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Community Center Business Plan

After  getting started with upmetrics , you can copy this community center business plan example into your business plan and modify the required information and download your community center business plan pdf and doc file . It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

Download a sample community center business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free community center business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your community center business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Business Plan

• Last Updated: December 21, 2021

A well thought out and researched business plan is the cornerstone to starting and running a business. Sound business plans can help you obtain financing, identify key milestones, and provide benchmarks to monitor progress toward your goals.

Be sure to check out the free or low-cost training opportunities, plus free professional business advising, from your local Small Business Development Center !

Get Your Free Business Plan from our collection of over 800 business plans listed below!

Updated January 10 th , 2022

How to Write a Business Plan

The following are the nine sections of a traditional business plan identified by the SBA :

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Market analysis
• Organization and management
• Service or product line
• Marketing and sales
• Funding request
• Financial projections

The following are resources to help you develop your own business plan:

• How to Write a Business Plan – from the SBA Learning Center , this free course explains the importance of business planning, defines and describes the components of a business plan to help you develop your own.
• Business plan template – review of two formats and their content from SBA.
• Build Your Business Plan – this SBA tool provides you with a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
• Developing a Successful Business Plan – In this webinar business planning expert Tim Berry helps entrepreneurs and small businesses better understand how to create a business plan
• Business Plan Outline – An in-depth look at how to create an individualized business plan with tools to make it easy.
• How to Write a Business Plan – A step by step guide to writing a successful business plan.
• Shopify – This comprehensive guide walks you through the nuts and bolts of writing your very own business plan.
• How to Write a Business Plan in 8 Simple Steps – A step by step guide with in-depth information on writing each section of a business plan.
• How to Write a Business Plan for Funding – A how-to guide on what is needed for a business plan to present to would-be investors and lenders.
• Business Plan Checklist – Keep yourself on track while writing your business plan.

Where to Find a Business Plan

• Score – Business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management templates & guides.
• Bplans – Bplans.com contains the largest single collection of free sample business plans online as well as helpful tools and know-how for managing your business.
• Business Plan Handbook – Reference for Business/Advameg contains the first 11 volumes of the Business Plan Handbook series, a compilation of business plans for small businesses.
• The Finance Resource – Free online business plan samples
• More Business – Free online sample business plans for various industries.
• Klariti – Online templates, checklists, forms, and tutorials for entrepreneurs.

Business Plan Templates – an Alphabetized List

The following is a collection of sample business plans. Many of the business plan samples are provided by Palo Alto Software, the Makers of Business Plan Pro . Individuals working with their local SBDC , may receive a discount code for business plan software from participating SBDCs. You may use your promo code to set up your own LivePlan account using the SBDC discount .

