If you are looking for a sample business plan, you are in the right place. In this comprehensive article, you will find comprehensive information on the contents of a business plan with practical examples.
And if, despite this dose of knowledge, you prefer to entrust the execution of your business plan to specialists, just get back to us. We will help you regardless of whether you need it for an investment loan, you have your eye on other funding or for the time being a business idea has just dawned in your head.
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A document like a business plan does not have a single, formalized, generally accepted definition.
However, it can be assumed intuitively that a business plan is a detailed description of the planned business, which includes information about the product or service, market, competition, marketing strategy, organizational structure, financial projections and other aspects relevant to the planned business. The business plan is used to define goals, define strategies, identify risks and opportunities, and to obtain financing or investors.
This is an important document for entrepreneurs who plan to start their own business or expand an existing one.
A standard business plan consists of elements such as:
The level of detail of the aforementioned content in a business plan can vary greatly. There are business plans of a few - a dozen pages in length, but also studies of several hundred pages in length. And the business plan can also be expressed in the form of a business model canvas or a multimedia presentation (pitch deck).
So, one preconceived model does not apply here. Everything depends on our needs and possible expectations of the recipient (reader). For example, banks or private investors have their own specific requirements for the form. With EU grants, the form of the business plan also varies depending on the program. Therefore, it is important to establish these requirements at the very beginning, before we proceed.
The business description includes a general description of the company as well as the project planned to be implemented. This section should describe the characteristics of the product or service that will be offered. From the product description, the reader should easily form a positive opinion of the venture. It is important that the description be clear and legible. In addition, the location and scope of operation should be indicated, as well as the company's staff. It is also worth developing and describing the profile of the ideal customer and the needs that will be met. Sometimes sources of funding are also described here.
A professional business description is a key element of your business plan.
Market analysis is the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information about the market in which a business is planned. The market analysis should include the following elements:
Market analysis allows entrepreneurs to learn about the risks and opportunities of their planned business, as well as to develop a marketing and sales strategy that is tailored to customer needs and market expectations.
Data on market size and trends can often be found in free sources on the Internet. However, if you want detailed and up-to-date data, the solution is to purchase professional industry reports. These often cost more than 10 thousand zlotys. A professional market analysis, in addition to the text itself, should also include charts (graphics) showing market size and relevant trends.
Description of competition is an important element of the business plan, which includes information about existing companies that operate in the market where the business is planned. The description of the competition should include the following information:
A description of the competition allows entrepreneurs to better understand the market in which they plan to do business and to develop a strategy that is tailored to customer needs and market expectations. Through competitive analysis, entrepreneurs can differentiate themselves in the market and build their strength against the competition.
The chapter of the business plan titled "Sales and Marketing" is one of the key elements of the business plan, and should detail the ways the company will use to attract customers and increase its revenue. In particular, this chapter should include the following:
All these elements should form a coherent whole and be interconnected, so that the company can effectively operate in the market and attract as many customers as possible.
The marketing part is sometimes presented in the form of Marketing mix or 5P analysis. These are ways of describing marketing activities.
A standard business plan usually includes additional business analysis.
More often than not, the minimum is a swot analysis, that is, a presentation of the project's strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats. Most people who have not dealt with business plans before do not know the difference between strengths and opportunities, and weaknesses and threats. Well, it's simpler to explain by pointing out that strengths and weaknesses refer to internal elements of the project, and opportunities and threats refer to external circumstances. SWOT stands for Strengths (strengths), Weaknesses (weaknesses), Opportunities (opportunities) and Threats (threats).
SWOT analysis can be presented, for example, in the form of tables, calculations (as above) or on the X and Y axis.
In addition to the SWOT analysis, additional business analyses like the PEST analysis are also encountered in business plans. It deals with the macroeconomic environment for business.
PEST analysis is a strategic tool used in business and marketing to help understand the external environment in which a company or organization operates. PEST is an acronym for the four key factors that are analyzed as part of this methodology:
P (political) - political factors such as political stability, changes in law or government policy, regulation and taxation.
