If you’ve started—or are starting—a business, you’ve probably heard the words ‘business plan’ a few too many times. And while the term is definitely tossed around pretty often, there’s a good reason for it: it’s important.
But if you’re imagining a supermassive document that takes ages to create—think again. Not every business plan is the size of an encyclopedia. In fact, in many cases, you might even be able to get away with a one-page business plan.
So if you find yourself in need of one, or need to give your existing plan a refresh, we’ve got your back. Scroll to get all the details you need to create a one-page business plan that’ll kick your business into high gear. We’ve even got a free, downloadable business plan template to help you get started.
Why do you need a business plan?
A business plan is basically a blueprint for your business. It outlines everything from your business goals to the steps you’ll take to get there.
It serves two main purposes:
- To help you set your business up for success. As you put together your business plan, you’re essentially forced to think strategically about all your business goals and activities. Are they realistic? Is something likely to go wrong? What haven’t you thought of? The goal is for you to walk away feeling confident in the future of your business—and then some.
- To communicate the value of your business to others. It’s rare that entrepreneurs—like yourself—will go it 100% alone. You’ll likely work with partners, investors, or vendors to bring your business to life. A business plan gives them confidence in you and your business so they can support you in the best way possible.
While taking the time to create a business plan can feel like you’re wasting all-too-precious time, it can help keep you focused and make better business decisions so you can grow your small business.
What are the 7 main points in a business plan?
Every business plan is unique, which is part of the reason writing one can feel a tad overwhelming. You can’t just copy and paste the plan from another business.
Luckily, the skeleton of every plan is actually very similar. Whether you’re creating a plan for a neighborhood daycare or that cool new bar down the street, here are a few main points that you’ll find in every comprehensive business plan.
1. Executive summary
Your executive summary is an overview of your business plan.
Think about this section like a TL;DR or too long, don’t read. If someone wants to understand the gist of your business plan in just a few minutes, what information would they need to know?
| Tip: If you find yourself just sharing your executive summary, consider a one-page business plan instead. More on that below. |
2. Company overview and description
In this section, you should introduce your business to the reader. By the time they finish reading this section, they should have a good idea of who you are, what you do, and what you sell.
Don’t be afraid to dive into your own background and why you decided to start this business as well. Building a small business is personal and your story can go a long way in giving the reader some context behind your business.
3. Market and competitive analysis
Every business needs customers. So, here’s where you’ll dive into who they are and the potential target market of your business.
You’ll also want to take note of potential competitors that may impact your business. These might be direct competitors, but could also be similar businesses that may compete for your customers’ time and money. For example, if you’re opening a cycling studio, you might consider any other type of fitness studio to be a competitor.
Competition isn’t a bad thing, it’s just important to be aware of it and how you can stand out from the crowd.
4. Business offerings
Here’s where you’ll outline exactly what products or services your business will offer. It doesn’t have to be a complete laundry list but it should give readers a general idea of what to expect.
For example, if you’re opening a bakery, this might be a sample of your menu. Or if you’re an HVAC repair company, you might share an overview of the services you’ll offer your customers.
5. Management and operational plan
From managing employees and inventory to securing equipment and a lease, there’s also a lot that happens behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. Every business plan should touch on how you’ll manage the day-to-day of your business.
This is also a great place to indicate key milestones and timelines so you know that you’re on track for a successful grand opening.
6. Sales, marketing, and PR strategy
Now that you’ve got all the research and operational plans in place, it’s time to start attracting customers and securing those sales. Even with the best products or services in town, every business can use a little marketing boost. Feel free to get creative. From social media to paid ads, there are tons of ways you can spread the word about your budding business.
7. Financial forecast and budget
No one loves to crunch financials, but when it comes to business, money talks. And a strong financial plan is key to the long-term success of your business.
This final section of your business plan should estimate the costs, revenue, and profits of your business in the short and long term. How do you plan to finance your business? What costs will you incur before opening day? What are the ongoing costs?
Not only will this give your vendors and investors confidence in your business, but it helps you make sure that your business is profitable in the long run.
What is a one-page business plan?
A one-page business plan is essentially a condensed version of a full business plan.
It covers all the core information about your business, without overwhelming the reader with irrelevant details. The goal is to summarize your business plan for yourself and potential stakeholders.
Depending on your business needs, this concise document can be all you need to get your business off the ground. Or it could serve as a stepping stone to a more robust plan in the future.
Benefits of a one-page business plan.
Bigger isn’t always better—and one-page business plans are here to prove it.
Here are some benefits and reasons why you might opt for a one-page business plan:
- To kickstart your business planning: A full business plan can be incredibly daunting. A one-page business plan gives you a place to start without feeling overwhelmed with the nitty gritty.
- To share and distribute: Sometimes potential vendors, partners, or investors want to get more information about your business before they sign on officially. Instead of leaving them with a massive document, a one-page business plan helps you share the relevant need-to-know information easily.
- To focus on the key details: If you’re early on in the business ideation process and want to make sure you have all the important information, a one-page business plan can help you easily validate your business plan.
- To save time: In the long term, you should still expect to put together a full business plan at some point. However, if you’re in a time crunch, a one-page plan can help you get the important insights without the time commitment.
- To easily edit: In an ever-changing business environment, a one-page business plan is much easier to keep updated.
What to include in a one-page business plan.
Remember those sections we mentioned earlier that make up a full business plan? The goal here is to shrink it without losing any of the important details.
So let’s look at the sections and dig into how you can adapt them to cover all the details of your business—all on one page.
Summary and overview
Start your one-pager by sharing the name of your business, what you do, and your main value proposition.
The problem and your solution
In a few sentences, share the problem that your business solves and how you solve it, aka why your business should exist.
Depending on your business, you may also want to share a few of your team members, like an executive chef for a restaurant, or a lead veterinarian for your vet clinic, to help readers put a face to your business.
Target market
Briefly describe who you expect to be a customer and their characteristics.
Competitor overview
Here, you’ll touch on potential competitors and what makes your business different.
Business timeline
Share the key milestones for your business. For example, when you’ll start marketing your business, when you’ll hire employees, and when you expect to open.
Sales and marketing plan
Here you’ll quickly highlight the key marketing activities that you’ll use to drive new customers to your business. Try to stick to the most interesting or high-value stuff, like a website or social media.
Financial projections
Outline your expected revenue, expenses, and profits to give the reader an idea of your financial future.
Tips for creating a one-page business plan.
If you’ve ever written something with a limited word count, you know that sometimes keeping things concise can be easier said than done.
As you get writing your one-page business plan, here are some of our top tips so you can make the most of that one page.
- Focus on the need-to-know information.
- Avoid fluff and keep your sentences short.
- Link out to additional resources and material if more information is necessary.
- Don’t be afraid to strategically incorporate visuals to emphasize the important points.
- Feel free to up sections or have different versions of your one-page business plan based on who’s reading it.
- Get creative with formatting to keep information organized.
One-page business plan example.
If you’re skeptical that all that information can fit on one page—we get it. Lucky for you, we have proof.
Here’s an example that you can use to start thinking about your business plan.
Download our free one-page business plan template.
A one-page business plan is one of the most important pages you’ll write for your business. While there’s a lot to think about, it’s certainly worth the effort.
Good news: we’ve done the heavy lifting for you by putting together this winning one-page business plan template. All that’s left for you to do is fill in the sections and get ready to launch your business.
One page business plan template
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