business plan wizard free

• Business Plans

Professional Business Plan Template to Customize

Create Your Business Plan

• Create a comprehensive business plan.
• Easily customize your slides to fit your needs.
• Showcase data with 40+ chart options.

Chosen by brands large and small

Our business plan maker is used by over 27,500,000 marketers, communicators, executives and educators from over 133 countries that include:

Powerful Presentation Features That Help You Shine

Professional business plan templates.

Create a presentation or document business plan quickly and easily with Visme's template options. Customize each page or slide to fit your vision and information to pitch to cofounders or investors. Get started today.

Data visualization made easy

Tell your story with the data to match using easy-to-customize charts and graphs. Select from 40+ chart and graph visualizations and find the one that proves your point clearly. Upload static data or connect to Google sheets for live data.

Customize every aspect of your presentation with your own images and text

Convey the exact mood you desire for your business plan with over a million images, thousands of icons, dozens of charts and data widgets to visualize information in an engaging way. Apply a color scheme to all your slides with one click. Add animation effects, transitions, interactivity, pop-ups, rollovers and third-party content to support your business case.

Speed things up with Visme AI Designer

Go from a text prompt to a ready-to-use design in mere minutes with Visme AI Designer (Beta). Do you need to create a business plan but lack the time? Let Visme AI Designer help you save time and effort. Describe your desired project to our AI Designer Chatbot, choose a style, and relax as AI Designer generates your project.

Apply our simple business plan template to give you a head start.

Meet the Team

Mission Statement

Product Overview

Value Propositions

Industry Landscape

Market Size

Customer Descriptions

Market Growth

Competitive Comparison

Competitive Advantage

Business Growth Projections

Marketing Mix

Conversion Funnels

Funding Needed

Share Your Business Plan

Finished your business plan and ready to share with the world? Visme’s business plan template makes it easy to publish, download and get feedback on your design. Simply download as a high resolution image or PDF, or publish it to the web and send a link to access it.

LEARN ABOUT BUSINESS PLANS

What is a Business Plan ?

A business plan is a written document or presentation that allows business leaders to share the business potential and goals, as well as your plans for the future. The business plan is a key step in working towards getting investors looking at your product.

If you're looking to flesh out a new business idea or venture in order to get cofounders or investors on board, you need a business plan. Get started with one of our templates to give you a starting point and framework for your own plan.

Why do I need a business plan?

Writing a business plan is a key step in securing funding and convincing high level executives that your business is worth their time. A well-executed business plan is crucial to the success of a business and it’s one of the first steps you should take.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED + MORE

Make Your Business Plan Stand Out

Take your business to new heights with a beautifully designed business plan. Our tools put the power of visual communication in the hands of entrepreneurs and business owners, no matter their level of design skills.

MAKE IT ENGAGING

Interactivity

Highlight your business’ unique selling point with interactive hotspots and rollover effects. Capture the attention of investors and stakeholders with interactive content.

VISUALIZE YOUR DATA

Charts & Graphs

Showcase in-depth data, statistics, and financial projections in a unique way. Harness the power of data visualization with Visme’s professional infographics, charts and graphs.

MEASURE THE IMPACT

Gain insight into the impact of your business plan with an analytics report. Track how many people have viewed your business plan and gauge its effectiveness.

HOW IT WORKS

How to Make a Business Plan in 5 Steps

If you are wondering how to write a business plan, you’ve come to the right place. Instead of starting your business plan from scratch, use our business plan templates to get you going in no time.

Learn more about creating your own business plan presentation or document by going through our step-by-step tutorial below or watching this quick video.

• Log into your Visme dashboard or create a new account, then click Create New Project.
• Access our business plan templates by searching for “Business Plan” in the search box.
• Select the template, then customize the content for your business.
• Update any charts and graphs to reflect your business goals.
• Once all your content is added, customize colors, logos, icons and more.

Questions About the Business Plan Template

How much does it cost to create a business plan with the business plan template, what types of charts and graphs are available in visme, can i use my brand kit to create my business plan with visme, is the business plan template completely customizable, can i use any photo in the image library in my business plan, your business plans deserve to be beautiful and so does the rest of your content.

Sign Up Free

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.

In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.

Looking for tools to help grow your business?

Tell us where you're at in your business journey, and we'll direct you to the experience that fits.

on NerdWallet's secure site

The 5 best business plan software options

The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.

This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

1. LivePlan

Best overall business plan software.

If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.

Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.

Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option

No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee

Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets

Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates

Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support

Limited integration options

Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections

Can be difficult to learn

Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account

More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries

Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online

Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations

Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF

Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included

Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals

Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary

Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months

Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months

Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month

2. GoSmallBiz

Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.

Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.

In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.

Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources

Multiple business tools in one software

Website consultation analysis and business assessment

Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements

Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives

Limited business plan features

Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word

Outdated interface

Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard

Ability to create financial statements and projections

Free website hosting and website builder

Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp

Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations

HR document builder

Corporate minutes writer

Business documents library

Business courses library

Unlimited business consultation

$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation

Best for simple, fast business plan creation.

If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.

This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.

Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation

Seven-day free trial

Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process

Affordable plans with annual discount option

Limited additional educational resources

Only one template option

No integration options

Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats

Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize

Automatically generated financial statements

Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)

Real-time performance score to track your progress

Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)

Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan

Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required

Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually

Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually

Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.

Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.

Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools

Lifetime access subscription option

User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder

Excellent educational resources

Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital

No free trial

No templates based on industry

No mobile access

Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building

Financial command center to track all business financials in one place

Unlimited account collaborators

Ability to share business plan online with investors

Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access

Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com

Monthly plan: $29 per month

Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year

Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee

5. PlanGuru

Best for financial planning and budgeting.

Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.

Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.

Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities

Substantial library of resources

Cloud-based and desktop options

14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee

Expensive, especially for additional users

Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing

Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge

Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)

Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel

Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years

Over 20 standard forecasting methods

Formula builder to create custom methods

Ratios and KPIs

Dashboard and reporting tools

Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support

14-day free trial

$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)

$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)

What to look for in business plan software

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.

So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:

Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.

Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.

User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.

The bottom line

There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.

This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.

Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

On a similar note...

Home » Blog » 8 Best Free Business Plan Software Tools of 2024

8 Best Free Business Plan Software Tools of 2024

• October 12, 2022

Table of Contents

Whether you’re a startup or an established business, having a well-crafted business plan is essential to your success. Not only will it give you a roadmap to follow, but it will also help you secure funding and attract top talent.

There are a lot of business plan software options out there, so how do you know which one is right for you? To help you make the best decision, we’ve compiled a list of the eight best free business plan software programs.

Review of the Best Free Business Plan Software

Coro is a free business plan software that helps you create a professional and successful business plan. Coro offers many features that make it easy to get started, including templates, financials, and more.

With Coro, you can be sure that your business plan will be comprehensive and well-organized. In addition, Coro offers support and resources to help you through the process of creating and implementing your business plan.

• Templates for different types of businesses.
• Available in English and Spanish . 
• Comes with a built-in CRM system.
• Free remediation for 14 days.
• Has three months audit trail.
• Coro allows users to collaborate with others on their business plans, making it ideal for businesses that have multiple stakeholders.
• The software includes financial tools that help users track and forecast expenses and income. 
• The software offers various marketing and sales management features, including the ability to create and track campaigns. 
• Coro provides user analytics that helps businesses measure the performance of their business plans. 
• It entails all threats such as malware & ransomware, phishing, hacking & access control, insider threats, and data governance.
• The free version has some limitations regarding features and functionality.
• Coro Free – $0 per User / Month.
• Coro Flexible Pay monthly with no commitment $8.99 per User / Month (Billed Monthly).
• Coro Annual – For companies who want to save costs, SAVE 22% by paying $6.99 per User / Month (Billed Annually).

Read Also: Can I use Business Plan Software to present to investors?

Cuttles offers a 7-day free trial, and in this period, you can get familiar with its features and examine if it is suitable for your business before moving to a paid plan. You can create a custom business plan with Cuttles in just minutes.

Cuttles allows you to include all the information you need in your business plans, such as your company’s mission statement, market analysis, product or service description, financial projections, etc.

In addition, Cuttles offers a variety of templates that you can use to create your custom business plan.

Features of Cuttles

• Step-by-Step Wizard.
• Pitch Presentation.
• Financial Templates.
• Investor Management.
• Social Sharing.
• Business Plan Templates.
• Collaboration.
• Easy to use
• Fast navigation between sections.
• Pre-filled information.
• Produces high-quality professional document templates.
• Allows you to apply your company logo and other branding elements
• Tailors the text to reflect your unique voice and style
• Users can customize the expected outcomes based on realistic goals.
• Cuttles takes a lot of time to set up. 
• For Seed Plan Founders startup at €8 per month billed annually (save 58%)
• For Grow Plan founders startup with €16per month billed annually  (save 44%)
• For Series PlanFounders startups, €48 per month is billed annually (save 39%) 

InPhase is a free business plan and business intelligence software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners to visualize and create their vision for the growth of their businesses.

With an easy-to-use interface and all the tools you need like, InPhase makes it simple to brainstorm ideas, document them in your own words, and share your vision with others. It attracts investors or simply communicates your ideas more clearly.

• Adeptly execute plans
• It comes with templates.
• It has a library of resources.
• Ability to create “What If” scenarios.
• It has an intuitive interface.
• Eliminate duplicated activities
• Encourage user engagement
• Identify critical problems faster.
• Make compliance easy
• It does not have a mobile application
• Free Version: It costs $0 and is free for each user
• Basic Plan: It costs $14,98 per month for each user.

Read Also: Crafting a Comprehensive Business Plan Writing Framework  

Learnspot is a powerful Spain-based, user-friendly business plan software designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners create effective financial plans for their companies.

With an intuitive interface, various valuable templates, and an extensive library of financial formulas and calculations, Leanspot makes it easy to create professional financial plans with minimal effort.

What’s more? They have a free version and a free trial.  They also have business intelligence capacities. However, it is geared far too heavily toward a Spanish audience.

• User-friendly interface.
• Collaborative editing.
• Built-in sharing tools.
• Powerful tracking tool.
• Built-in commenting tools to get feedback.
• Assesses the feasibility of your business idea.
• Access to SWOT
• Extensive support and guidance
• Formats different combinations of data according to industry best practices.
• It caters more to Spanish users.
• For startups, Advance €30/per month
• For Advisors First month is free after 18€/month
• For Investors, Individuals €99/month

Enloop is a great option for those looking for a free business plan software program. It offers a free trial for a full week with no obligation to provide credit card information included. Enloop is solely focused on the creation of business plans. 

It features automated text writing, comparisons of financial forecasts, and a real-time performance score that monitors your advancement. The clear and straightforward instructions provided while using the software make it simple, even for those who have never created a business plan.

• Automatic financial statements generation
• Financial Performance Analysis
• Real-time performance analysis
• Plans are reasonably priced and offer an annual discount
• Automatic text generation is available to help with the business plan writing process.
• It only has one template option
• Free Trial: A 7-day free trial, access to most features so you can familiarize yourself with the software.
• Detailed Plan: It costs $19.95 per month.
• Enterprise Plan: It costs $39.95 per month.

Recommended reading: 5 Best HCM Software in 2024 (Reviewed)

Business Plan Quick Builder

The Business Plan Quick Builder is an online tool that helps users accelerate the process of creating a business plan. 

Business Plan Quick Builder’s algorithm efficiently creates a complete business plan. For example, the generated business plan lets users know the different aspects of their businesses. Plus, it also includes accurate financial projections of the businesses. 

In addition, Quick Builder can also be used by those who want to update their existing business plans.

