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Template Highlights

• Ten sections: Company description, Opportunity, Industry Analysis, Target Market, Management Team, Marketing Strategy, Timeline, Financial Plan, Conclusion. Bonus Appendices section, if you want to get fancy
• Detailed instructions for each section
• Add new sections or delete unnecessary ones -- the template is your oyster
• Make it yours with your logo and branding
• Download it as a PDF or Word file
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Simple business plan template.

Business Plan Template

Executive Summary

Begin with a brief description of your company to give background and context. Tell the reader why you have embarked on this new venture.

Then, move into a description of the opportunity. Explain your project from the broadest to most narrow context. Tell readers what product or service you plan to offer, how it fits into the industry you’ll operate within, who your target customers are, and what you expect from the market in the future. Explain your value proposition, and give an overview of the market.

Briefly describe your management team to help potential investors understand the skills and experience your company brings to the table. Next, move into a description of how your business will operate on a day-to-day basis.

Then, describe how you will promote your new product/service. You don’t need to go into detail here, but you should provide enough information to illustrate the marketing methods you will use and how you will attract new customers.

Describe the cost structure and financial aspects of the business. You’ll need to explain the kind and amount of investment that you need, what you will use the money for, and how you envision your business becoming profitable.

Next, you should move into a description of how you will implement your business plan. How will you roll out your new business? What is the expected timeline?

Finally, close this section with a clear, pithy explanation of your project, why it is needed, and how it will benefit future customers and investors.

HubSpot Tip: Write this section last, after you have written all of the other sections. It should summarize your entire business plan in a page or two (at most).

Company Description

Provide a description of your organization. Include the company’s name, what type of entity it is, who owns it, and note any significant assets.

This is a good place to talk about why you do what you do. What is your company’s mission statement? What are your goals and objectives?

What product or service do you provide? Who are your customers? Do you have a geographic focus? If so, where?

Briefly describe the industry, the opportunities it offers, and the growth it is experiencing.

Note some of your company’s main strengths and briefly explain where you fit into the industry. You will delve more deeply into this later.

HubSpot Tip: Keep this section brief. You will have plenty of time to talk about the details of your company and the business opportunity later in the document.

The Opportunity

Describe the need in the market that your business idea will fill. How did this need arise and why has it not been filled yet?

Explain how you identified the need and how your product/service will meet it.

Describe your products/services here. You can include diagrams or pictures to help illustrate your offering.

You should also include a description of the features and benefits of your product/service to your customer. Consider capturing this in a simple table like the one below.

Product/Service Feature

Benefit to the Customer

HubSpot Tip: Be sure to include your value proposition in this section – describe how your service/product is attractive to customers.

Industry Analysis

In this section, you’ll want to talk about the key environmental trends in your industry. What are the barriers to entry (e.g., high production or marketing costs, tariff barriers, regulatory challenges, extensive training)? How is the industry progressing? What is changing?

Then think about your business’ competitive advantage. Are there other companies providing the same good/service that you will be offering? If so, are customers likely to switch to your product/service? How do you compare with your competitors?

HubSpot Tip: Note the key factors for success in this industry, and show that your company has them.

Target Market Research and Definition

Based on the market research that you previously conducted, provide an explanation of the market in which your business will reside. How big is the market? How fast is it growing? Will your product/service be a major factor in the market?

Define your target customers. Who do you expect to buy your product/service?

You should identify and describe your major competitors in this section, as well.

Identify what defines your product/service in the marketplace. What distinctive competencies or offerings do you offer that other companies do not?

HubSpot Tip: Though you want to mention some competitors, make sure the focus is on your business and how it will serve your target customers.

Management Team & Organization

Your readers will want to know that your team has the skills and qualifications to implement what you have outlined in the business plan. Include brief biographical sketches of your leadership, including the board of directors (if you have one) and any high-level external advisors that your company uses.

Include their educational credentials and a description of the relevant work they have done and accomplishments they have achieved. You can also personalize this section with headshots of your staff to help put faces to the names.

If you have a complicated management structure, consider including an organizational chart like the one shown below. Tailor it to include the names and roles of your leadership team.

HubSpot Tip: You don’t need to include descriptions of every position in the company, just high-level management.

Operations Plan

In this section, describe how you will manage your business and what daily operations will look like. You should cover at least the following topics, and any other relevant information that might be unique to your industry:

• Staffing – How many employees will you have? Where will they be located? What kinds of skills and certifications do they need?

• Infrastructure – What kind of physical space will your company occupy? Describe your business locations. What kinds of technologies will you require?

• Legal Structure – Legal issues are important in every industry. Describe the unique aspects of yours and how you will address them.

