüber entscheiden, ob die Geschäftsidee umgesetzt werden kann.

Weitere Vorteile sind:

• Markt und Konkurrenz sind immer im Blick
• Anhand des Businessplans lässt sich das Vorhaben leicht präsentieren.

Ein Businessplan lässt sich spielend leicht und vor allem kostenlos mit dem Unternehmerheld Businessplan-Tool erstellen. Heutzutage noch mit Excel-Vorlagen oder Word-Mustern zu arbeiten, ist mittlerweile überholt. Die Businessplan-Software bietet zahlreiche Vorteile und den einfachen Export als PDF.

Wie viel Zeit benötigt wird, um einen Businessplan zu schreiben, hängt stark davon ab, wie umfangreich dieser sein muss. Dies wiederum ist davon abhängig, für wen der Businessplan geschrieben wird und wie komplex die Geschäftsidee ist.

Wenn aber die Recherche zu Markt und Konkurrenz sowie das tatsächliche Schreiben berücksichtigt werden, kann generell mit ein paar Wochen bis hin zu einigen Monaten gerechnet werden. Mit einer Software sind Gründer deutlich schneller unterwegs, als wenn ohne jegliches Grundgerüst gestartet wird.

Das Business Model Canvas wird häufig auch als Kurzfassung oder Vorstufe des Businessplans bezeichnet, ist somit keine vollwertige Alternative. Jedoch kann es sehr hilfreich sein, wenn in Vorbereitung des Businessplans ein Business Model Canvas aufgestellt wird. Mit dieser Grundlage schreibt sich der eigentliche Businessplan später auch deutlich leichter.

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What Is a Business Plan?

Understanding business plans, how to write a business plan, common elements of a business plan, how often should a business plan be updated, the bottom line, business plan: what it is, what's included, and how to write one.

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

A business plan is a document that details a company's goals and how it intends to achieve them. Business plans can be of benefit to both startups and well-established companies. For startups, a business plan can be essential for winning over potential lenders and investors. Established businesses can find one useful for staying on track and not losing sight of their goals. This article explains what an effective business plan needs to include and how to write one.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan is a document describing a company's business activities and how it plans to achieve its goals.
• Startup companies use business plans to get off the ground and attract outside investors.
• For established companies, a business plan can help keep the executive team focused on and working toward the company's short- and long-term objectives.
• There is no single format that a business plan must follow, but there are certain key elements that most companies will want to include.

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

Any new business should have a business plan in place prior to beginning operations. In fact, banks and venture capital firms often want to see a business plan before they'll consider making a loan or providing capital to new businesses.

Even if a business isn't looking to raise additional money, a business plan can help it focus on its goals. A 2017 Harvard Business Review article reported that, "Entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than the otherwise identical nonplanning entrepreneurs."

Ideally, a business plan should be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect any goals that have been achieved or that may have changed. An established business that has decided to move in a new direction might create an entirely new business plan for itself.

There are numerous benefits to creating (and sticking to) a well-conceived business plan. These include being able to think through ideas before investing too much money in them and highlighting any potential obstacles to success. A company might also share its business plan with trusted outsiders to get their objective feedback. In addition, a business plan can help keep a company's executive team on the same page about strategic action items and priorities.

Business plans, even among competitors in the same industry, are rarely identical. However, they often have some of the same basic elements, as we describe below.

While it's a good idea to provide as much detail as necessary, it's also important that a business plan be concise enough to hold a reader's attention to the end.

While there are any number of templates that you can use to write a business plan, it's best to try to avoid producing a generic-looking one. Let your plan reflect the unique personality of your business.

Many business plans use some combination of the sections below, with varying levels of detail, depending on the company.

The length of a business plan can vary greatly from business to business. Regardless, it's best to fit the basic information into a 15- to 25-page document. Other crucial elements that take up a lot of space—such as applications for patents—can be referenced in the main document and attached as appendices.

These are some of the most common elements in many business plans:

• Executive summary: This section introduces the company and includes its mission statement along with relevant information about the company's leadership, employees, operations, and locations.
• Products and services: Here, the company should describe the products and services it offers or plans to introduce. That might include details on pricing, product lifespan, and unique benefits to the consumer. Other factors that could go into this section include production and manufacturing processes, any relevant patents the company may have, as well as proprietary technology . Information about research and development (R&D) can also be included here.
• Market analysis: A company needs to have a good handle on the current state of its industry and the existing competition. This section should explain where the company fits in, what types of customers it plans to target, and how easy or difficult it may be to take market share from incumbents.
• Marketing strategy: This section can describe how the company plans to attract and keep customers, including any anticipated advertising and marketing campaigns. It should also describe the distribution channel or channels it will use to get its products or services to consumers.
• Financial plans and projections: Established businesses can include financial statements, balance sheets, and other relevant financial information. New businesses can provide financial targets and estimates for the first few years. Your plan might also include any funding requests you're making.

The best business plans aren't generic ones created from easily accessed templates. A company should aim to entice readers with a plan that demonstrates its uniqueness and potential for success.

2 Types of Business Plans

Business plans can take many forms, but they are sometimes divided into two basic categories: traditional and lean startup. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , the traditional business plan is the more common of the two.