• Financial forecast
• Automatic text generation
• PDF Support
• It has over 400 templates to choose from
• It saves time
• It is efficient
• It can only be used online.
• Free Plan: It costs nothing and comes with the basic essential features.
• Basic Plan: It costs $9.99 monthly 

ESM+Strategy

Every successful business has a well-defined strategy. Without a clear direction, it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day grind and lose sight of your goals. That’s where ESM+ comes in. 

This software helps you map out your goals, track your progress, and make adjustments on the fly. It also provides tools to help you implement your strategy and get the most out of your team. From project management to task tracking, it has got you covered.

• Automation software for the Balanced Scorecard
• Visual charts and online reporting.
• Cascading Balanced Scorecards
• Dynamic strategy maps
• Instant-generated strategic reports and papers in PDF, PPT, and Excel.
• Personal Balanced Scorecards and employee reviews
• Data Visualization
• Customizable user interface
• Mobile app not available for macOS and iOS
• Basic Plan: Costs $0, it has valuable features like Excel Exports, Balanced Scorecard Designer, SWOT, Porter’s 5 Forces, PESTEL , and Change Agendas. It also allows users to create measures, goals, and strategic initiatives
• Pro Plan: It costs $880 monthly. It has features in the basic plan and other remarkable features like an unlimited number of users, Balanced Scorecard Automation, Custom Balanced Scorecard Templates, KPI Tracking , Initiative Prioritization, Excel Data Loading, Strategy Execution Library, and Strategic Initiative Project Management. It also allows its users to design dynamic strategy maps.
• Enterprise Plan: Contact ESM+Strategy for pricing. It has features in the pro plan and other features like several Scorecards, Configuration Instructions, Views of organizational/scorecard structure, Views with Cascading and Alignment, Permission framework based on scorecards, API integrations, etc. 

Data consolidation across scorecards, Loading Excel data across many scorecards, Dashboards tailored to each scorecard, Zapier connectors With onboarding. Users also get free data buildout.

Recommended reading: The 6 Best OKR Software Tools to Help You Achieve Your Goals

Workfacta is a simple yet powerful tool that helps businesses track employee productivity. By tracking employee login times, activity levels, and project deadlines, businesses can clearly see which employees are meeting their targets and which ones are falling behind. 

In addition, Workfacta provides employees with a clear set of deadlines and milestones to hit, helping them stay on track and motivated. As a result, Workfacta is an invaluable tool for any business that wants to improve employee productivity .

• Goal Setting and Tracking
• Strategic Planning
• Forecasting
• Key Performance Indicators
• KPI Monitoring
• Progress Tracking
• To maximize user experience, sorting and filtering options could be improved.
• Free Forever: It costs $0 and allows up to 3 users and 1 team. It has basic features like a weekly meeting schedule, three discussion items, team performance, two dashboard widgets, etc.
• Business Premium Plan: It costs $49 monthly per user, and it contains features in the free plan, unlimited users, flexible weekly meetings, Quarterly Execution Score Targets, company performance, and supports up to 3 teams.
• Enterprise Plan: Contact Workfacta for pricing. It has additional features like Xero integration, Number API, Cross-team features, enterprise widget, etc.

The first step is to define your business goals and objectives clearly. What are you hoping to accomplish? Next, you’ll need to analyze your industry and target market thoroughly. What is the current landscape, and what trends are you seeing? This will help you to create realistic financial projections. Once you have all this information, you can start developing your business plan. 

Yes, there are business plan templates available on Microsoft Word. However, the quality of these templates can vary greatly. Some are very simplistic and lack the level of detail that is often required in a business plan. Others are more comprehensive and can provide a good starting point for developing a business plan. The bottom line is that it is important to carefully evaluate any template you consider using to ensure that it meets your needs.

A business plan is a formal document that outlines the goals of your business. Examples are Executive Summary, Products and Services, Market Analysis, Sales and Marketing Plan, Operational Plan, Financial Plan, and appendix. With a well-written business plan, you’ll be on your way to achieving your entrepreneurial goals.

A business plan’s length depends on your business’s size, and complexity, a rule of thumb is that it shouldn’t be more than 30 pages. If you are seeking investment, your business plan will need to be even shorter, as investors do not have time to read through a long document.

You should avoid including information irrelevant to the business. There shouldn’t be grammatical or spelling errors, as this can make the business appear amateurish. Lastly, the document should be concise; avoid using flowery language or excessively long sentences.

Final Thoughts

When searching for the best business plan software, it is essential to look beyond the program’s price. Ultimately, the best business plan software can be defined by its ability to help you create, edit, and manage your business plan effectively and efficiently.

Whether it provides templates or allows you to create your own from scratch, offers powerful collaboration tools, or helps you organize financial information and projections. The best free business plan software should always aim to meet your specific needs and help take your business to the next level.

If you still can’t decide, we recommend giving Coro a try. It’s a tremendous all-around software that offers a free trial, so you can see if it’s the right fit for you.

Recent Post

• Webinars vs. Seminars: Which Should You go For?
• 14 Best Webinar Software for Online Events in 2024
• 6 Best Warehouse Management Systems to Save You Time and Money
• 5 Best HCM Software in 2024 (Reviewed)
• What Is a Live Webinar, and How Does It Work?
• 9 Best Web and Video Conferencing Software
• Top 10 Countries With the Highest Salaries for Architects

With our platform, you have the opportunity to earn money by writing high-quality blog posts that resonate with our audience.

Sign up today and start earning money for your writing.

Read More Blogs

7 Best Sketching Tools for Creative Expression 

Sketching is your starting point if you are a lover of art or say you have…

The Best Membership Site Platforms to Launch…

Entrepreneurs, course creators, and bloggers are always looking for ways to share their expertise and knowledge…

Empower Your Sole Proprietorship with the Best…

The evolution of bookkeeping over time has peaked in this present age of technology. The existence…

Guides & Tips

• Privacy Policy
• Compare Products

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager

Free Online Business Plan Maker

Create a compelling and convincing business plan online with Venngage. Templates available for your every need, whether it's business plans, financial plans, marketing plans, and more.

Not a designer? No problem. With our easy-to-edit templates and online business plan generator, anyone can create a professional business plan for free. Over 40,000 businesses already use and trust Venngage.

Design from one of our business plan templates

Choose from hundreds of business plan templates. see all business plan templates, launch a profitable business with a visually engaging business plan.

Your business is unique and impactful — so should your business plan. Make sure the plan you share with investors, lenders, and other stakeholders is not only packed with key data and information but visually engaging too.

Looking to make your business plan stand out from the pack? Venngage's unique business plan templates add serious style to your ideas. Venngage's Business Plan Builder is a fraction of the cost of hiring a writer — you can even try creating a business plan for free.

Whether you're looking for a traditional business plan format or something more creative, Venngage's easy-to-edit business plan templates let anyone design business plans. No experience required. Free business plan templates available.

Nothing's better to convince your stakeholders than some sweet data that speaks volume. Engage and persuade your investors by visualizing your business plan data with Venngage's unique charts, graphs and diagrams.

Create a winning business plan with Venngage in 5 steps:

Design an unforgettable and convincing business plan today:

Business Plan Templates

Save money and hours of design time with Venngage's easy-to-edit templates and free business plan generator. Free online business plan templates available.

Easy-to-Use Editor

Venngage's online business plan builder is intuitive to use. The drag-and-drop editor means faster and better designs even when you don't have design experience.

Download Business Plans

Download your document with one click as an image (PNG), PDF, Interactive PDF or PowerPoint file. Add it to your Google Docs or Slides, Word doc or existing PowerPoint slides (paid plans only).

Visualize Business Plan Data

Persuade your stakeholders and tell a story with your business plan data through charts, graphs, maps and diagrams. Copy and paste your data or upload it in a .csv file in one click.

Brand Your Business Plans

Use Venngage's My Brand Kit to automatically import your brand identity. Then, add your brand colors and fonts to any business plan designs with one click.

Collaborate In Real Time

Collaborate with your whole team with Venngage's real-time collaboration. Leave helpful feedback through comments and create impactful business plans.

Easy-to-edit professional business plan templates

• Our team of professional designers have created a collection of unique, online business plan templates that anyone can customize. Pick a simple template, add your text and data and you're done.
• Or choose a more creative template and play around with the fonts, photos, icons, colors, and more.
• Whatever the case, Venngage's drag-and-drop free business plan generator lets anyone create a beautiful, professional business plan without any design experience.
• Share a public link for free from our online business plan creator. Don't worry. You can go back and edit your design at any time.

One-click branding with My Brand Kit

Show off important metrics with professional data visualizations

Collaborate with your whole team throughout the design process.

Business Plan Maker FAQs

How much does venngage's business plan builder cost.

Anyone can make a business plan for free and share a link to their work. Our Premium ($19/month) and Business ($49/month) plans include premium, professional business plan templates and features, plus access to multiple download formats.

How can I write my own business plan?

Your business plan can include these sections: executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization management, service/product line, marketing & sales, funding requests, financial projections, etc. Add sections to your business plan as you see fit — depending on the kind of plan you're creating. No matter the type of business plans you're making, Venngage has a template for that.

Can I download my business plan?

Yes! You can download your business plan in PNG, PDF, Interactive PDF, or PowerPoint formats (paid plans only). It's free to share a public link. It's also free to create an account and test out our online business plan maker with a free business plan template.

Wow your clients and investors at first sight — Create a convincing and winning business plan with Venngage's online business plan generator

Popular business plan templates you can edit right away

Nonprofit organization business plan template, business operational plan template, real estate investment business plan template, business continuity and disaster recovery plan template.

Free Business Plan Generator

Do you still spend hours writing and creating a business plan? Not after today. Upmetrics’ free business plan generator simplifies writing a business plan and helps you create a comprehensive and compelling lean plan in seconds.

Sounds exciting? Let’s learn more about getting started with our free business plan generator and using it to draft your plan.

Using Upmetrics’ Free Business Plan Generator

Need help using the free business plan generator? Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a business plan using the free generator in no time.

Creating a business plan requires filling in 4 critical fields—company overview, marketing details, competitor information, and financial overview. Let’s start with the first.

1. Enter the Company Overview

Provide a company overview in approximately 3-4 sentences, including your business’s name, service offerings, USPs, mission, goals, and target market. Here’s an example for you:

2. Add Marketing Details

The next step—provide marketing details. Start by answering how your business plans to attract new customers and what you want to achieve with your business.

You may also include details about your marketing budget and preferred marketing channels. Here’s an example for your reference:

“i.e. We will attract customers through a strong online presence, social media marketing, and in-store promotions. Offering loyalty programs and hosting community biking events will help build a loyal customer base.”

3. Enter Competitor Information

After adding the marketing details, provide the name of your primary competitor(s) and explain how you are distinct from your competitors.

Describe whether your offerings have any competitive advantages or differentiators. Here’s how it can be done:

“i.e. Our primary competitor is ‘Wheels & Gears,’ but what sets us apart is our personalized customer service and expert bike repair services. We also differentiate ourselves by focusing on eco-friendly and sustainable products.”

4. Provide Financial Overview

Finally,—provide an overview of your business financials. Include what your startup costs are, what your financial strategy would be, and your first-year sales.

We are creating a lean business plan, so it may not require a detailed description of your business financials. Here’s an example for your understanding:

“i.e. Our expected business costs are $87,000 and that includes rent, inventory, equipment, and staff salaries. Our financial strategy is to minimize overhead costs and optimize inventory turnover. We project annual sales to reach $500,000 in the first year.”

