A well-written business plan is your path to a successful business. Learn to write, use, and improve your business plan with exclusive guides, templates, and examples.
How to Write a Business Plan
Learn to write a detailed business plan that will impress investors and lenders—and provide a foundation to start, run, and grow a successful business.
Noah Parsons Sep. 2, 2024 Elon Glucklich Aug. 1, 2024 Anthony St. Clair Aug. 1, 2024 Elon Glucklich Aug. 1, 2024
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Business Plan Template
A lender-approved fill-in-the-blanks resource crafted by business planning experts to help you write a great business plan.
Simple Business Plan Outline
Follow this detailed outline for a business plan to understand what the structure, details, and depth of a complete plan looks like.
550+ Sample Business Plans
Explore our industry-specific business plan examples to understand what details should be in your own plan.
How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan
While a nonprofit business plan isn’t all that different from a traditional plan—there are unique considerations around fundraising, partnerships, and promotions that must be made.
How to Write a One-Page Business Plan
How to Write a Franchise Business Plan + Template
You must have an executive summary, product/service description, market and competitive analysis, marketing and sales plan, operations overview, milestones, company overview, financial plan, and appendix.
Businesses that write a business plan typically grow 30% faster because it helps them minimize risk, establish important milestones, track progress, and make more confident decisions.
A good business plan uses clear language, shows realistic goals, fits the needs of your business, and highlights any assumptions you’re making.
There is no target length for a business plan. It should be as long as you need it to be. A good rule of thumb is to go as short as possible, without missing any crucial information. You can always expand your business plan later.
Use a one-page business plan format to create a simple business plan. It includes all of the critical sections of a traditional business plan but can be completed in as little as 30 minutes.
If you do anything before writing—figure out why you’re writing a business plan. You’ll save time and create a far more useful plan.
The first thing you’ll do when writing a business plan is describe the problem you’re solving and what your solution is.
The worst thing you can do is not plan at all. You’ll miss potential issues and opportunities and struggle to make strategic decisions.
Learn what a business plan is, why you need one, when to write it, and the fundamental elements that make it a unique tool for business success.
Explore different business plan formats and determine which type best suits your needs.
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A step-by-step guide to quickly create a working business plan.
A curated selection of business plan writing tips and best practices from our experienced in-house planning experts.
Explore industry-specific guides to learn what to focus on when writing your business plan.
Business planning FAQ
What is business planning?
Business planning is the act of sitting down to establish goals, strategies, and actions you intend to take to successfully start, manage, and grow a business.
What are the 7 steps of a business plan?
The seven steps to write a business plan include:
What should a business plan include?
A traditional business plan should include:
Do you really need a business plan?
You are more likely to start and grow into a successful business if you write a business plan.
A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.
Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.
