Free simple business plan template (and what to include in it)
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Planning to start a business ? You’ll need business plan. This document adds structure to your proposal and helps you focus your objectives on an achievable and realistic target. It should cover every aspect of your journey, from ideation to competitor analysis.
Writing a business plan doesn’t need to be a difficult process, but if you want it done properly, it will usually take around one month to get right.
Especially in today’s capricious economy, there’s a lot to consider. Investors are looking for founders who are aware of the challenges ahead and how to properly plan for them.
Get your free business plan template:
Below is our 25-page free business template . It has everything you need to create a comprehensive business plan in nine key sections. We’ve also written an easy explainer of what to include in each section, below. Download your PDF plan now, and let’s start filling it in!
Click here to download your free Business Plan template PDF – you can fill in your own details and those of your business, its target market, your customers, competitors and your vision for growth.
What to include in your business plan template
There’s a lot of information online about how to write your first business plan. We’re here to cut through the noise by telling you what is, and isn’t, required to satisfy stakeholders and give your brand a clear North Star to aim for.
By the end, you’ll have a plan to make even Alan Sugar proud and can get started with the most exciting part – running your business.
Jump to each section of your business plan:
- Executive Summary
- Personal summary
- Business idea
- Your product or service
- Market analysis
- Competitor analysis
- Cash forecast
- Operations and logistics
- Backup plan
Five top tips for writing a business plan
How long should my business plan be, is it ok to copy a business plan.
Throughout this guide, we’ve featured an example business plan template for a new restaurant opening in Birmingham called ‘The Plew’. In each section, you’ll be able to see what the contents we’re describing would look like in a ‘real-life’ document.
1. Executive summary
This section is a summary of your entire business plan. Because of this, it is a good idea to write it at the end of your plan, not the beginning.
Just as with the overall business plan, the executive summary should be clearly written and powerfully persuasive, yet it should balance sales talk with realism in order to be convincing. It should be no more than 1,000 words.
It should cover:
- Mission statement – what is your company’s purpose?
- Business idea and opportunity – what unique selling point (USP) will you provide?
- Business model – how will your business operate?
- Business objectives – what are you aiming to achieve?
- Target market – who is your customer base?
- Management team – who are the owners/senior staff?
- Competition – who are you competing against?
- Financial summary – can you prove the business will be profitable?
- Marketing strategy – what is your marketing plan and associated costs?
- Timeline – how long will it take to launch/grow your new business?
It sounds like a lot – but don’t feel you have to spend hours putting this together. Here’s what the above information for an executive summary might look like when put into our example business plan template for ‘The Plew’:
Startups’ business plan template example: executive summary
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2. Personal summary
Investors want to know who they’re investing in, as much as what. This is where you tell people who you are, and why you’re starting your business.
Outline your general contact details first, giving your telephone number, email address, website or portfolio, and any professional social media profiles you might have.
Personal branding can be a great way to sell your business and develop trust with investors. Run through this checklist to tell the reader more about yourself, and put your business ambitions into context.
- What skills/qualifications do you have?
- What are your passions in your career ?
- What is/are your area(s) of industry expertise?
- Why do you want to run your own business?
Here’s what our two fictional co-founders of ‘The Plew’ might write in their personal summaries for our example business plan. CEO Gabrielle Shelby, has highlighted her expertise in the restaurant industry, while CFO Freya Moore outlines her accounting and finance knowledge.
Startups’ business plan template example: personal summary
3. Business idea
This section is essentially to offer a general outline of what your business idea is, and why it brings something new to the market.
Here, you should include your general company details, such as your business name and a one-line summary of your business idea known as an elevator pitch . This section should also list a few key business objectives to show how you plan to scale over the next 1-3 years.
We also recommend carrying out a SWOT analysis as part of your strategic planning to tell investors what the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are for your business idea. Think about:
- Strengths: ie. why is this a good time to enter the sector?
- Weaknesses: ie. what market challenges might you encounter?
- Opportunities: ie. what demand is your product/service meeting in today’s market?
- Threats: ie. how will the business be financed to maintain liquidity?
In the template below, you can see a breakdown of the above information for ‘The Plew’. At the top is its mission statement: “to craft an unforgettable dining experience in a chic atmosphere.”
Startups’ business plan template example: business idea
4. Your products or services
Now it’s time to explain what you are selling to customers and how will you produce your sales offering.