• Regulatory – Regulations also play a key role in most businesses. Include a discussion of the regulatory issues faced in your industry and how you will handle them.

• Certifications or Accreditations - Does your company require any special documentation to do business? If so, describe how you’ll attain the required certification or accreditation.

• Product/Service Delivery Process – Describe your business processes. These might include inventory, supply chain, and accounts payable and receivable.

HubSpot Tip: This list is not exhaustive, so be sure to include enough information to help potential investors understand how your business will operate.

Marketing Strategy

Marketing is a crucial to the success of any business. Building on what you described in the Target Market Research and Definition section, define the components of your strategy to market your product/service.

Describe any challenges, including barriers to entering the market. What potential problems do you foresee? How will you address them?

Explain why you have chosen to operate your business in the selected location. Are there cost savings involved in choosing this location? Does it bring you closer to your customer base?

What is your pricing strategy? Explain and provide clear evidence for why the pricing structure you selected will lead customers to buy your products/services and will, at the same time, result in a profit for your business and investors.

Describe your plan for promoting your new business, product, or service. Will you use print, radio, television, or social media? Will you hire a marketing manager?

Be sure to indicate the budget for your marketing strategy and where you will obtain the funding for this important aspect of your business. You may need to employ consultants or an advertising agency – be sure to include these costs.

HubSpot Tip: Consider including a few mockups of your logos, packaging, and even advertisements to give potential investors a preview of your company’s marketing materials.

Implementation Plan And Timeline

Describe the phases in which your business will be rolled out. Indicate which phase you are in currently, and how long it will take to bring your product/service to market.

Consider including a timeline like the one below to illustrate the steps in the process. Customize it with your dates and the specific steps for your business.

HubSpot Tip: While aiming to please potential investors, be sure to set reasonable deadlines that you are able to meet.

Financial Plan

Tell your potential investors the amount of funds you have received thus far and who provided them. How much more funding do you require?

Describe how you will use each part of the funding you are requesting. Investors often feel more comfortable if they know exactly how their money will be used.

Give readers a peek into your company’s projected financial future. Include the following as appendices, but describe them in this section:

• Cash flow projection – An estimate of how much money you expect to flow in and out of your business.

• Capitalization plan – Lists the sources and uses of capital that your business plans to amass.

• Break-even analysis – A determination of what you need to sell in order to cover the costs of doing business.

In addition to the above, you’ll need to include an income statement and balance sheet. Since these could be long and were likely developed in Excel or an accounting software, you should reference them here and include them in an appendix.

You will also want to explain any assumptions that you have made that affect your financial information. Later you will be able to point to these to explain why something may have turned out differently than expected.

HubSpot Tip: This is one of the most important sections of your business proposal. If you are not an expert in finance, be sure to seek assistance from someone who is.

In a few sentences, summarize the main point that you would like the reader to understand about your business. Aim to convince them that they should invest!

Describe the next steps, and give detailed contact information so that they can get in touch with you easily.

HubSpot Tip: This section should incite the reader to act. Make it easy for your potential investors by including in this section all of the information they need to move forward.

Include any supporting documents for the previous sections here. You can reference them in the text and use them to provide additional detail without breaking up the flow of your business plan text.

HubSpot Tip: Some items you could include are: marketing materials, maps of the business location, background research, articles that have been written about the company, and financial documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i write a simple business plan, is this template free, can i edit this template, related tags:.

• Business Plans

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Business Plan Templates

Free Download

2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business. Available as an interactive PDF or a Google Docs template.

With this business plan template, you'll be able to:

• Write a company description that sells your story
• Plan for the future: lay out goals and metrics for success
• Describe your product line in detail and plan for how to stand out from competitors
• Consider any legal formalities that require attention when starting your business
• Put together necessary financial projections to make a strong start
• Create your buyer persona and determine your product/marketing fit

Build A Business Plan That Works

Available as a one-page interactive PDF and a full template on both Google Docs and Microsoft Word!

Whether you’re starting a business or drafting a formalized document with  your current business goals, it’s important to clearly defi ne the scope of all aspects of the venture — from mission, to target customers, to fi nances, and beyond.

When just starting out, it can be tempting to think of a business plan as simply your company’s name and a description of your product or service. But in reality, planning a business involves thinking through a lot more details.

In this business plan template we’ll guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and fi nancial logistics. We've included a  plain text, designed , and  completed example version of this template. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you write a business plan.

A business plan is a formal written document that you can use to identify the purpose of your company, make important decisions about your future and help grow your company. HubSpot's free business plan templates provides guidance to establishing your company mission, customer research, competition, and a business strategy to profitability.

