Are you looking for some inspiration or ideas to start your own business? If yes, then these 7+ sample business plans will surely inspire you.
Business plans are essential documents for entrepreneurs who want to get funding from investors or banks. They outline the company’s vision, mission, goals, and strategies.
Business plans are often written using templates. These templates are usually generic and don’t reflect the unique needs of each entrepreneur. That’s why they are rarely effective.
Here are 7+ sample business plans to give you some ideas.
1. The first one is a simple business plan that outlines the vision, mission, and goals of a software development firm. It also describes how it will make money.
2. This second example is an actual business plan used by a startup called “Tripit”. It was created by their CEO, Alex Shvartsman.
3. The third example is a template for a travel agency. It includes all the important information about the company, its services, and how it makes money.
4. The fourth example is a template for an e-commerce store. It contains everything you need to know to create a successful online shop.
5. The fifth example is a template for any type of service business. It can be used for hair salons, massage parlors, personal trainers, etc.
6. The sixth example is a template for real estate agents. It has everything you need to know about starting your own business.
7. And finally, this last example is a template for fitness centers. It shows you how to set up your gym and what types of equipment you should buy.
How to format your business plan
The first thing you have to do when writing a business plan is choose a proper font style. There are many different fonts available on the market. Here are some examples: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Cambria, and Verdana.
You may use bold text if you think something is very important. For example, you can write ‘Vision Statement’ in bold.
When it comes to margins, you can either use 1/8th inch margin (top and bottom) or 3/16th inch margin (left and right).
When choosing colors, you can use black, white, red, green, blue, yellow, purple, brown, orange, gray, pink, light blue, dark blue, and other shades.
If you want to add images to your document, you can use photos, charts, graphs, diagrams, logos, icons, illustrations, clip art, cartoons, and other graphics.
Start with a business plan template
Now that you have learned how to format your business plan, let’s see how to find a good template.
There are several websites which offer free business plan templates. Some of them include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, and others.
However, there are also paid options as well. You can pay $10-$20 per month for a premium subscription. Some companies even offer unlimited access to their templates.
For example, here are two such sites:
These sites provide hundreds of samples of business plans. They are easy to customize and edit.
They also allow you to save your work so you won’t lose anything.
You can download these documents and open them on your computer. Then you can modify them according to your specific needs.
Once you finish editing, you can print out your business plan.
This way you don’t have to waste time trying to figure out how to format your business plans.
Create a business plan yourself
Of course, you can always start from scratch. But it takes a lot of time and effort.
So why not just get a ready-made business plan?
It saves you tons of time and energy. Plus, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on professional services.
Here are some tips on how to write a business plan yourself:
1. Start by brainstorming ideas.
Write down all the things you would like to achieve in life. This will help you come up with new ideas for your business.
2. Create a vision statement.
A vision statement describes your goals and aspirations. It helps you define who you are and what you stand for.
3. Define your target audience.
Who will benefit from your product or service? What problems does your product solve? How much money will you make?
4. Describe your products and services.
What exactly do you sell? Why is your company better than the competition? How will customers benefit from using your product?
5. List your competitors.
Who else offers similar products? Are they more popular than you? Do you know about their weaknesses?
6. Explain your marketing strategy.
Include details about your advertising budget. Who will be responsible for this? Will you hire an agency?
7. Outline your financial projections.
How much revenue will you generate over the next year? How many employees will you need?
8. Make sure everything is spelled correctly.
Make sure you proofread every word before submitting your business plan.
9. Add bullet points.
Bullet points summarize key information. Use them to highlight important aspects of your business plan.
10. Proofread your business plan once again.
Try to spot any grammatical errors. If you notice something wrong, fix it right away.
11. Submit your business plan to investors.
If you want to raise funding, then submit your business plan to potential investors.
12. Keep track of your progress.
Track your progress and keep notes about your business activities. This will help you improve your skills and learn new things along the way.
13. Be patient!
The process of writing a business plan may take several months. So be patient. Don’t give up if you encounter setbacks.
14. Share your business plan with others.
Share your business plan with friends and family members. Ask them to review it and offer suggestions.
15. Receive feedback.
Receiving feedback from people close to you will help you improve your business plan.
16. Update your business plan as needed.
Keep updating your business plan until you feel that it reflects your current situation.
17. Publish your business plan online.
Publishing your business plan online will allow other entrepreneurs to read it. This will also increase its exposure.
18. Get feedback from experts.
Hire an expert to review your business plan. They will provide valuable insights into your business idea.
19. Have fun!
Writing a business plan isn’t easy. However, it doesn’t have to be stressful either. Take time out to enjoy yourself.
Startup business plan templates
1. The Problem: A problem is when you don’t have enough clients to support yourself and pay your bills.
2. The Solution: A solution can be anything which makes your work easier. It could be better payment plans at banks, credit cards or even tools.
3. The Target Market: Now we’re talking about the customer. Think about who you’d love to buy your product and why they should use it.
4. The Product: What is it that you are selling? Is it a service or a physical good?
5. The Marketing Plan: The marketing plan is where you’ll outline how you will get people to know about your product.
6. The Financials: The financials include your projected sales, expenses, profit margins and growth rates.
7. The Company Description: Here’s where you list all your credentials like experience, licenses, awards, certifications etc.
8. The Management Team: Who will run the company? Will you hire staff or partners?
9. The Products/Services: What products or services do you sell?
10. The Competition: Where does your product fit in the market? Are there any competitors already doing what you want to do?
11. The Marketing Strategy: What strategies will you employ to reach customers? Do you have a website yet?
12. The Sales & Distribution Plan: How will you get your product to customers?
13. The Legal Structure: What type of legal structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation) will you choose?
14. The Operations Plan: What processes will you follow to make sure everything runs smoothly?
15. The Financing Plan: How much money will you need to start? How will you finance it?
16. The Risk Analysis: What risks are involved with starting this business?
17. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): KPIs are measurements used to gauge the performance of a business. These are important because they tell us whether our efforts are paying off.
18. The SWOT Analysis: SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This analysis helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business.
19. The Marketing Budget: How much money will go towards marketing?
20. The Sales Forecast: How many units will you sell in the first year?
21. The Cash Flow Statement: This shows us how much cash we will have after one year.
Conclusion
A business plan is an essential tool for startups. Without one, it would be difficult to raise capital, access loans and find investors.
It also gives entrepreneurs a chance to show potential investors and lenders their vision and goals.
The best part is that writing a business plan is not as hard as it seems. With these templates, you won’t need to spend hours trying to come up with ideas on your own.
You can download our free sample business plan template here.
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