5. Click on Generate a Business Plan

You’ve filled in all the necessary fields. It’s time to click “Generate a Business Plan” and see it yourself.

Your lean business plan is ready; you may make a few changes and go ahead with it or choose an AI business plan generator for comprehensive planning.

Make detailed business & financial plans in minutes with

Upmetrics’ AI Business Plan Generator

Plans starting from $7/month

Business Plan Example that will Inspire You

We created this sample CycleWave business plan using Upmetrics’ free generator. Remember, it’s your first draft—you can always go back and re-generate or edit it later.

CycleWave Business Plan

Introduction

Welcome to the business plan for CycleWave, a bicycle retail and repair shop dedicated to providing high-quality bikes and expert maintenance services. Our mission is to promote a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle through cycling while offering exceptional customer service.

Market Overview

The cycling industry is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing interest in health, sustainability, and alternative transportation methods.

The target market includes cycling enthusiasts, commuters, and local community members.

Strong market potential due to growing awareness of the need for eco-friendly and sustainable products.

Competitive Analysis

Primary competitor: Wheels & Gears.

Differentiation factors

• Personalized customer service
• Expertise in bike repair services
• Focus on eco-friendly and sustainable products.

Highlight the advantages of our unique offerings to attract customers away from competitors.

Marketing Plan

Utilize a solid online presence through a professional website to showcase our products, services, and promotions. Implement social media marketing strategies to engage with customers and build brand awareness.

Host community biking events to foster a sense of belonging and attract potential customers. Offer loyalty programs to incentivize repeat business and build a loyal customer base.

Operational Plan

Secure a suitable retail location with ample space for displaying bicycles and providing repair services. Employ knowledgeable staff with expertise in bike repair and customer service.

Create efficient processes for inventory management and maintenance repairs to ensure fast turnaround times. Maintain an attractive and organized store layout to enhance the customer experience.

Financial Plan

Our expected business costs are $87,000, allocated as follows:

• Rent: $30,000
• Inventory: $40,000
• Equipment: $10,000
• Staff Salaries: $7,000

We project annual sales to reach $500,000 in the first year, allowing us to gradually cover expenses and increase profitability.

Conclusion and Call to Action

In conclusion, CycleWave aims to thrive in the bicycle retail and repair industry by offering high-quality bikes, expert maintenance services, personalized customer care, and eco-friendly products. Join us in promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle through cycling.

If you want to support our mission and become part of our cycling community, please contact us or visit our store today!

Upgrade to Make Comprehensive Plans in Minutes

Upmetrics’ free business plan generator is undoubtedly a better way to business plan. However, you may need an upgrade to create a comprehensive, investment-ready plan.

AI business plan generator like Upmetrics make business plan creation a breeze with their modern AI-powered features.

AI writing assistant helps you write, rewrite, edit, or translate sections of your plan, while the forecasting assistant provides revenue and expense stream suggestions for accurate projections.

You also get to access the massive library of 400+ sample business plans . So, all you need to do is export a template into the editor and start preparing your plan with AI .

What are you waiting for? Business planning starts @ $7 per month.

Build your Business Plan Faster

with step-by-step Guidance & AI Assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a free business plan generator.

The free business plan generator is a free-to-use version of Upmetrics’ business plan software. It uses AI-powered features to help users create a business plan. Since it can only create a lean business plan, you need Upmetrics’ advanced features for detailed planning.

Is it really free to use?

Yes, Upmetrics’ free business plan generator is 100% free to use, but the features that come with it are also limited. So, you may consider getting a premium subscription for advanced business planning features.

What information will I need to provide to use the tool?

You must fill in the necessary details to create a business plan using the free generator. The information required may include a company overview, marketing details, competitor information, and a financial overview.

What type of businesses should use your free business plan tool?

Startups and small businesses starting up or operating on tight budgets should consider getting a free business planning tool to create a lean business plan.

Is there a limit to how many plans I can create with your software?

No. As of now, there’s no limit to the number of business plans you can create using Upmetrics’ free business plan generator.

Is a sample plan as useful as creating my own custom version?

Using a sample business plan or template is one of the easiest ways to create your business plan. All you need to do is export a template into the editor and start preparing your plan with AI.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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

ZenBusinessPlans

Home » Business Plan Tips

27 Best Business Plan Writing Software Online (FREE & Paid)

Are you about writing a business plan and you need a software? If YES, here are 27 best professional business plan software online both free and paid options.

Once an entrepreneur gets a business idea, the next thing he or she should think about is to write a business plan that would help actualize the goals of setting up the business. For most people, writing business plans can be tedious and complex, thus making them shy away completely from it.

In this our tech driven world, things are getting simplified and it is the same with business plan writing. Today, there are a number of software applications that can enable a business person write an excellent business plan for his or her new business idea.

By using a software to guide you through the writing process, or investing in a service that taps into an extensive research network to write your business plan for you, you can save yourself a lot of time and focus your strength on other aspects of your business.

If you are a startup entrepreneur who does not have the kind of money it takes to hire professional business plan writers, you can simply get a reliable business plan writing software to do the job for you at a much lower cost. In this article, we have put together a couple of reliable business plan writing software that can help you out of this problem, as well as the prices they go for.

1. LivePlan

• Cost – $9.95 to $139.92 per year

LivePlan has always bagged the top spot whenever it comes to the best business plan software you can find online. This is because the creators of this app provided a slick and interactive service that offers a step-by-step business plan approach to businesses. This business plan writing software also boasts of a rich collection of cloud-based features, and online learning tools. The software also provides easy-to-use templates built to meet your specific goals.

As an added bonus, LivePlan offers advanced financial services that automatically calculate the financial outcomes of your business for the next five years. And if you’re a QuickBooks or Xero user, you can easily import your data into LivePlan’s system to gain a bird’s-eye view of how your business is performing from a financial standpoint.

Its simple and straightforward subscription-based pricing offers an annual and monthly package. Its annual package is priced at a healthy $139.92 per year. If you’re not willing to pay that much up front, opt for its monthly package at $19.95 per month, and enjoy the first month for only $9.95.

2. BizPlanBuilder

• Cost – $19.97 to $97.00

BizPlanBuilder is yet another business plan writing software that has been helping small businesses out over the years. This intuitive software provides a simple wizard that walks users through effective business planning. With its premade, industry-specific templates, BizPlanBuilder can help you craft a functional business plan that reflects your business goals.

While it provides solid business plan services, its flagship service surrounds financials. With a single link, business owners can share their plan with investors online. So instead of sending bulky attachments, users can present their plan directly in a browser using modern navigation.

BizPlanBuilder’s financial tools also come with calculators, charts, and graphs, show financial projections, cost analyses, and budget sheets. The software also allows users to import financial data from their accounting software program into the app to make it easier to work on.

In addition to its business planning and financial features, BizPlanBuilder offers real-time collaboration, which means multiple team members can view and edit the business plan simultaneously. The pricing for BizPlanBuilder starts at $19.97 per month. BizPlanBuilder has 2 different plans such as – Start-Up or Strategic Planning at $19.97 per month and Windows App and Cloud-Based BizPlanBuilder at $97.00 per year.

3. GoSmallBiz.com

• Cost – $39 per month

Founded by NFL Hall of Famer and veteran entrepreneur Fran Tarkenton, GoSmallBiz.com provides hundreds of business-specific templates that generate the exact documents business owners need for their business plans. In addition to these features, this business plan writing software has online calendar management that can schedule meetings, appointments, and customer events while setting up automated reminders.

Another great feature of this online software is its financial statements and projections. Business owners can perform sales and profit analyses and look over income, cash flow, and balance sheets.

For those who are new to business planning, GoSmallBiz.com offers a slew of online learning tools, including business mentoring, business courses, and weekly updates. It also offers users help from a real CEO and business planning expert, so you can be rest assured knowing that you’ll never be steered in the wrong direction.

In terms of pricing, GoSmallBiz.com is priced at an affordable $39 per month. But you can test the waters by opting for their 60-day free trial.

4. Business Plan Pro

• Cost – $99.95 to $159.95

Business Plan Pro is reputed to be the number one best-selling business plan software for ten years straight. As an industry leader among small-business owners, Business Plan Pro offers a flock of top-notch technical and customer support to help new business owners succeed.

Plus, it offers clear instructions and cutting-edge funding tools to create a solid business plan and impress investors. With Business Plan Pro, you also get over 500 complete sample business plans you can use for inspiration or edit directly.

More than a million entrepreneurs have used Business Plan Pro. That includes everyone from first-time business owners to leaders at more than half of the Fortune 500. Business owners can sign up for Business Plan Pro’s Standard edition for $99.95 per month. Or upgrade to the Premier edition for a flat rate of $159.95. Keep in mind that you can cancel anytime if you’re not satisfied.

5. OnePlace

• Costs – $5/mo to $99/mo

OnePlace plays an important role in business plan writing, especially for freelancers. It allows you to track the time you spend on each task. When time is applied, OnePlace automatically calculates leftover effort, which helps you plan more effectively for future projects and tasks.

OnePlace allows businesses to store plans and other documents that can be accessed by members of the team. You can assign an estimated time for a task and keep track of the actual effort spent on the task. It will report on actual versus estimated time so you can compare how well you are meeting your projections.

As an added bonus, OnePlace offers affordable pricing. In fact, its basic plan, which offers limited features, is free. If you need more robust features, move up to its Enterprise plan ($5/mo.), Bronze plan ($24/mo.), Silver plan ($49/mo.), or Gold plan ($99/mo.). OnePlace also offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

6. PlanGuru

• Cost – $99 per month

PlanGuru is yet another comprehensive, and powerful software package in the business plan writing space. Some of the features of this business planning software include; a flexible budgeting that can handle a simple small business, or a larger multi-department operating budget, and financial forecasting that uses multiple methods, including intelligent and turn-key methods – twenty methods in total.

Historical results can also be imported with the general ledger import utility which can then be applied to produce a rolling forecast. The company also offers PlanGuru Launch, a service to bring in expertise that starts at $250 per hour of assistance.

In addition, the software provides business plan writing and management tutoring for entrepreneurs that are still struggling aspects of their business.

A significant downside of this awesome software is the cost, with the least expensive plan costing $99 per month, which only includes a single user, and additional users cost $29 each per month. While there is no free trial, PlanGuru does offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

7. Business Sorter

• Cost – AUD$12 – $768 AUD/year 33% discount

Business planning can be complex and implementation is an ongoing process. Business Sorter provides a really simple, cost-effective way to put together a plan and execute it. Business Sorter promises to simplify and speed up business planning, and claims to be able to flesh out a plan in an hour or two, via a novel 273 card sort system that covers many common situations.

The card sort system lets you work out the basis of your plan in 1–2 hours, instead of many hours or even days. The ability to reword cards is included, or also to add cards to the already expansive deck, so no worries if there is not a pre-made card for your situation.

Unlike some sites that have videos, the educational resources here are provided as PDFs and Word files, which can be quicker to access, but harder to follow for some learners. The lowest tier plan, Basic, starts at $12 monthly, with an annual discount of $80 on an annual basis, is fully featured, and includes up to three team leaders.

• Cost – $9.95 to $39.95

Enloop lets you try its business plan creation capabilities for free with a no-charge version using simple text and no images. If you want anything else more than that, you need to pay at least $19.95 per month. With a paid version, Enloop helps company owners create business plans quickly and easily.

One of the coolest features of Enloop is it’s EPS (Enloop Performance Score). As you create your business plan, Enloop assigns a score to your plan which is displayed as you move through each step of your plan. This score is Enloops scoring of the projected success of your business, which is calculated as a score (1-1000) using Enloop’s proprietary algorithm.

