Have a killer business idea? A killer business plan can help you
turn it into a successful business. Creating a well-crafted business
plan is no easy task, however. You'll need to not only flesh out your
idea, make some educated guesses and have a deep understanding of the
different aspects of running a business — before you even start one.
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| Credit: Ollyy/Shutterstock |
Business plan templates
Business plan templates
show you exactly what a business plan is supposed to look like and what
goes in each section. You can find them as downloadable sample business
plans that you can copy and modify to fit your business, or as
fill-in-the-blank or question-and-answer forms. There are also different
types of business plans: simple business plans that cover the
essentials, comprehensive ones that cover every aspect of a business,
and those designed for a specific purpose, such as to raise funding or
find business partners. Here are some business plan templates worth
considering.
The $100 Startup One-Page Business Plan. One-page
business plans take the fuss out creating a business plan by getting
down to the basics of what your business is about and how you intend to
meet its goals. Think of it like writing down your business on a napkin,
but with a purpose. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan
is one such business plan template. Simply answer a few questions like
"What will you sell?" "What will you charge?" and "How will customers
learn about your business?" in a couple sentences and you're good to go.
SCORE Business Plan Templates. Small business resource SCORE has a collection of free PDF and Word business plan templates for
startups, established businesses and even nonprofits. The organization
also offers additional types of business planning resources and
templates, such as financial projections, market research, sales
forecasts, SWOT analysis and more. Once your business plan is finished, you can meet with a SCORE mentor for feedback and guidance.
Bplans.com. Looking for free sample business plans? Bplans.com
offers a wide range of them for all types of businesses, including
retailers, online businesses, service providers, restaurants and more.
These sample templates come complete with a table of contents and
sections like executive summary, company summary, products and services,
financial planning, market analysis and other standard business plan
sections. Bplans.com offers more than 500 sample business plans that can
be downloaded as Word, PDF and other file formats.
Rocket Lawyer. If you need to make your business plan a legal document, check out Rocket Lawyer.
Rocket Lawyer lets you create your own legal documents and provides
access to various legal services. Its business plans section lets you
create business plans in three steps: build, save and sign. You can also
print and share your business plans for easy access. Rocket Lawyer
business plans come with standard parts of a business plan, as well as
sections for funding requests and appendix for supporting documents.
Find more using our list of free business plan templates for small businesses.
Business plan apps
You don't have to be glued to your desk to create a business plan.
There are several business plan mobile apps that will let you write a
business plan anytime, anywhere right on your smartphone or tablet. Here
are two worth checking out.
StartPad. Recognized by Entrepreneur and Forbes, StartPad
is one of the top business plan apps available for the iPad. This app
offers a wide range of business planning resources, such as strategic
business planning tutorials, professionally made sample business plans,
financial projections and other reports. Business plans created on
StartPad can also be exported as high-resolution PDFs or printed out.
The basic version of StartPad is free to download and use, but requires
in-app purchases for additional features. Get StartPad from the Apple
App Store.
Business Plan & Start Startup. Are you an Android user? Business Plan & Start Startup
is the app for you. This app isn't just for creating a business plan,
however. It also aims to do three things for entrepreneurs: help start a
business the right way with a well-crafted business plan; keep them
motivated and on track; and provide a community of fellow entrepreneurs,
small business owners and experts to help guide users in creating their
business plan and running their businesses. Business Plan & Start
Startup can be downloaded from the Google Play marketplace
Business plan services
Don't want to use any of the above? Try an online business plan
service, which guides you throughout the business plan writing process.
The services offer similar tools as business plan software — such as
document collections and chart generators — with the difference being
that they typically offer business and legal specialists who can help
you better understand complex aspects of your business and business
plan. Two online business plan services to consider are LivePlan and the
SBA Business Plan Tool.
Bizplan.com. Need funding? Check out startup.co's business plan service, bizplan.com.
This web-based business plan comes with a step-by-step guide to help
you build your business plan and optimize it for investors. Business
plans can also be completely tailored to your business with logos,
graphics, layouts and custom designs to fit your brand. After building
your business plan, you can share and publish it on startup.co's
crowdfunding site, fundable.com, where you can connect with investors
and add elements like photos and videos to highlight your business.
LivePlan. LivePlan
is a cloud-based business plan service that offers everything from
document generation to planning tools, financial calculators, guidance
resources and more. The service guides you through each component of the
business plan and provides step-by-step instructions and advice based
on the objective of your business plan (starting a business, business
development, funding, etc.)
SBA Business Plan Tool. The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Business Plan Tool
covers everything from executive summary and company description to
market research, product line, marketing and sales, and financial
projections in detail. You can also personalize your business plan with
your company logo, as well as save, print and update your business plan
as needed.
--Sara Angeles
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Business Plan Tools for Startups and Small Businesses
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