Why do I need to fill out the information requested?

We will always keep your personal information safe..

We ask for your information in exchange for a valuable resource in order to (a) improve your browsing experience by personalizing the HubSpot site to your needs; (b) send information to you that we think may be of interest to you by email or other means; (c) send you marketing communications that we think may be of value to you. You can read more about our privacy policy here .

Where can I get a free business plan template?

HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates are the best way to create a professional, thorough business plan. The templates include instructions and everything you need to know about starting your company.

Is this really free?

Absolutely.

Just sharing some free knowledge that we hope you’ll find useful. Keep us in mind next time you have marketing questions!

What are the basic format of a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that outlines the company's goals, strategy and implementation. The format of the plan varies depending on the type of organization (e.g., for-profit or nonprofit) and size, but most plans share some common features such as an overview, executive summary, and financial information.

What is the best business plan template?

A great business plan template clearly defines the scope of the venture -- from mission, to target customers, to finances, and beyond. HubSpot's business plan template will guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and financial logistics.

What is needed to start a business?

If you're thinking about starting a business, you'll need to do some research first. You can't just start a business without doing any market research. Market research will tell you if there's an opportunity to turn your idea into a successful business. After that, write your business plan so that you know how much money and time it will take for the project to succeed. Use HubSpot's free business plan template today!

Set yourself up for success with this business plan template

Download the free business plan template.

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• Business plans

Business Plan Template

Used 10,558 times

Reviewed by Yauhen Zaremba

This business plan template is a great tool for your startup to customize to reflect your strong qualifications, experienced team, and marketable business idea.

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Business Plan

1. executive summary.

The Executive Summary is where you explain the general idea behind your company; it’s where you give the reader (most likely an investor, or someone else you need on board) a clear indication of why you’ve sent this Business Plan to them. This is a souped-up “elevator pitch,” a couple of pages that summarizes what your business is all about.

Note that, while the entire Business Plan should be well-written, this section must really demonstrate excellent composition and grammar. This is the first part of your Business Plan that anyone will read, so it’s important that it really “sing.”

The header section of the Executive Summary can benefit from flexible treatment, as well. You can use a company logo, or any other design you’d like, but you want to be sure you include the name of your business, right at the start of the Business Plan.

In the Business Plan section, you will want to get the reader’s attention by letting them know what you do. Try to answer some (or all) of the following questions:

• What products or services do you offer?
• What sector do you operate within?
• Who is your target audience?
• What is the future outlook of the marketplace?
• What makes your offer unique?
• Who’s the boss?
• Why did your company start?

The Executive Summary is the place to succinctly describe your business. It’s also appropriate to address why you’ve created your proposal, answering questions like these, briefly, in addition to those above:

• Do you need investment?
• How much money do you need?
• What is the money to be used for?
• How will your business become profitable?
• What’s in it for the recipient?

The last question is perhaps the most important. Already, only having read as far into your business plan as the Executive Summary, your reader is wondering “what’s in it for me?” And your challenge is to offer them a preview (remember this is a “summary”) of the benefits of accepting your business plan, while not giving away the whole story.

2. Business Description

This next section gives all the must-have details about your business. Here you are looking to answer questions like “when did you start?”; “Why?”; “By whom?”

This is the place for your “origin story.” This section should be just as well-written as the Executive Summary, of course. What is your interest in the market? How’d you get to this point?

As you can tell, the Business Description section amounts to backstory – and that’s essential to any Business Plan.

This is where you tell them where you’re coming from, before you get to “why” you’re in need of an investment, in a nutshell.

3. Mission Statement

The Mission Statement section of your Business Plan expands on some of what you talked about in the Executive Summary.

Here are the major points you will want to make in the Mission Statement.

Explain the end-result you seek from the business venture. Connect it to your customers and readers, in turn.

B) Objectives

Explain the steps you will take to reach your goal. Be specific; demonstrate that you have a good idea of what it will realistically take to achieve your goals.

C) Customers

Your target audience has to be well-defined. Here you need to explain exactly who your customer is. You should define your customer as specifically as possible. Is your customer the 18-24 year old customer base? How about the 18 -24 year old music consumers, as an example? Describe them to the finest level of detail possible.

D) Industry

Why is your niche attractive? Is your industry growing? Will you shake it up with your offer? Are you a disruptor? Explain thoroughly in this section.

E) Strengths

Here you want to outline what makes your company special. Answer why your business is different from the rest of the competition. Who’s on your team? The best tip we’ve got is: investors love a top-notch team.