• 3D Printing Service
• Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Accounting (Automated)
• Accounting Firm
• Acupuncture Clinic
• Advertising Agency
• Advertising Consulting
• Affiliate Marketing Website
• Agricultural Consultants
• Agriculture Farm
• Agriculture Fruit Farm
• Aircraft Equipment Maker
• Aircraft Rental Instruction
• Air Ground Supplier
• Airline Business
• Airline Charter Company
• Airport Shuttle
• Airport Taxi
• Alpaca Farm
• Ambulance Service
• Amusement Park
• Animal Day Care
• Antique Store
• Apartment Complex
• Apartment Rental Website
• Apparel Designer
• Aquarium Services
• Architectural Engineering
• Architecture Firm
• Army Navy Store
• Art Film Theater
• Art Gallery
• Artificial Flowers Import
• Art Packaging Installation
• Art Sales Custom Framing
• Art School Gallery
• Art School Museum
• Art Supply Store and Gallery
• ASP B2B Technology
• Assisted Living Facility
• Astrology Tarot Card
• Athletic Shoe Store Franchise
• ATM Company
• Attorney Employment Agency
• Au Pair Agency
• Auction House
• Auditing and Consulting
• Auto Inspection Company
• Auto Inspectors
• Auto Finance Company
• Auto Parts Store
• Auto Repair Service
• Automobile Parts (Export)
• Automobile Restoration
• Automotive Dealer
• Automotive Repair Shop
• Baby Boutique
• Bail Bonding Company
• Banquet Hall
• Bar and Tavern
• Barber Shop
• Bartending School
• Baseball Batting Cages
• Basketball Camp
• Batting Cages
• Beauty Salon
• Bed and Breakfast
• Bed and Breakfast – Caribbean
• Bed and Breakfast Inn
• Benefits Administration
• Beverage Distributor
• Beverage Machine Rental
• Beverage Manufacturer
• Bicycle Art
• Bicycle Shop (Retail)
• Biodiesel Plant
• Boarding School
• Boat and Yacht Dealer
• Boat Storage Facility
• Booking Agency
• Bookkeeping Practice
• Bowling Alley
• Bowling Entertainment Center
• Bridal Gown Shop
• Bridal Shop
• Business Analysis Publishing
• Business Brokerage
• Business Development
• Business Support Insurance
• Business Valuation Expert
• Butcher Shop
• Cabinet Contractor
• Cable TV Installer
• Cafe Bistro Coffeehouse
• Call Center
• Candle Making
• Candy Store
• Car Audio Store
• Car Parts Store
• Car Rental Agency
• Car Wash (Self-service)
• Career Counselor
• Carpentry Contractor
• Carpet Cleaner
• Cash Flow Note Buyer
• Cash for Gold Store
• Catering and Ballroom Rental
• Catering Company
• Cell Phone Store
• Cell Phones Retailer
• Charter School
• Check Cashing Store
• Cheese Shop
• Chemical Laboratory
• Chicken Farm
• Child Day Care Services
• Children’s Center
• Children’s Play Program
• Children’s Website
• Chinese Restaurant
• Chiropractic Business
• Chiropractic Practice
• Christmas Store
• Cigar Manufacturing
• Classified Ads Website
• Cleaning Services
• Clothing E-commerce Site
• Clothing Manufacturer
• Clothing Retail
• Clothing Store
• Cloud Computing Service
• Coffee Distribution
• Coffee Export
• Coffee Kiosk
• Coffee Roaster
• Coffeehouse
• Comic Book Store
• Commercial Bank
• Commercial Catalog Sales
• Commercial Contractor
• Commercial Diving Service
• Commodities Trading Firm
• Computer Consulting
• Computer Hardware Reseller
• Computer Laser Accessories
• Computer Repair
• Computer Repair Service
• Computer Software
• Computer Software Retailer
• Computer Support
• Computers Reseller
• Concert Promoter
• Concierge Service
• Construction
• Construction Carpenter
• Construction Inspection
• Construction Irrigation
• Construction Manufacturer
• Construction Repair
• Consulting Firm
• Consulting Seminars
• Convenience Store
• Convenience Store Cafe
• Convenience Store Gas Station
• Convenience Store Soda Fountain
• Corporate Trainer
• Cosmetic Herbal Sundries
• Cosmetics Retailer
• Cosmetology (Beauty) School
• Countertop Installation Service
• Country Club
• Courier Service
• Court Reporting Service
• Credit Monitoring Service
• Credit Repair Service
• Crowdfunding Website
• Cruise Ship
• Cultural Consulting Firm
• Cupcake Store
• Currency Exchanger
• Custom Pottery
• Custom Printed T-Shirts
• Dance Studio
• Data Recovery
• Data Recovery Service
• Database Software
• Day Care Center
• Debt Collection Agency
• Debt Consolidation Service
• Decorative Pottery
• Defense Contractor
• Deli Restaurant
• Delicatessen and Bakery
• Demolition Company
• Dental Clinic
• Dental Laboratories
• Dental Laboratory
• Dental Office
• Department Store
• Dessert Bakery
• Diabetic Supply Company
• Diamond Retailer
• Diamond Wholesaler
• Diaper Manufacturer
• Dinner Theater
• Dinner Train
• Direct Mail Service
• Display Case Marketing
• Document Shredding
• Dog and Cat Kennel
• Dog Groomer and Kennel
• Dog Obedience School
• Dollar Store
• Drapery Fabricator
• Driving School
• Drug Rehab Center
• Dry Cleaner
• Dry Cleaning Home Delivery
• Drywall Installer
• E-commerce Fabric Store
• E-commerce Fire Rescue Equipment
• E-commerce Start-up
• E-Commerce Website
• Educational Software K-12
• Electrical Contractor
• Electronic Engineering
• Electronic Filing Storage
• Electronics Repair Shop
• Electronics Retailer
• Embroidery Shop
• Emergency Shelters
• Energy Conservation
• Engineering Business
• Engineering Consulting
• Engineering Firm
• Environmental Car Dealership
• Environmental Laboratory
• Equipment Leasing Broker
• Equipment Rental Sales
• Escort Agency
• Escrow Service
• Ethnic Food Import
• Ethnic Food Restaurant
• Event Planner
• Exec Employment Agency
• Export Watch Manufacturer
• Exterminator Service
• Eye Surgery Equipment Maker 
• Family Medicine Clinic
• Farmer’s Market
• Fashion Consultant
• Fast Food Restaurant
• Film Production Company
• Financial Planner
• Financial Planning
• Financial Website
• Fine Dining Restaurant
• Fireworks Store
• Fish and Tackle Shop
• Fish Breeder
• Fishing Equipment
• Fishing Supplies and Fly Shop
• Fitness Center and Gym
• Flea Market
• Flight School
• Flower Shop
• Food Preparation
• Foreclosure Advisory
• Formwork Construction
• Franchise System
• Franchised Restaurant
• Frozen Custard Shop
• Freight Brokerage
• Fundraising Company
• Funeral Home
• Furniture Manufacturer
• Furniture Store
• Garden Products Recycling
• Gas Station
• Genealogy Service
• General Contractor
• General Freight Trucking
• Gift Basket
• Gift Basket Company
• Gift Card Distributor
• Global Event Planning
• Global Marketing
• Go Kart Track
• Gold Trading Company
• Golf Course
• Golf Driving Range
• Golf Pro Shop
• Gourmet Coffee Shop
• Gourmet Food Store
• Grant Search Company
• Graphic Design
• Graphic Design Company
• Gravel Rock Products
• Green Energy Products
• Greeting Card Maker
• Grocery Store
• Gun Shooting Range
• Gymnastics Center
• Hair and Nail Salon
• Hair Replacement and Salon
• Halloween Shop
• Handyman Maintenance
• Hardware Retail Franchise
• Hardware Store
• Hardwood Floor Refinisher
• Haunted House
• Health Club
• Health Plan Administration
• Healthy Restaurant
• Hearing Testing Systems
• Heavy Equipment Maker
• Heavy Equipment Rental
• High-Tech Marketing
• Holding Company
• Home Health Care
• Home Healthcare Agency
• Home Inspection Service
• Home Oxygen Delivery
• Home Real Estate Inspection
• Horse Boarding Real Estate
• Horse Reseller
• Horse Training
• Hotel and Resort
• Houseboat Rental
• Human Resources Consulting
• Hunting Supply Store
• HVAC Contractor
• Hydroponics Farm
• I.D. Verification Technology
• Ice Cream Shop
• Ice Skating Rink
• Import Export Company
• Independent Video Store
• Indoor Soccer Facility
• Infomercial Company 
• Information Technology
• Infusion Therapy Pharmacy
• Inline Skating Products
• Insurance Agency
• Insurance Industry Support Services 
• Insurance Premium Finance
• Integrated Communications
• Interior Decorator
• Interior Design
• Interiors Contractor 