Enloop’s free version lets a single user create a single business plan with three-year forecasts, PDF file output, and a business report card. Enloop’s three paid levels, which range from $9.95 per month to $39.95 per month, add features such as financial ratio analysis, rich text formatting in report creation, and additional users, plans, and charts. Enloop can also let you invite other people to contribute to the same plan.

9. Tarkenton GoSmallBiz

Cost – $99 per year or $14.95 per month

GoSmallBiz from Tarkenton Companies, Inc. is a web-based, template-driven system that offers business planning tools and other resources for small businesses. It begins at $99 per year or $14.95 per month. It can also be purchased as part of a $39-per-month Tarkenton GoSmallBiz membership, which includes other services such as business consultations, a website builder, an HR document builder, customer relationship management (CRM) with email marketing, and more.

Delivered entirely over the web, GoSmallBiz from Tarkenton Companies, Inc. works using a template-driven organization that offers not only business planning tools, but a host of other resources for small businesses, especially learning and mentoring.

Tarkenton GoSmallBiz started out in 1996 doing education and advocacy for small business start-ups. Founded by former NFL player Fran Tarkenton, the company’s main service is to provide consultants who respond to questions about small business owners.

10. Restaurant Success Kit

• Costs – $97

If you aren’t looking for a largely pre-researched and pre-written plan, you may want to consider the Restaurant Success Kit package that is available from RestaurantFunds.com. This package includes an easy-to-use fill-in template that is designed to help restaurant entrepreneurs create effective business plans, as well as a number of other resources designed to be helpful to restaurant owners with various aspects of operations.

The business plan portion of the kit includes several template plan versions, including options that are appropriate if you are creating a plan document to submit to banks or investors for funding consideration. The kit also includes market and demographic research sources and an ebook that can help you more fully understand the process of creating a plan for your restaurant business.

Beyond the planning portion, the kit includes a comprehensive financial software package designed especially for restaurants. Additional kit features include a guide for effective marketing, restaurant operations resources, loss prevention strategies, information about franchising versus opening your own restaurant concept and more. The Restaurant Success Kit costs $97 and comes with a one year money-back guarantee.

11. Business Plan Pro

Business Plan Pro is considered as among the most widely-used business planning application in the business community for almost a decade, outselling all other similar software apps combined. For years, it is a regular entry in the top 10 bestsellers list of Amazon, business applications category. Business Plan Pro is designed to help new and existing businesses of all sizes to easily draft and complete business plans compliant to SBA standards.

With Business Plan Pro, you can remove the guesswork out of drafting and writing a business plan. Business Plan Pro includes 500 sample business plans for hundreds of business types. You can use the built-in Sample Plan Browser to select one sample that suits your business. Trusted by over 1 million entrepreneurs, the tool has been among the leading business plan software solutions for businesses for more than 10 years now.

This business plan software is available in two editions:

• Premier – $159.95; Its a the top seller, with more tools you need to succeed.
• Standard — $99.95, it just gives you what you need to get started with your plan.

Bplans is another online provider of business plan templates, but goes beyond that with additional pitch and SWOT analysis templates. There are also business plan guides, industry reports, and a free course on writing a business plan.

Bplans also publishes a lot of free-to-use articles on business planning, financials, and tax reporting, to help ensure you can keep your figures and projections accurate and compliant. Bplans may not be a software per-say, it is website that provides free business plan templates that can enable you craft your own. This site offers a free, basic template to download.

Score is a nonprofit business mentorship program that offers free business plan templates for both startup and established businesses, as well as planning tools for nonprofits. Their startup business plan is made up of a narrative along with financial worksheets.

The template includes over 150 questions to establish the body of the business plan you are trying to create and the questions can be answered in any order. The executive summary, however, should be completed last. The goal of this completed template is to provide you with a fluid narrative.

14. Office.com

Another software where you can get free business plan templates to write your own is office.com. The Microsoft Office site offers a gallery of templates, including business plan checklists, financials, presentations and marketing. These templates are useful if you want a specific template, rather than a general business plan. In addition, there is a PPT for business presentations for when you are ready to showcase your business to potential investors.

15. Free-Plan

Cost – free

This software is basically a comprehensive Word-based document that contains a detailed framework for building your business plan, including sample text, tables and charts, as well as a manual with section-by-section assistance. Free-Plan is ideal for new and established businesses looking to expand and in need of a business plan for internal or external use. Their micro-plan is designed for startups and very small businesses.

16. U.S. Small Business Administration

This site allows you to fill out a template online, with instructions on what to include in each section. Next to each category, tips and examples are provided as an additional resource. After completing the template, you can generate your business plan and save it to your computer as a Word document.

17. BizGym.com

This Online business planner allows you to fill out a template on the site section by section, tracks your progress on the plan, and allows you to share the plan once it’s completed. BizGym’s recent update offers a collaborative platform with multiple pricing options, including a free “Inventor” plan. Through this application, you can access resources such as a deck builder, budget builder and pivot plan.

18. Business Plan Software

Cost – $129.95

Business plan software is a business planning system that consists of business plan wizard, complete financials, detailed examples, PowerPoint presentation, and color charts and graphs.

This software is second to none. You can convert a simple idea into a master plan, you have at your disposal a set of tools of infinite utility. Not only that, you can also collaborate with your work team, develop your plan, bet on it and follow its progress.

Starting Price – $129.95

19. QuickPlan Restaurant

Cost – $50 to $195

QuickPlan is a business plan writing software that is targeted at restaurants. The software offers a number of industry-specific pre-researched restaurant business plan packages. The QuickPlan Restaurant package is designed for medium-size, single-location full service restaurant and bar enterprises, but options are available for other types of establishments.

QuickPlan actually has several niche-specific plan software options within the food service industry, including versions specific to Mexican restaurants, chicken wing establishments, delicatessens, multi-unit operations and many others.

New QuickPlan packages are released each year, so be sure to verify exactly what is available when you are ready to start working on your plan. The cost for the complete 2012 version QuickPlan Restaurant package is $195; the cost of a download only version is $50 lower.

20. MAUS MasterPlan Lean

Cost – $299.00/one-time

MAUS MasterPlan Lean is challenging the status quo of contemporary business planning. This revolutionary tool takes you through a simply questions and answer format, guiding you through the entire process, presenting to you a stunning business plan with a complete set of financials. The MasterPlan Lean software drives accountability with goals and actions produced throughout the business plan. This means that you will be held accountable to staying on track with the business plan as you grow!

MasterPlan will save you 50-90% of the time, and give you the best chance of successfully creating a highly professional business or marketing plan tailored to your business. MasterPlan business planning software is more advanced than a set of templates that you modify. It is a premium technology platform that works in the background to automate and calculate as much as possible for you.

Overall, this software is a fantastic online software for doing business in medium and large sized companies.

Starting Price $299.00/one-time

21. getlaunched

Cost – $28.48/month

getlaunched is a business plan writing software solution that simplifies business plan generation and evaluation. getLaunched is business plan software that includes features such as collaboration, and financial projections.

This software requests reasonable quantity of data for planing, and the dashboard design is good and the tools provided are very practical. product pricing starts at .48/month

22. Knowlium

Cost – $19 to $49

Knowlium is a business plan software made specially for startups. This software includes drag/drop section, customizable pagination, and infographic widget. The software provides a drag/drop tool to help develop and collaborate on a business plan for your startup. A financial dashboard is available to monitor the status of your business in real-time and you can present your business plan with Custom Branding, embedded Infographics, and Revision Tracking Code to enhance your business solutions.

It also features a customizable paging system and infographic widget. Knowlium Plot helps you stay updated on the digital efforts of your competition, influencers and other key players in your field and strategically improve your market position and take advantage of decisive intelligence gathered from various sources to enable you get the best of opportunities faster while minimizing the risk of threats as much as possible.

The pricing for Knowlium Plot starts at $19.0 per month. Knowlium Plot has 3 different plans such as – Solo at $19.0 per month, Startup at $29.0 per month and Business at $49.0 per month.

23. PlanMagic Business

Cost – $69.95 to $119.95

PlanMagic Corporation is a united states software company that was founded in 1995, and offers a software title called PlanMagic Business. PlanMagic Business has been seen as the Leader in business plan software service. The software now boasts of 12 new versions.

The software offers an easy to use interface, trend-setting business specific planning templates, presentation template, fully automated financial forecasts, with products and personnel wizards, automated charts and state-of-the-art financial analysis tools, several bonus tools and lots of business related information. The Advanced Edition offers analysis and reporting tools not even common in most high-cost accounting software.

Costs start at $69.95/one-year/1user. The Advanced Edition (AE) is $119.95 and offers 2 investor pitches, executive dashboard, state-of-the-art analyses and scenarios as well as an interesting Web marketing guide.

24. EquityNet

Cost – $199 per month

EquityNet provides a free, industry-leading tool that helps businesses and entrepreneurs connect to funding sources that fit their growth plans, including thousands of investors.

The primary focus of EquityNet is right there in the name: a network for getting and providing equity. This is an investor site that also has a business planning tools as part of its overall feature set. The service begins at $199 per month, and certainly helps you create your business plan, but only as part of the process for getting your venture funding rather than being all about ongoing planning or writing the official document.

Think of EquityNet as crowdfunding, with a good documentation process since the company boasts qualified investors willing to help businesses raise anywhere from $10,000 to $10 million.

25. iPlanner.NET

Cost – $24 to $59

iPlanner is a secure enterprise business planning tool that is offered as an online service. The application is designed to meet the needs of small business owners, advisors, investors, and serial entrepreneurs. You can use it to easily write and share your business plans online.

iPlanner.NET was launched in 2007 and has been helping entrepreneurs develop their business plans either as an individual business plan software, or in conjunction with a mentor to review the project online and in real-time. iPlanner.NET helps businesses to raise finance for growth, better understand and manage risks, and communicate the company’s to the team.

The pricing for iPlanner.NET starts at $24.0 per month. iPlanner.NET has 2 different plans such as – Professional at $24.0 per month and Corporate at $59.0 per month. iPlanner.NET also offers a custom plan based on the customer’s request.

26. The Business Plan Shop

Cost – $22 to $53.73

The Business Plan Shop provides a good-enough business plan writing aid, but mainly for people who know what needs to be in the document. For this reason, this software is not too useful for beginners or those looking for plan writing guidance.

The Business Plan Shop provides a serviceable business plan creation tool which begins at $22 to $53.73 for a three-month subscription. Aside from creating the plan, the software is also capable of forecasting for three to five years. The application does a good job of walking entrepreneurs and business owners through collecting financial projections and descriptive text, and then generates an attractive business plan document. However, unlike much of the competition, the app doesn’t provide much guidance on what exactly to write in your business plan.

27. Atlas Business Solutions Ultimate Business Planner 5.0

Cost – from $99.00

Atlas Business Solutions (ABS) Ultimate Business Planner 5.0 is yet another reliable business plan writing software that is available to entrepreneurs. This software will start you off using a fairly intuitive-looking wizard that takes you through the process of building a business plan as well as a financial projection.

The good part here is that it contains advanced functionality, though the software is still capable of helping beginning entrepreneurs as well. Ultimate Business Planner begins at $99.00 per year for a single-user license. That price decreases slightly the more users you add, so for 10 users, for example, the cost is only $549.

To start using ABS Ultimate Business Planner 5.0, get set for a lengthy interview process and some smart decision making. The software asks you to enter information about your company; answer questions about your assets, liabilities, and equity; enter your projected monthly income and expenses; and then write and assemble the business plan. In the company section, you’re asked a series of questions about the company name, contact information, income tax form, customer credit policy, and the start date of the plan.

