The 12 main components of a business plan are:
- Executive Summary
- Company Description
- Market Analysis
- Organization and Management
- Products and Services
- Marketing and Sales
- Competitive Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Operations and Logistics
- Financial Projections
- Funding Request
- Appendix
The executive summary, marketing plan, key management bios, and financial plan sections are critical and should be included in all business plans. Additional sections can be added when targeting specific purposes and audiences.
Focusing on just four simple components can help small businesses create a useful business plan:
- Executive Summary
- Marketing Plan
- Key Management Bios
- Financial Plan
The financial plan includes your business model and figures to assess value creation. The challenge is to leave nothing out. You need to present essential data like accounts, projections, and the current financial picture.
Business Plan Simplification
What if instead of an entire business plan, there was only one step required to write a 12-part document covering the basics of running your own business? Well, there is! And today we’ll cover exactly how:
Executive Summary – A written version of your plan. It’s the most important part and should be written last, in clear, concise language.
Company Analysis – Describes the company’s history, founding, key events and milestones. It explains market positioning.
12 Steps for a Simple Roadmap
Here are 12 Steps to create a simple roadmap:
- Your mission
- Building blocks
- Logical plan
- Mission statement
Guide to a Growing Business
With this guide, you’ll go from idea to growing business in 12 steps:
- Validate your idea
- Conduct research
- Select model and pricing
- Write plan and financials
- Select structure
- Register business
- Obtain locations and permits
- Build your team
- Promote through marketing