What Are Business Plan Templates?
Business plan templates are the foundation of any successful company. These documents describe future projects and plans aimed at the best business efficiency. They also reveal the potential you can reach in a year or two. You start a business by evaluating your perspectives, learning the pros and cons of every idea you want to implement in life, and the money you have to spend on it.
Advanced template of business plans usually contains a step-by-step description of your further activity. It helps to minimize losses once you start a business. Moreover, sticking to the created business plan can help you to focus and reach results faster. You put the major positions you want to keep up with, so you won’t forget about them on your way. Apart from that, your business partners might want to see the plan as well.
Business Plans Structure
Any business plans start with an idea. Based on this specific concept, you begin to create a template for a business plan. There are numerous examples online which are helpful for beginners. If you don’t have any experience in creating such documents, it is better to pick one of the business plan forms made by professionals.
You will find over 30 different templates on PDFLiner. Enter and read several of them to make sure that you pick the one that matches your requirements. If you don’t know where to start, there are several basic elements present in every successful plan. Here they are:
1. Executive summary
This is a brief description of your business plan in general. It includes the characteristics of your business and how you want to move further with it. Don’t make it longer than a page. It is better to leave it empty until you complete all other sections. Provide a summary of the biggest problem you have to solve in your business so that it can persuade your business partners to trust you.
2. Company description
All templates of a business plan have to contain a basic company description. Focus on the concept and explain how everything works inside. You can describe the departments in the company and what they do.
3. Market analysis
It is highly important to make the analysis in the first place. No matter which type of business you have, you need to learn everything you can about the market you are going to operate in. Examine your audience, check your competitors, and include this data in your business planning template. Once you change the audience, you can proceed to the description. However, without knowing the target market, you won’t be able to find an approach to future clients.
4. Products or services
No matter what product you are going to sell, you need to be sure that you will manage to do it. Even the most successful businesses can change the services and products they provided initially. They also modify sales approaches. This is why it is important to make notes specifying each product and the problem you can solve with it. Such a description might give you an idea of the company’s advantages over other similar businesses on the market and ways to use them.
5. Marketing and sales strategy
If you want to create a successful plan, you need to think about the strategy in the first place. You can start with a simple, small plan of your actions. Think about how to reach the audience better and what to offer your clients to discourage them from visiting their usual stores. Create a pricing plan and discounts for clients, attract buyers with better quality or personal approach. Write down your moves in this section.
6. Operations plan
Decide which actions you want to perform on your way to success and write them down. Each step requires its own plan. Divide your actions. Highlight everything that must be done in the first place and mark the deadlines for other actions. You can also appoint departments responsible for different activities in your plan so that you will know whom to ask about the achievements.
7. Financial plan
Start with the basics. Provide the total amount of money you are willing to invest in your business. Separate it into several sections, including marketing and compensation for your employees. Don’t forget that if you need a physical store, you have to pay for rent as well. Calculate possible income and losses. You can also hire a professional to do the job.
8. Funding request
If you provide the plan to investors, you can make the “funding request” section so that they will know where to pay attention to. It must include a detailed plan and the possible deadline for when the money will be back. Provide guarantees if you can.
9. Appendix
You can place charts and tables there if you want. This part is not necessarily needed but you can create it for the most demanding partners. Add all the information you could not put in this part.
Types of a Business Plan
After some time digging and researching, you’ll understand that there are several types of plans you can create. They all contain the same elements but belong to different categories based on each business’ specifics. Before you decide to fill out a small business plans template, make sure you’ve found the right type:
- Start-Up Business Plan. If you have a simple business plan and you don’t want to waste time on any hazardous activities and unknown strategies, you can start with this type. It contains all the elements described above but refers to a short period of time. You may decide whether you want to have a plan for a month or a year. If you know that your goals and situation will change, don’t build it for a long time. This plan must be interesting for potential partners and investors.
- Internal Business Plan. You don’t have to show this plan to outsiders, including investors. This is your and your team’s guide for making the business move forward. It contains all the steps that will help you achieve your goal as well as all doubtful points. Pick out those ideas you want to implement but which seem too risky for now and gather them in one section.
- Strategic Business Plan. First, include your main strategy in the plan. Think it over and provide several alternatives to it. Your plan can be changeable and react to the market’s alterations. You can combine different strategies till it helps business. You may share this document with your employees.
- Operational Business Plan. This type contains all the operational details of the major concept you’ve picked. You have to include a description of the procedure you are going to perform to reach the plan. This document can be used as an internal type as well.
- Growth Business Plan. This type requires charts and graphs for your investors. You can hire a professional analyst who will build a plan for your business growth, including the expenses and the situation in the market nowadays and in the future. You can update this plan whenever the circumstances change.
- One-Page Business Plan. This is a basic plan where you gather all the goals you have and plans you will implement in life step by step. It is simplified and widely used for partners. The plan can look like a page with bullet points of your actions.
- Lean Business Plan. This plan switches the main focus to the details of your business. It usually contains the methods you will use within your strategy. You can gather all the techniques on one page so that it will look simpler for your investors. It is closely tied to the financial situation.
Most Popular Templates of a Business Plan
No matter whether you are looking for a template for a small business plan or for a big one, you still have to start somewhere. Once you decide upon the template, fill it out and stick to the general concept you’ve picked. If you are not sure which one is more suitable for your business, take a look at the most popular business templates on PDFLiner nowadays:
- Business Plan Template for Startups. The template looks advanced and can be easily distributed between all possible investors. It requires a brief evaluation of your business made according to your description, summary, analysis of the industry, and plans for management and marketing. You also need to briefly describe the operational plan and financial situation. Be accurate with numbers. If you don’t know them yet, you have to stay closer to the total amount and try to divide the finances appropriately.
- Lean Business Plan Template. This document can be used to persuade investors to include their money in the plan. You will send it to all potential investors, so try to sound professional. Describe your business and the uniqueness of your product or service. Provide information on the problems it solves and how you are going to do it. You may also include alternative strategies to persuade investors you have a backup plan. Make sure they understand the value of your product over competitors. Discuss the funding you need and how you are going to implement it in business. You can even underline the pros for your investors.
- One-Page Executive Summary Template. Among numerous business plan templates for small businesses, this one is the simplest and quickest to create. Yet, you might need to build it based on the traditional plan you’ve already created for the company. It contains basic information about the organization, a pitch for partners and investors, and attractions of the product. You can describe the way the target audience can find it beneficial as well as who your audience is. Share details on the analysis of competitors and the budget you are willing to spend on it. Provide a brief forecast for business and enumerate the funds you need.
- Beauty Salon Business Plan. This is the most specific plan in the section, mainly because it is suitable for one market area, the beauty industry. You can use it for your investors as well. Share your mission with them, the problems you can solve by starting a salon in the area, and the offer you can make to the audience. Describe the future clients and name your main competitors. Calculate the expenses and activities you provide to promote the salon.
How to Get a Business Planning Template
You have two main options when it comes to business templates:
- You can either create the form from the very beginning on an empty page;
- You may use the ready template made by professionals.
Both options are offered by PDFLiner, an online editor for PDF forms. The already-made template is more beneficial for those business owners who have never worked with such blanks before or don’t know where to start. Each template includes the already signed sections you need to fill out. This way, you avoid making mistakes while completing the form. If you want to create the form from the very start, you might still need to read examples in the first place and use beneficial sections for you. This article can help you to start.