F) Status of Ownership

Here you want to tell your prospective investors the legal status of your company. Is it a limited liability company (LLC)? Is it a sole proprietorship, or partnership? Whatever the case may be, you’ll want to explain it to your prospect.

4. Products and Services

This section is extremely important to a successful Business Plan. This is where you describe what it is that you have to offer the world.

Be sure to include:

• Detailed descriptions of your Products and/or Services. Feel free to include pictures, as you deem appropriate. Don’t forget to add the pricing and/or fees.
• Next, you’ll want to spend some time extolling the features and benefits of your products and/or services. Break it down. Remember that customers love benefits, and prospective investors want to know that you understand those benefits.

The Products/Services you offer are the core of your business. You really can’t afford to omit anything relevant here. Your prospective investor will surely want to know what you have to offer, and they’ll want to know enough about those things to be able to believe in them.

5. Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan is one of the most essential parts of your Business Plan; marketing is the thing that brings your business to its audience.

The first thing to do in the Marketing Plan section is to prove that you know your target audience. Put the research, market analyses, and industry knowledge that you possess to work in this section. You are illustrating to your recipient that you know your audience better than anyone, and that makes yours the ideal business to serve the audience.

This section can be broken into six distinct parts, as follows:

• Clearly define and explain your target audience
• Briefly describe your competition – particularly what makes you better at what you do than them
• Detail your niche. What particular area of your industry to you fit? Where do you squeeze in, in light of the innovation?
• List your distribution channels.
• Describe how you will promote the business. What media outlets will you use for advertisement? How much is your marketing budget? Your prospective investor will surely want to know.
• State your image or message. How will you present your business to the public? Tell your reader how your customers will see your business.

The Marketing Plan is essential. Make sure you give it plenty of attention, in your Business Plan.

6. Operations Plan

This section of your Business Plan should detail your day-to-day operation. This is important; your prospective investors want to know that you’ve given some thought to the daily operation of your business.

Here, you’ll want to describe the various resources, personnel, and real estate involved in the execution of your business activities.

Here are some of the things you will want to include in the Operations Plan section:

Location-- for either service or product, where do you work out of? (Be specific, with dimensions, cost of utilities etc.)

Transportation-- how do you get your product to your clients? third-party store? Legal requirements -- Do you need permits? licenses? etc. What are the regulations you follow? Work with unions? etc.

Personnel-- Describe the type of positions you already have, plus what you may need to expand on.

Inventory-- Do you keep things in stock? Where? How much does that cost? What is the value of it? Providers/Suppliers -- Who do you lease work out to? List names, addresses, websites.

Timing for Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable-- Investors want to know about anything that could keep them from making a quick profit.

7. Management Organization

In this section, detail the management structure inside your organization. Your prospective investors will be keen to know who’s calling the shots and to whom at your business.

Here are the things you will want to make sure you list here:

• Board of Directors
• Accountants
• Consultants

Remember, you don’t have to list everyone, down to the janitors, but you do want to be thorough in this section. Let your prospect know that you’re not just winging it, and that you have a team in place.

8. Financial Plan

The Financial Plan is one of the most important, if not the absolute most important, parts of your Business Plan. This is a section that your reader will be eyeing closely, and they will expect you to have put a lot of love into this one, too.

Begin this section by telling the prospective investor about the funding you’ve received so far. Where has it come from? How much does it total? Be forthcoming about your capital and its sources, first and foremost.

This section is also the place where you plan your Profit and Loss (P&L) for at least the next 12 months. This spreadsheet can be used in connection to the cash flow spreadsheet. If your business plans to run a loss for the first year (or two, or three), you should clarify this point in this section, and add a model profitable year for good measure. Just be sure to explain that your Business Plan doesn’t always project a loss.

Cash Flow Spreadsheet Example

Cell and section names:.

CashReceivedB, Expenditures, etc are the names of the sections. To name the cell of section of cells - highlight it and then rename in the upper left corner. Changing the name afterwards, if misspelled or deleting it completely, if reverting back to original cell name is done through “Insert -> Name -> Define”.

Fiscal Year and PV of Cash Flows

Dates will be change automatically if the date in the “Fiscal Year Begins” is changed. Another section where investors would look is the present value of cash flows. It’s the sum of all cash flows discounted back 1 period using company’s annual rate of return, which is set by the company. A number was made up.

Cash Received, Expenditures, Net Cash Flow

Cash Received is a section where someone would record all the cash inflow from different activities like operating or financial. Cash outflows are recorded in Expenditures. Both of these sections are summed in the subtotals: (=SUBTOTAL(109,CashReceivedB)). 109 – specifies the function that should be done by the subtotal, other could be used too, such as averaging; there are numbers from 1 to 11.