• International IT Consulting
• International Travel Agency
• Internet ASP
• Internet Cafe
• Internet Court Documents
• Internet Marketing Firm
• Internet Media Advertising
• Internet Service Provider
• Inventory Control Software
• Investing Club
• Investment Bank
• Investment Website
• Irish Pub Bar
• IT Consulting Firm
• Italian Renaissance Theme Restaurant
• Italian Restaurant
• Janitorial Service
• Janitorial Services
• Jet Ski Rental 
• Jewelry Store
• Juice and Smoothie Bar 
• Karaoke Bar
• Karaoke Bar & Bowling Alley
• Landscape Contractor
• Laser Tag Facility
• Laser Tag Gaming Center
• Laundry Mat
• Law Practice
• Lawn and Garden Services
• Lead Generation Website
• Lift Bed Manufacturer
• Limousine Service
• Limousine Taxi
• Lingerie Shop
• Lingerie Store
• Liquor Store
• Loan Brokerage
• Machine and Lathe Shop
• Machine Tooling
• Magazine Publisher
• Maid and Cleaning Service
• Mail Order Returns
• Marketing Strategy
• Martial Arts School
• Masonry Contractor
• Massage Products
• Massage Therapist
• Maternity Clothing
• Maternity Clothing Store
• Mattress Store
• Medical Billing
• Medical Billing Company
• Medical Equipment
• Medical Equipment Developer
• Medical Internet Marketing
• Medical Laboratory
• Medical Language Translation
• Medical Practice
• Medical Scanning Lab
• Medical Software
• Medical Transcription
• Medicine Dispenser
• Mediterranean Restaurant
• Membership Social Events
• Men’s Salon
• Mexican Restaurant
• Microbrewery
• Midwife Service
• Miniature Golf Course
• Mining Software
• MLM Cleaning Products
• MLM Water Filter
• Mobile Car Detailing
• Mobile Home Manufacturer
• Mobile Home Park
• Mobile Oil Change
• Mopeds Rental
• Mortgage Broker
• Mortgage Brokerage
• Motel – Hunting Lodge
• Motorcycle Dealer
• Motorcycle Shop
• Movie Theater
• Multi-Sport Complex
• Music Festival
• Music Recording Distribution
• Music Recording Producer
• Musical Instrument Store
• Mutual Fund
• Nightclub Saloon
• Nightclub, Dance Classes
• Nonprofit Business Plans
• Nonprofit Food Bank
• Nonprofit Law Firm
• Nonprofit Recording Co-op
• Nonprofit Trade Association
• Not for Profit Organization
• Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing Home
• Nutritionist Practice 
• Occupational Health
• Office Consulting
• Office Equipment Rental
• Office Furniture Manufacturer
• Office Supply Store
• Oil Company
• Online Auction Website
• Online Booking
• Online Casino
• Online Clothing Store
• Online Data Storage
• Online Dating Website
• Online Print Shop
• Online School
• Optometry Practice
• Organic Restaurant
• Outdoor Gear Designer
• Outpatient Surgical Center
• Outsourced Call Center
• Outsourced Computer Support
• Pack and Ship Store
• Packaging and Shipping
• Pain Management Clinic
• Paintball Facility
• Paintball Store and Field
• Painting Contractor
• Painting Contractors
• Pallet Manufacturer
• Paralegal Firm
• Parenting Center
• Parking Garage
• Party Equipment Rental
• Pasta Italian Restaurant
• Pasta Manufacturer
• Patent Agent
• Paternity Testing Clinic
• Patient Advocacy Service
• Payday Lender
• Payroll Service Company
• Performance Auto Shop
• Personal Event Planning
• Personal Shopper
• Personal Shopping Services
• Personnel Management
• Pet Photography
• Pet Products Manufacturer
• Pet Supplies
• Pharma Sales Company
• Photo Booth Company
• Photography Studio
• Physical Fitness Gym
• Physical Therapy Massage
• Physical Therapy Practice
• Pie Restaurant
• Pilates Studio
• Pizza Delivery
• Pizza Restaurant
• Pizzeria Franchise
• Plant Nursery
• Plastics Recycling
• Plumbing Contractor
• Podiatry Practice
• Polygraph Service
• Pool Cleaning Service
• Pool Table Store
• Portrait Photographer
• Pottery Store
• Poultry (Chicken) Farm
• Powder Coating Service
• Power Plant
• Power Washing Service
• Print Brokerage
• Print Services Broker
• Private Equity Firm
• Private Investigator
• Private Placement Broker
• Process Serving Service
• Promotional Products Maker
• Property Appraiser
• Property Management Firm
• Psychology Practice
• Public Relations
• Public Relations Firm
• Quick Lube Oil Change
• Quilt Artist (Custom)
• Radio Station
• Radiology Center
• Real Estate Brokerage
• Real Estate Developer
• Real Estate Property Management
• Real Estate Website
• Record Label
• Recording Studio
• Recreation Center
• Recycling Center
• Recycling Waste Materials
• Regional Airline
• Reiki Practitioner
• Religious Coffeeshop
• Rent to Own Store
• Rental Remodeling
• Repo Company
• Residential Remodeling
• Resort Hotel Ski Lodge
• Restaurant Business Plan List (Several Types)
• Retail Property Sub-leasing
• Retail Tennis Shop
• Rock Climbing Gym
• Roller Skating Rink
• Roofing Contractor
• Salsa Manufacturer
• Salvage Company
• Sandwich Shop
• Sandwich Shop (franchise)
• Satellite Communications
• Scholarship Consulting
• School Bus Operator
• School Fundraising
• Scrapbooking Store
• Scrapbooking Supply Store
• Scuba Supply Store
• Security Guard Service
• Security System Company
• Self-Storage
• Self Storage Facility
• Seminars Company
• SEO Company
• Septic Tank Contractor
• Shared Office Building
• Shaved Ice Beverage
• Sheet Metal Fabricator
• Shipment Monitoring
• Sightseeing Bus Tours
• Singles Bar
• Skate Park Skiing
• Skateboard Shop
• Skydiving Service
• Slaughter House
• Small Engine Repair
• Snow Plow Service
• Soap Manufacturer
• Soccer Club
• Social Networking Website
• Soft Pretzel Shop
• Software Developer
• Software Publisher
• Software Testing
• Solar Energy Farm
• Solar Panel Installation
• Solar Water Heater Distributor
• Soup Kitchen
• Soybean Farm
• Specialty Baker
• Speech Therapist
• Sporting Goods Store
• Sports Agency
• Sports Equipment Cafe
• Sports Medical Equipment
• Sports Memorabilia
• Sports Memorabilia Store
• Sprinkler Installation
• Staffing Agency
• Stained Glass Gallery
• Stationery Store
• Steak Buffet Restaurant
• Structured Settlement
• Summer Camp
• Surf Clothing and Sportswear
• Surgery Practice
• Surgical Medical Equipment
• Surveyor Instrument
• Sushi Restaurant
• Talent Agency
• Tanning Salon
• Tapas Restaurant
• Tattoo Parlor
• Tattoo Removal Service
• Tattoo Shop
• Tax Preparation Company
• Taxi Business
• Taxi Cab Service
• Taxidermy Service
• Teachers’ Employment Agency
• Telemarketing Company
• Telemarketing Consultants
• Test Preparation
• Theatre Production
• Theatrical Music Producer
• Thrift Shop
• Tires and Rims Shop
• Title Insurance Company
• Title Loan Company
• Tobacco Retail Business
• Tourism Website Services
• Tracking Device Maker
• Trade Association
• Travel Agency
• Travel Agency – Upscale
• Tree Removal Service
• Trophy Store
• Trucking Company
• T-Shirt Company
• Tutoring Service
• Tuxedo Rental Service
• Uniform Supply Company
• Used Book Store
• Used Car Dealer
• Used Sports Equipment Store
• Vacuum Cleaner Store
• Vending Machine Company
• Vending Services
• Venture Capital Firm
• Veterinary Clinic
• Video Documentation Service
• Video Game Store
• Video Gaming Center
• Video Production Company
• Video Television Production
• Vinyl Record Store
• Virtual Secretary
• Vitamin Shop
• Voice Recognition Software
• VoIP Company
• Waste Management
• Water Purification
• Web Development Firm
• Web Hosting Company
• Wedding Consultant
• Wedding Planner
• Weight Loss Center
• Weight Loss Seminars
• Welding Service and Supply
• Wholesale Bicycle Distributor
• Wholesale Juice
• Wi-Fi Kiosk
• WiFi Kiosks
• Window Cleaning Service
• Windshield Repair Service
• Wine Distributor
• Wireless DataComm
• Women’s Clothing Boutique
• Women’s Shoe Store
• Wood Pellet Manufacturer
• Word Processing Service
• Workout Gym
• Wrestling Entertainment
• Yacht Charter Service
• Yoga Center
• Yoga Studio

