Sample Business Plan Template

Before we begin, I would like to brief you about what is a business plan. A business plan is nothing but a promise you make to the investors that their money will only grow if they invest in your business. It also helps you understand all the dimensions of your business idea and its scope of expansion. Anyone can have ideas but to turn them into profitable businesses, you have to give a thought to every aspect of the idea. Your idea may be really good, but if it cannot make money or if it does not have any growth prospects, no one will invest in it. Most first time entrepreneurs don't know how to write a business plan proposal. But you should know that there are no hard and fast rules as to what you can put into your business proposal sample. Although, there are certain things that have to be there. Here, I have given a general sample business plan template that you can use as a starting point for making a killer business plan.

Business Plan Format

This is only a business plan outline sample along with the template. You will have to modify it according to the nature of your business. I have also given an explanation under every section that will tell you what to write there. Let's go through the sample business plan template and how to write every section of it.

Executive Summary
It is suggested that you begin to write the executive summary of your plan after you finish writing the other parts. Because it is a summary of your entire report. It is the most important part of the report as it is the first and probably the only thing that the investors read in your report. If they like the summary they will get in touch with you and demand a presentation. To write a good executive summary remember the following - write the summary in a strong and positive language, don't let it exceed 2 pages, let the focus of the summary be on your idea and cash flow, don't include any details and make it easily scannable.

Product or Service
Describe your product or service here. The reader of the plan should be able to imagine the product immediately. You should also explain the need of this product or service. If the product already exists you should explain how yours is different from the existing one. Next, clarify the manufacturing process of the product. But keep it short.

Legal Matters
Legal matters will always be a part of any business, new or old. The legal matters involve the owner ship details, the profit distribution, copyrights, trademarks, patents, etc. These things are different for different countries and you will have to conduct an in depth research in this area before filling this section.

Competition and Market Research
The competition and market research is a very important part of any business plan. Here you will have to include the profiles of your top competitors along with their market share. You also have to mention your strategies to get an edge over these companies. Then you have to assert your predictions regarding any future competitors.

Marketing Plan
The marketing strategies section will include your sales strategies, your pricing models, the promotion tactics and other selling related details. Here you will also need to put forth your approach toward building a brand and reputation. The most important part of this section is your unique selling proposition.

Team
No business can be made successful by one or two people. A team is very important for the successful implementation of your idea. You will need people from every field like marketing, advertising, technical etc. But avoid involving any close friends as things can get ugly if the business is facing problems or anyone is not working seriously. You can take help from acquaintances but no close friends.

Finance and Revenue Streams
This is the part where you explain to the investors your funding requirements and the investment model. Your revenue streams will also need to be explained with proper details. This section is going to be the decisive factor and should be paid a lot of attention.

Sample Business Plan Template

Here is a business plan template which you can fill out with details of your own business. This is the standard structure of most business plans but you are free to shuffle and edit the contents as per your needs. Just make sure all the important details are included.

Company's Name, Address and Usual Letter Head Executive Summary ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Business Description Year of Foundation: Current Activities: Background of Current Activities and Projects ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Summary of the Goal ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Market Current Market Description ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Proposed Market Description ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Market Research ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Economic and Financial Specifications ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Products and Services General Product Description ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Technical Product Description ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Production Description ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Financial Specifications ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Organization and Management Organizational Structure ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Key Personnel ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Creditors ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Investors ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Concluding Remarks

Now you have the sample business plan template and the information on all the business plan basics. Go ahead and start your research, and come up with that awesome business plan to impress one and all.