Use this section to answer all of the below questions and explain what you plan to sell and how. Just like your business idea outline, your answers should be concise and declarative.
- What product(s) or service(s) will you sell?
- Do you plan to offer new products or services in the future?
- How much does the product or service cost to produce/deliver?
- What is your pricing strategy ?
- What sales channels will you use?
- Are there legal requirements to start this business?
- What about insurance requirements?
- What is the growth potential for the product or service?
- What are the challenges? eg. if you’re looking to sell abroad, acknowledge the potential delays caused by post-Brexit regulations.
What insurance and licensing requirements do you need to consider?
Depending on what your business offers, you might need to invest in insurance or licensing. Our How To Start guides have more details about sector-specific insurance or licensing.
Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, and Employers’ Liability are the most well-known types of business insurance . We’ve listed some other common other licensing and insurance requirements below:
In our example product/service page for ‘The Plew”s business plan, the founders choose to separate this information into multiple pages. Below, they outline their cost and pricing, as well as sales strategy. But they also include an example menu, to offer something a bit more unique and tantalising to the reader:
Startups’ business plan template example: product list and pricing strategy
Our below guide will give you detailed advice on how to write a quality business plan, and our PDF download above can give you a clear template to work through.
But, creating an effective business plan needs….planning! That’s where a high quality planning tool can help.
We recommend creating an account with monday to use this tool – there’s even a free trial . Doing so means you can start your entrepreneurial journey on the right foot.
5. Market analysis
This section demonstrates your understanding of the market you are entering, and any challenges you will likely face when trying to establish your company.
This section pulls all of your target market and customer research together to indicate to stakeholders that you are knowledgable about the sector and how to succeed in it.
- Who is your typical customer and where are they are based? Use Voice of Customer insights to describe average age, location, budget, interests, etc.
- How many customers will your business reach? Outline the size of your market, and the share of the market that your business can reach.
- Have you sold any products/services to customers already? If yes, describe these sales. If no, have people expressed interest in buying your products or services?
- What have you learned about the market from desk-based research? What are the industry’s current challenges? How has it been affected by the economic downturn? What has been the response to AI?
- What have you learned about the market from field research? What customer feedback have you gleaned from tests like questionnaires or focus groups?
What is your marketing strategy?
Once you’ve highlighted who your rivals are in the market, provide details on how you plan to stand out from them through your marketing plan . Outline your business’ USP, your current promotional strategy, and any associated advertising costs.
‘The Plew’ identifies its target audience as young, adventurous people in their mid-30s. Because of the restaurant’s premium service offering, its audience works in a well-paid sector like tech:
Startups’ business plan template example: customer analysis
6. Competitor analysis
This section demonstrates how well you know the key players and rivals in the industry. It should show the research you have carried out in a table format.
Begin by listing the key information about your competitors. Don’t worry about sounding too critical, or too positive. Try to prioritise accuracy above all else.
- Business size
- Product/service offering
- Sales channels
- Strengths/weaknesses
Competitors will take two forms, either direct or indirect. Direct competitors sell the same or similar products or services. Indirect competitors sell substitute or alternative products or services.
Here’s a breakdown of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, and threats presented by a competitor restaurant for ‘The Plew’ called Eateria 24. At the bottom, the founders have written what learnings they can take from the chart.
Startups’ business plan template example: competitor analysis
Check out our list of the top competitor analysis templates to download free resources for your business, plus advice on what to include and how to get started.
7. Cash forecast
Outline your financial outlook including how much you expect to spend, and make, in your first year
All of your considered costs can be put into one easy-to-read document called a monthly cash forecast. Cash forecasts contain:
1. Incoming costs such as sales revenue, customer account fees, or funding.
2. Outgoing costs such as staff wages or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) . The latter can cover everything from advertising costs to food ingredients.
For those firms which have already started trading, include any previous year’s accounts (up to three years) as well as details of any outstanding loans or assets.
Annual cash forecast: what is it?
By conducting 12 monthly cash forecasts, you can create an annual cash forecast to work out when your company will become profitable (also known as breakeven analysis ) . You will break even when total incoming costs = total outgoing costs.
In your annual cost budget, make sure to also include month opening/closing balance. This is important to monitor for accounting, particularly for year-end.
