Document text
[BUSINESS NAME, LLC / INC.]
Business Plan
[One-sentence description — e.g. Mobile bicycle repair for commuters and families in Columbus, Ohio]
Prepared by [Owner name, title]
Contact [Phone] · [Email] · [Website]
Business address [Street, City, State ZIP]
Date [Month Year]
Purpose of this plan [Bank loan of $X / investor discussion / internal roadmap / grant application]
Confidential. This plan contains business information shared only with the people named by the owner. Please do not copy or forward it without permission.
Contents
1. Executive summary
2. Company description
3. Market analysis
4. Competition
5. Organization and management
6. Products and services
7. Marketing and sales
8. Operations and milestones
9. Funding request
10. Financial projections
11. Risks and how we manage them
12. Appendix
This template follows the traditional business plan sections described by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), plus competition, operations and risk sections that lenders and investors usually ask about. A shorter one-page lean plan is at the end. Write the executive summary last, after the other sections are done.
1. Executive summary
One page. A reader who stops here should know what you do, for whom, why you will win, how much money you need and what it buys.
The business [Name] is a [legal structure] based in [city, state] that [what you sell] to [who buys it].
The problem [What your customers struggle with today, with one number if you have it.]
Our solution [How your product or service solves it, and why it is better or cheaper.]
Target market [Customer segment, area and size — e.g. 46,000 households within 10 miles that own bicycles.]
Competitive advantage [What competitors cannot easily copy: location, license, team, cost, relationships.]
Traction so far [Customers, pre-orders, revenue, letters of intent, pilot results — or “pre-launch”.]
Team [Owner and key people, one line each with the experience that matters.]
Financial summary Year 1 revenue $[ ] · Year 2 $[ ] · Year 3 $[ ]; break-even in month [ ].
Funding request $[amount] as [loan / equity / grant], used for [top 3 uses]. Owner contribution: $[amount].
Sample executive summary (fictional company — replace with your own)
Riverbend Mobile Bike Repair, LLC brings bicycle tune-ups and repairs to customers’ homes and workplaces in Columbus, Ohio. Commuters and families tell us the nearest shop has a one-week wait and that transporting a bike without a car rack is the hardest part of getting it fixed. We operate a fully equipped service van that completes most repairs on site in under an hour. In a three-month weekend pilot we served 212 customers, 38% of whom booked a second service, and signed maintenance agreements with two employers that run bike-to-work programs. The founder, Dana Ortiz, managed service at a regional bike retailer for seven years. A part-time mechanic joins at launch. We forecast revenue of $148,000 in year 1 and $236,000 in year 3, with break-even in month 9. We are requesting a $65,000 term loan to purchase and outfit a second van ($52,000) and fund six months of working capital ($13,000). The owner is contributing $20,000 in cash and equipment.
2. Company description
Legal name and structure [Name, LLC / S corp / C corp / sole proprietorship / partnership]
Date founded and state [Month Year], registered in [State]
Owners and ownership % [Name — %], [Name — %]
Location [Address, home-based, online, or mobile]
Licenses and permits [Business license, sales-tax permit, professional or health license — list each]
Mission [One sentence: what you do and for whom]
Stage [Idea / pre-launch / operating since … / expanding]
Then write two or three short paragraphs: why the business exists, what makes it different, and what success looks like in three years.
[Your text]
3. Market analysis
Show that enough people will pay. Use public data (Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, trade associations) and say where every number comes from.
Measure Definition Number Source
Total market Everyone who could buy this type of product or service [ ] [ ]
Serviceable market The part you can reach with your location, channel and price [ ] [ ]
Target in year 1 Customers you plan to win in the first year [ ] Your estimate
Ideal customer: [age or business type, location, income or budget, how they buy today, what triggers a purchase].
Trends: [two or three trends that help or hurt you, with sources].
