How to Write a Business Plan Structure

Create a business plan template, so business owners can simply fill it in.

Business plans are detailed reports that outline how a business will operate, where the funds or profits will come from and how the business will be marketed. Constructing a business plan can be a daunting and confusing task for someone who does not know what they are doing or what to focus on. To help those business owners, construct a business plan template that can easily be filled with the important information for any business type or structure.

Instructions

1. Create a title page template, so the writer can add the dates, business name and owner name into empty blanks. Set up an index layout with empty blanks, so the writer can add titles and page numbers to the index as required.

2. Write "Executive Summary" on the third page of the template. Inform the writer that this page should highlight the main points or ideas presented in the business plan and should therefore be written last. Leave only one page for this summary.

3. Create the "Business Profile" as the fourth section of the business plan template. Provide subheads like "Mission Statement," "Business Profile," "Business History," "Goals," "Development" and "Products and Services." This allows the writer to fully describe the business.

4. Create the fifth section of the template and title it "Marketing and Customers." Provide subheads, such as "Customer Profile," "Target Market," "Industry Trends," "Direct Competition" and "Market Prices." For each subhead, provide space so the writer can discuss the three short-term goals due within the first year of business and three long-term goals due within the first five years in business.

5. Compose a sixth section with the title "Operations." Add subheads like "Management" and "Responsibilities," so the writer can put everything together. Add the marketing strategies mentioned in the previous section along with the products or services mentioned in the business profile in a flowchart design. This flowchart section will point out flaws or inconsistencies.

6. Create a "Risk Management" section as the seventh part of the template. Divide the section into five parts, where each part has a "Risk" title, a "Solution" title and an "Implementation" title. Let the writer identify three major risks of running the business, solutions to the risks and how the solutions can be implemented to solve the risks or issues.

7. Create the "Budget and Finances" section as the eighth part of the template. Include subheads like "Startup Expenses" (such as business cards and registration, fixed expenses like rent and utilities, flexible expenses like labor costs and product manufacturing) and "Sales Predictions" for the first three years in business. Make fill-in-the-blank spaces for the budget, so the writer can personalize it.

8. Add the "Appendix" title to the ninth section of the template. Inform the writer that anything pertaining to the business that could not be located in the previous sections should be included in the appendix.

References

• U.S. Small Business Administration: Write a Business Plan
• Bplans: Samples
• My Own Business: Business Plan