- Opening balance = the amount of cash at the beginning of the month
- Closing balance = the amount of cash at the end of the month
The opening balance of any month will always be the same as the closing balance of the previous month. If you are repeatedly opening months with a negative closing balance, you need to adjust your spending. Here’s an example of what ‘The Plew’s financials might look like in its first year of operation:
Startups’ business plan template example: cash forecast
8. Operations and logistics
Explain how your day-to-day business activities will be run, including key business partnerships around production and delivery.
A.) Production
List all of the behind the scenes information about how your business will operate. Include:
- Management team – who do you plan to hire as senior staff and why?
- Premises – where will you be based? What will be the cost?
- Materials – what materials/equipment will you need to make your product/service?
- Staffing – how many employees will you recruit ? How much will they cost?
- Insurance – what insurance do you need for production?
B.) Delivery
Detail how your customers will receive your product or service. Include:
- Distribution – how will you sell your product to customers?
- Transport – how will you transport the product/service to customers or partners?
- Insurance – what insurance do you need for delivery?
C.) Supplier analysis
Lastly, you should carry out a supplier analysis. Write down 2-3 suppliers you plan to use as part of your business operations and evaluate them on factors like location and pricing.
In our example business plan for ‘The Plew’, the founders have chosen to present this information in an easily-digestible chart, breaking down the leadership and employees into two different areas: product development and operations.
Startups’ business plan template example: staffing section
9. Backup plan
Explain how you will manage any surprise losses if your cash forecast does not go to plan.
In the event that your business does not go to plan, there will be costs to incur. A backup plan outlines to potential investors how you will pay back any outstanding loans or debt.
In the short-term:
If your cash-flow temporarily stalls, what steps could you take to quickly raise money or make savings? For example, by negotiating shorter payment terms with your customers.
In the long-term:
If you’ve noticed a drop in sales that seems to be persisting, what changes can you make that would improve cash flow longer term? For example, can you do more of your business online to reduce rent fees?
To placate investors even further, it’s a good idea to include details about potential support channels you can utilise (eg. a business network or contact) who might be able to help if you get caught in a sticky cash-flow situation.
- Keep your predictions realistic. Your business plan should showcase your knowledge of the sector and what’s achievable. It’s not about impressing investors with big numbers or meaningless buzzwords.
- Don’t go overboard. Business plans should be engaging, which means sticking to the point and avoiding a lot of long-winded sentences. Keep your executive summary to less than 1,000 words, for example.
- End with supporting documents. Use your appendix to include product diagrams or detailed research findings if these are helpful to your business case.
- Get a second pair of eyes. Everyone misses a spelling error or two – invite a trusted business contact or associate to look over your business plan before you send it anywhere.
- Leave enough time to write! It’s exciting to think about getting your business up and running – but planning is an important step that can’t be rushed over. Spend at least a month on writing to get all the details correct and laid-out.
We recommend your business plan is kept to around 25 pages. That should give you enough space to include all the key information without going overboard on the detail. It’s also how many pages are in our template (found at the top of this page).
You can of course go longer or shorter. But it’s always a good idea to keep things concise – your executive summary, for example, should be no more than 1,000 words.
Aim for clarity of writing first and foremost, and use bullet points or graphics to convey facts and figures. If you can cover all of the above in 25 pages, you’ll likely hit the perfect middle ground.
Would a painter to copy Van Gogh? While copying a painting isn’t illegal, it’s still considered unethical in the art world. Similarly, imitating a business plan verbatim is unwise and could potentially lead to legal issues if you misrepresent it as your own work.
Copying another artist’s work, even if skillfully done, also lacks originality. Likewise, a business plan’s value lies in its innovative idea, market analysis, and strategic execution. Imitating someone else’s plan demonstrates limited creative thinking, and could dissuade investors who read hundreds, maybe thousands, of business plans specifically to seek out unique ideas.
You can certainly find inspiration from other business plans in your early drafts – or ask an AI business idea generator for help – but the end creation must feel like you’re pitching a new product or service if you want it to have the “wow” factor.
At Startups.co.uk, we’re here to help small UK businesses to get started, grow and succeed. We have practical resources for helping new businesses get off the ground – use the tool below to get started today.
What Does Your Business Need Help With?
From plan to profit
Designing a business plan is very important for laying the foundation of your business. Ensure you spend at least one month on it to save you from headaches down the line.
Once your plan is complete, you’ll then be ready to look at other aspects of business set-up, such as registering your company. Sound daunting? Don’t worry!
Our experts have pulled together an 11-step guide for How to Start a Business in 2024 . It will tell you everything you need to know to put your new plan into action.
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