How to write a simple business plan.

Use this simple template as a guide.

In our Brand Essentials course we stress the importance of creating a brand/marketing plan to help effectively communicate and share your brand story – especially when you are setting up a small business. We also review the elements you'll need to write an effective business plan like; SWOT analysis, mapping your customer's journey, and creating persona profiles.

But, to complement your small business branding plan, you should also also have a simple business plan in place. The act of articulating and organizing your business will help you outline your goals, make strategic decisions, monitor progress, align your team, and is imperative if you are seeking funding or investment.

There's no need to write a book, keep it concise and factual – follow this business plan outline and edit, edit, edit until you've distilled it to the critical points.

Summary & Goals

Write a short narrative that gives a concise overview of what you are doing and why.

• What do you hope to achieve?
• What are your specific goals?
• What problems are you solving?
• Why are you different?

Products & Services

Provide a bulleted description any products or services that you will be offering.

• What are you selling and why?
• Is there any unique manufacturing processes or intellectual property involved?
• Where will you be selling?
• What is your pricing strategy?
• What are the value propositions?

Customers & Clients

Share your ideal customers and clients with an emphasis on what needs you will fill. Include any persona studies you have completed.

• Who is your ideal customer or client? (demographically, geographically, culturally, psychographically)

• What are their pain points?

• What is your customer's journey?

Operations & Team

Share your research into your competitors including how you will position yourself in the market.

• What are the market trends both historical, present, and future?

• Who are your primary competitors?

• What is your SWOT Analysis?

• What is your business's position in relation to the competition?

Branding & Marketing

Communicate the essence of your brand as well as how you plan to market your business.

• What is your brand story?

• What is your mission, vision and differentiation?

• What is your brand identity?

• How will you position, price, and promote your business?

• What marketing channels will you use?

Finance

Quantify what it will cost to start-up, run, and grow your business.

• What are your start-up costs?

• What will your operational expenses be?

• What is your estimated income in 1 / 3 / 5 years?

• When do you expect to achieve profitability?