A business plan is a document that management needs to visualize “what direction the business will take in the future” in order to arrange the necessary funds to launch or continue the business. The prepared business plan is often submitted to financial institutions and investors.
However, many people may say, “It is tedious to create a business plan from scratch every time, so I would like to use a template”.
In this issue, we will introduce best 8 templates for business plans, as well as focus on required items for below people.
- “I want to improve the appearance of the business plan that I create internally.”
- “We are looking for a business plan template that suits our company”.
- “I want to properly manage the business plan I have created”.
This article will not only help you find the right business plan template for your company, but will also help you understand how to properly manage your business plan.
Contents
- 1 8 business plan templates for free
- 1.1 (1) Business plan template by Smartsheet
- 1.2 (2) Business plan design template by Microsoft
- 1.3 (3) Business template provided by Vertex42
- 1.4 (4) Business plan design template by You Exec
- 1.5 (5) Financial plan template by Spreadsheet123
- 1.6 (6) Startup business plan template by Smartsheet
- 1.7 (7) Business plan template by The SMB Guide
- 1.8 (8) Business plan template by Wise
- 2 What is the purpose of a business plan?
- 3 What are the 3 steps to developing a business plan?
- 4 Example that 8 essential items is for business plan
- 5 What to keep in mind when creating a business plan?
- 6 Best tool for sharing information to help create a business plan
- 7 Summary of steps to create an easy-to-understand business plan
8 business plan templates for free
Below are 8 recommended templates for business plans. Some of the templates are free, so you should not miss them if you want to proceed with the preparation of your business plan in an efficient manner.
(1) Business plan template by Smartsheet
Here is a free template for a business plan template provided by Smartsheets.
As this template can compile the business plan concisely in 1 page, it is good for small projects in team or consideration for the countermeasure in short periods.
(2) Business plan design template by Microsoft
Here is a free template for a business plan provided by Microsoft.
This template has 26 pages to create the business plan, and the instruction regarding how to write of each item on this template helps you to create business plan smoothly.
(3) Business template provided by Vertex42
This is a free Excel template for a business plan provided by Vertex42.
Especially, although Word templates has the feature that is difficult to check the contents in the view which is vertical longer by quantity of the contents increased, this template can manage information easily by each sheet.
(4) Business plan design template by You Exec
Here is a free template for a business plan provided by You Exec.
It is easy for the member who has not created the business plan to create it with instruction how to create business plan by tutorial video. However, you should register You Exec for free to use it.
(5) Financial plan template by Spreadsheet123
Here is a free template for a financial plan provided by Spreadsheet123.
This template specializes into management for company finance such as Profit and Loss, and Balance Sheet. Also, you can manage cash flow with this template.
(6) Startup business plan template by Smartsheet
This is a free template for a Startup business plan provided by Smartsheet.
Since you can consider and record financial issues in detail such as cost of sales, wages of employee and so on, it is useful when you look back the expense of your team.
(7) Business plan template by The SMB Guide
Here is a free template for a business plan provided by The SMB Guide.
This template has 11 pages which are not excess or insufficiency, and help you to create business plan easily. (You can delete the text and logo of The SMB Guide.)
(8) Business plan template by Wise
Here is a free template for a business plan provided by Wise.
Although you need to subscribe Wise newsletter (free), then you can use and edit this template. As this template divided by header and page, they help you to create business plan easily.
What is the purpose of a business plan?
The purpose of a business plan is to “To organize what we need for establishment of new company” or “To raise funds for launching a new business”.
The business plan is used to gain the trust of the lender and to help the lender make a decision. By writing down details that cannot be conveyed verbally in written or numerical form, the recipient’s understanding is deepened, increasing the likelihood of a loan being granted.
Therefore, write your business plan accurately and concretely, as it is a document that will be read by a third party.
What are the 3 steps to developing a business plan?
First, here are the 3 steps for developing a business plan.
- Step 1｜Clearly define your goals
- Step 2｜Clarify your policies
- Step 3｜Make a business plan
Clarify your goals based on the background and thoughts that led you to develop your business. It is also important to have a concrete vision for the next several years.
Next, clarify your policy regarding which customer segments you will appeal to and what kind of appeal you will make to them. However, it is important to base your decision on market research and other data that will provide the basis for your decision.