• Traditional business plans : These plans tend to be much longer than lean startup plans and contain considerably more detail. As a result they require more work on the part of the business, but they can also be more persuasive (and reassuring) to potential investors.
• Lean startup business plans : These use an abbreviated structure that highlights key elements. These business plans are short—as short as one page—and provide only the most basic detail. If a company wants to use this kind of plan, it should be prepared to provide more detail if an investor or a lender requests it.

Why Do Business Plans Fail?

A business plan is not a surefire recipe for success. The plan may have been unrealistic in its assumptions and projections to begin with. Markets and the overall economy might change in ways that couldn't have been foreseen. A competitor might introduce a revolutionary new product or service. All of this calls for building some flexibility into your plan, so you can pivot to a new course if needed.

How frequently a business plan needs to be revised will depend on the nature of the business. A well-established business might want to review its plan once a year and make changes if necessary. A new or fast-growing business in a fiercely competitive market might want to revise it more often, such as quarterly.

What Does a Lean Startup Business Plan Include?

The lean startup business plan is an option when a company prefers to give a quick explanation of its business. For example, a brand-new company may feel that it doesn't have a lot of information to provide yet.

Sections can include: a value proposition ; the company's major activities and advantages; resources such as staff, intellectual property, and capital; a list of partnerships; customer segments; and revenue sources.

A business plan can be useful to companies of all kinds. But as a company grows and the world around it changes, so too should its business plan. So don't think of your business plan as carved in granite but as a living document designed to evolve with your business.

Harvard Business Review. " Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed ."

U.S. Small Business Administration. " Write Your Business Plan ."

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• 5 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023 for Your Small Business

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure .

A business plan can do a lot for your business. It can help you secure investors or other funding. It can give your company direction. It can keep your finances healthy. But, if we’re being honest, it can also be a pain to write.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch or go it alone. Business plan software and services can help you craft a professional business plan, like our top choice LivePlan , which provides templates, guidance, and more.

You’ve got quite a few choices for business plan help, so we’re here to help you narrow things down. Let’s talk about the best business plan tools out there.

• LivePlan : Best overall
• BizPlanBuilder : Most user-friendly
• Wise Business Plans : Best professional service
• Business Sorter : Best for internal plans
• GoSmallBiz.com : Most extra features
• Honorable mentions

Business plan software 101

The takeaway, business plan software faq, compare the best business plan software.

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LivePlan: Best overall business plan software

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *With annual billing

LivePlan has been our favorite business plan software for a while now, despite the stiff competition.

There’s a lot to like about LivePlan. It has pretty much all the features you could want from your business plan software. LivePlan gives you step-by-step instructions for writing your plan, helps you create financial reports, lets you compare your business’s actual financials to your plan’s goals, and much more. And if you ever need inspiration, it includes hundreds of sample business plans that can guide your writing.

LivePlan software pricing

But the best part? You get all that (and more) at a very competitive price. (You can choose from annual, six-month, or monthly billing.) While LivePlan isn’t quite the cheapest business plan builder out there, it’s not too far off either. And if comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s no risk in trying LivePlan out for yourself.

With a great balance of features and cost, LivePlan offers the best business plan solution for most businesses.

BizPlanBuilder: Most user-friendly

Need something easy to use? BizPlanBuilder fits the bill.

BizPlanBuilder doesn’t have a flashy, modern user interface―but it does have a very clear, intuitive one. You’ll be able to see your plan’s overall structure at a glance, so you can quickly navigate from your title page to your market trend section to that paragraph on your core values. And as you write, you’ll use a text editor that looks a whole lot like the word processing programs you’re already familiar with.

BizPlanBuilder software pricing

Data effective 3/13/23. At publishing time, amounts, rates, and requirements are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.

BizPlanBuilder also offers lots of helpful guidance for actually writing your plan. It gives you pre-written text, in which you just have to fill in relevant details. It offers explanations for what information you need to include in each section of your plan and way. It even gives you helpful tips from experts, so you’ll have all the information you need to plan like a pro.

So if you want planning software with almost no learning curve, you’ll like BizPlanBuilder.

Wise Business Plans: Best professional service

• Custom quote

Unlike all the other companies on this list, Wise Business Plans doesn’t offer software. Instead, it offers professional business plan writing services―meaning someone does all the hard work for you.

Now, you might think that sounds expensive―and you’re probably right (you have to request a custom quote for your plan). But there’s a lot to be said for expertise, and Wise Business Plans has plenty of that. Your business plan will get written by an experienced writer (with an MBA, no less). They’ll get information from you, do their own research, and then write your plan. You get one free revision, and you can always pay for more.  

Wise Business Plans service pricing

Your end result will be a polished, entirely original business plan. (You can even get printed copies.) And best of all, you won’t have to spend your precious time working on the plan yourself. Wise Business Plans takes care of all the hard parts, and makes your business look good while doing it. Sounds like a service worth paying for, right?

Put simply, if you want the most professional business plan possible, we recommend using Wise Business Plans’s writing service.

Business Sorter: Best for internal plans

Many businesses need plans to show to people outside the company (to get financing, for example). But what if you just need a plan for internal use? In that case, we suggest Business Sorter.

Business Sorter uses a unique card-based method to help you craft the perfect business plan. (You can watch a demo video to see how it works.) You’ll plan some of the usual things, like finances and marketing. But Business Sorter also lets you make plans for specific teams and team members. It also emphasizes more internal matters, like operations, that might get overlooked in a business plan for outsiders.