With these two sections it is easy to find: Net Cash Flow = Cash inflow – Cash outflow. I also added two sections, which show how much money was in the beginning of the month, and how much is available at the end. That cash balance from previous month is transferred to the next month Cash Available section.

Profit/Loss Analysis Spreadsheet Example

Formulas for this spreadsheet:.

• Gross Profit = Revenue – Cost of production
• GP Margin = Gross Profit / Revenue
• Profit before taxes = Gross Profit + Other Income – Other Expenses
• Profit loss after tax = Profit before tax * (1 – Tax Rate) *However if loss was incurred, tax won’t be applied. To accommodate for that write the IF statement: if Profit Before Taxes > 0, then apply the formula above to that number, otherwise the negative number will be transferred to this cell.
• Net profit margin = Profit after tax / Revenue

Sparklines:

Overview is done with Sparklines. Select the cell where you would want to see the graph then Insert -> Sparklines. The window will pop up where you can choose the data to be shown.

To customize the graph, click on one of them and the ribbon will show up, where you can choose different styles of presentation.

Graphs for Profit/Loss Analysis Example

Creating a chart:.

Go to Insert -> Charts, highlight the data you are trying to present. Charts ribbon has variety of options that will help you improve the look and style of graphs.

Transferring chart to another spreadsheet

In order to move the chart to a new or existing sheet, press control or right click on it and choose “Move”:

Since the charts reference the same cells in the profit/loss analysis spreadsheet, updates in that table will automatically be reflected on the graph.

Break-Even Analysis Spreadsheet

Finding sales mix %:.

In this part, the goal is to find current products sales mix, which will be used in the analysis. You need to input the price and number of units sold/services provided. Sales mix % is then found for each product. These numbers should be transferred by hand to the second table.

Break-Even Analysis:

• Contribution Margin Per Unit = Price per Unit – Variable Cost Per Unit
• Average CM per Unit = CM per Product 1 * Sales Mix % Product 1 + CM per Product 2 * Sales Mix % Product 2+ ...
• Break-Even number of Units to Sell = Fixed Costs / Average CM per Unit. *This is the total number of all products, to find how many units of each product you need to sell:
• B-E units of Product 1 = (Fixed Cost / Average CM per Unit) * Sales Mix of Product 1
• Product Sales in $ = B-E units of Product 1 * Price

This table is useful to quickly assess how different scenarios would affect the break-even points. You can copy the analysis table and paste it right next to each other for easier comparison.

9. Conclusion/Call to Action

The last part of your Business Plan is a conclusion, which ideally should contain a call to action (CTA). Your CTA here is a bit different from a CTA on something like a Web-based landing page. A Business Plan CTA simply clarifies the next step. Is it a phone call or a meeting? Perhaps it’s a phone call to schedule a meeting. Whatever your CTA may be, you’ll want to make it clear, in this section.

10. Confidentiality Statement

Your Business Plan is top secret, right? If that’s the case, it’s up to you to make sure that’s clearly stated to those who receive the Business Plan. One way to protect your business and its intellectual property (IP), is to include a confidentiality, or nondisclosure (NDA) statement in your Business Plan.

11. Addendums

Here is where you add extra information, including but not limited to:

• -- less interesting information, that someone might like to know (positive, of course)
• -- graphs, technical drawings, etc
• -- citations: sometimes you may include a statistic in your proposal, about your industry, your competitive market, etc., but you must cite it.
• -- business studies
• -- city plans, office plans
• -- list of assets for collateral; financial backgrounds of key investors
• -- CVs/resumes, credentials of key players
• -- key collaborators, etc

[Sender.Company]

MM / DD / YYYY

[Client.Company]

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Useful resources

• Featured templates
• Sales proposals
• NDA agreements
• Operating agreements
• Service agreements
• Sales documents
• Marketing proposals
• Rental and lease agreement
• Quote templates

Free Business Plan Template

Running your own business might be a real challenge. And even if you know exactly every single step of your company, you need a proper business plan to attract investors, employees, and potential partners. Creating one is easy with PandaDoc free business plan templates.

What Is a Business Plan Template?

A business plan template is an opportunity to find a simple and convenient tool that will grant you a proper start for your business. Using even a simple business plan will be a universal solution for all types of companies, especially startups or small ventures.

By providing all the essential facts in your business plan, you will be able to show its most beneficial parts. And with a proper sample of a business plan template, you will avoid all the possible mistakes.

What Is Included In a Free Business Plan Template?

Working with a template for a business plan, you will be able to include all the essential things about development and running your business.

