Free business plan template
Build a clear business plan section by section, right in your browser. Fill in each part, then copy or download your plan. It’s free, there’s no sign-up, and nothing you type is uploaded.
A good business plan is short, honest and specific. Work through the sections below — you can always come back and refine them. Below the builder you’ll find tips for a plan that convinces a bank, investor or partner.
Tips for a plan that convinces
- Write the executive summary last, once the rest is clear.
- Be specific about your customer — “everyone” is not a target market.
- Base the financial plan on figures you can defend, not round guesses.
- Keep it to the point; a focused ten pages beats a padded fifty.
Why write a business plan?
A business plan makes your idea concrete: who your customer is, what you earn per sale and when you break even. Banks, investors and sometimes landlords ask for one. Even if nobody else reads it, writing it is the fastest way to find the weak spots in your idea.
How to write a business plan in 5 steps
- Start with your customer and your offer: what you sell, to whom, and why they choose you.
- Research your market: how big your audience is, who your competitors are and what they charge.
- Run the numbers: start-up costs, monthly fixed costs, margin per product and your break-even point.
- Describe how you will find customers (marketing) and how you will run things day to day (operations).
- Write the executive summary last: one page that tells the whole plan in short.
Example: an executive summary
This is what a summary can look like (fictional example):
“BikeFix is a mobile bike repair service in Manchester that repairs bikes at the customer’s home or office. Our customers are commuters and companies with bike schemes who have no time to visit a shop. We start with one van and two mechanics, charge a fixed call-out fee plus parts, and expect to break even within twelve months. We are asking for a loan to buy the van and our first stock of parts.”
Notice: what, for whom, how you make money, when you break even and what you are asking for, in five sentences.
What a lender wants to see
- A financial plan with start-up costs, a profit and loss forecast and a cash flow forecast for at least the first year.
- Assumptions you can back up, for example with quotes, rents or figures from similar businesses.
- How much you put in yourself: your own money shows that you share the risk.
- Your experience in the industry, or how you will cover the experience you lack.
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Frequently asked questions
What should a business plan include?
Typically: an executive summary, company description, products/services, market analysis, marketing and sales, operations, the team, and a financial plan. Add a funding request if you need investment.
Is this business plan template free?
Yes. You can build and download your plan for free, entirely in your browser, with no account.
Do you provide the financial figures?
No. You enter your own researched figures. We don’t invent numbers — lenders and investors expect assumptions you can defend.
How long should a business plan be?
There is no fixed length. For a small business, 10 to 20 pages including the numbers is usually enough. Short and specific beats long and vague.
What is the difference between a business plan and a business model?
A business model describes how you make money in one picture. A business plan works that out in detail: market, marketing, operations, team and the numbers.