Additional Small Business Resources

Already in business or thinking about starting your own small business? Check out our various small business resources:

• View more small business help topics here: Small Business Information Center
• View business reports here: Small Business Snapshots
• View industry-specific research here: Market Research Links

Remember, you can also receive free professional business advice and free or low-cost business training from your  local Small Business Development Center !

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• Building Your Business
• Becoming an Owner
• Business Plans

Resource Planning For Your Business Plan

Identifying the resources you need to grow your business

Why Is Resource Planning Important

How to start resource planning, the bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Maskot / Getty Images

A business plan helps you organize your goals and growth plans for your business. Identifying business resources you'll be starting your business with already, and accounting for the resources you'll need to acquire after launching the business, is a crucial step in business planning.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan helps you organize your goals and growth plans for your business.
• Resource planning help you account for resources you have, plan for resources you need and ways to optimize their use
• You can plan for physical, people and technical resources in your business plan

Resource planning help you account for resources you have, plan for resources you need and ways to optimize their use. Among other things, even the most simple business plans are designed to walk you through the activity of describing every source and the exact dollar amount of your initial equity capital, as well as account for the equipment necessary to produce your products or services.

It can be difficult to accurately estimate your future resource needs, which is why this startup mistake is one of the most frequent contributors to young businesses running out of cash early on.

A very important section in your business plan is about the finances of your business, and that includes how much you hope to spend on resources you need to acquire and maintenance expenses on assets you own. Your plans for obtaining the necessary personnel, equipment, and cash to meet your capital expenses will need to be detailed throughout your business plan.

You may need financing from a bank or investors or will invest your personal savings in the business, and resource planning will come in handy for that too.

Resource allocation plans are what your potential investors and business partners are going to need to see before jumping on board with your new company.

There are different types of resources and you need to budget and plan for them accordingly. In describing each of the resources that you have and need for your business to reach profitability, position each of them in terms of the value it will bring to the company, both in the near term and down the road.

To figure out exactly which resources your business is going to need, and account for those in your business planning process, ask yourself these two crucial questions:

• Does starting and growing your business require having staff on hand? If your business relies upon output from people other than yourself and your business partners, you're going to need to allocate resources for hiring staff at fair market rates. 
• What type of equipment or fixed assets will your business need to get going? If your business is dependent upon purchasing or leasing equipment or other fixed assets like retail and office space, these are major considerations as you plan out your resource allocation.

Physical Assets

Depending on the nature of your business, you may have varying need for physical assets. However, in all likelihood you'd need some sort of office furniture and definitely some computers. Physical assets could also include office space, storefronts, manufacturing facilities and equipment necessary for your business. For example, if you own a baked good business, baking equipment like mixers and ovens would be physical assets you'd need to plan for.

Personnel and People

There are different types of people that can be a part of your business. People you hire, for example, can be employees or independent contractors and there are different cost implications for your business depending on whether you hire the former or the latter.

Investing in skills and capacities for people in your business is also an important part of resource planning.

How about mentors, key advisors, supplier connections, and other intangible resources for your business? These types of relationships whose value to your business can be immense, also need to be accounted for within your business plan as they'll have a very large impact on the future growth of your company.

Think of the massively positive effect your company would experience if you had a friend or family member that was a decision-maker at a large company who'd be your perfect first customer. It would undoubtedly be one of your key strategies for driving the early growth of your company. So, as you're planning your resource allocation, you'd naturally be spending in areas that make your young business more appealing to the target customers you want to serve.

Technical Resources

It is a good time to evaluate your technical resources and requirements as well. Some businesses rely more heavily on technology or intellectual property than others. Technology-dependent companies will need a strong IT network to get started. If building your own website won't be any trouble, then that's one major cost you'll be able to avoid as you get started with your company. Otherwise, you may need to allocate for web design, development, and other website-related expenses.

Regardless of your situation, don't be intimidated by the upfront costs of starting a business. Instead, keep in mind that in today's age, your product or service will only be as good as the technology that supports it, and if you buy or build low-grade gear, you’ll probably have to replace it in a few years anyway.

Clearly, there are a lot of different expenses to take into account as you allocate the resources for your new business. However, forcing yourself to go through this activity in extreme detail while building your business plan will save you a lot of headaches and potential failures in the future.

What are assets and resources in a business plan?

Resources can be anything that helps you operate or run your business. Assets are a type of resources that help you achieve you business. Assets can be cash, or physical assets such as equipment or intangible assets such as the brand of your business. In a business plan, you talk about the resources you have and the resources you need to acquire to help your business grow. You also account for your assets on your balance sheet. A strong balance sheet presented in your business plan can be appealing to potential investors.

Which components of a business plan are most useful to attract investors?

Each section of a business plan is important to potential investors. An executive summary gives your investors an elevator pitch to your business. Company description explains to them how your business is solving a market need, while market analysis shows investors you understand your industry and competition. Sections on organization, product details and marketing plans dig deeper into your vision for your business and how its organized. And the financial information component helps them see if you idea is worth putting their money into.

Small Business Administration. " Write your business plan ."

Planview. " Resource Planning: How To Build a Resource Plan ."

How to write a business plan for a business center?

Creating a business plan for a business center is an essential process for any entrepreneur. It serves as a roadmap that outlines the necessary steps to be taken to start or grow the business, the resources required, and the anticipated financial outcomes. It should be crafted with method and confidence.

This guide is designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary for creating a business center business plan, covering why it is so important both when starting up and running an established business, what should be included in your plan, how it should be structured, what tools should be used to save time and avoid errors, and other helpful tips.

We have a lot to cover, so let's get to it!

In this guide:

Why write a business plan for a business center?

• What information is needed to create a business plan for a business center?
• What goes in the financial forecast for a business center?
• What goes in the written part of a business center business plan?
• What tool can I use to write my business center business plan?

Having a clear understanding of why you want to write a business plan for your business center will make it simpler for you to grasp the rationale behind its structure and content. So before delving into the plan's actual details, let's take a moment to remind ourselves of the primary reasons why you'd want to create a business center business plan.

To have a clear roadmap to grow the business

Running a small business is tough! Economic cycles bring growth and recessions, while the business landscape is ever-changing with new technologies, regulations, competitors, and consumer behaviours emerging constantly.

In such a dynamic context, operating a business without a clear roadmap is akin to driving blindfolded: it's risky, to say the least. That's why crafting a business plan for your business center is vital to establish a successful and sustainable venture.

To create an effective business plan, you'll need to assess your current position (if you're already in business) and define where you want the business to be in the next three to five years.

Once you have a clear destination for your business center, you'll have to:

• Identify the necessary resources (human, equipment, and capital) needed to reach your goals,
• Determine the pace at which the business needs to progress to meet its objectives as scheduled,
• Recognize and address the potential risks you may encounter along the way.