The following chapters are the most important ones:

• The idea of your company. This is the very first thing that shows the purpose and the benefits of your venture. Here, you need to concisely explain your aims, ideally in one-two sentences. 
• The description of your business. Here you can show the basic data about your company and the expanded version of your global aims. 
• Your business mission. When you want to express the local goals of your company and show all your working aims, you have to use the page with the mission. Include the most important aspects. Goals, objectives, the targeted audience of your projects, the place you are going to take on a market, advantages of your company, and information for investors, who will be able to attend your business. 
• Your products and services. Show the beneficial services that you are going to use as your main tool to attract customers and succeed. 
• A detailed marketing plan. Here you can show the proper chain of business solutions with an expanded explanation of each and every step of your business. A marketing strategy might include both your potential income and costs. 
• Operations plan. Here you can state all the essential tasks you have to do in order to run your project or manage it. 
• Management. Show the hierarchy of your employees. It will give the clearest image of how many people your company will accept. 
• Financial plan. Giving the clearest and the most expanded vision of all of your costs will be the most important part for your potential investors. Completing this chapter properly might be extremely challenging, but with a proper free business plan template, you will face no trouble with it.

As you can see, there will be more than enough solutions for your business plan. And with a proper conclusion, you will find it simple to show even more beneficial parts of your company to all your investors.

How To Write a Business Plan Template?

To write a proper business plan you can use a sample of a business plan template provided by PandaDoc. When filling it out, you need to include the following information:

• Facts about your company. You can expand it with numbers or achievements like the state of your client base, years of expertise in the market, or anything that attracts the attention of potential investors.
• State the costs and income of your company. It will be essential to calculate everything for investors to have a clear picture of the current state.
• Use the employee tab. With a proper business plan template sample, you will see that you can add employees to the chosen chapter in order to show the levels of responsibility in your company.

And also, you should keep in mind that all the information about your goals, aims, and tools to work on your project has to be clear for any single person that is going to read your business plan. But with PandaDoc tips PandaDoc, you will be able to see all the nuances and fill in your sample.

When To Use a Simple Business Plan Template?

A simple business plan template is ideal for startups or small business owners who just consider starting their path. Individual entrepreneurs can benefit from it too, as it’s a great way to put all the aspects of the job together and spot a range of opportunities to improve.

Having a template for a business plan lets you focus on the main aspects of your business operation, making it full and detailed for your investors. And PandaDoc will help a lot with this task, while such features as eSignature will help with making this small business plan template a real and verified source of the information.

Download Free Business Plan Examples

Download a free business plan in pdf or word doc format to make writing a plan fast and easy, find your sample plan.

Discover the sample plan that best fits your business. Search our gallery of over 550 sample business plans and find the one that's right for you.

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What You'll Get:

A complete business plan Unlike other blank templates, our business plan examples are complete business plans with all of the text and financial forecasts already filled out. Edit the text to make the plan your own and save hundreds of hours.

A professional business plan template All 550 of our business plans are in the SBA-approved format that’s proven to raise money from lenders and investors.

Instructions and help at every step Get help with clear, simple instructions for each section of the business plan. No business experience necessary.

A Word doc you can edit We don’t just have PDF documents that make editing a challenge. Each plan is available in Word format so you can start editing your business plan example right away.

Key Sections Included in our Example Business Plans:

Executive Summary : A quick overview of your plan and entices investors to read more of your plan.

Company : Describes the ownership and history of your business.

Products and Services : Reviews what you sell and what you’re offering your customers.

Market Analysis : Describes your customers and the size of your target market.

Strategy and Implementation : Provides the details of how you plan on building the business.

Management Team : An overview of the people behind the business and why they’re the right team to make the business a success.

Financial Plan : A complete set of forecasts including a Profit and Loss Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Balance Sheet.

Looking for a sample business plan PDF? You can download a few PDF examples below:

• Accounting and Bookkeeping Sample Business Plan PDF
• Agriculture Farm Sample Business Plan PDF
• Cleaning Service Sample Business Plan PDF

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Powerful business plan templates

Plan for the future, no matter what your business plans are or the size of your business with these designs and templates. whether it's just one big project or an entire organization's worth of dreams, these templates will keep you and your company on track from ideation to completion..

Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

Free Business Templates for Organizations of All Sizes

By Kate Eby | April 8, 2020

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In this article, you’ll find an extensive collection of expert-tested, easy-to-use business templates to help you save time and improve productivity. Download free templates for  business planning , financial planning and budgeting , inventory management , and more.  

Business Plan Templates

At the foundation of any thriving business is intentional and persistent planning. Whether you are starting up a small business, expanding your current business, or simply need strategic direction as an entrepreneur, these business planning templates will empower you to develop your business blueprint and achieve your short and long-term goals.

