A one-page business plan you can fill in today. Copy it into a document and answer each prompt in a few sentences.
1. The business
What do you sell, to whom, and why will they buy it from you?
2. The problem and your solution
What problem do customers have, and how does your product or service solve it?
3. Customers and market
Who is your ideal customer? How many of them are there in your area or niche?
4. Competition
Who else do customers buy from today? What will you do better or differently?
5. Marketing and sales
How will customers find you? List your first three marketing channels.
6. Operations
Where will you work, what equipment and suppliers do you need, and who does what?
7. Money
- Startup costs
- Monthly fixed costs
- Price per sale and cost per sale
- Sales needed each month to break even
- How you’ll fund it: savings, loan, investors
8. Milestones
What will you have done in 30 days, 90 days and 12 months?
Need a loan figure for section 7? Try our loan calculator and profit margin calculator.