Engaging in this process regularly proves advantageous for both startups and established companies. It empowers you to make informed decisions about resource allocation, ensuring the long-term success of your business.

To anticipate future cash flows

Regularly comparing your actual financial performance to the projections in the financial forecast of your business center's business plan gives you the ability to monitor your business's financial health and make necessary adjustments as needed.

This practice allows you to detect potential financial issues, such as unexpected cash shortfalls before they escalate into major problems. Giving you time to find additional financing or put in place corrective measures.

Additionally, it helps you identify growth opportunities, like excess cash flow that could be allocated to launch new products and services or expand into new markets.

Staying on track with these regular comparisons enables you to make well-informed decisions about the amount of financing your business might require, or the excess cash flow you can expect to generate from your main business activities.

To secure financing

Whether you are a startup or an existing business, writing a detailed business center business plan is essential when seeking financing from banks or investors.

This makes sense given what we've just seen: financiers want to ensure you have a clear roadmap and visibility on your future cash flows.

Banks will use the information included in the plan to assess your borrowing capacity (how much debt your business can support) and your ability to repay the loan before deciding whether they will extend credit to your business and on what terms.

Similarly, investors will review your plan carefully to assess if their investment can generate an attractive return on investment.

To do so, they will be looking for evidence that your business center has the potential for healthy growth, profitability, and cash flow generation over time.

Now that you understand why it is important to create a business plan for a business center, let's take a look at what information is needed to create one.

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Information needed to create a business plan for a business center

Drafting a business center business plan requires research so that you can project sales, investments and cost accurately in your financial forecast, and convince the reader that there is a viable commercial opportunity to be seized.

Below, we'll focus on three critical pieces of information you should gather before starting to write your plan.

Carrying out market research for a business center

Carrying out market research before writing a business plan for a business center is essential to ensure that the financial projections are accurate and realistic.

Market research helps you gain insight into your target customer base, competitors, pricing strategies and other key factors which can have an impact on the commercial success of your business.

In particular, it is useful in forecasting revenue as it provides valuable data regarding potential customers’ spending habits and preferences.

Your market research might reveal that there could be a demand for new services such as virtual office space or conference room rentals. It might also indicate that customers may be looking for more flexible space solutions, such as coworking or hot desking.

This information can then be used to create more accurate financial projections which will help investors make informed decisions about investing in your business center.

Developing the sales and marketing plan for a business center

Budgeting sales and marketing expenses is essential before creating a business center business plan.

A comprehensive sales and marketing plan should provide an accurate projection of what actions need to be implemented to acquire and retain customers, how many people are needed to carry out these initiatives, and how much needs to be spent on promotions, advertising, and other aspects.

This helps ensure that the right amount of resources is allocated to these activities in order to hit the sales and growth objectives forecasted in your business plan.

The staffing and capital expenditure requirements of a business center

Whether you are starting or expanding a business center, it is important to have a clear plan for recruitment and capital expenditures (investment in equipment and real estate) in order to ensure the success of the business.

Both the recruitment and investment plans need to be coherent with the timing and level of growth planned in your forecast, and require appropriate funding.

Staffing costs for a business center might include wages for receptionists, administrative staff, and technical support personnel. Equipment costs for a business center might include computers, printers, copiers, and other office supplies.

In order to create a realistic financial forecast, you will also need to consider the other operating expenses associated with running the business on a day-to-day basis (insurance, bookkeeping, etc.). 

Once you have all the necessary information to create a business plan for your business center, it is time to start creating your financial forecast.

What goes into your business center's financial forecast?

The objective of the financial forecast of your business center's business plan is to show the growth, profitability, funding requirements, and cash generation potential of your business over the next 3 to 5 years.

The four key outputs of a financial forecast for a business center are:

• The profit and loss (P&L) statement ,
• The projected balance sheet ,
• The cash flow forecast ,
• And the sources and uses table .

Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail.

The projected P&L statement

The projected P&L statement for a business center shows how much revenue and profits your business is expected to generate in the future.

Ideally, your business center's P&L statement should show:

• Healthy growth - above inflation level
• Improving or stable profit margins
• Positive net profit

Expectations will vary based on the stage of your business. A startup will be expected to grow faster than an established business center. And similarly, an established company should showcase a higher level of profitability than a new venture.

The projected balance sheet of your business center

The balance sheet for a business center is a financial document that provides a snapshot of your business’s financial health at a given point in time.

It shows three main components: assets, liabilities and equity:

• Assets: are resources owned by the business, such as cash, equipment, and accounts receivable (money owed by clients).
• Liabilities: are debts owed to creditors and other entities, such as accounts payable (money owed to suppliers) and loans.
• Equity: includes the sums invested by the shareholders or business owners and the cumulative profits and losses of the business to date (called retained earnings). It is a proxy for the value of the owner's stake in the business.

Examining the balance sheet is important for lenders, investors, or other stakeholders who are interested in assessing your business center's liquidity and solvency:

• Liquidity: assesses whether or not your business has sufficient cash and short-term assets to honour its liabilities due over the next 12 months. It is a short-term focus.
• Solvency: assesses whether or not your business has the capacity to repay its debt over the medium-term.

Looking at the balance sheet can also provide insights into your business center's investment and financing policies.

In particular, stakeholders can compare the value of equity to the value of the outstanding financial debt to assess how the business is funded and what level of financial risk has been taken by the owners (financial debt is riskier because it has to be repaid, while equity doesn't need to be repaid).

The projected cash flow statement

A cash flow forecast for a business center shows how much cash the business is projected to generate or consume.

The cash flow statement is divided into 3 main areas:

• The operating cash flow shows how much cash is generated or consumed by the operations (running the business)
• The investing cash flow shows how much cash is being invested in capital expenditure (equipment, real estate, etc.)
• The financing cash flow shows how much cash is raised or distributed to investors and lenders

Looking at the cash flow forecast helps you to ensure that your business has enough cash to keep running, and can help you anticipate potential cash shortfalls.

It is also a best practice to include a monthly cash flow statement in the appendices of your business center business plan so that the readers can view the impact of seasonality on your business cash position and generation.

The initial financing plan

The initial financing plan, also known as a sources and uses table, is a valuable resource to have in your business plan when starting your business center as it reveals the origins of the money needed to establish the business (sources) and how it will be allocated (uses).

Having this table helps show what costs are involved in setting up your business center, how risks are shared between founders, investors and lenders, and what the starting cash position will be. This cash position needs to be sufficient to sustain operations until the business reaches a break-even point.

Now that you have a clear understanding of what goes into the financial forecast of your business center business plan, let's shift our focus to the written part of the plan.

