An excellent business plan has 10 key components. The first five provide an overview of the business and the market research to support it, while the second set focuses on strategy-marketing, operational, financial and management strategies that you will employ.

1. 10 KEY ELEMENTS
OF A BUSINESS PLAN

2. Your business plan is a critical document in
determining the success of your business.
Its primary mission is to convince the reader to
get involved in and/or fund your business.
Business plans also serve as the framework for
your company and provide benchmarks to see if
you’re reaching your goals.

3. An excellent business plan
has 10 key components.
The first five provide an
overview of the business
and the market research to
support it, while the second
set focuses on strategy-
marketing, operational,
financial and management
strategies that you will
employ.

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5. Executive Summary
Your Executive Summary should sum up your
entire business plan and includes:
1. An overview of what your company does and why it will be successful
2. A brief synopsis of all the other sections of the plan
3. MUST answer why you business is unique

6. Company Analysis
Your Company Analysis section gives readers an overview of your
company. Include details such as:
Value proposition
Company background information
Product & service offering
Location
Business model

7. Industry Analysis
01. Provide an overview of your
specific industry
02. Include market sizing and
growth projections
03.
04.
Outline key trends and
drivers
Outline the industry’s product &
service segmentation

8. Customer Analysis
1. Detail your key customer segment(s)
2. Provide details including
demographics (e.g., age, income, or
industry and function (if B2B)
3. Include psychographics (e.g., what
websites do they frequent)

9. Competitive Analysis
1. Profile your top 3-5 direct and indirect competitors including
product & service offering and pricing
2. Outline their strengths and weaknesses
3. Compare online and social media presence

10. Marketing Plan
4. Outline your promotions strategy for attracting new customers
1. Detail the products and services you offer
2. Discuss your pricing strategy
3. Define you channel strategy

11. Operations Plan
1. Detail your short-term and long-term
growth strategy and processes
2. Define the day-to-day processes
that will ensure your business runs
smoothly

12. 1. Include your biography and biographies of other team members,
ideally showing why your team is uniquely qualified to succeed
2. Document open positions and the characteristics of people you
would like to hire for them
Management
Team

13. Financial Plan
1. Include an overview of your Income
Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash
Flow Statement
2. Include financing requirements, if
applicable, and how you will use the
funds
3. Show the financial growth of your
business and capital needs

14. Appendix
1. Put any supporting information in the Appendix
2. Include full financial projections (Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
Statement)
3. Key information such as patents, letters from customers, important contracts, etc.

15. BusinessPlanTemplate helps entrepreneurs,
business owners and executives to create plans
to grow their organizations.
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