Business Sorter software pricing

After you’ve made your business plan, Business Sorter also helps you stay accountable to it. You can create tasks, give them deadlines, and assign them to team members―giving you basic project management tools to make sure your business plans become business actions. (Oh, and did we mention that Business Sorter has the lowest starting prices of any software on this list?)

It all adds up to a business plan software that works great for internal planning.

GoSmallBiz: Most extra features

Want to get way more than just business planning software? Then you probably want GoSmallBiz.

See, GoSmallBiz offers business plan software as part of its service―but it’s just one part of a much bigger whole. You also get everything from discounts on legal services to a website builder to a CRM (customer relationship manager) to business document templates. And more. In other words, you get just about everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

GoSmallBiz software pricing

Don’t worry though―you still get all the business planning help you need. GoSmallBiz gives you business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to create financial projections. And if you get stuck, GoSmallBiz will put you in touch with experts who can offer advice.

If you want business planning and much, much more, give GoSmallBiz a try.

• PlanGuru : Best financial forecasting
• EnLoop : Cheapest tool for startups

We recommend the software above for most business planning needs. Some businesses, though, might be interested in these more specialized planning software.

Honorable mention software pricing

Planguru: best financial forecasting features.

PlanGuru is pretty pricey compared to our other picks, but you might find its forecasting features worth paying for. It has more forecasting methods than other software (over 20) plus it lets you forecast up to 10 years.

EnLoop: Cheapest tool for startups

EnLoop doesn’t have our favorite features or interface, but it does have really, really low pricing plus a seven-day free trial. It's the most affordable software for startup business planning and still provides all the essential features like financial analysis, team collaboration, charting, and more.

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. * With annual billing

Several of our previous favorite planning software, including BusinessPlanPro and StratPad, seem to have gone out of business.

A business plan is a written, living document that tells the story of your business and what you plan to do with it. It serves as the source of truth for you—the business owner—as well as potential partners, employees, and investors, but it also serves as a roadmap of what you want your business to be.

Why you need a business plan

While some small-business owners don’t see the point of creating a formal business plan, it can have some concrete benefits for your business. For example, one 2016 study found that business owners with written plans are more successful than those that don’t. 1

Still too vague? Then let’s get specific.

If you ever seek business funding (from, say, banks, angel investors , or venture capitalists ), you’ll have to prove that your business deserves the money you want. A formal business plan―complete with financial data and projections―gives you a professional document you can use to make your case. (In fact, most potential investors will expect you to have a business plan ready.)

Even if you’re not seeking funding right now, a business plan can help your business. A formal plan can guide your business’s direction and decision making. It can keep your business accountable (by, for example, seeing if your business meets the financial projections you included). And a formal plan offers a great way to make sure your team stays on the same page.

What to include in your business plan

Not all business plans are created equal. To make a really useful business plan, you’ll want to include a number of elements:

• Basic information about your business
• Your products/services
• Market and industry analysis
• What makes your business competitive
• Strategies and upcoming plans
• Your team (and your team’s background)
• Current financial status
• Financial and market projections
• Executive summary

Of course, you can include more or fewer elements―whatever makes sense for your business. Just make sure your business plan is comprehensive (but not overwhelming).

How business plan software can help

With so many elements to include, business plan creation can take a while. Business plan software tries to speed things up.

Most business plan software will include prompts for each section. In some cases, you can just fill in your business’s specific information, and the software will write the text for you. In other cases, the software will give you specific guidance and examples, helping you write the text yourself.

Plus, business plan software can help you stay organized. You’ll usually get intuitive menus that let you quickly flip through sections. So rather than endlessly scrolling through a long document in a word processor, you can quickly find your way around your plan. Some software even lets you drag and drop sections to reorganize your plan.

Sounds way easier than just staring at a blank page and trying to start from scratch, right?

Choosing business plan software

To find the right business plan builder for your business, you’ll want to compare features. For example, would you rather write your own text, getting prompts and advice from your software? Or would you rather go with a fill-in-the-blank method?

Likewise, think about the elements you need. If your plan will have a heavy focus on finances, you’ll want to choose business plan software with robust financial projection features. If you care more about market and competitor analysis, look for software that can help with that research.

You may also want to find business plan software that integrates with your business accounting software . Some plan builders will import data from Xero, QuickBooks, etc. to quickly generate your financial data and projections.

And of course, you’ll want to compare prices. After all, you always want to end up with software that fits your business budget.

The right business plan software can make your life easier. With LivePlan ’s wide breadth of features and online learning tools, you can’t go wrong. Plus, BizPlanBuilder 's one-time pricing makes it easy to invest while Business Sorter has a low starting cost. And if you're business is looking to grow, GoSmallBiz and Wise Business Plans will scale with you.

But of course, different companies have different needs. So shop around until you find the software that’s best for you and your business.

Now that you've got a business plan, take a look at our checklist for starting a small business.  It can help you make sure you have everything else you need to get your startup off to a good start!

Related content

• 7 Steps to Build a Successful Project Management Sales Plan
• Best Project Management Software and Tools in 2023
• 4 Cost Management Techniques for Small Businesses

Creating a business plan can take anywhere from a couple hours to several weeks. Your timeline will depend on things like the elements you choose to include, whether you use software or hire a writing service, and how much research goes into your plan.