More on Business Plan Tips

The #1 Free Business Plan Software

• Highest Rated
• Easiest To Use

Top Free Business Plan Software

Check out our list of free Business Plan Software. Products featured on this list are the ones that offer a free trial version. As with most free versions, there are limitations, typically time or features.

If you'd like to see more products and to evaluate additional feature options, compare all Business Plan Software to ensure you get the right product.

View Free Business Plan Software

• Overview Expand/Collapse Overview

IdeaBuddy is an innovative business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and startups develop their ideas, create a business model, validate the business concept, and make an impressive business

• 67% Small-Business
• What G2 Users Think Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think

Strategic Planning and execution that multiplies business value. Maus is an all-in-one platform for strategic, financial, and exit planning that turns big ideas into action. In one easy-to-use platfo

• 100% Small-Business
• Seller Details Expand/Collapse Seller Details

This is how G2 Deals can help you:

• Easily shop for curated – and trusted – software
• Own your own software buying journey
• Discover exclusive deals on software

Decision Critical is a dynamic, cloud-based business modeling tool that is unique in its comprehensiveness. It is scalable, customizable and fast to implement. Decision Critical's modeling and zer

• 33% Mid-Market

Growth Forge is a cloud-based software as a service that helps innovation teams formulate, model, and evaluate business strategies to iteratively develop concepts from a hypothesis into a real busines

• 60% Mid-Market
• 40% Enterprise

Vizologi helps you reduce the uncertainty and risk in choosing your startup's business model. It searches, analyzes and visualizes the world's collective business model intelligence to help answer you

Strategic business planning software for professional users and individuals. As a business advisor, accountant or consultant, create tailored plans for clients using Planium Pro’s powerful inbuilt an

• 100% Mid-Market

An easy business modelling app to help you concentrate on ideas generation and not drawing . Templates for your favorite models and more: Ansoff Matrix, BCG Matrix, Business Model Canvas, Customer Loy

Cyberium is a business planner platform for building enterprise IT with speed and scale. Build product stories, journey maps, architecture and planning using generative prompts.

Home > Business > Business Startup

• 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.

By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

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.

5202 W Douglas Corrigan Way Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Accounting & Payroll

Point of Sale

Payment Processing

Inventory Management

Human Resources

Other Services

Best Small Business Loans

Best Inventory Management Software

Best Small Business Accounting Software

Best Payroll Software

Best Mobile Credit Card Readers

Best POS Systems

Best Tax Software

Stay updated on the latest products and services anytime anywhere.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use  and  Privacy Policy .

Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase.

Our mission is to help consumers make informed purchase decisions. While we strive to keep our reviews as unbiased as possible, we do receive affiliate compensation through some of our links. This can affect which services appear on our site and where we rank them. Our affiliate compensation allows us to maintain an ad-free website and provide a free service to our readers. For more information, please see our  Privacy Policy Page . |

© Business.org 2024 All Rights Reserved.

Finish YOUR Business Plan in Minutes with PlanBuildr!

Takes Less Than 10 Minutes to Complete!

Created by the World's Leading Business Plan Expert!

Will Improve Your Business Strategy and Allow You to Raise Funding!

By signing up, you agree to our Terms , Data Policy and Cookies Policy .

Small Business Trends

How to create a business plan: examples & free template.

This is the ultimate guide to creating a comprehensive and effective plan to start a business . In today’s dynamic business landscape, having a well-crafted business plan is an important first step to securing funding, attracting partners, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.

This guide has been designed to help you create a winning plan that stands out in the ever-evolving marketplace. U sing real-world examples and a free downloadable template, it will walk you through each step of the process.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or launching your very first startup, the guide will give you the insights, tools, and confidence you need to create a solid foundation for your business.

Table of Contents

How to Write a Business Plan

Embarking on the journey of creating a successful business requires a solid foundation, and a well-crafted business plan is the cornerstone. Here is the process of writing a comprehensive business plan and the main parts of a winning business plan . From setting objectives to conducting market research, this guide will have everything you need.

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary serves as the gateway to your business plan, offering a snapshot of your venture’s core aspects. This section should captivate and inform, succinctly summarizing the essence of your plan.

It’s crucial to include a clear mission statement, a brief description of your primary products or services, an overview of your target market, and key financial projections or achievements.

Think of it as an elevator pitch in written form: it should be compelling enough to engage potential investors or stakeholders and provide them with a clear understanding of what your business is about, its goals, and why it’s a promising investment.

Example: EcoTech is a technology company specializing in eco-friendly and sustainable products designed to reduce energy consumption and minimize waste. Our mission is to create innovative solutions that contribute to a cleaner, greener environment.

Our target market includes environmentally conscious consumers and businesses seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. We project a 200% increase in revenue within the first three years of operation.

Overview and Business Objectives

In the Overview and Business Objectives section, outline your business’s core goals and the strategic approaches you plan to use to achieve them. This section should set forth clear, specific objectives that are attainable and time-bound, providing a roadmap for your business’s growth and success.

It’s important to detail how these objectives align with your company’s overall mission and vision. Discuss the milestones you aim to achieve and the timeframe you’ve set for these accomplishments.

This part of the plan demonstrates to investors and stakeholders your vision for growth and the practical steps you’ll take to get there.

Example: EcoTech’s primary objective is to become a market leader in sustainable technology products within the next five years. Our key objectives include:

• Introducing three new products within the first two years of operation.
• Achieving annual revenue growth of 30%.
• Expanding our customer base to over 10,000 clients by the end of the third year.

Company Description

The Company Description section is your opportunity to delve into the details of your business. Provide a comprehensive overview that includes your company’s history, its mission statement, and its vision for the future.

Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP) – what makes your business stand out in the market. Explain the problems your company solves and how it benefits your customers.

Include information about the company’s founders, their expertise, and why they are suited to lead the business to success. This section should paint a vivid picture of your business, its values, and its place in the industry.

Example: EcoTech is committed to developing cutting-edge sustainable technology products that benefit both the environment and our customers. Our unique combination of innovative solutions and eco-friendly design sets us apart from the competition. We envision a future where technology and sustainability go hand in hand, leading to a greener planet.

Define Your Target Market

Defining Your Target Market is critical for tailoring your business strategy effectively. This section should describe your ideal customer base in detail, including demographic information (such as age, gender, income level, and location) and psychographic data (like interests, values, and lifestyle).

Elucidate on the specific needs or pain points of your target audience and how your product or service addresses these. This information will help you know your target market and develop targeted marketing strategies.

Example: Our target market comprises environmentally conscious consumers and businesses looking for innovative solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. Our ideal customers are those who prioritize sustainability and are willing to invest in eco-friendly products.

Market Analysis

The Market Analysis section requires thorough research and a keen understanding of the industry. It involves examining the current trends within your industry, understanding the needs and preferences of your customers, and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.

This analysis will enable you to spot market opportunities and anticipate potential challenges. Include data and statistics to back up your claims, and use graphs or charts to illustrate market trends.

This section should demonstrate that you have a deep understanding of the market in which you operate and that your business is well-positioned to capitalize on its opportunities.

Example: The market for eco-friendly technology products has experienced significant growth in recent years, with an estimated annual growth rate of 10%. As consumers become increasingly aware of environmental issues, the demand for sustainable solutions continues to rise.

Our research indicates a gap in the market for high-quality, innovative eco-friendly technology products that cater to both individual and business clients.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis in your business plan offers a comprehensive examination of your company’s internal and external factors. By assessing Strengths, you showcase what your business does best and where your capabilities lie.

Weaknesses involve an honest introspection of areas where your business may be lacking or could improve. Opportunities can be external factors that your business could capitalize on, such as market gaps or emerging trends.

Threats include external challenges your business may face, like competition or market changes. This analysis is crucial for strategic planning, as it helps in recognizing and leveraging your strengths, addressing weaknesses, seizing opportunities, and preparing for potential threats.

Including a SWOT analysis demonstrates to stakeholders that you have a balanced and realistic understanding of your business in its operational context.

• Innovative and eco-friendly product offerings.
• Strong commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
• Skilled and experienced team with expertise in technology and sustainability.

Weaknesses:

• Limited brand recognition compared to established competitors.
• Reliance on third-party manufacturers for product development.

Opportunities:

• Growing consumer interest in sustainable products.
• Partnerships with environmentally-focused organizations and influencers.
• Expansion into international markets.
• Intense competition from established technology companies.
• Regulatory changes could impact the sustainable technology market.

Competitive Analysis

In this section, you’ll analyze your competitors in-depth, examining their products, services, market positioning, and pricing strategies. Understanding your competition allows you to identify gaps in the market and tailor your offerings to outperform them.

By conducting a thorough competitive analysis, you can gain insights into your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to develop strategies to differentiate your business and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Example: Key competitors include:

GreenTech: A well-known brand offering eco-friendly technology products, but with a narrower focus on energy-saving devices.

EarthSolutions: A direct competitor specializing in sustainable technology, but with a limited product range and higher prices.

By offering a diverse product portfolio, competitive pricing, and continuous innovation, we believe we can capture a significant share of the growing sustainable technology market.

Organization and Management Team

Provide an overview of your company’s organizational structure, including key roles and responsibilities. Introduce your management team, highlighting their expertise and experience to demonstrate that your team is capable of executing the business plan successfully.

Showcasing your team’s background, skills, and accomplishments instills confidence in investors and other stakeholders, proving that your business has the leadership and talent necessary to achieve its objectives and manage growth effectively.

Example: EcoTech’s organizational structure comprises the following key roles: CEO, CTO, CFO, Sales Director, Marketing Director, and R&D Manager. Our management team has extensive experience in technology, sustainability, and business development, ensuring that we are well-equipped to execute our business plan successfully.

Products and Services Offered

Describe the products or services your business offers, focusing on their unique features and benefits. Explain how your offerings solve customer pain points and why they will choose your products or services over the competition.

This section should emphasize the value you provide to customers, demonstrating that your business has a deep understanding of customer needs and is well-positioned to deliver innovative solutions that address those needs and set your company apart from competitors.

Example: EcoTech offers a range of eco-friendly technology products, including energy-efficient lighting solutions, solar chargers, and smart home devices that optimize energy usage. Our products are designed to help customers reduce energy consumption, minimize waste, and contribute to a cleaner environment.

Marketing and Sales Strategy

In this section, articulate your comprehensive strategy for reaching your target market and driving sales. Detail the specific marketing channels you plan to use, such as social media, email marketing, SEO, or traditional advertising.

Describe the nature of your advertising campaigns and promotional activities, explaining how they will capture the attention of your target audience and convey the value of your products or services. Outline your sales strategy, including your sales process, team structure, and sales targets.

Discuss how these marketing and sales efforts will work together to attract and retain customers, generate leads, and ultimately contribute to achieving your business’s revenue goals.

This section is critical to convey to investors and stakeholders that you have a well-thought-out approach to market your business effectively and drive sales growth.

Example: Our marketing strategy includes digital advertising, content marketing, social media promotion, and influencer partnerships. We will also attend trade shows and conferences to showcase our products and connect with potential clients. Our sales strategy involves both direct sales and partnerships with retail stores, as well as online sales through our website and e-commerce platforms.

Logistics and Operations Plan

The Logistics and Operations Plan is a critical component that outlines the inner workings of your business. It encompasses the management of your supply chain, detailing how you acquire raw materials and manage vendor relationships.

Inventory control is another crucial aspect, where you explain strategies for inventory management to ensure efficiency and reduce wastage. The section should also describe your production processes, emphasizing scalability and adaptability to meet changing market demands.