Once the policy has been clarified, a business plan should be developed. For example, how much money will be needed to launch the business, what are the sales projections, and what measures should be taken to prevent risks.
Follow these 3 steps to structure your business plan and create an easy-to-understand business plan.
Example that 8 essential items is for business plan
The following are 8 items that should be included in a business plan.
- Motive and purpose for opening the business
- Business name and management profile
- Sales points
- Social background
- Market research
- Marketing strategy
- Financial plan
- Risks and solutions
Describe the reason for starting the business, the background, and the philosophy. It must be consistent with “selling points and social background,” etc., which will be described later.
Basic company data such as company name, business type, location, and number of employees should be described. In addition, the manager’s work history, the tasks he/she has handled, and his/her achievements will be included to show whether he/she has skills that can be utilized in future business ventures.
Describe the selling points of the products and services you handle. Describe in detail the strengths, characteristics, and competitive advantages of your business and show how you can differentiate yourself from similar businesses in the industry.
This section describes how your business will impact society, using the PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological).
Describe the results of your research to determine whether the market environment and size are such that there is potential for growth and demand in the future. Graphs and tables, as appropriate, are helpful for visual understanding.
Without an appropriate marketing strategy, even a good product will not lead to sales. Therefore, the “price”, “means of advertising”, and “distribution channels” for the products and services to be handled should be envisioned in advance.
Describe how much capital will be required for the business. In particular, if you are starting up a new business, write down in detail the initial costs, the costs you will need in the first 6 months after opening, your own funds, and how much you will need to finance the business.
This is an important point for obtaining the trust of financial institutions and lenders. Therefore, after careful consideration, describe specific measures you will take.
For each of the above eight items, be sure not to provide excessive or insufficient information.
What to keep in mind when creating a business plan?
Below are 3 points to keep in mind when creating a business plan. Even if you use the template, you will not be able to solve the hassle of creating a business plan if you do not follow the precautions below.
(1) Is it easy to edit?
The first point to consider is whether it is easy to edit and update.
With Word and Excel, which are conventionally used to create business plans, you have to open the file every time and save it frequently, which can be a hassle. In addition, it is time-consuming to print or duplicate the file to compare before and after revisions.
As mentioned above, it is important to note that if it is difficult to edit or update, it can be stressful for the person in charge.
(2) Can it be properly managed?
The second point to keep in mind is whether the data can be properly managed.
The business plan contains a lot of important information about your future business. If the information is not properly managed, it could be leaked.
Furthermore, if you do not know where the information is stored, you will not be able to quickly check the contents when you need to. Therefore, a business plan is not the end of the process; it must be properly managed.
Best tool for sharing information to help create a business plan
Below is a tool for sharing information that can help in the creation of a business plan.
A business plan is an important document needed to launch a business, and Word and Excel are commonly used to create it. However, many people find it cumbersome to open the file and check edits.
Therefore, in order to solve the hassles mentioned above, so break away from Word and Excel and use tools to create business plans. In particular, we recommend using an information sharing tool to centralize not only the creation of the business plan, but also its management.
In conclusion, the best tool for creating a business plan is Stock, a tool that is equipped with a “Note” that allows users to leave not only text but also images and files, and that even first-time users can use immediately.
“Note” of Stock not only shows the history of edits, including who made the changes, when, and where, but also allows users to compare before and after edits. In addition, by setting up “Task” associated with the Notes, you can prevent omissions of things that need to be done.
Stock| A tool that allows anyone to easily leave information
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
*Minimum number of users: 5 users
Summary of steps to create an easy-to-understand business plan
We have focused on the steps for creating an easy-to-understand business plan.
A business plan can be created smoothly if you follow the steps of “clarifying the objectives and policies of the business and then formulating a plan. However, Word and Excel may be difficult to edit and the accessibility of data may be poor, which may cause trouble to the person in charge.
Therefore, using an information sharing tool instead of Word or Excel to create a business plan is a speedy and easy way to create a business plan. However, it is not the end of the process; you must also take into account the management of the document after it is created.
In conclusion, your company should use only one tool, Stock, which allows you to centralize the creation and management of information by simply writing the contents of your business plan in a “Note”.
Free registration takes only 1 minute, so using Stock to make the creation of your business plan a smooth process.
