Progress
What is the business called? Add your city or service area too.
Write this last. In a few sentences: what you sell, to whom, why you will succeed and how much money you need.
Legal structure (LLC, sole proprietor, corporation), location, owners, mission and stage of the business.
Where do you want the business to be in one year? In five years?
What will you sell, at what prices, and what does each cost you to deliver?
Describe your ideal customer and how many of them are in the area you serve. Cite sources.
Who are your main competitors, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and why will customers choose you?
How will customers find you? List channels, budget and launch promotions.
Location, equipment, suppliers, hours, licenses and permits, and how a typical day works.
Owners and managers, their experience, and your hiring plan.
List everything you must buy or pay before opening, with amounts. Tip: use our startup costs calculator.
Expected revenue, costs and profit for years one to three, and your break-even point. Explain your assumptions.
How much money you need, what kind (loan, investment, grant), how you will use it and how it will be repaid.
What could go wrong, and what will you do about it?
Tips for using the builder
- Look at a sample plan for your industry for ideas on what to write.
- Build your numbers first with the financial projections spreadsheet, then summarize them here.
- Keep each answer short and specific. You can expand it in Word later.