You have a great idea for a startup, and now you’re ready to share your vision with investors and partners. But writing a business plan can be daunting. What info should you include? How detailed should it be? Nobody wants a confusing, bloated business plan that sucks the life out of your exciting new idea.
Companies that create a business plan grow 30% faster than companies without one. But a big, fat pitch deck often isn’t the most effective way to introduce your company or capture the interest of investors and stakeholders (at least, at the start). In contrast, a one-page business plan is concise and time-saving, allowing you to focus on the most critical aspects of your business.
A one-page business plan streamlines your ideas in a clear and straightforward format, making them easy to digest and remember. In other words, less is more.
Follow this guide to create a one-page business plan that delivers results without sucking up everyone’s time and energy. Or, even better, steal our free one-page business plan Google Doc. It’s the perfect way to ensure your plan doesn’t “suck” and instead shines with clarity and impact.
Table of contents
- What is a one-page business plan?
- Why should you keep it to one page?
- How do you write one that doesn’t suck?
- Where do you start?
What is a one-page business plan?
One-page business plans are a simple and effective way to get your business off the ground. They serve as a 1,000-foot view of your business vision and objectives. They’re a critical asset to share with investors and stakeholders and help you save valuable time.
However, a business plan is useful for any entrepreneur, regardless of how you fund your startup. It helps you stay organized, focused, and prepared for the challenges and opportunities that come your way. Keeping it to one page helps you cut out the fluff and get down to business.
Why should you keep it to one page?
Writing a full-blown business plan can be overwhelming and is not always what you need. That’s where a one-page business plan comes in.
One-page business plans save time, enhance clarity, and keep you focused on what matters: your vision, strategy, and goals.
Let’s break down the benefits:
- Keeps It Simple: A one-page plan forces you to cut through the noise and get straight to the point. It helps you focus on what really matters without getting lost in endless details.
- Saves You Time: Instead of spending weeks (or even months) on a massive document, you can whip up a one-page plan in no time. That means more time actually to build your business.
- Updates Easily: As your business evolves, your plan should too. A one-pager is easy to tweak and update, so you can keep it fresh and relevant without hassle.
- Keeps You Focused: With just one page, you have to prioritize the key elements of your business — your value proposition, target market, revenue streams, and goals. This keeps you laser-focused on what’s crucial.
- Easier To Understand: It’s way easier to share a one-page plan with potential investors, partners, or team members. They can get a quick snapshot of your business without digging through a mountain of paperwork.
- Less Talk / More Action: By simplifying your plan, you avoid getting stuck in endless planning. It’s all about taking action and getting your business off the ground.
How do you write a one-page business plan that doesn’t suck?
Writing a startup business plan can be intimidating if you’ve never created one. You might have some vague ideas about writing one, but you want to ensure you include the right things. If that sounds like you, this guide will help.
Your head is probably flooded with details, ideas, and thoughts about your new business venture. With the limited space of a one-page business plan, you must distill those ideas into the most critical pieces of information.
Here are five things we recommend including in your one-page business plan:
1. Overview
The overview section of the one-page business plan should include a description of what your business does and who’s involved. We recommend including these sub-sections:
- Mission: A short description of your business’s purpose and values. This should give stakeholders an idea of your vision and direction for the business.
- Product or Service: This section should describe your product or service and explain your unique value proposition or how you will stand out from your competition.
- Team: Provide a brief overview of the founding team. Include key players and explain who they are and what they do.
2. The Market
This section should describe who you’re targeting as customers. What industries are your ideal customers in? How big are the companies you’ll sell to? You should also include a glimpse of the current competition. We recommend breaking this section up into these sub-sections:
- Target Audience: Describe your ideal customer profile (ICP) and the market need you’re addressing.
- Problem You’re Solving: Describe your problem with your product or service and include reasons it is worth solving.
- Competition: Who’s already running and operating a business tackling this problem or similar problems? You need to be familiar with your competition to develop unique ideas for your product and customer acquisition strategy.
- Competitive Advantage: Include information about what makes your product or service stand out from the competition and why it’s essential.
3. Marketing, Sales, & Support Strategy
In this section, include information about how you’ll reach prospects in your target audience, convert them to customers, and retain them long-term. Every business has a unique strategy here.
- Key Marketing Strategy: A good marketing strategy increases brand awareness, drives website traffic, and generates leads by creating and distributing valuable, relevant, consistent content.
- Key Sales Strategy: A sales strategy helps you understand your prospective customers’ needs and challenges so you can create tailored solutions that add value and address those needs.
- Key Customer Support Strategy: Customer experience is more important than ever. Explain how you’ll provide a seamless and consistent customer support experience across all channels, ensuring customers can reach out and receive help through their preferred methods.
- Pricing Strategy: How much will your product or service cost? Is it a subscription-based model or a one-time purchase?
4. Financial Plan
A financial plan is essential for understanding a business’s economic dynamics, guiding strategic decisions, attracting investors, and managing cash flow. In this section, include details on how you will fund your business. Are you taking investment? Using a credit card for startup funds? Are you bootstrapping it? Are you funding this with existing business revenue?
- Funding requirements: If applicable, describe how much funding you’re receiving or seeking.
- Revenue source: What is your primary source of revenue?
- How you’ll become profitable: Investors and stakeholders want to know how you plan to stick around long-term.
5. Objectives & Success Metrics
This section should give readers a clear understanding of your main business objectives and how you will measure your success in reaching those goals.
- Objectives: As a new business, you might have specific goals like customer acquisition, website page views, or booked sales calls. Outline the most important goals here.
- Success Metrics: Describe how you will measure the success of each goal.
- Dates: Include dates for achieving these goals.
Where do you start?
The best place to start is with a solid template. As Mark Twain once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Our one-page business plan template is your perfect starting point to ensure you’re well-prepared without feeling overwhelmed.
Feel free to tweak and customize our template to fit your unique business needs. Every business is different, and no two business plans are alike. But in any case, a clear and concise plan will keep your business on the right path.
Ready to dive in and create a business plan that doesn’t suck? Start by downloading our free one-page business plan Google Docs template here.
More Business Plan Resources:
- Shopify’s Business Plan Guide: If you need to write a more thorough business plan, Shopify has you covered. Their guide provides a detailed, step-by-step approach to creating a comprehensive plan. It covers the executive summary, company overview, market analysis, product line, marketing strategies, and financial planning. The guide helps entrepreneurs create a compelling business plan to attract investors and guide business growth.
- Startups.com: If you’re a first-time entrepreneur, this guide’s for you. It offers clear, step-by-step instructions on writing a business plan, covering essential sections like the executive summary, business description, market analysis, and financial planning.
- Inc.: Jeff Haden’s guide on Inc.com breaks down the business plan writing process into manageable steps. It covers everything from the executive summary and business description to market analysis, organization, product line, marketing strategies, and financial projections.
- Bplans: Offering a library of over 550 free sample plans, step-by-step guides, and templates, Bplans provides tools and tips for creating effective plans, securing funding, and growing your business. It also includes market research, financial forecasting, and pitch preparation resources.
- SBA: The SBA’s guide to writing a business plan covers key components such as the executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization structure, product line, marketing, and sales strategies, funding request, and financial projections.