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The written part of a business center business plan

The written part of a business center business plan is composed of 7 main sections:

• The executive summary
• The presentation of the company
• The products and services
• The market analysis
• The strategy
• The operations
• The financial plan

Throughout these sections, you will seek to provide the reader with the details and context needed for them to form a view on whether or not your business plan is achievable and your forecast a realistic possibility.

Let's go through the content of each section in more detail!

1. The executive summary

The executive summary, the first section of your business center's business plan, serves as an inviting snapshot of your entire plan, leaving readers eager to know more about your business.

To compose an effective executive summary, start with a concise introduction of your business, covering its name, concept, location, history, and unique aspects. Share insights about the services or products you intend to offer and your target customer base.

Subsequently, provide an overview of your business center's addressable market, highlighting current trends and potential growth opportunities.

Then, present a summary of critical financial figures, such as projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

You should then include a summary of your key financial figures such as projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

Lastly, address any funding needs in the "ask" section of your executive summary.

2. The presentation of the company

In your business center business plan, the second section should focus on the structure and ownership, location, and management team of your company.

In the structure and ownership part, you'll provide an overview of the business's legal structure, details about the owners, and their respective investments and ownership shares. This clarity is crucial, especially if you're seeking financing, as it helps the reader understand which legal entity will receive the funds and who controls the business.

Moving on to the location part, you'll offer an overview of the company's premises and their surroundings. Explain why this particular location is of interest, highlighting factors like catchment area, accessibility, and nearby amenities.

When describing the location of your business center, you could emphasize its proximity to major highways and other transportation links, as well as potential customers. You may also want to highlight the access to a highly skilled workforce, as well as the availability of quality resources. Additionally, you could point out the potential for growth in the area, as well as the potential for your business center to become a hub for businesses in the area. This might convince a third party financier of the potential of your business center and its strategic location.

Finally, you should introduce your management team. Describe each member's role, background, and experience.

Don't forget to emphasize any past successes achieved by the management team and how long they've been working together. Demonstrating their track record and teamwork will help potential lenders or investors gain confidence in their leadership and ability to execute the business plan.

3. The products and services section

The products and services section of your business center business plan should include a detailed description of what your company sells to its customers. 

For example, your business center might offer customers the use of a shared workspace, printing services, and meeting rooms. This can enable customers to have access to resources and professional tools that they may not have access to otherwise, such as high-speed internet, printers, and other equipment. It also provides them with the opportunity to meet with colleagues and clients in a professional space.

The reader will want to understand what makes your business center unique from other businesses in this competitive market.

When drafting this section, you should be precise about the categories of products or services you sell, the clients you are targeting and the channels that you are targeting them through. 

4. The market analysis

When you present your market analysis in your business center business plan, it's crucial to include detailed information about customers' demographics and segmentation, target market, competition, barriers to entry, and any relevant regulations.

The main objective of this section is to help the reader understand the size and attractiveness of the market while demonstrating your solid understanding of the industry.

Begin with the demographics and segmentation subsection, providing an overview of the addressable market for your business center, the key trends in the marketplace, and introducing different customer segments along with their preferences in terms of purchasing habits and budgets.

Next, focus on your target market, zooming in on the specific customer segments your business center aims to serve and explaining how your products and services fulfil their distinct needs.

For example, your target market might include busy professionals who travel frequently for work. They need a place to meet with colleagues, print documents, and have access to a conference room or other amenities. These customers value convenience and quality when it comes to business centers as they are often pressed for time and need to maximize their efficiency.

Then proceed to the competition subsection, where you introduce your main competitors and highlight what sets you apart from them.

Finally, conclude your market analysis with an overview of the key regulations applicable to your business center.

5. The strategy section

When crafting the strategy section of your business plan for your business center, it's important to cover several key aspects, including your competitive edge, pricing strategy, sales & marketing plan, milestones, and risks and mitigants.

In the competitive edge subsection, clearly explain what sets your company apart from competitors. This is particularly critical if you're a startup, as you'll be trying to establish your presence in the marketplace among entrenched players.

The pricing strategy subsection should demonstrate how you aim to maintain profitability while offering competitive prices to your customers.

For the sales & marketing plan, outline how you plan to reach and acquire new customers, as well as retain existing ones through loyalty programs or special offers.

In the milestones subsection, detail what your company has achieved thus far and outline your primary objectives for the coming years by including specific dates for expected progress. This ensures everyone involved has clear expectations.

Lastly, in the risks and mitigants subsection, list the main risks that could potentially impact the execution of your plan. Explain the measures you've taken to minimize these risks. This is vital for investors or lenders to feel confident in supporting your venture - try to proactively address any objection they might have.

Your business center could face a number of risks. For example, there may be a risk of a data breach, which could result in financial loss and reputational damage. Additionally, your business center could face the risk of equipment failure, which might lead to disruption in the business operations and could cost money and time to repair.

6. The operations section

In your business plan, it's also essential to provide a detailed overview of the operations of your business center.

Start by covering your team, highlighting key roles and your recruitment plan to support the expected growth. Outline the qualifications and experience required for each role and your intended recruitment methods, whether through job boards, referrals, or headhunters.

Next, clearly state your business center's operating hours, allowing the reader to assess staffing levels adequately. Additionally, mention any plans for varying opening times during peak seasons and how you'll handle customer queries outside normal operating hours.

Then, shift your focus to the key assets and intellectual property (IP) necessary for your business. If you rely on licenses, trademarks, physical structures like equipment or property, or lease agreements, make sure to include them in this section.

You could have a key asset such as a good location, which could attract customers and give your business center a competitive advantage. Additionally, your business center might have intellectual property (IP) such as business plans, customer lists, or marketing materials, which could help you stand out from the competition.

Lastly, include a list of suppliers you plan to work with, detailing their services and main commercial terms, such as price, payment terms, and contract duration. Investors are interested in understanding why you've chosen specific suppliers, which may be due to higher-quality products or established relationships from previous ventures.

7. The presentation of the financial plan

The financial plan section is where we will include the financial forecast we talked about earlier in this guide.

Now that you have a clear idea of the content of a business center business plan, let's look at some of the tools you can use to create yours.

What tool should I use to write my business center's business plan?

In this section, we will be reviewing the two main options for writing a business center business plan efficiently:

• Using specialized software,
• Outsourcing the drafting to the business plan writer.

Using an online business plan software for your business center's business plan

The modern and most efficient way to write a business center business plan is to use business plan software .

There are several advantages to using specialized software:

• You can easily create your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you without errors
• You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
• You can access a library of dozens of complete business plan samples and templates for inspiration
• You get a professional business plan, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
• You can easily track your actual financial performance against your financial forecast
• You can create scenarios to stress test your forecast's main assumptions
• You can easily update your forecast as time goes by to maintain visibility on future cash flows
• You have a friendly support team on standby to assist you when you are stuck

If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try The Business Plan Shop for free by signing up here .