That said, much of the business plan software out there brags that it can help you create a fairly detailed plan in a few hours. So if you’re going the software route, that can help you set your expectations.

If you want to get the most out of your business plan, you should update it on a regular basis―at least annually. That way, you can continually refer to it to inform your company’s strategies and direction.  

At the very least, you should update your business plan before you start looking for a new round of funding (whether that’s with investors or lenders).

Thanks to business plan software, you can easily write your own business plan rather than pay someone to do it for you. And in most cases, software will cost you less than a professional business plan service.

There are some times you might want to go with a service though. If time is tight, you might find that it’s worth the cost of a service. Or if you’ve got big investor meetings on the horizon, you might want the expertise and polish that a professional service can offer.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether business plan software or a business plan service will work better for your company.

Methodology

We ranked business plan software and tools based on features, pricing and plans, and connections to project management and other services. The value of each plan and service, along with what it offers, was a big consideration in our rankings, and we looked to see if what was offered was useful to small businesses or just extra. The final thing we looked at was the ease of use of the software to see if it's too complex for small businesses.

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources 1. Harvard Business Review, “ Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed .” Accessed March 13, 2023.

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Simple Business Plan Template for Startups, Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs

Why use growthink’s business plan template.

Growthink’s business plan template is the result of our 25+ years of experience and research into the business plans that help entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners attract potential investors and lenders, and build successful companies.

We designed it so you can create the best business plan for your company!

What is a Business Plan Template?

A business plan template is a document that allows you to quickly write a detailed business plan. Among other things, it includes all key business plan sections: an executive summary, company description, industry and market analyses, competitive overview, marketing and operations plans, management team and five year financial projections. Get started writing your business plan today by using our simple business plan template.

First Section: Executive Summary >

BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE OUTLINE

• Business Plan Template Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan
• 10. Appendix
• Business Plan Summary

Start Your Business Plan Here

Writing a Business Plan and Business Plan Template FAQs

How can i access growthink’s ultimate business plan template.

Download Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template and complete a solid business plan and your financial statements in hours.

Does Word Have a Business Plan Template?

Our startup business plan template includes an outline of each of the 10 key sections to help you write a plan to start a new business, grow your existing business, and/or help you secure funding such as a business loan from the Small Business Administration, local bank, grants, angel investors, venture capitalists, or from other financial institutions.

Unlike our premium version, our free templates do not include all the key sub-sections, the questions that walk you through step-by-step, the professional cover page designs, nor the financial projections template that allows you to create a professional financial plan in minutes.

Click here to learn more about the World’s #1 Best Business Plan Template. (Rated 4.9 Stars on Reseller Ratings)

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

You can access our business plan pdf download here.  This is a pdf version of our basic   business plan template .

Our free business plan template pdf includes everything you need to include in your plan- executive summary, company overview, industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management plan, financial plan and appendix- and the key questions that each must answer. This free business plan template pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features not available in the free template . Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements . Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

What are Some Examples of Business Plans?

It can be helpful to review sample business plans before starting your own business planning process.  You can download our sample business plan pdf here to help you get started.

Remember, a critical part of your plan is to explain why your company is uniquely qualified to succeed, so resist the urge to copy a business plan sample completely. Also, importantly, a business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

We also have over 300 business plan examples and free business plan templates available for you to develop a professional business plan.

How Can I Write a Simple Business Plan?

Use the simple business plan template below and answer the questions in each section to create a simple business plan for your company.

How To Write a Simple Business Plan

• Describe Your Business and Business Goals in the Executive Summary

Company Overview

• What type of company are you operating (e.g., a software company, a bakery, etc.)?
• Are you offering a product or a service?
• What is the legal structure of your company (e.g., sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), corporation, etc.)?
• What is your mission statement and value proposition?
• What is the company’s history?
• What is your business model and business idea?
• Is there a market pain that your business solves?

Success Factors

• What is it about your company that makes it (or will make it) uniquely qualified to succeed?
• What milestones has your company achieved to demonstrate success?
• Conduct Market Research To Develop a Comprehensive Industry Analysis

Market Analysis

• In what market are you competing (e.g., the fast-food market, the running shoe market)?
• How big is the industry and is that size big enough?
• Are there positive or negative trends affecting the market (e.g., is it growing/shrinking, is government regulation on the horizon that could change the market analysis)?
• Better Understand Your Target Customers Through a Customer Analysis

Target Market

• Who are your target customers?
• What are their primary needs when choosing a product/service provider such as your company?
• Identify Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Competitors Through a Competitive Analysis

Competitive Advantage

• With whom will your company compete and how will your company better serve customer needs than your competitors?
• How else will you “beat” your competition? What are your key points of differentiation and your value proposition?
• How does your product or service compare to those offered by the competition?
• Describe How You Will Reach Your Potential Customers Through a Targeted Marketing Plan

Marketing Strategy

• What is your product or service offering?
• What marketing and sales strategies will you use to attract customers? and what promotional methods will you employ (e.g., radio advertising, pay-per-click ads) ?

Pricing Strategy

• How will you price your product or service?
• What discounts or promotions will you offer?
• Describe Your Management Team and the Experience They Bring To the Table.

