Business-Plans.co.uk

Business plan template

Here's a completely free business plan template structure that we use to write bespoke documents and the pre-written plans you can download from this site.

It may look like a lot of work but if you already have a business idea or are developing an existing business then you'll likely have most of the information to hand already.

Structure of a good business plan?

The template is designed specifically for acceptance by all UK banks and other lenders. It's formatted to guide you through the journey of your business development. Start at the beginning (i.e., analyse where you are now), and take time to complete all sections. At the end of the day, you want people to buy your products so spend time on analysing who your customers are and why they want your product.

  • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • VISION - what do you want to be?
  • ANALYSIS - where are you now?
  • EXTERNAL ANALYSIS - current situation only.
    • The economy & business environment status and future trends.
    • The market summary including size and growth forecasts.
    • Competitors - Who are they and what do they offer?
    • Market share - List the percentage share of each competitor in your key markets.
    • E-commerce/ technology.
  • INTERNAL ANALYSIS - current situation only.
    • Your business products and services description and market trends.
    • Customers and marketing plans.
    • Sales organisational template.
    • Group structure.
    • Management team and key staff members.
  • SWOT analysis (from your analysis above).
    • Relative internal strengths.
    • Relative internal weaknesses.
    • Market opportunities.
    • Market threats.
  • Where are you going and how are you going to get there?
  • Marketing Strategies - your plan for the coming three years.
    • Marketing Mix (The 4ps - Product, Place, Pricing and Promotion) - Sell the benefits of your products.
    • Target market description, demographics and characteristics.
    • Positioning statement.
    • Branding strategy.
    • Product strategy.
    • Pricing strategy.
    • Distribution strategy.
    • Promotional strategy.
    • Customer acquisition, development and maintainence strategy.
  • Your resourcing requirements.
    • The finance plan for the length of the plan.
    • Investment introduced by the founders or investors.
    • The people required to run your business now and in the future.

Write a Business Plan for YOU

OK, the last piece of advice before moving on. You should have a plan now. If not do it today. It won't take long. Believe me, your business plan should be no more than 20 pages (basically, a page for each of the sections outlined above). You don't need fancy business planning software to help you achieve your goals in any case.

To make life easier I have put together some sample business plans that you simply edit and adapt for your business right away. No stress, no heartache.

Additionally you can make use of my business plan template where you can see what you need in your business plan so you can think about where you are going to get all of the information you need.

Download this business plan template to your computer

You can also download this complete template onto your computer right now. We have developed this in Microsoft Word so anyone can use it on a PC or Mac. In addition, we'll enrol you in the free business planning course showing you how to complete your document in seven concise lessons. Just enter your details below to get started.

Your Name: Your Email:

The course shows you how to write a business plan in seven easy steps. Your information is secure and never given or sold onto third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time. Good luck and let me know how you get on!