Do you need a business plan at the start of a new business or not? It is a debate. If you afford then you can write a business plan but if you cannot afford then you can delay it. You can learn to write business plans after joining a course out of short online courses. It is true that many successful business setups don’t have business plans at all. However, small businesses can ignore it but when we talk about large setups then it should be there.

Business Plan Outline

The following outline shows a brief overview of each section of your business plan. There are no hard and fast rules for writing a business plan. So you can add further details or shorten it according to your business requirement. In short, the main idea behind it is to present your business in a professional way.

Executive Summary

Though it comes first but this part of the business plan is written at the end. It provides a summary of the entire plan. It is the first impression so it should be outstanding and professional.

Business Description

In this section, you have to provide information about your business. How your products and services will solve the problems? You can get information by taking an overview of the industry of which your business is a part.  You can include major players, trends, and sales. Set your business apart from the other competitors in the market.

business plan

Market Analysis

The market analysis is a very important and crucial plant section of your business plan. It identifies your customers or clients. You have to analyze the target market including demographics and geographic locations. You should be able to know your target market needs and how they will be met. In this section, this demonstration shows how much you understand the potential customers to make predictions about the sales of your products or services.

Competitive Analysis

It is a section that shows the success of your direct and indirect competitors. It also assesses the advantages, strengths, and weaknesses of your competitors. The unique qualities that make you stand out from them. It also describes the details of barriers and problems that you can face to enter the market. So the basic goal is to distinguish your business from your competitors.

Sales and Marketing Plan

This section explains the sales strategy, advertisement, promotion activities, pricing plan, and the benefits of your products and services. It also describes the planning to market your products and services. How will you persuade people to buy your products and services? You have to explain why people will buy from you instead of your competitors.

Ownership and Management Plan

This section of the business plan explains the legal structure of your business. It also outlines internal and external management resources. The human resources, their experiences, and their skills are also described here.

Operating Plan

The operation plan shows how the business will be run. It explains the physical location of your business, the description of equipment and facilities, the employees’ requirements, suppliers, and inventory requirements of your business. You can also include any other operating detail in this section.

Financial Plan

This section of the business plan contains all the finance-related information. We know, starting business means to make a profit. So there should be a solid sense of your funding, finances, and projected income. You should provide a description of your funding requirements, financial statements, and their analysis. This section of the business plan presents three financial documents; balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement or cash flow projection.

Appendices and Exhibits

At the end of your business plan, you can include essential additional information. It should establish the credibility of the business. You can include marketing studies, product photos, permissions, property rights, resumes, credit histories, contracts, marketing material, and legal agreements.

I, the author also established my online bedding business by writing a good business plan. It really helped to achieve your goals so it does not necessary to write before starting your business. You can also write at the start of your business.