Simple Small Business Plan Template

Use this essential one-page business plan template as a starting point to record the purpose of your business, the problem you are solving, the strategies of top competitors, as well as your key milestones marketing strategies, and a SWOT analysis. This template was designed with small businesses in mind, but can be used for organizations of any size.

Download Simple Small Business Plan Template

Excel | Word | PDF | Smartsheet

Startup Business Plan Template

This customizable startup business plan template enables you to outline strategies for your new business, so you can adapt to internal and external factors, as well as stay ahead of the competition. Modify this template to fill in the company’s background information, financial overview (including growth projections), business offerings, pricing structure, marketing strategy, competitive analysis, and more. Having all this data in one place will provide you with the clear direction you need to meet your business objectives. 

Download Startup Business Plan Template

Word | Smartsheet

Business Plan Executive Summary Template

This business plan executive summary template organizes, clarifies, and simplifies the process of communicating with potential investors concerning the essential details of your business, product, or idea. This template includes sections to showcase your vision, mission, history, value proposition, competitive advantage, target market, market opportunity, competitors, financials, and more. With this executive summary, your business plan will command attention from the start.

Download Business Plan Executive Summary Template

Excel | Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

For additional resources and free downloads, take a look at " Simple Business Plan Templates ."

Small Business Templates

These professionally designed templates cater to the small business owner, and you can customize them to fit your needs. Download and use these templates to help save time as you plan out your budget, track sales, and keep a finger on the financial pulse of your business.

Small Business Budget Template

This basic budgeting plan is ideal for small businesses that need a simple, easy-to-use template to track monthly business revenue and expenditures. This template comes with separate tabs to track monthly income and monthly fixed and variable expenses. It also includes a log to record cash transactions and remaining balances. 

Download Small Business Budget Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Small Business Sales Tracking Template

Use this sales tracker template to track costs, sales, income, and more for multiple items. You can also track the shipping costs, returns, and profit per item sold. This template comes with built-in graphs that correspond to the values you enter, and you can customize it to fit your needs. 

Download Small Business Sales Tracking Template — Excel

Small Business Pro Forma Balance Sheet Template

Use this pro forma balance sheet template to help manage your business assets and make monetary projections. Use financial statements to project the future status of receivables, inventory, equipment, debt, retained earnings, and more. With built-in formulas, this template also provides space to calculate key financial ratios. 

Download Small Business Pro Forma Balance Sheet Template — Excel

Startup Business Templates

Patience, diligent planning, and proper timing are all key aspects of a successful startup. Use these customizable templates to organize your ideas and finances so you can get your startup off the ground.

Startup Business Planning Schedule

Planning the launch of a startup business can be overwhelming. This template will support you in the planning process by allowing you to organize each phase of the process into actionable steps. Use this startup business planning schedule to define key tasks and deadlines, and use the built-in calendar to visualize progress and milestones.

Download Startup Business Planning Schedule

Startup Budget Template

One of the fundamental elements of a successful startup business is a detailed plan for resource allocation. This comprehensive startup budget template enables you to plan out estimates for funding, including investor funding and loans. It also allows you to plan out estimated expenses, including administrative, office, and marketing costs. In addition, the template compares budgeted to actual amounts at both a granular and high-level view.

Download Startup Budget Template — Excel

Startup Financial Projections Template (Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement)

Use this template to make financial projections for a startup business. This customizable template bundle with built-in formulas includes a detailed profit and loss projection over a 12-month period, a balance sheet, and a cash flow statement. 

Download Startup Financial Projections Template — Excel 

For additional startup template options, see “Free Startup Plan, Budget, and Cost Templates.”

Business Budget Templates

In order to make strategic decisions, a business must engage in effective budgeting practices. When an organization follows this maxim, it can accurately chart its current and projected financial standing. Use these professionally built budgeting templates to track cash flow, expenses, and costs and, in doing so, increase your company’s profitability and ROI.

Business Budget Template

This customizable business budget template enables you to plan your business expenses and break them down into goods and services. To create a spending plan for your finances, compare budgeted and actual amounts for all elements of the business, including operating expenses, payroll expenses, office expenses, health expenses, costs for labor and materials, and more.

Download Business Budget Template

Excel |  Smartsheet

Monthly and Yearly Business Budget Template

Use this 12-month business budget template for both a high-level and granular view of your organization’s financial performance over time. This template contains both a profit and loss section and balance sheet section to track revenue, costs, and expenses — fill out these sections to see the financial status of your business at a monthly, quarterly, and annual view.

