SIMPLE BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE TEMPLATE

Title Page

Company name and contact information

Website address

Presented to: (Company or Individual Name)

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Company Overview

Products and Service Offerings

Competitive and Market Analysis

Sales and Marketing Plan

Ownership Structure and Management Plan

Operating Plan

Financial Plan

Appendix

1: Executive Summary

Company background and purpose

Mission and vision statement

Management team

Core product and service offerings

Briefly describe your target customers

Describe the competition and how you will gain market share

Define your unique value proposition

Summarize financial projections for the first few years of business operations

Describe your financing requirements, if applicable

2: Company Overview

Describe your business and how it operates in the industry

Explain the nature of the industry (e.g., trends, external influences, statistics, etc.)

Historical timeline of your business

3: Product and Service Offerings

Describe your product or service and the problem it is solving

List current alternatives

Describe the competitive advantage (or unique value proposition) of your product in comparison to the alternatives

4: Competitive and Market Analysis

Define the estimated size of the market

Describe your target market segment(s)

Outline how your offering provides a solution to your segment(s)

Estimate the number of units of your product or service that target buyers might purchase, and estimate how the market might be affected by external changes (e.g., economic, political, etc.)

Describe your projected volume and value of sales compared to competitors

Discuss how you will differentiate yourself from competitors

5: Sales and Marketing Plan

Describe your pricing strategy for your offerings

List the various methods (marketing channels) you will use to get your message to prospects

Detail the market materials you will use to promote your product, including an approximate budget.

Describe what distribution methods you will use to deliver your offerings to customers

6: Ownership Structure and Management Plan

Describe the legal structure of your business

List the names of founders, owners, advisors, etc.

Detail the management team’s roles, relevant experience, and compensation plan

List the staffing requirements of your business, including whether you need external resources or services

Detail any training plans you will put in place for employees and management

7: Operating Plan

Describe the physical location(s) of your business

List any additional physical requirements (e.g., warehouse, specialized equipment, facilities, etc.)

Describe the production workflow

Describe the materials you need to produce your product or service, and explain how you plan to source them

8: Financial Plan

Demonstrate the potential growth and profitability of your business

Create a projected income statement

Create a projected cash flow statement

Create a projected balance sheet

Provide a break-even analysis

9: Appendix

Attach supporting documentation, which can include the following:

Charts and graphs

Market research and competitive analysis

Information about your industry

Information about your offerings

Samples of marketing materials

Professional references

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