E (economic) - economic factors such as inflation, unemployment, market situation, exchange rate changes.
S (social) - social factors such as culture, lifestyle, trends, demographics, changes in consumer behavior.
T (technological) - technological factors, such as technological progress, changes in technologies, innovations, patents.
PEST analysis helps identify those factors that may affect a business or organization, allowing it to better adapt to changes in the environment and make more informed business decisions.
Here is an example of an abbreviated PEST analysis for a fictitious company engaged in the production and sale of organic cosmetics:
P (political): Many governments around the world are imposing increasingly stringent regulations on cosmetics, including restrictions on chemical ingredients and animal testing. This can affect production costs and require additional research and testing to maintain compliance.
E (economic): Growing environmental awareness among consumers is leading to greater demand for organic cosmetics. At the same time, rising prices for raw materials, such as coconut oil and shea butter, may increase production costs. Bringing new products to market can require significant financial outlays, which can affect a company's profitability.
S (social): An increasing number of consumers are paying attention to the ingredients used in cosmetics and their effects on health. Consumers increasingly prefer natural and organic cosmetics. An increase in the number of people with skin allergies and intolerances may increase demand for products that are safer for the skin.
T (technological): Technological advances enable the development of more advanced production and packaging technologies that can speed up production processes and improve product quality. At the same time, the development of cosmetics based on new technologies can increase competition in the market.
Based on the above analysis, an organic cosmetics manufacturer company can strive to develop its products with the new regulatory requirements in mind, while developing new technological solutions to make the production process faster and more economical. At the same time, it should target consumers interested in organic cosmetics and ingredient safety to increase its position in the market.
Remember that this is just an example of a basic version of a pest analysis for a fictitious company. Usually such analyses in a business plan have a minimum of several pages and are performed at a much higher level of detail.
A business plan can contain various financial projections, depending on the goals of the venture and the needs of investors or lenders. Some of the most common financial projections in business plans are:
All of these financial projections are designed to determine the viability of the venture and allow investors or lenders to assess the risks and returns associated with an investment in the company.
The financial analysis in a business plan usually consists of elements such as:
Sometimes additionally indicators and calculations are created, such as:
Of course, simplified financial projections (revenues vs. expenses) can also be made, but if the calculations are to be evaluated by a professional, this will usually not be a sufficient level of detail.
Below you can see an example of financial projections made on an annual basis from a real business plan:
A simple business plan compared to a complex business plan differs in one element. This is the level of detail in the descriptions and financial projections. In other words, a given section of the business plan such as a market analysis can be 2-3 pages long, but it can also be 20-30 pages or more. It all depends on how detailed you want to describe a particular aspect in the business plan.
The same applies to all other parts of the business plan. For example, the financial model may contain only generalized revenue and cost calculations, which can be prepared by a person without much preparation. However, in most cases, it is necessary to prepare the previously mentioned elements such as balance sheet, income statement and cashflow. This is too difficult a task for most start-up entrepreneurs and even their accountants (it's one thing to create financial statements and another to design forward projections).
Taking the above into account, if you want a professional (more detailed) study in a relatively short time - it is best to entrust the execution of a business plan to specialists. If, on the other hand, you primarily want to reduce costs and are not afraid to spend many hours on self-study and work - on our blog you will find enough training materials and examples to make a simple business plan on your own.
When creating a business plan on your own, you should pay attention to several important issues such as:
Before starting to write a business plan, it is worth determining what its purpose is. Is it to raise financing, define the company's strategy or assess the profitability of the venture? Depending on the purpose, the business plan can take different forms and focus on different issues. Even if you know that the business plan is to be used to obtain a grant, a more specific goal should be set here as well. A document submitted to the labor office looks different, and a document submitted to, for example, PARP, ARiMR or NCBiR. Each grant program has its own regulations with specific requirements for the form of the business plan.