Key Members of the Team

• Who is on your management team?
• What experiences, relationships, etc. do they possess that will help your venture succeed? Have they ever run other businesses?
• Are there key employees that you must hire in the future to improve your company’s odds of success?
• Do you have any business partners that take part in developing the business strategy?
• Calculate Realistic Financial Projections to Develop Your Business’s Financial Plan

Financial Model

• What is the main financial information about your company (revenue and expense projections)?
• How much outside funding (if any) do you need? What are your specific needs? (equipment, supplies,e etc.)
• What are your revenue streams? How much revenue can you really generate each year over the next five years?
• Are the profit margins high enough to sustain the company?
• What are your loss projections?

Completing this simple business plan template will provide a road map to completing your business plan and force you to answer key questions about your company which will help in determining its feasibility and likelihood for success.

For example, in choosing the ideal promotions strategy to attract new clients, you will be able to estimate the cost of acquiring new customers. This will allow you to compare that cost to your estimated customer lifetime value and ensure healthy profit margins are possible (or not).

Likewise, a competitive analysis might alert you to stiffer competition than you imagined and prompt you to opt for a new business idea or creatively come up with ways to outmaneuver competitors.

On a similar note, in completing this lean business plan, you might realize the market size isn’t big enough to support the large, thriving enterprise you’d like to create. Or perhaps market trends are moving away from the problems your company’s products and services solve.

Yet another example of the importance of this exercise is that it forces you to really think about your target customers. The better and more narrowly you can define your target customers, the more cost-effectively you’ll be able to attract them and the more successful you can be in developing a value proposition that appeals to them.

In any case, a simple business plan template allows you to better understand your venture and what it will take to make it successful.

Two additional types of simple business plan templates:

• One-page business plan- A one-page business plan is a compressed version of a traditional business plan that fits neatly into a single page. It usually includes only high level information about your business. Looking for a one-page business plan? Learn more and download our free one-page business plan template.
• Lean Business plan- A lean startup is supported by a one-page business plan that does not require extensive financial information, market research and/or business development plans. The lean startup needs to focus on factors that present immediate opportunities in order to gain a competitive advantage. Looking for a lean business plan? Learn more about the lean business planning process .

How Do I Write a Business Plan For a Small Startup?

A startup business plan is nearly identical to writing a business plan for an established business. The main difference between a startup business plan and business plans for an existing company is that established businesses should focus more on discussing past accomplishments and rely on historical data in their financial forecasts. In a startup business plan, the company needs to spend more time validating future forecasts since there’s no hard data on which to base them and proving that you will be a successful business owner.

A startup business plan template provides a road map to long-term success and business growth. It should include the same 10 key components of all business plans:

• Describe your business, mission and long-term goals in the executive summary.
• Explain the structure of your business, the physical location, and other basic business information in the company overview.
• Research your industry to explain current trends and influential factors for your business through a complete industry analysis.
• Identify the demographics and purchasing habits of your ideal customer in a detailed customer analysis.
• Better understand what your business is up against with a competitive analysis to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop a marketing plan that will help you reach your ideal customers, drive traffic to your website, and increase conversions.
• Create an operations plan that describes your day-to-day processes and procedures that make your business successful.
• Describe the management team that will be responsible for the success of your business.
• Create a comprehensive financial plan with realistic projections of where your business will be in the next 3-5 years.
• Attach supporting documents, financial statements, etc. in the appendix.

Learn the step-by-step writing process for how to write a comprehensive business plan and get a startup business plan template.

How Can I Write My Own Business Plan?

Learn how to successfully write your own business plan in the video below.

Anyone can write a business plan following the traditional business plan template, it’s important to remember that the most important part of your plan is to explain why your company is uniquely qualified to succeed and have strong financial data to support your business idea. This is why it’s important to do your market research to have a clear understanding of your industry, market analysis, target customer, and competitive landscape.

If you have a complex business or need help writing a professional plan, it can be helpful to use business plan software, hire an expert business plan consulting firm, or a business plan writer.  So, while you may want to write your business plan, the experience of a consultant can help you develop a more thorough and achievable business plan for you to attract investors, secure funding and/or grow your business. They will also be able to provide helpful tips to help navigate the business planning process.

Learn more about Growthink’s expert business plan consultants and how we have helped develop winning business plans for countless happy customers .

How Can I Get a Printable Business Plan Template?

A business plan is a very important document for any business. It helps you to outline your goals and business objectives, as well as how you plan to achieve them. If you’re looking for a printable business plan template, there are a few different options available to you.

One option is to download a free business plan template . Be aware that free business plan templates are often generic for any type of business, so while it will help you write your business plan, you may need to do some additional editing before using them.

Another option is to purchase a template from a business planning company. These types of business plan templates are of higher quality and include a range of features that can help you to create professional-looking business plans and financial model including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on your needs and budget. If you’re looking for high-quality, printable business plan templates that are easy to edit, then a purchasing a business plan template is the best option. If you’re on a tight budget or you don’t need a lot of features, then a free, simple business plan template may be a better choice. Whichever option you choose, make sure to take the time to customize the template to fit your specific business.

Is a Business Plan Required For Funding?