Download Annual Business Budget Template

Excel | Smartsheet 

For additional budget template options, see “Free Business Budget Templates for Any Company.”

Business Invoice Templates

Download the following free business invoice templates — designed for organizations of any size — to provide your clients with invoices for the products or services they purchase. You’ll find simple templates, as well as advanced templates with built-in calculators.

Business Invoice Template

Organizations in any industry or of any size can use this professional business invoice template to bill clients for work. Simply enter product prices, quantities, shipping costs, and tax rates, and built-in formulas will automatically calculate total values. There is also room to add a logo, special remarks or instructions for payment, contact information, and other payment details that you can customize to fit your needs.

Download Business Invoice Template — Excel

Simple Invoice Template

This sales or service invoice template is designed to be easy to fill out and submit to clients. Simply add your logo and company information at the top, fill in the customer contact details, and add each line item description and amount. There is also space at the bottom of the template to add your contact information, should the client have any questions or concerns.

Download Simple Invoice Template

Blank Invoice Template

To use this invoice template, simply add billing and shipping information, product or service purchase details, special remarks or instructions, and contact information. There is also room at the top to insert a company logo. You can fully customize and print this blank invoice template or send it to clients electronically. 

Download Blank Invoice Template 

PDF | Smartsheet

If you need additional resources for accounting and bookkeeping, check out “55 Free Invoice Templates. ”

Business Financial Templates

With effective financial planning, you can set short and long-term goals and establish parameters for your work as you develop your strategy and prioritize your action plan. These free financial planning templates can assist you in the process of allocating resources in order to meet your overall business objectives.

Yearly Financial Projections Template

This detailed, all-in-one financial projection template contains separate tabs, and includes a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet, and a cash flow statement. Enter monthly financial data, and the built-in formulas will automatically calculate profit and loss ratios at a monthly, quarterly, and yearly view. Next, enter assets, liabilities, and stakeholder funds to track quarterly changes on the balance sheet and the formulas will also calculate balance sheet ratios. Finally, enter cash flow from operations, as well as investing and financing activities, to identify the cash position of your business.

Download Yearly Financial Projections Template

Financial Summary Report Template

Use this customizable financial summary report template to compare financial data from the previous year to the reporting year. This document also allows you to reference built-in visuals in order to see performance at a glance. This template enables you to report on total revenue, operating profit, net profit, assets, liabilities, and other financials at a high-level view.

Download Financial Summary Report Template — Excel

Financial Management Plan Template

Use this customizable financial management plan template to create a comprehensive financial plan of action. This template provides a basic outline to help you detail the purpose, scope, milestones, stakeholders, assumptions, risks, and methods you use to manage your business finances. Set up meetings on a regular basis to review your financial plan. Scheduling a standing meeting ensures that you will reach your goals and allows you to make modifications according to updated objectives.

Download Financial Management Plan Template

If you need additional financial resources and templates, check out our financial planning templates and Excel financial templates .  

Inventory Templates

Keeping track of inventory levels and product orders can help lower costs and improve efficiency. Use these free inventory templates to accurately track your company’s assets and support your inventory management process.

Small Business Inventory Control Template

This basic inventory control template enables you to track the total quantity and value of your organization’s current inventory, as well as see items that you need to reorder. When you enter the item number, name, manufacturer, cost, stock quantity, reorder level, and days per reorder, each item’s inventory value will calculate automatically via built-in formulas.

Download Small Business Inventory Control Template

Asset Tracking Template

Keep track of your company’s computer hardware, office furniture, intellectual property, and other business assets using this asset tracking template. This template keeps a record of each asset’s name, description, department, order date, vendor, warranty expiration date, model, quantity, value, and more. There is also space to add a link to (or image of) each asset. 

Download Asset Tracking Template

Stock Inventory Management Template

Use this stock inventory control management template to keep inventory levels in check, maintain a record of inventory value and location, and track when it’s time to reorder. This template contains separate tabs, including a stock inventory control tab, stock tracking tab, stock inventory item tab, and stock vendor list tab, to store all inventory and vendor contact details in one convenient location. 

Download Stock Inventory Management Template

For additional resources for inventory management, check out “Free Excel Inventory Templates.”

Additional Business Templates to Help Your Organization

For additional resources to support you in all aspects of your business, check out our wide selection of free, downloadable templates — from planning and scheduling to project management and reporting:

Agenda Templates

Calendar Templates

Dashboard Templates

Estimate & Quote Templates

Marketing Templates

Project Management Templates

Proposal Templates

Receipt Templates

Sales Templates

Work Scheduling Templates

Business Case Templates

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