Quality control measures are essential to maintain product standards and customer satisfaction. This plan assures investors and stakeholders of your operational competency and readiness to meet business demands.

Highlighting your commitment to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction underlines your business’s capability to maintain smooth, effective operations even as it scales.

Example: EcoTech partners with reliable third-party manufacturers to produce our eco-friendly technology products. Our operations involve maintaining strong relationships with suppliers, ensuring quality control, and managing inventory.

We also prioritize efficient distribution through various channels, including online platforms and retail partners, to deliver products to our customers in a timely manner.

Financial Projections Plan

In the Financial Projections Plan, lay out a clear and realistic financial future for your business. This should include detailed projections for revenue, costs, and profitability over the next three to five years.

Ground these projections in solid assumptions based on your market analysis, industry benchmarks, and realistic growth scenarios. Break down revenue streams and include an analysis of the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and potential investments.

This section should also discuss your break-even analysis, cash flow projections, and any assumptions about external funding requirements.

By presenting a thorough and data-backed financial forecast, you instill confidence in potential investors and lenders, showcasing your business’s potential for profitability and financial stability.

This forward-looking financial plan is crucial for demonstrating that you have a firm grasp of the financial nuances of your business and are prepared to manage its financial health effectively.

Example: Over the next three years, we expect to see significant growth in revenue, driven by new product launches and market expansion. Our financial projections include:

• Year 1: $1.5 million in revenue, with a net profit of $200,000.
• Year 2: $3 million in revenue, with a net profit of $500,000.
• Year 3: $4.5 million in revenue, with a net profit of $1 million.

These projections are based on realistic market analysis, growth rates, and product pricing.

Income Statement

The income statement , also known as the profit and loss statement, provides a summary of your company’s revenues and expenses over a specified period. It helps you track your business’s financial performance and identify trends, ensuring you stay on track to achieve your financial goals.

Regularly reviewing and analyzing your income statement allows you to monitor the health of your business, evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies, and make data-driven decisions to optimize profitability and growth.

Example: The income statement for EcoTech’s first year of operation is as follows:

• Revenue: $1,500,000
• Cost of Goods Sold: $800,000
• Gross Profit: $700,000
• Operating Expenses: $450,000
• Net Income: $250,000

This statement highlights our company’s profitability and overall financial health during the first year of operation.

Cash Flow Statement

A cash flow statement is a crucial part of a financial business plan that shows the inflows and outflows of cash within your business. It helps you monitor your company’s liquidity, ensuring you have enough cash on hand to cover operating expenses, pay debts, and invest in growth opportunities.

By including a cash flow statement in your business plan, you demonstrate your ability to manage your company’s finances effectively.

Example:  The cash flow statement for EcoTech’s first year of operation is as follows:

Operating Activities:

• Depreciation: $10,000
• Changes in Working Capital: -$50,000
• Net Cash from Operating Activities: $210,000

Investing Activities:

•  Capital Expenditures: -$100,000
• Net Cash from Investing Activities: -$100,000

Financing Activities:

• Proceeds from Loans: $150,000
• Loan Repayments: -$50,000
• Net Cash from Financing Activities: $100,000
• Net Increase in Cash: $210,000

This statement demonstrates EcoTech’s ability to generate positive cash flow from operations, maintain sufficient liquidity, and invest in growth opportunities.

Tips on Writing a Business Plan

1. Be clear and concise: Keep your language simple and straightforward. Avoid jargon and overly technical terms. A clear and concise business plan is easier for investors and stakeholders to understand and demonstrates your ability to communicate effectively.

2. Conduct thorough research: Before writing your business plan, gather as much information as possible about your industry, competitors, and target market. Use reliable sources and industry reports to inform your analysis and make data-driven decisions.

3. Set realistic goals: Your business plan should outline achievable objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Setting realistic goals demonstrates your understanding of the market and increases the likelihood of success.

4. Focus on your unique selling proposition (USP): Clearly articulate what sets your business apart from the competition. Emphasize your USP throughout your business plan to showcase your company’s value and potential for success.

5. Be flexible and adaptable: A business plan is a living document that should evolve as your business grows and changes. Be prepared to update and revise your plan as you gather new information and learn from your experiences.

6. Use visuals to enhance understanding: Include charts, graphs, and other visuals to help convey complex data and ideas. Visuals can make your business plan more engaging and easier to digest, especially for those who prefer visual learning.

7. Seek feedback from trusted sources: Share your business plan with mentors, industry experts, or colleagues and ask for their feedback. Their insights can help you identify areas for improvement and strengthen your plan before presenting it to potential investors or partners.

FREE Business Plan Template

To help you get started on your business plan, we have created a template that includes all the essential components discussed in the “How to Write a Business Plan” section. This easy-to-use template will guide you through each step of the process, ensuring you don’t miss any critical details.

The template is divided into the following sections:

• Mission statement
• Business Overview
• Key products or services
• Target market
• Financial highlights
• Company goals
• Strategies to achieve goals
• Measurable, time-bound objectives
• Company History
• Mission and vision
• Unique selling proposition
• Demographics
• Psychographics
• Pain points
• Industry trends
• Customer needs
• Competitor strengths and weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Competitor products and services
• Market positioning
• Pricing strategies
• Organizational structure
• Key roles and responsibilities
• Management team backgrounds
• Product or service features
• Competitive advantages
• Marketing channels
• Advertising campaigns
• Promotional activities
• Sales strategies
• Supply chain management
• Inventory control
• Production processes
• Quality control measures
• Projected revenue
• Assumptions
• Cash inflows
• Cash outflows
• Net cash flow

What is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a strategic document that outlines an organization’s goals, objectives, and the steps required to achieve them. It serves as a roadmap as you start a business , guiding the company’s direction and growth while identifying potential obstacles and opportunities.

Typically, a business plan covers areas such as market analysis, financial projections, marketing strategies, and organizational structure. It not only helps in securing funding from investors and lenders but also provides clarity and focus to the management team.

A well-crafted business plan is a very important part of your business startup checklist because it fosters informed decision-making and long-term success.

Why You Should Write a Business Plan

Understanding the importance of a business plan in today’s competitive environment is crucial for entrepreneurs and business owners. Here are five compelling reasons to write a business plan:

• Attract Investors and Secure Funding : A well-written business plan demonstrates your venture’s potential and profitability, making it easier to attract investors and secure the necessary funding for growth and development. It provides a detailed overview of your business model, target market, financial projections, and growth strategies, instilling confidence in potential investors and lenders that your company is a worthy investment.
• Clarify Business Objectives and Strategies : Crafting a business plan forces you to think critically about your goals and the strategies you’ll employ to achieve them, providing a clear roadmap for success. This process helps you refine your vision and prioritize the most critical objectives, ensuring that your efforts are focused on achieving the desired results.
• Identify Potential Risks and Opportunities : Analyzing the market, competition, and industry trends within your business plan helps identify potential risks and uncover untapped opportunities for growth and expansion. This insight enables you to develop proactive strategies to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities, positioning your business for long-term success.
• Improve Decision-Making : A business plan serves as a reference point so you can make informed decisions that align with your company’s overall objectives and long-term vision. By consistently referring to your plan and adjusting it as needed, you can ensure that your business remains on track and adapts to changes in the market, industry, or internal operations.
• Foster Team Alignment and Communication : A shared business plan helps ensure that all team members are on the same page, promoting clear communication, collaboration, and a unified approach to achieving the company’s goals. By involving your team in the planning process and regularly reviewing the plan together, you can foster a sense of ownership, commitment, and accountability that drives success.

What are the Different Types of Business Plans?

In today’s fast-paced business world, having a well-structured roadmap is more important than ever. A traditional business plan provides a comprehensive overview of your company’s goals and strategies, helping you make informed decisions and achieve long-term success. There are various types of business plans, each designed to suit different needs and purposes. Let’s explore the main types:

• Startup Business Plan: Tailored for new ventures, a startup business plan outlines the company’s mission, objectives, target market, competition, marketing strategies, and financial projections. It helps entrepreneurs clarify their vision, secure funding from investors, and create a roadmap for their business’s future. Additionally, this plan identifies potential challenges and opportunities, which are crucial for making informed decisions and adapting to changing market conditions.
• Internal Business Plan: This type of plan is intended for internal use, focusing on strategies, milestones, deadlines, and resource allocation. It serves as a management tool for guiding the company’s growth, evaluating its progress, and ensuring that all departments are aligned with the overall vision. The internal business plan also helps identify areas of improvement, fosters collaboration among team members, and provides a reference point for measuring performance.
• Strategic Business Plan: A strategic business plan outlines long-term goals and the steps to achieve them, providing a clear roadmap for the company’s direction. It typically includes a SWOT analysis, market research, and competitive analysis. This plan allows businesses to align their resources with their objectives, anticipate changes in the market, and develop contingency plans. By focusing on the big picture, a strategic business plan fosters long-term success and stability.
• Feasibility Business Plan: This plan is designed to assess the viability of a business idea, examining factors such as market demand, competition, and financial projections. It is often used to decide whether or not to pursue a particular venture. By conducting a thorough feasibility analysis, entrepreneurs can avoid investing time and resources into an unviable business concept. This plan also helps refine the business idea, identify potential obstacles, and determine the necessary resources for success.
• Growth Business Plan: Also known as an expansion plan, a growth business plan focuses on strategies for scaling up an existing business. It includes market analysis, new product or service offerings, and financial projections to support expansion plans. This type of plan is essential for businesses looking to enter new markets, increase their customer base, or launch new products or services. By outlining clear growth strategies, the plan helps ensure that expansion efforts are well-coordinated and sustainable.
• Operational Business Plan: This type of plan outlines the company’s day-to-day operations, detailing the processes, procedures, and organizational structure. It is an essential tool for managing resources, streamlining workflows, and ensuring smooth operations. The operational business plan also helps identify inefficiencies, implement best practices, and establish a strong foundation for future growth. By providing a clear understanding of daily operations, this plan enables businesses to optimize their resources and enhance productivity.
• Lean Business Plan: A lean business plan is a simplified, agile version of a traditional plan, focusing on key elements such as value proposition, customer segments, revenue streams, and cost structure. It is perfect for startups looking for a flexible, adaptable planning approach. The lean business plan allows for rapid iteration and continuous improvement, enabling businesses to pivot and adapt to changing market conditions. This streamlined approach is particularly beneficial for businesses in fast-paced or uncertain industries.
• One-Page Business Plan: As the name suggests, a one-page business plan is a concise summary of your company’s key objectives, strategies, and milestones. It serves as a quick reference guide and is ideal for pitching to potential investors or partners. This plan helps keep teams focused on essential goals and priorities, fosters clear communication, and provides a snapshot of the company’s progress. While not as comprehensive as other plans, a one-page business plan is an effective tool for maintaining clarity and direction.
• Nonprofit Business Plan: Specifically designed for nonprofit organizations, this plan outlines the mission, goals, target audience, fundraising strategies, and budget allocation. It helps secure grants and donations while ensuring the organization stays on track with its objectives. The nonprofit business plan also helps attract volunteers, board members, and community support. By demonstrating the organization’s impact and plans for the future, this plan is essential for maintaining transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability within the nonprofit sector.
• Franchise Business Plan: For entrepreneurs seeking to open a franchise, this type of plan focuses on the franchisor’s requirements, as well as the franchisee’s goals, strategies, and financial projections. It is crucial for securing a franchise agreement and ensuring the business’s success within the franchise system. This plan outlines the franchisee’s commitment to brand standards, marketing efforts, and operational procedures, while also addressing local market conditions and opportunities. By creating a solid franchise business plan, entrepreneurs can demonstrate their ability to effectively manage and grow their franchise, increasing the likelihood of a successful partnership with the franchisor.