4. Competition
Competitor What they offer Price Strengths Weaknesses How we win
[Competitor 1]
[Competitor 2]
[Do-it-yourself / do nothing]
5. Organization and management
Person Role Relevant experience Time commitment
[Name] [Owner / CEO] [Years, companies, results] [Full-time]
[Name] [Role]
[To hire] [Role] [Hire by month …]
Advisers: [accountant, attorney, mentor, board members].
Hiring plan: [roles and months].
6. Products and services
Product or service Customer benefit Price Unit cost Gross margin %
[Item 1] $[ ] $[ ] [ ]%
[Item 2]
[Item 3]
Intellectual property, suppliers and warranties: [trademarks, patents, key suppliers, return policy].
7. Marketing and sales
Channel Activity Monthly budget Expected result
[Search / Google Business Profile] $[ ] [leads per month]
[Referral partners]
[Social media / email]
[Direct sales / events]
Sales process: [how a stranger becomes a paying customer, step by step].
Pricing strategy: [why your prices are where they are].
8. Operations and milestones
How the work gets done: [location, equipment, suppliers, software, hours, delivery].
Milestone Owner Target date Budget Done?
[Register the business and open a bank account] [ ] ☐
[Secure location / equipment] ☐
[Launch] ☐
[First 50 customers] ☐
[Hire first employee] ☐
9. Funding request
Use of funds Amount Notes
[Equipment] $[ ]
[Inventory]
[Leasehold improvements]
[Marketing launch]
[Working capital — months of expenses]
Total requested $[ ]
Owner contribution (cash and assets) $[ ]
Type of funding and terms sought: [term loan, line of credit, SBA-guaranteed loan, equity for …%, grant]. Collateral offered: [ ]. Repayment source: [cash flow from operations, see section 10].
10. Financial projections
Lenders usually ask for three to five years of projections, monthly for the first year. Base every number on an assumption you can explain.
Key assumptions: [average sale $, customers per month, growth rate, cost of goods %, wages, rent, loan rate and term].
Projected income statement Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Revenue $[ ] $[ ] $[ ]
Cost of goods sold
Gross profit
Wages and payroll taxes
Rent and utilities
Marketing
Insurance
Loan interest
Other operating expenses
Net profit before tax
Cash flow and balance Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Cash at start of year
Cash in (sales collected, loans, owner money)
Cash out (expenses, equipment, loan principal)
Cash at end of year
Break-even: fixed costs per month $[ ] ÷ (average price $[ ] − variable cost per sale $[ ]) = [ ] sales per month, reached in month [ ].
11. Risks and how we manage them
Risk Likelihood Impact What we will do
[Slower sales than forecast] [Low / Med / High] [Cut … / add channel …]
[Key supplier fails]
[Owner illness or absence]
[New competitor]
12. Appendix
☐ Owner résumés
☐ Licenses, permits and registrations
☐ Lease or letter of intent for the location
☐ Quotes for equipment and build-out
☐ Letters of intent or contracts from customers
☐ Personal financial statement and tax returns (if requested by the lender)
☐ Detailed monthly projections
One-page lean business plan
Use this when you need a fast plan for yourself or a first conversation. These nine boxes follow the lean-plan format described by the SBA.
Customer segments [ ] Value proposition [ ]
Channels [ ] Customer relationships [ ]
Key activities [ ] Key resources [ ]
Key partnerships [ ] Revenue streams [ ]
Cost structure [ ]
Next 90 days: [three milestones with dates and owners].
How to use this template
Delete this page before you send or print the document.
• Fill sections 2–11 first; write the executive summary last and keep it to one page.
• Delete the gray instructions, the fictional sample and any section you do not need.
• Keep numbers consistent: the funding request, the use of funds and the projections must add up to the same totals.
• Lenders often request personal financial statements, tax returns and collateral details in addition to the plan; ask yours for its checklist.
• If you share the plan from Layers, you can see who opened it and how long they read, and send a reminder before your meeting.
Fields in [SQUARE BRACKETS] must be completed or deleted. © Layers (layers.md), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may adapt and reuse this template with attribution.
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