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Hiring a business plan writer to write your business center's business plan

Outsourcing your business center business plan to a business plan writer can also be a viable option.

Business plan writers are skilled in creating error-free business plans and accurate financial forecasts. Moreover, hiring a consultant can save you valuable time, allowing you to focus on day-to-day business operations.

However, it's essential to be aware that hiring business plan writers will be expensive, as you're not only paying for their time but also the software they use and their profit margin.

Based on experience, you should budget at least £1.5k ($2.0k) excluding tax for a comprehensive business plan, and more if you require changes after initial discussions with lenders or investors.

Also, exercise caution when seeking investment. Investors prefer their funds to be directed towards business growth rather than spent on consulting fees. Therefore, the amount you spend on business plan writing services and other consulting services should be insignificant compared to the amount raised.

Keep in mind that one drawback is that you usually don't own the business plan itself; you only receive the output, while the actual document is saved in the consultant's business planning software. This can make it challenging to update the document without retaining the consultant's services.

For these reasons, carefully consider outsourcing your business center business plan to a business plan writer, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of seeking outside assistance.

Why not create your business center's business plan using Word or Excel?

Using Microsoft Excel and Word (or their Google, Apple, or open-source equivalents) to write a business center business plan is a terrible idea.

For starters, creating an accurate and error-free financial forecast on Excel (or any spreadsheet) is very technical and requires both a strong grasp of accounting principles and solid skills in financial modelling.

As a result, it is unlikely anyone will trust your numbers unless - like us at The Business Plan Shop - you hold a degree in finance and accounting and have significant financial modelling experience in your past.

The second reason is that it is inefficient. Building forecasts on spreadsheets was the only option in the 1990s and early 2000s, nowadays technology has advanced and software can do it much faster and much more accurately.

And with the rise of AI, software is also becoming smarter at helping us detect mistakes in our forecasts and helping us analyse the numbers to make better decisions.

Also, using software makes it easy to compare actuals vs. forecasts and maintain our forecasts up to date to maintain visibility on future cash flows - as we discussed earlier in this guide - whereas this is a pain to do with a spreadsheet.

That's for the forecast, but what about the written part of my business center business plan?

This part is less error-prone, but here also software brings tremendous gains in productivity:

• Word processors don't include instructions and examples for each part of your business plan
• Word processors don't update your numbers automatically when they change in your forecast
• Word processors don't handle the formatting for you

Overall, while Word or Excel may be viable options for creating a business center business plan for some entrepreneurs, it is by far not the best or most efficient solution.

• Using business plan software is a modern and cost-effective way of writing and maintaining business plans.
• A business plan is not a one-shot exercise as maintaining it current is the only way to keep visibility on your future cash flows.
• A business plan has 2 main parts: a financial forecast outlining the funding requirements of your business center and the expected growth, profits and cash flows for the next 3 to 5 years; and a written part which gives the reader the information needed to decide if they believe the forecast is achievable.

We hope that this in-depth guide met your expectations and that you now have a clear understanding of how to write your business center business plan. Do not hesitate to contact our friendly team if you have questions additional questions we haven't addressed here.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

• How to write a business plan to secure a bank loan?
• Key steps to write a business plan?
• Top mistakes to avoid in your business plan

Do you know entrepreneurs interested in starting or growing a business center? Share this article with them!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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October 31, 2023

Block Advisors

How to Write a Business Plan Step-By-Step

October 31, 2023 • Block Advisors

QUICK ANSWER:

• A business plan outlines your business’s goals, services, financing, and more.
• Business plans vary in length and complexity but should always include an explanation of what your business will do and how it will do it.
• Business plans serve as a guide for business owners and employees and are key to boosting investor confidence.

Whether you’re a serial entrepreneur or just getting your first small business idea off the ground, creating a business plan is an important step. Good business planning will help you clarify your goals and objectives, identify strategies, and note any potential issues or roadblocks you might face.

Not every business owner chooses to write a business plan, but many find it to be a valuable step to take when starting a business. Creating a business plan can seem daunting and confusing at first. But taking the time to plan and research can be very beneficial, especially for first-time small business owners.

If you want to learn how to create a business plan or if you feel you just need a little business plan help, read on!

What is a Business Plan?

A business plan serves as a comprehensive document that outlines your business’s goals, services, financing, leadership, and more details essential to its success. Think of the plan as the who, what, and why of your new business:

Who are the major players in your business?

What goods or services do you offer and why are they important?

Why are you in business and why should customers choose you?

Business plans can range in complexity and length, but, at their core, all plans explain what the business will do and how it will do it. A business plan serves as a guide for business owners and employees and should boost investor confidence. Some important advantages of business plans include:

• Shows investors you have an in-demand product or service, a solid team to achieve business goals, and the potential for growth and scalability.
• Increases the likelihood of securing a business loan, locking in investments, or raising capital. >>Read: A Guide to Raising Capital as a Small Business Founder
• Helps recognize partnership opportunities with other companies.
• Identifies and defines competitors within your given industry.

Looking for an examples of a successful business plan? Check out the SBA’s business plan page for walkthroughs of different business plan outlines.

How to Write a Business Plan: 10 Simple Steps

Starting with a blank page is undoubtedly intimidating. So, begin with a structured business plan template including the key elements for each section. Once your outline is complete, it’ll be time to fill in the details. Don’t worry, you’ll know how to write a business plan in no time. We’ve broken each section down to help you write a business plan in a few simple steps.

1. Brainstorm and Draft an Executive Summary for Your Business Plan

This will be the first page of your business plan. Think of it as your business’ written elevator pitch. In this high level summary, include a mission statement, a short description of the products or services you will be providing, and a summary of your financial and growth projections.

This section will be the first part people read, but you may find it easier to write it last. Writing it after building out the rest of your plan may help you condense the most important information into a concise statement. You’ll need to streamline your thoughts from the other sections into a one page or less summary.

2. Create a Business Description

In this next section, describe your business. Add more specific details than the executive summary. You should include your business’s registered name, the address of your business’s location, basic information about your business structure , and the names of key people involved in the business.

The company description should also answer these two questions:

• Who are you?
• What do you plan to do?

Explain why you’re in business. Show how you are different from competitors. Tell investors why they should finance your company. This section is often more inspirational and emotional. Make sure you grab the reader’s attention. The goal is to get them to believe in your vision as much as you do.

What business structure is right for my company?

Answer these six questions to help you find your fit

3. Outline Your Business Goals

This section should serve as an objective statement. Explain what you want to accomplish and your timeline. Business goals and objectives give you a clear focus. They drive your business to success, so dream big. Include objectives that will help you reach each goal. Don’t forget to make your goals and objectives SMART – that is, they should be:

S pecific | M easurable | A ttainable | R elevant | T ime-bound

4. Conduct and Summarize Market Research

Next, outline your ideal customer with some research. Do the math to estimate the potential size of your target market. Make sure you are choosing the right market for your product, one with plenty of customers who want and need your product. Define your customer’s pain points. Explain your expertise in relation to the market. Show how your product or service fills an important gap and brings value to your customers. Use your findings to build out a value proposition statement.