A well-conducted market analysis is crucial to the success of a business. So, your business plan should detail what the real needs of your customers are, what competition exists in the market, and what the trends and prospects are for the industry. It is worthwhile to conduct a survey (interviews) with potential customers about their needs before you launch the business.
The business plan should describe in detail the product or service to be offered, its features and advantages, as well as the cost of its production and sale.
The marketing plan should specify what the distribution channels are, what the promotion and advertising costs will be, and what the planned sales results are. You can find a more detailed description above.
Financial projections are a key part of a business plan, because they show what the chances of success and profitability of a venture are. So it is worthwhile to carefully analyze costs and revenues, cash flow, balance sheet, as well as the chances of obtaining financing and profitability ratios.
The business plan should be written in a clear, easy to understand and visually appealing manner. Care should be taken to ensure correct grammar and style, as well as compliance with rules and standards.
When writing a business plan, you should keep a critical eye on your idea and carefully analyze its advantages and disadvantages. It is also worth noting the risks associated with the venture and what steps can be taken to minimize the risk of failure.
Remember that a business plan should not only be a tool for obtaining financing, but also a plan of action to help you succeed in running your own business.
You probably clicked on this article to download a ready-made business plan. I won't disappoint you.
Go to the home page and scroll down to the business plan/pitch deck tab, there you will find a ready-made business plan (example) in pdf for download. All you have to do is leave your email address (valid, otherwise the business plan won't reach you...) and agree to marketing communications. I assure you that we do not send SPAM every few days. In addition, you can unsubscribe from the list of recipients at any time.
The sample downloadable business plan was made in English and is about a fictitious company trading apples internationally. This is a basic version of the business plan - don't expect a 100-page study and detailed financial projections 🙂 The purpose of the downloadable business plan is to show you visually what a finished business plan in a basic version might look like. It contains all the necessary elements at a generalized level.
Yes, all you have to do is go to the home page, scroll down to the business plan section and click the appropriate link. Later you will need to fill out a short form. The business plan file will come to your email, which you provide when filling out the form. If the business plan does not reach you within a few minutes (check your SPAM folder then!), write to us. We will send it to you.
The structure of a business plan and its content varies depending on the needs of the author or recipient. However, the general content (presented above in the article) is similar. Interestingly, not only in Poland, but these are worldwide standards. Of course, each business plan is content-wise different due to the fact that each business is different. Also, remember that a business plan is only one of the available forms of business presentation. In venture capital or angel investor circles, the most popular is the so-called pitch deck, which is a multimedia presentation. You can also present the business using a business model canvas or lean canvas. It all depends on your needs and the purposes for which you are creating the document.
First, when applying for a grant, do not use ready-made templates. The chances that such a business plan will "pass" are minimal. Secondly, each grant and even each labor office within the same grant has different templates for business plans. Therefore, I advise against using the templates. Incidentally, we do not help with obtaining funds from labor offices due to the fact that the level of grants is too low. We are happy to help with other topics related to financing the development or start-up of a company. As of 2023, there are dozens of different financings available for entrepreneurs and startups. These include not only grants from the labor office, but also, among others: grants from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), grants from the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR), grants from ARiMR, preferential loans, technology credit, business competitions with financial prizes, support from the Norwegian Funds, support from the Visegrad Group and many, many others. We have knowledge of these programs, which, importantly, change frequently.
The best way is to contact us (write to info@welldonebusiness.com) and describe your need in detail. Within 48 hours you will receive a response with a quote and turnaround time. We have been creating professional business plans for 10 years. We write them for our clients' own purposes, under grants, investment loans or for discussions with private investors. Our project portfolio includes more than 200 clients from all over Poland and from all industries. We will develop a document for your individual needs. You will also receive advice on obtaining financing. Perhaps the grant you are thinking about is not the best idea or the only solution available on the market. To learn about the full range of possibilities and maximize your chances of receiving financing - get in touch with us.