Using Business Plan Software

Creating a comprehensive business plan can be intimidating, but business plan software can streamline the process and help you produce a professional document. These tools offer a number of benefits, including guided step-by-step instructions, financial projections, and industry-specific templates. Here are the top 5 business plan software options available to help you craft a great business plan.

1. LivePlan

LivePlan is a popular choice for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features. It offers over 500 sample plans, financial forecasting tools, and the ability to track your progress against key performance indicators. With LivePlan, you can create visually appealing, professional business plans that will impress investors and stakeholders.

2. Upmetrics

Upmetrics provides a simple and intuitive platform for creating a well-structured business plan. It features customizable templates, financial forecasting tools, and collaboration capabilities, allowing you to work with team members and advisors. Upmetrics also offers a library of resources to guide you through the business planning process.

Bizplan is designed to simplify the business planning process with a drag-and-drop builder and modular sections. It offers financial forecasting tools, progress tracking, and a visually appealing interface. With Bizplan, you can create a business plan that is both easy to understand and visually engaging.

Enloop is a robust business plan software that automatically generates a tailored plan based on your inputs. It provides industry-specific templates, financial forecasting, and a unique performance score that updates as you make changes to your plan. Enloop also offers a free version, making it accessible for businesses on a budget.

5. Tarkenton GoSmallBiz

Developed by NFL Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, GoSmallBiz is tailored for small businesses and startups. It features a guided business plan builder, customizable templates, and financial projection tools. GoSmallBiz also offers additional resources, such as CRM tools and legal document templates, to support your business beyond the planning stage.

Business Plan FAQs

What is a good business plan.

A good business plan is a well-researched, clear, and concise document that outlines a company’s goals, strategies, target market, competitive advantages, and financial projections. It should be adaptable to change and provide a roadmap for achieving success.

What are the 3 main purposes of a business plan?

The three main purposes of a business plan are to guide the company’s strategy, attract investment, and evaluate performance against objectives. Here’s a closer look at each of these:

• It outlines the company’s purpose and core values to ensure that all activities align with its mission and vision.
• It provides an in-depth analysis of the market, including trends, customer needs, and competition, helping the company tailor its products and services to meet market demands.
• It defines the company’s marketing and sales strategies, guiding how the company will attract and retain customers.
• It describes the company’s organizational structure and management team, outlining roles and responsibilities to ensure effective operation and leadership.
• It sets measurable, time-bound objectives, allowing the company to plan its activities effectively and make strategic decisions to achieve these goals.
• It provides a comprehensive overview of the company and its business model, demonstrating its uniqueness and potential for success.
• It presents the company’s financial projections, showing its potential for profitability and return on investment.
• It demonstrates the company’s understanding of the market, including its target customers and competition, convincing investors that the company is capable of gaining a significant market share.
• It showcases the management team’s expertise and experience, instilling confidence in investors that the team is capable of executing the business plan successfully.
• It establishes clear, measurable objectives that serve as performance benchmarks.
• It provides a basis for regular performance reviews, allowing the company to monitor its progress and identify areas for improvement.
• It enables the company to assess the effectiveness of its strategies and make adjustments as needed to achieve its objectives.
• It helps the company identify potential risks and challenges, enabling it to develop contingency plans and manage risks effectively.
• It provides a mechanism for evaluating the company’s financial performance, including revenue, expenses, profitability, and cash flow.

Can I write a business plan by myself?

Yes, you can write a business plan by yourself, but it can be helpful to consult with mentors, colleagues, or industry experts to gather feedback and insights. There are also many creative business plan templates and business plan examples available online, including those above.

We also have examples for specific industries, including a using food truck business plan , salon business plan , farm business plan , daycare business plan , and restaurant business plan .

Is it possible to create a one-page business plan?

Yes, a one-page business plan is a condensed version that highlights the most essential elements, including the company’s mission, target market, unique selling proposition, and financial goals.

How long should a business plan be?

A typical business plan ranges from 20 to 50 pages, but the length may vary depending on the complexity and needs of the business.

What is a business plan outline?

A business plan outline is a structured framework that organizes the content of a business plan into sections, such as the executive summary, company description, market analysis, and financial projections.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

The five most common business plan mistakes include inadequate research, unrealistic financial projections, lack of focus on the unique selling proposition, poor organization and structure, and failure to update the plan as circumstances change.

What questions should be asked in a business plan?

A business plan should address questions such as: What problem does the business solve? Who is the specific target market ? What is the unique selling proposition? What are the company’s objectives? How will it achieve those objectives?

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan focuses on the overall vision, goals, and tactics of a company, while a strategic plan outlines the specific strategies, action steps, and performance measures necessary to achieve the company’s objectives.

How is business planning for a nonprofit different?

Nonprofit business planning focuses on the organization’s mission, social impact, and resource management, rather than profit generation. The financial section typically includes funding sources, expenses, and projected budgets for programs and operations.

Image: Envato Elements

© Copyright 2003 - 2024, Small Business Trends LLC. All rights reserved. "Small Business Trends" is a registered trademark.

Create your ideal business plan

Take your business to the next stage, whenever, wherever.

With a cloud-based tool, you can work on your plan from any of your connected devices. The data saved on one is instantly accessible on another.

We'll help with the math

Follow a simple, user-friendly wizard to automatically create cash flow, profit & loss and balance sheet statements.

Key to business funding

Craft a business plan that may help you get the capital you need. Even in tough investment climates, good ideas backed by good teams and good business plans may have a better chance of getting funded.

How does it work?

Complete your business plan in three simple steps.

Work through each section and answer the questions to explain your business model and strategy.

Help and support

As you complete the sections, you can refer to tips, advice and fully-worked examples.

Printable PDF

Download and print your completed plan as a PDF. The plan is made up of the information you've given as well as 3 financial statements to show your business's financial plan.

Have a question or need help getting started?

Do I need a Wells Fargo business account to sign up?

Will I be able to append my own financial document to the plan?

Does it work on mobile, tablet and desktop?

Powerful business plan templates

Plan for the future, no matter what your business plans are or the size of your business with these designs and templates. whether it's just one big project or an entire organization's worth of dreams, these templates will keep you and your company on track from ideation to completion..

Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

Improving the world one entrepreneur at a time

Free business plan generator.

Answer a few questions to take one of the first steps in creating your business

Our free tool for young entrepreneurs will ask you a few questions about your business and then Rising Innovator will take that information and generate a downloadable PDF document.

A business plan is an essential document that outlines how you turn your dreams into reality — it’s a a step-by-step guide to growing your business.

You’ll be prompted to provide basic information about your company, your goals, details about your products and services, market research and strategy, and cash flow projections. Then it will compile your answers to the questions into a document you can download and use to guide you as you build your business.

And if you need help, we provide tips and and examples to help you fill out the fields in each step. After you complete your plan, you can upgrade to access our advanced features. The business plan you create though is free to download and you can come back and revise it as often as you wish.

Get started for free

New features for Premium Innovator users! You can take your business plan to the next level with these new features: • Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) assistance to complete your business plan. • Add your logo to your business plan. • Download your business plan as an editable Word doc. • More questions for your business plan. • A tool to estimate your income and expenses. • List and promote your business in our business directory .

You can try out the free version of the business plan generator, and upgrade after you get started to access these new, exciting features.

Need some more help with your business?

Join our “Premium Innovator” membership program to get access the new features of the business plan generator (including A.I.), as well as access to our entrepreneur training modules, our personality assessment tool and ad-free browsing experience.

Attention teachers and parents! Do you like this tool? We have more tools and resources available, including Business Innovation Journey , our entrepreneurial program for middle and high school students Learn more

Learn more about Business Innovation Journey, our entrepreneurial program for middle and high schoolers updates -->

Rising innovator provides educators with the tools they need to support the growth of young entrepreneurs in order to foster mature business leaders. read more... rising innovator 9650 strickland road, suite 103-127 raleigh, nc 27615.

Latest Posts for Young Entrepreneurs

Do a giveaway the right way - 5 tips to avoid giveaway mistakes, how to win big in entrepreneurship competitions, how to start a small business on a tight budget, latest posts for parents, teachers & mentors, how to connect with other parents and teachers of young entrepreneurs, 3 effective ways to teach resilience to young entrepreneurs, navigate the site, sign up to get our newsletter and other updates.

Learn to Build a Better Business Plan

Sample Business Plan Gallery

Browse our library of over 550 free business plan examples to kickstart your own plan.

Browse our library of over 550 free business plan examples.

How to Write a Business Plan

Step-by-step guide to establish the foundation of your business quickly and efficiently.

Step-by-step guide to establish the foundation of your business.

Business Plan Template

Build your business using the proven planning template designed by the experts at Bplans.

Use the planning template designed by the experts at Bplans.

Subscribe to business insights

Stay up to date with the latest business planning, management, growth, and funding trends..

We care about your privacy. See our Privacy Policy .

Popular Downloads

SWOT Analysis

Easily evaluate your competitive position and develop effective growth strategies.

Refine your competitive strategy using a SWOT analysis.

Cash Flow Forecast

Improve the health of your business by easily estimating your business’s financial future.

Estimate and improve the financial health of your business.

Lean Business Plan Template

Fast, simple, and shareable. Start with a one-page plan to grow alongside your business.

Start with a simple one-page plan to grow alongside your business…

Start Your Business

Business Startup Guide

Get everything in order to start your business and write your business plan.

Get everything in order to start your business.

How to start a business with no money

Is it possible to start a business with no money? Check out this proven process to get your business…

Is it possible to start a business with no money? Check out this.…

Startup Checklist

Break down the startup process and check all the necessary boxes.

Estimating Startup Costs

What will it cost to start your business? These are the expenses you will need to consider.

Do you know what it will cost to start your business?

Write Your Business Plan

Business Planning in Under an Hour

Learn how to write your business plan in under an hour.

1-Page Business Plan Template

A faster, more efficient way to develop your business strategy.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

Pitch Guide

Learn how to create a winning elevator pitch deck and speech that will impress investors.

Impress investors with a winning pitch deck and elevator pitch.

Elements of the Elevator Pitch

If you're pitching to investors or building a pitch deck, here are the 7 things you need.

Here are the 7 things you need to include in your elevator pitch.

Components of a Pitch Deck

Here are the 11 slides you must have in your pitch deck.

Investor Pitch Template

Start your pitch off right with a proven pitch deck template.

Get Your Business Funded

Funding Guide

Learn how to prepare your business plan and pitch to secure funding for your business.

Prepare your plan and pitch to secure funding for your business.

Ways to Fund Your Business

When it comes to funding, there isn't a one-size-fits-all method. Here are your options.

Find out what funding options are available for your business.

Grow Your Business

How to Grow Your Business

Growing your business can be just as difficult as starting. Here are proven ways to grow.

Try these proven methods to continue growing your business.

Grow Using Your Business Plan

Turn your business plan into a growth-oriented business strategy.

Set Clear and Actionable Goals

Grow your business by setting clear goals and establishing key metrics for success.

Learn to set clear and actionable goals to grow your business.

How to Forecast Cash Flow

Create a cash flow forecast to help keep your business healthy and plan for the future.

Keep your business healthy using a cash flow forecast.

Tim Berry Blog

Learn from renowned business planning expert and founder of Bplans, Tim Berry.

Business Glossary

Definitions for common terminology and acronyms that every small business owner should know.