Yes, a written business plan is nearly always required when seeking financing.  You need a business plan whether you are a small business, a startup, an existing business looking to grow or a seasoned business owner. Business plans fall into three common categories: business plans for funding, those used for strategy, and business plans for both fundraising and strategy.

Regardless of their business model, many business owners use their business plans to raise bank loans to grow. The funding request allows them to acquire additional business resources and improve their financial health. New business owners often seek bank loans and  SBA Loans as well as funding from angel investors and/or friends and family.

Importantly, regardless of the source of funding you desire, a good business plan will stand out to a potential investor by showing compelling reasons why you will achieve financial success. A successful business plan must clearly highlight the business opportunity and want investors to buy in.  Investors will recognize a well researched business plan. A winning business plan will help you achieve long-term success, business growth and secure funding.

What are the 10 Key Elements of a Business Plan?

10 key elements of a winning business plan.

Most business plans have the following 10 key components:

Executive Summary

Industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan.

A professional business plan will also include a table of contents and a nicely designed cover page. Business plans should also be customized with your specific information and designed to fit with your business concept.

For What Types of Businesses Can I Use this Business Plan Template?

This business plan template can and has been used by businesses in every imaginable sector. We created this template to be highly flexible and have seen entrepreneurs use it with great success in numerous business types.

This being said, we have also developed many sector-specific templates. Some of our more popular ones are as follows.

Our brewery business plan template has helped numerous breweries launch and grow. 

Our medical practice business plan template has been used by doctors and other health practitioners to start new practices. Also in the medical field, our pharmacy business plan template has allowed numerous pharmacists to start their own businesses.

As states pass new legislation, our dispensary business plan template has been extremely helpful in allowing entrepreneurs to launch new real locations. And in towns across the world, new laundromats have arisen thanks to entrepreneurs and new business owners using our laundromat business plan template . 

Other Helpful Business Planning Articles & Templates

Writing a business plan: Your step-by-step guide

Learn how to write a sound business plan that will help set up your business for success.

Learning how to write a sound business plan is an essential first step toward creating a successful business. Simply put, a business plan explains exactly what your product or service is and why people want to purchase it, as well as how you will tackle any environmental and market risks. It can also help you clarify what you want to achieve and plan exactly how you will reach those goals. This, in turn, can help you motivate your team, promote your business, and make key decisions.

A strong business plan also serves as an important communication tool for potential investors and lenders. It will allow you to articulate your current financial status, any sources of revenue, and how you plan to meet revenue projections. Although a business plan isn’t required for all types of credit, it often plays a significant role in SBA loan applications . While no two business plans are alike, every plan should cover the following elements.

Executive summary: Define your business

Your plan’s executive summary is your chance to introduce the business — so it needs to be concise and compelling. The summary should give a brief recap of the history and background of your business in a manner that will make the reader want to learn more about your plan. Sometimes it’s helpful to write this last — after you’ve spent some time contemplating and articulating all the details of your business.

Company summary: Delve into the details

Your business plan should explain what your product or service is and why people and businesses will want to purchase it. Be sure to highlight areas where your product or service has a clear advantage over the competition. Also, include details about pending or established copyrights or trademarks, and present or future plans for research and development (R&D).

Market analysis: Outline your strategy

A market analysis centers on the marketability of your business, who your competitors are and how you fit into the competitive landscape. In the analysis, give detailed information about your business’s industry, including the size of the market, your target market, the market need, and barriers to entry such as supply issues and regulation. Also, include information on any market tests you have conducted and identify your direct and indirect competition.

Marketing plan: Identify your niche

Here, you’ll highlight how you plan to promote your business and generate revenue. Describe in detail what your product or service does and how it will help consumers. Explain how your product is unique from others on the market, and how you will promote your business and generate revenue. Also, provide details about the product life cycle and any intellectual property issues. (Note: Some of this may reiterate or expand upon information elsewhere in your business plan.) You can protect your intellectual property , which can include names, designs and automated process, through trademarks, copyrights, non-disclosure agreements and more.

Management overview: Introduce your leaders

To highlight your human capital, describe how your business will be organized in terms of structure and leadership. Let your reader know who does what and what qualifications they have. Summarize this in your writeup, but consider providing relevant resumes, too.

Financial summary: Develop your financial plan

The financial summary, which includes details about your company’s funding sources, existing debt , any grants , as well as financial analysis, are crucial areas to lay out in detail. Explain the amount of funding your business needs and provide supporting financial data as well as financial projections . Include documents that communicate your business’s current financial status, such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. List your expectations for revenues as well as the cost of your goods, rent, fuel, utilities, salaries, and other expenses.

The final step: Organize it logically

There are many ways you can organize the information mentioned above so you can share it with potential investors and lenders, current and prospective team members and managers, and anyone else who needs to understand your vision.

Do your research and find a business plan format that works for your business. There can be different types of plans for different types of readers, i.e. investors vs. employees, so you can modify your plan depending on your audience.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Make it easy to find key info . Create a cover page and table of contents, so information is easy to find. Also consider using dividers with tabs if you’re printing it out and putting it in a binder.
• Add more details as they emerge . Depending on what you do or sell, you may also want to add a section on Action Plans, which includes information on regulations, legal and compliance issues, safety processes, operational and management plans, an employee handbook, delineations of job descriptions of your staff, and anything else you’ve put on paper (or into a digital document).
• Consider using an Appendix . This is where you can store any supporting documents, including financial and market analyses, logo and branding examples, team resumes, and so on.

