How To Write a Business Plan

Planning for Success

You've no doubt heard the expression, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Many entrepreneurs write a business plan only when they need to secure start-up financing. However, your plan is far more than a document for banks and investors to read; it's an invaluable roadmap for launching and growing your business.

In order to put your business concept on paper, you need to think through and research the many factors that are needed to make sure your business is a success. With a plan, not only can you spot potential weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, your plan can help you make informed decisions about your venture before you commit yourself legally or financially.

Here, we've summarized the key sections that you'll find in a business plan. 

The Seven Key Sections of a Business Plan

1. Executive summary

Your executive summary should be 1-2 pages long, and provide an overview of your business concept, key objectives of your business and your plan, ownership structure, management team, your product or service offering, target market(s), competitive advantages, marketing strategy, and a summary of your financial projections. Your executive summary should be written last, after you've written the rest of the plan; each paragraph should be a summary of the more detailed, related section of the plan.

2. Business Overview

In your overview, include details regarding your business’s history, vision and/or mission, objectives, and your ownership structure.

3. Products and Services

Expand upon your products and services, including features and benefits, competitive advantages, and, if marketing a product, how and where your products will be produced.

4. Industry overview

The industry overview is your opportunity to demonstrate the viability of your business by discussing the size and growth of your industry, the key markets within your industry, how your customers will buy your products or services, and which markets you’ll be targeting.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here you describe your target market segments, your competition, how you'll differentiate your products or services, and your products’ or services’ unique selling proposition (USP).

• Discuss product or service pricing and promotion, including how your promotional programs will appeal to each of your target market segments.
• Provide a plan of traditional and guerrilla marketing tactics, such as tradeshows, press-magnet events, social media marketing (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.), networking, and print, media, or online advertising. Include the cost associated with each tactic.
• Describe how your products or services will be sold (e.g. storefront, online, wholesalers), and your target markets’ buying cycle. 

6. Operations Plan

Provide a profile of your management team, your human resources plan, your business location(s) and facilities, your production plan (if selling a product), and an overview of day-to-day operations.

7. Financial plan

Some believe this is the most important part of a plan—so much so, it’s worth dedicating up to 80% of your time to writing this section. You'll need to show three years’ worth of projected financial statements, including income statements, pro-forma balance sheets, and monthly cash flow and annual cash flow statements. Summarize each statement into a few easy-to-understand sentences and put these in a cover page for the statements. Be sure to document all of the assumptions you used in forecasting your revenues and expenses.

Download the Small Business BC How to Write a Business Plan checklist and start planning for your business success.

Business Plan Resources

Here are some resources to help you with your business plan:

Import / Export Business Registration Resources

• How to Register a Business for Import
• How to Register a Business for Export

Business Plan Seminars

• Business Plan FastTrack Workshop
• Tuning Up Your Business Plan

Business Plan Review

• Small Business BC Business Plan Review Service

Business Plan Guides

• Small Business BC Start-Up Kit
• TD Canada Trust: Business Planner
• Writing An Effective Business Plan

Business Plan Writing

• Scotia Bank: Interactive Business Plan Writer
• Canadian Youth Business Foundation: Interactive Business Planner
• Business Development Bank of Canada: Business Plan Template
• BIZPLANIT.COM: Online Business Plan Writing
• Small Business Administration: Business Plan Template

Sample Business Plans

• Gale Virtual Library: Sample Business Plans
• BPLANS.COM: Sample Business Plans

Refer to our Business Planning Resources guide.

Need Help Writing Your Business Plan?

Small Business BC has joined together with Business Plans Canada to provide a free interactive business planner for entrepreneurs.  This easy to use web tool breaks down each section of your business plan into bite sized piece, telling you what to include and providing you with examples of what others have included in their plan.

Visit: Interactive Business Planner

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