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

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

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

Simple Business Plan Template (2024)

Updated: May 4, 2024, 4:37pm

Table of Contents

Why business plans are vital, get your free simple business plan template, how to write an effective business plan in 6 steps, frequently asked questions.

While taking many forms and serving many purposes, they all have one thing in common: business plans help you establish your goals and define the means for achieving them. Our simple business plan template covers everything you need to consider when launching a side gig, solo operation or small business. By following this step-by-step process, you might even uncover a few alternate routes to success.

Featured Partners

ZenBusiness

$0 + State Fees

Varies By State & Package

On ZenBusiness' Website

Northwest Registered Agent

$39 + State Fees

On Northwest Registered Agent's Website

Tailor Brands

$0 + state fee + up to $50 Amazon gift card

Varies by State & Package

On Tailor Brands' Website

$0 + State Fee

On Formations' Website

Whether you’re a first-time solopreneur or a seasoned business owner, the planning process challenges you to examine the costs and tasks involved in bringing a product or service to market. The process can also help you spot new income opportunities and hone in on the most profitable business models.

Though vital, business planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Business plans for lean startups and solopreneurs can simply outline the business concept, sales proposition, target customers and sketch out a plan of action to bring the product or service to market. However, if you’re seeking startup funding or partnership opportunities, you’ll need a write a business plan that details market research, operating costs and revenue forecasting. Whichever startup category you fall into, if you’re at square one, our simple business plan template will point you down the right path.

Copy our free simple business plan template so you can fill in the blanks as we explore each element of your business plan. Need help getting your ideas flowing? You’ll also find several startup scenario examples below.

Download free template as .docx

Whether you need a quick-launch overview or an in-depth plan for investors, any business plan should cover the six key elements outlined in our free template and explained below. The main difference in starting a small business versus an investor-funded business is the market research and operational and financial details needed to support the concept.

1. Your Mission or Vision

Start by declaring a “dream statement” for your business. You can call this your executive summary, vision statement or mission. Whatever the name, the first part of your business plan summarizes your idea by answering five questions. Keep it brief, such as an elevator pitch. You’ll expand these answers in the following sections of the simple business plan template.

• What does your business do? Are you selling products, services, information or a combination?
• Where does this happen? Will you conduct business online, in-store, via mobile means or in a specific location or environment?
• Who does your business benefit? Who is your target market and ideal customer for your concept?
• Why would potential customers care? What would make your ideal customers take notice of your business?
• How do your products and/or services outshine the competition? What would make your ideal customers choose you over a competitor?

These answers come easily if you have a solid concept for your business, but don’t worry if you get stuck. Use the rest of your plan template to brainstorm ideas and tactics. You’ll quickly find these answers and possibly new directions as you explore your ideas and options.

2. Offer and Value Proposition

This is where you detail your offer, such as selling products, providing services or both, and why anyone would care. That’s the value proposition. Specifically, you’ll expand on your answers to the first and fourth bullets from your mission/vision.

As you complete this section, you might find that exploring value propositions uncovers marketable business opportunities that you hadn’t yet considered. So spend some time brainstorming the possibilities in this section.

For example, a cottage baker startup specializing in gluten-free or keto-friendly products might be a value proposition that certain audiences care deeply about. Plus, you could expand on that value proposition by offering wedding and other special-occasion cakes that incorporate gluten-free, keto-friendly and traditional cake elements that all guests can enjoy.

3. Audience and Ideal Customer

Here is where you explore bullet point number three, who your business will benefit. Identifying your ideal customer and exploring a broader audience for your goods or services is essential in defining your sales and marketing strategies, plus it helps fine-tune what you offer.

There are many ways to research potential audiences, but a shortcut is to simply identify a problem that people have that your product or service can solve. If you start from the position of being a problem solver, it’s easy to define your audience and describe the wants and needs of your ideal customer for marketing efforts.

Using the cottage baker startup example, a problem people might have is finding fresh-baked gluten-free or keto-friendly sweets. Examining the wants and needs of these people might reveal a target audience that is health-conscious or possibly dealing with health issues and willing to spend more for hard-to-find items.

However, it’s essential to have a customer base that can support your business. You can be too specialized. For example, our baker startup can attract a broader audience and boost revenue by offering a wider selection of traditional baked goods alongside its gluten-free and keto-focused specialties.

4. Revenue Streams, Sales Channels and Marketing

Thanks to our internet-driven economy, startups have many revenue opportunities and can connect with target audiences through various channels. Revenue streams and sales channels also serve as marketing vehicles, so you can cover all three in this section.

Revenue Streams

Revenue streams are the many ways you can make money in your business. In your plan template, list how you’ll make money upon launch, plus include ideas for future expansion. The income possibilities just might surprise you.

For example, our cottage baker startup might consider these revenue streams:

• Product sales : Online, pop-up shops , wholesale and (future) in-store sales
• Affiliate income : Monetize blog and social media posts with affiliate links
• Advertising income : Reserve website space for advertising
• E-book sales : (future) Publish recipe e-books targeting gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Video income : (future) Monetize a YouTube channel featuring how-to videos for the gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Webinars and online classes : (future) Monetize coaching-style webinars and online classes covering specialty baking tips and techniques
• Members-only content : (future) Monetize a members-only section of the website for specialty content to complement webinars and online classes
• Franchise : (future) Monetize a specialty cottage bakery concept and sell to franchise entrepreneurs

Sales Channels

Sales channels put your revenue streams into action. This section also answers the “where will this happen” question in the second bullet of your vision.

The product sales channels for our cottage bakery example can include:

• Mobile point-of-sale (POS) : A mobile platform such as Shopify or Square POS for managing in-person sales at local farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals
• E-commerce platform : An online store such as Shopify, Square or WooCommerce for online retail sales and wholesale sales orders
• Social media channels : Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest shoppable posts and pins for online sales via social media channels
• Brick-and-mortar location : For in-store sales , once the business has grown to a point that it can support a physical location

Channels that support other income streams might include:

• Affiliate income : Blog section on the e-commerce website and affiliate partner accounts
• Advertising income : Reserved advertising spaces on the e-commerce website
• E-book sales : Amazon e-book sales via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
• Video income : YouTube channel with ad monetization
• Webinars and online classes : Online class and webinar platforms that support member accounts, recordings and playback
• Members-only content : Password-protected website content using membership apps such as MemberPress

Nowadays, the line between marketing and sales channels is blurred. Social media outlets, e-books, websites, blogs and videos serve as both marketing tools and income opportunities. Since most are free and those with advertising options are extremely economical, these are ideal marketing outlets for lean startups.

However, many businesses still find value in traditional advertising such as local radio, television, direct mail, newspapers and magazines. You can include these advertising costs in your simple business plan template to help build a marketing plan and budget.

5. Structure, Suppliers and Operations

This section of your simple business plan template explores how to structure and operate your business. Details include the type of business organization your startup will take, roles and responsibilities, supplier logistics and day-to-day operations. Also, include any certifications or permits needed to launch your enterprise in this section.

Our cottage baker example might use a structure and startup plan such as this:

• Business structure : Sole proprietorship with a “doing business as” (DBA) .
• Permits and certifications : County-issued food handling permit and state cottage food certification for home-based food production. Option, check into certified commercial kitchen rentals.
• Roles and responsibilities : Solopreneur, all roles and responsibilities with the owner.
• Supply chain : Bulk ingredients and food packaging via Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon Prime with annual membership costs. Uline for shipping supplies; no membership needed.
• Day-to-day operations : Source ingredients and bake three days per week to fulfill local and online orders. Reserve time for specialty sales, wholesale partner orders and market events as needed. Ship online orders on alternating days. Update website and create marketing and affiliate blog posts on non-shipping days.

Start A Limited Liability Company Online Today with ZenBusiness

Click to get started.

6. Financial Forecasts

Your final task is to list forecasted business startup and ongoing costs and profit projections in your simple business plan template. Thanks to free business tools such as Square and free marketing on social media, lean startups can launch with few upfront costs. In many cases, cost of goods, shipping and packaging, business permits and printing for business cards are your only out-of-pocket expenses.

Cost Forecast

Our cottage baker’s forecasted lean startup costs might include:

Gross Profit Projections

This helps you determine the retail prices and sales volume required to keep your business running and, hopefully, earn income for yourself. Use product research to spot target retail prices for your goods, then subtract your cost of goods, such as hourly rate, raw goods and supplier costs. The total amount is your gross profit per item or service.

Here are some examples of projected gross profits for our cottage baker:

Bottom Line

Putting careful thought and detail in a business plan is always beneficial, but don’t get so bogged down in planning that you never hit the start button to launch your business . Also, remember that business plans aren’t set in stone. Markets, audiences and technologies change, and so will your goals and means of achieving them. Think of your business plan as a living document and regularly revisit, expand and restructure it as market opportunities and business growth demand.

Is there a template for a business plan?

You can copy our free business plan template and fill in the blanks or customize it in Google Docs, Microsoft Word or another word processing app. This free business plan template includes the six key elements that any entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a new business.

What does a simple business plan include?

A simple business plan is a one- to two-page overview covering six key elements that any budding entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a startup. These include your vision or mission, product or service offering, target audience, revenue streams and sales channels, structure and operations, and financial forecasts.

How can I create a free business plan template?

Start with our free business plan template that covers the six essential elements of a startup. Once downloaded, you can edit this document in Google Docs or another word processing app and add new sections or subsections to your plan template to meet your specific business plan needs.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

• Best LLC Services
• Best Registered Agent Services
• Best Trademark Registration Services
• Top LegalZoom Competitors
• Best Business Loans
• Best Business Plan Software
• ZenBusiness Review
• LegalZoom LLC Review
• Northwest Registered Agent Review
• Rocket Lawyer Review
• Inc. Authority Review
• Rocket Lawyer vs. LegalZoom
• Bizee Review (Formerly Incfile)
• Swyft Filings Review
• Harbor Compliance Review
• Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC
• LLC vs. Corporation
• LLC vs. S Corp
• LLP vs. LLC
• DBA vs. LLC
• LegalZoom vs. Incfile
• LegalZoom vs. ZenBusiness
• LegalZoom vs. Rocket Lawyer
• ZenBusiness vs. Incfile
• How To Start A Business
• How to Set Up an LLC
• How to Get a Business License
• LLC Operating Agreement Template
• 501(c)(3) Application Guide
• What is a Business License?
• What is an LLC?
• What is an S Corp?
• What is a C Corp?
• What is a DBA?
• What is a Sole Proprietorship?
• What is a Registered Agent?
• How to Dissolve an LLC
• How to File a DBA
• What Are Articles Of Incorporation?
• Types Of Business Ownership

Next Up In Company Formation

• Best Online Legal Services
• How To Write A Business Plan
• Member-Managed LLC Vs. Manager-Managed LLC
• Starting An S-Corp
• LLC Vs. C-Corp
• How Much Does It Cost To Start An LLC?

What Is SNMP? Simple Network Management Protocol Explained

What Is A Single-Member LLC? Definition, Pros And Cons

What Is Penetration Testing? Definition & Best Practices

What Is Network Access Control (NAC)?

What Is Network Segmentation?

How To Start A Business In Louisiana (2024 Guide)

Krista Fabregas is a seasoned eCommerce and online content pro sharing more than 20 years of hands-on know-how with those looking to launch and grow tech-forward businesses. Her expertise includes eCommerce startups and growth, SMB operations and logistics, website platforms, payment systems, side-gig and affiliate income, and multichannel marketing. Krista holds a bachelor's degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin and held senior positions at NASA, a Fortune 100 company, and several online startups.