Aspiring entrepreneurs researching how to start a business will likely be encouraged to write a business plan, but few resources offer sample business plans to guide you in writing one of your own.
Here are some examples of real business plans to help you as you write your business plan.
7 Business Plan Examples: By Section
The example business plan in this article follows this template:
- executive summary. Provide an overview of your business.
- Company Profile. A more detailed and in-depth explanation of your business and why it exists.
- Market analysis. Information based on research into your industry and target market.
- Products and services. What will you offer in exchange for money?
- Marketing plan. Promotional strategies to introduce your business to the world and increase sales.
- Logistics and operations planning. All the things that happen in the background to make your business function properly.
- Financial planning. A breakdown of the numbers to show you what you need to get started and prove the feasibility of profitability.
executive summary
The executive summary is the page that outlines the rest of your business plan. It's easiest to leave this section for last.
In this free business plan template, the executive summary is four paragraphs long and takes up just over half a page.
Company Profile
Your company description can be reused in other places, such as your about us page, social media profile pages, or any other property where you need a boilerplate description of your small business.
Soap brand ORRIS' “About” page features a sales pitch that could easily be reused in the About Us section of their business plan.
You can also go into more detail about your company and include the following sections, like in this example from Paw Print Post:
- Business structure. In this section, you outline how you registered your business as an LLC, sole proprietorship, corporation, or other business form. “Paw Print Post is operated as a sole proprietorship run by the owner, Jane Matthews.”
- Nature of business. “Paw Print Post sells unique, one-of-a-kind digitally printed cards customized with your pet's unique paw print.”
- industry. “Paw Print Post operates primarily in the pet industry and also sells products that fall into the greeting card industry.”
- Background information: “Paw Print Post founder Jane Matthews has long experience working in the pet industry and with animals, and recently trained as a graphic designer. She's combined these two hobbies to carve out a niche in the market: unique greeting cards customized with your pet's paw prints, without having to resort to the traditional (and tedious) method of casting them in plaster or having your pet stamp their 'signature' with pet-safe ink.”
- Business goals. “Jane is preparing to launch Paw Print Post at the Big Important Pet Expo in Toronto, where she plans to spread the word among industry insiders and consumers. Two years into business, Jane is aiming to make $150,000 a year in revenue from sales of Paw Print Post's custom greeting cards and has expanded into two new product categories.”
- team. “Jane Matthews is Paw Print Post's only full-time employee, however contractors are employed to support operations and fill any skills gaps as required. Notably, Paw Print Post has a virtual assistant support contract with Virtual Assistants Pro for five hours per week.”
You can also include your mission statement here: Passionfruit has one on their website, and it also fits well in their sample business plan.
Market Analysis
Your market analysis will consist of studying supply and demand, your target demographic, industry trends, and the competitive environment. You can also perform a SWOT analysis and include it in your business plan.
Below is an example of a SWOT analysis for an online custom shirt business.
You can also do a competitive analysis as part of the market research for your business plan. This will help you understand who your competitors are and give you ideas about how to differentiate your brand. A comprehensive competitive analysis might include:
Products & Services
This section of your business plan describes the services you offer (the products or services you will sell to customers). Here's an example from Paw Print Post:
Marketing Plan
It is always a good idea to create a marketing plan before starting your business. A marketing plan tells you how you will promote your business and is also an important component of your business plan.
Paw Print Post focuses on the four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place. However, your marketing plan can take a different approach. It can draw from your existing marketing strategy or be broken down by your different marketing channels. Whatever approach you take, your marketing plan should explain how you intend to promote your business or services to potential customers.
Logistics and Operations Planning
In the Paw Print Post example, suppliers, production, facilities, equipment, shipping and fulfillment, and inventory were considered.
Financial Planning
A financial plan provides a breakdown of sales, revenue, profits, expenses, and other financial metrics related to financing and earning profits from the business.
The financial plan for e-commerce brand Nature's Candy graphically breaks down projected revenues, expenses, and net income.
Next, we'll take a closer look at your financial situation and include:
- Funding Needs
- Projected Income Statement
- Projected Balance Sheet
- Projected cash flow statement
Use this financial planning spreadsheet to create your own financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
Types of business plans and what each should include
1 page
A one-page business plan is a high-level overview that is easy to understand at a glance. You should include all the sections, but try to keep it trim and condensed.
- Summary: Omitted
- Market Analysis: Summary
- Products and Services: Summary
- Marketing Plan: Summary
- Logistics and Operations Planning: Summary
- Finances: Summary
to start
A startup business plan is for a new business. Typically, these plans are created and shared to secure outside funding, so they focus not only on financial aspects but also on other sections that determine the feasibility of your business idea (for example, market research).
- executive summary
- Company Profile
- Market Analysis: Detailed
- Products & Services
- Marketing Plan
- operation
- Finance: Details
internal
An internal business plan is meant to pull your team in the same direction and keep them aligned towards the same goal.
- executive summary
- Company Profile
- Market Analysis
- Products & Services
- Marketing Plan
- Logistics and Operations Planning
- Finance
Strategic
A strategic, or growth, business plan takes a broader, longer-term look at your business. As such, your projections will be more future-oriented and your growth and revenue goals may be higher. Essentially, you should use all the sections that you would find in a regular business plan and build on each one.
- executive summary
- Company Profile
- Market Analysis: Overall Outlook
- Products and Services: Launch and Expansion
- Marketing Plans: A Comprehensive Perspective
- Logistics and Operations Planning: A Comprehensive Perspective
- Financials: A comprehensive outlook
Feasibility
A feasibility business plan is in some sense a pre-business plan. Many people simply call it a feasibility study. This plan basically lays the groundwork and proves that your idea is worth the effort of creating a full business plan. Therefore, it is mainly centered around research.
- Company Profile
- Market Analysis
- Products & Services
- Logistics and Operations Planning
- Finance
Prepare yourself to be a successful business owner
Creating a good business plan serves as a roadmap that you can use when launching your ecommerce business and achieving each of your business goals. A business plan creates accountability for the entrepreneur and synergy between the team, regardless of the business model.
With an intentional business planning process and the sample business plan above, you can start your ecommerce business and set yourself up for success.
Frequently asked questions about business plan examples
How do I write a simple business plan?
To write a simple business plan, start with an executive summary that outlines your business and plans. Then create sections that detail your company profile, market analysis, organizational and management structure, products or services, marketing and sales strategy, and financial projections. Each section should be concise and clearly state your strategy and goals.
What is the best format to write a business plan?
The best business plan format presents your plan clearly and systematically, making it easy for potential investors to understand your business model and goals. It always starts with an executive summary and ends with an appendix for financial information or additional data.
What are the four key elements of a business plan?
- Summary: A concise overview of your company's mission, goals, audience, and financial objectives.
- Business Description: A description of the company's objectives, business operations, products and services, target market, and competitive environment.
- Market analysis: Analysis of the industry, market trends, potential customers, and competitors.
- Financial Plan: A detailed description of the company's financial projections and strategy.
What are the three key points of your business plan?
- Concept: Your concept should explain the purpose of your business and provide a high-level overview of what you are trying to accomplish.
- Content: Your content should include details about the products or services you offer, your target market, and your competitors.
- Cash Flow: The cash flow section should include information about your expected cash inflows and outflows, including capital investments, operating costs, and revenue projections.