Your business plan should reflect changes in your business, the industry or the market. Make changes as necessary to incorporate the changing needs of customers or changing economic conditions in order to keep your plan current. Treating your business plan as a living document — and revising it regularly — can help you stay ahead of the competition and exceed your dreams.

Learn more:

There are several resources available to get you started with your business and business plan. Here are a few:

• U.S. Small Business Administration
• America’s Small Business Development Centers Network
• SCORE Association

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550+ Business Plan Examples to Launch Your Business

Need help writing your business plan? Explore over 550 industry-specific business plan examples for inspiration.

Find your business plan example

Accounting, Insurance & Compliance Business Plans

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Children & Pets Business Plans

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Cleaning, Repairs & Maintenance Business Plans

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• Cleaning Products
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Clothing & Fashion Brand Business Plans

• Clothing & Fashion Design
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• Architecture
• Construction
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• Advertising
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Education Business Plans

• Education Consulting
• Education Products

Business plan template: There's an easier way to get your business plan done.

Entertainment & Recreation Business Plans

• Entertainment
• Film & Television
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Events Business Plans

• Event Planning
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Farm & Agriculture Business Plans

• Agri-tourism
• Agriculture Consulting
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Finance & Investing Business Plans

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Fine Art & Crafts Business Plans

Fitness & Beauty Business Plans

• Salon & Spa
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Food and Beverage Business Plans

• Bar & Brewery
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Hotel & Lodging Business Plans

• Bed and Breakfast

Finish your plan faster with step-by-step guidance, financial wizards, and a proven format.

IT, Staffing & Customer Service Business Plans

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• Customer Service
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Manufacturing & Wholesale Business Plans

• Cleaning & Cosmetics Manufacturing
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Medical & Health Business Plans

• Dental Practice
• Health Administration
• View All 41

Nonprofit Business Plans

• Co-op Nonprofit
• Food & Housing Nonprofit
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Real Estate & Rentals Business Plans

• Equipment Rental

Retail & Ecommerce Business Plans

• Car Dealership
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Technology Business Plans

• Apps & Software
• Communication Technology

Transportation, Travel & Logistics Business Plans

• Airline, Taxi & Shuttle
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View all sample business plans

Example business plan format

Before you start exploring our library of business plan examples, it's worth taking the time to understand the traditional business plan format . You'll find that the plans in this library and most investor-approved business plans will include the following sections:

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally only one to two pages. You should also plan to write this section last after you've written your full business plan.

Your executive summary should include a summary of the problem you are solving, a description of your product or service, an overview of your target market, a brief description of your team, a summary of your financials, and your funding requirements (if you are raising money).

Products & services

The products & services chapter of your business plan is where the real meat of your plan lives. It includes information about the problem that you're solving, your solution, and any traction that proves that it truly meets the need you identified.

This is your chance to explain why you're in business and that people care about what you offer. It needs to go beyond a simple product or service description and get to the heart of why your business works and benefits your customers.

Market analysis

Conducting a market analysis ensures that you fully understand the market that you're entering and who you'll be selling to. This section is where you will showcase all of the information about your potential customers. You'll cover your target market as well as information about the growth of your market and your industry. Focus on outlining why the market you're entering is viable and creating a realistic persona for your ideal customer base.

Competition

Part of defining your opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage may be. To do this effectively you need to get to know your competitors just as well as your target customers. Every business will have competition, if you don't then you're either in a very young industry or there's a good reason no one is pursuing this specific venture.

To succeed, you want to be sure you know who your competitors are, how they operate, necessary financial benchmarks, and how you're business will be positioned. Start by identifying who your competitors are or will be during your market research. Then leverage competitive analysis tools like the competitive matrix and positioning map to solidify where your business stands in relation to the competition.

Marketing & sales

The marketing and sales plan section of your business plan details how you plan to reach your target market segments. You'll address how you plan on selling to those target markets, what your pricing plan is, and what types of activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success.

The operations section covers the day-to-day workflows for your business to deliver your product or service. What's included here fully depends on the type of business. Typically you can expect to add details on your business location, sourcing and fulfillment, use of technology, and any partnerships or agreements that are in place.

Milestones & metrics

The milestones section is where you lay out strategic milestones to reach your business goals.

A good milestone clearly lays out the parameters of the task at hand and sets expectations for its execution. You'll want to include a description of the task, a proposed due date, who is responsible, and eventually a budget that's attached. You don't need extensive project planning in this section, just key milestones that you want to hit and when you plan to hit them.

You should also discuss key metrics, which are the numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common data points worth tracking include conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, profit, etc.

Company & team

Use this section to describe your current team and who you need to hire. If you intend to pursue funding, you'll need to highlight the relevant experience of your team members. Basically, this is where you prove that this is the right team to successfully start and grow the business. You will also need to provide a quick overview of your legal structure and history if you're already up and running.

Financial projections

Your financial plan should include a sales and revenue forecast, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement, and a balance sheet. You may not have established financials of any kind at this stage. Not to worry, rather than getting all of the details ironed out, focus on making projections and strategic forecasts for your business. You can always update your financial statements as you begin operations and start bringing in actual accounting data.

Now, if you intend to pitch to investors or submit a loan application, you'll also need a "use of funds" report in this section. This outlines how you intend to leverage any funding for your business and how much you're looking to acquire. Like the rest of your financials, this can always be updated later on.

The appendix isn't a required element of your business plan. However, it is a useful place to add any charts, tables, definitions, legal notes, or other critical information that supports your plan. These are often lengthier or out-of-place information that simply didn't work naturally into the structure of your plan. You'll notice that in these business plan examples, the appendix mainly includes extended financial statements.

Types of business plans explained

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. To get the most out of your plan, it's best to find a format that suits your needs. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan

The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used for external purposes. Typically this is the type of plan you'll need when applying for funding or pitching to investors. It can also be used when training or hiring employees, working with vendors, or in any other situation where the full details of your business must be understood by another individual.

Business model canvas

The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

The structure ditches a linear format in favor of a cell-based template. It encourages you to build connections between every element of your business. It's faster to write out and update, and much easier for you, your team, and anyone else to visualize your business operations.

One-page business plan

The true middle ground between the business model canvas and a traditional business plan is the one-page business plan . This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business.

By starting with a one-page plan , you give yourself a minimal document to build from. You'll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences making it much easier to elaborate or expand sections into a longer-form business plan.

Growth planning

Growth planning is more than a specific type of business plan. It's a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, forecast, review, and refine based on your performance.

It holds all of the benefits of the single-page plan, including the potential to complete it in as little as 27 minutes . However, it's even easier to convert into a more detailed plan thanks to how heavily it's tied to your financials. The overall goal of growth planning isn't to just produce documents that you use once and shelve. Instead, the growth planning process helps you build a healthier company that thrives in times of growth and remain stable through times of crisis.

It's faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

Download a free sample business plan template

Ready to start writing your own plan but aren't sure where to start? Download our free business plan template that's been updated for 2024.

This simple, modern, investor-approved business plan template is designed to make planning easy. It's a proven format that has helped over 1 million businesses write business plans for bank loans, funding pitches, business expansion, and even business sales. It includes additional instructions for how to write each section and is formatted to be SBA-lender approved. All you need to do is fill in the blanks.

How to use an example business plan to help you write your own

How do you know what elements need to be included in your business plan, especially if you've never written one before? Looking at examples can help you visualize what a full, traditional plan looks like, so you know what you're aiming for before you get started. Here's how to get the most out of a sample business plan.

Choose a business plan example from a similar type of company

You don't need to find an example business plan that's an exact fit for your business. Your business location, target market, and even your particular product or service may not match up exactly with the plans in our gallery. But, you don't need an exact match for it to be helpful. Instead, look for a plan that's related to the type of business you're starting.

For example, if you want to start a vegetarian restaurant, a plan for a steakhouse can be a great match. While the specifics of your actual startup will differ, the elements you'd want to include in your restaurant's business plan are likely to be very similar.

Use a business plan example as a guide

Every startup and small business is unique, so you'll want to avoid copying an example business plan word for word. It just won't be as helpful, since each business is unique. You want your plan to be a useful tool for starting a business —and getting funding if you need it.

One of the key benefits of writing a business plan is simply going through the process. When you sit down to write, you'll naturally think through important pieces, like your startup costs, your target market , and any market analysis or research you'll need to do to be successful.

You'll also look at where you stand among your competition (and everyone has competition), and lay out your goals and the milestones you'll need to meet. Looking at an example business plan's financials section can be helpful because you can see what should be included, but take them with a grain of salt. Don't assume that financial projections for a sample company will fit your own small business.

If you're looking for more resources to help you get started, our business planning guide is a good place to start. You can also download our free business plan template .

Think of business planning as a process, instead of a document

Think about business planning as something you do often , rather than a document you create once and never look at again. If you take the time to write a plan that really fits your own company, it will be a better, more useful tool to grow your business. It should also make it easier to share your vision and strategy so everyone on your team is on the same page.

Adjust your plan regularly to use it as a business management tool

Keep in mind that businesses that use their plan as a management tool to help run their business grow 30 percent faster than those businesses that don't. For that to be true for your company, you'll think of a part of your business planning process as tracking your actual results against your financial forecast on a regular basis.

If things are going well, your plan will help you think about how you can re-invest in your business. If you find that you're not meeting goals, you might need to adjust your budgets or your sales forecast. Either way, tracking your progress compared to your plan can help you adjust quickly when you identify challenges and opportunities—it's one of the most powerful things you can do to grow your business.

Prepare to pitch your business

If you're planning to pitch your business to investors or seek out any funding, you'll need a pitch deck to accompany your business plan. A pitch deck is designed to inform people about your business. You want your pitch deck to be short and easy to follow, so it's best to keep your presentation under 20 slides.

Your pitch deck and pitch presentation are likely some of the first things that an investor will see to learn more about your company. So, you need to be informative and pique their interest. Luckily, just like you can leverage an example business plan template to write your plan, we also have a gallery of over 50 pitch decks for you to reference.

With this gallery, you have the option to view specific industry pitches or get inspired by real-world pitch deck examples.

Ready to get started?

Now that you know how to use an example business plan to help you write a plan for your business, it's time to find the right one.

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