5. Conduct a Competitive Analysis

In a similar way, you’ll also want to conduct and include a competitive analysis. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of competitors in your market, strategies that will give you a competitive advantage, and how your company is different. Some people choose to conduct a competitive analysis using the SWOT method .

6. Outline Your Marketing and Sales Strategies

Your marketing sales strategy can make or break your business. Your marketing plan should outline your current sales decisions as well as future marketing strategies. In this section, you should reiterate your value proposition, target markets, and customer segments. Then, include details such as:

• A launch plan
• Growth tactics and strategies
• A customer retention plan
• Advertising and promotion channels (i.e. social media, print, search engines, etc.)

7. Describe Your Product or Service

By this point, your products or services have probably been mentioned in several areas of the business plan. But it’s still important to include a separate section that outlines their key details. Describe what you’re offering and how it fits in the current market. Also include details about the benefits, production process, and life cycle of your products. If you have any trademarks or patents, include them here. This is also a good time to ask yourself, “Should my plan include visual aids?”

[ Read More Must-Have Tips to Start Your Small Business ]

8. Compile Financial Plans

Financial health is crucial to the success of any business. If you’re just starting your business, you likely won’t have financial data yet. However, you still need to prepare a budget and financial plan. If you have them, include income statements , balance sheets , and cash flow statements . You can also include reporting metrics such as net income and your ratio of liquidity to debt repayment ability.

If you haven’t launched your business yet, include realistic projections of the same information. Set clear financial goals and include projected milestones. Share information about the budget. What are the business operations costs? Ensure you are comprehensive when considering what costs you may need to prepare for.

9. Build a Management and Operations Plan

Identify your team members. Highlight their expertise and qualifications. Outline roles that still need to be filled now to establish your company and later as the business grows. Read More: 8 tax steps to take when hiring employees >>

Include a section detailing your logistics and operations plan. Consider all parts of your operation. Create a plan that provides details on suppliers, production, equipment, shipment and fulfillment, and inventory. This shows how your business will get done.

10. Create an Appendix – A Place for Additional Information and Documents

Lastly, assemble an organized appendix. This section can contain any other relevant information a reader might need to enhance their understanding of other sections. If you feel like the appendix is getting long, consider adding a table of contents at the beginning of this section. Appendices often include documents such as:

• Licenses and permits
• Bank statements
• Resumes of key employees
• Equipment leases

How to Create a Business Plan: The Bottom Line

A business plan helps you identify clear goals and provides your business direction. Many small business plans are 10-20 pages in length. But as long as the essentials are covered, feel empowered to build a plan that works for you and your company’s needs. Creating a business plan will help you identify your market and target customers, define business aims, and foster long-term financial health.

We’re ready to help you get your business started on the right foot today, and help you find long-term satisfaction as you pursue your business dream. Writing a business plan can be exciting. But if the steps to starting your business are feeling overwhelming, Block Advisors is here to help. Make an appointment today – our experts can assist you with tax prep , bookkeeping , payroll , business formation , and more .

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Simple Business Plan Template (2024)

Updated: Nov 30, 2023, 4:49pm

Table of Contents

Why business plans are vital, get your free simple business plan template, how to write an effective business plan in 6 steps, frequently asked questions.

While taking many forms and serving many purposes, they all have one thing in common: business plans help you establish your goals and define the means for achieving them. Our simple business plan template covers everything you need to consider when launching a side gig, solo operation or small business. By following this step-by-step process, you might even uncover a few alternate routes to success.

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Whether you’re a first-time solopreneur or a seasoned business owner, the planning process challenges you to examine the costs and tasks involved in bringing a product or service to market. The process can also help you spot new income opportunities and hone in on the most profitable business models.

Though vital, business planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Business plans for lean startups and solopreneurs can simply outline the business concept, sales proposition, target customers and sketch out a plan of action to bring the product or service to market. However, if you’re seeking startup funding or partnership opportunities, you’ll need a write a business plan that details market research, operating costs and revenue forecasting.

Whichever startup category you fall into, if you’re at square one, our simple business plan template will point you down the right path.

Copy our free simple business plan template so you can fill in the blanks as we explore each element of your business plan. Need help getting your ideas flowing? You’ll also find several startup scenario examples below.

Download free template as .docx

Whether you need a quick-launch overview or an in-depth plan for investors, any business plan should cover the six key elements outlined in our free template and explained below. The main difference in starting a small business versus an investor-funded business is the market research and operational and financial details needed to support the concept.

1. Your Mission or Vision

Start by declaring a “dream statement” for your business. You can call this your executive summary, vision statement or mission. Whatever the name, the first part of your business plan summarizes your idea by answering five questions. Keep it brief, such as an elevator pitch. You’ll expand these answers in the following sections of the simple business plan template.

• What does your business do? Are you selling products, services, information or a combination?
• Where does this happen? Will you conduct business online, in-store, via mobile means or in a specific location or environment?
• Who does your business benefit? Who is your target market and ideal customer for your concept?
• Why would potential customers care? What would make your ideal customers take notice of your business?
• How do your products and/or services outshine the competition? What would make your ideal customers choose you over a competitor?

These answers come easily if you have a solid concept for your business, but don’t worry if you get stuck. Use the rest of your plan template to brainstorm ideas and tactics. You’ll quickly find these answers and possibly new directions as you explore your ideas and options.

2. Offer and Value Proposition

This is where you detail your offer, such as selling products, providing services or both, and why anyone would care. That’s the value proposition. Specifically, you’ll expand on your answers to the first and fourth bullets from your mission/vision.

As you complete this section, you might find that exploring value propositions uncovers marketable business opportunities that you hadn’t yet considered. So spend some time brainstorming the possibilities in this section.

For example, a cottage baker startup specializing in gluten-free or keto-friendly products might be a value proposition that certain audiences care deeply about. Plus, you could expand on that value proposition by offering wedding and other special-occasion cakes that incorporate gluten-free, keto-friendly and traditional cake elements that all guests can enjoy.

3. Audience and Ideal Customer

Here is where you explore bullet point number three, who your business will benefit. Identifying your ideal customer and exploring a broader audience for your goods or services is essential in defining your sales and marketing strategies, plus it helps fine-tune what you offer.

There are many ways to research potential audiences, but a shortcut is to simply identify a problem that people have that your product or service can solve. If you start from the position of being a problem solver, it’s easy to define your audience and describe the wants and needs of your ideal customer for marketing efforts.

Using the cottage baker startup example, a problem people might have is finding fresh-baked gluten-free or keto-friendly sweets. Examining the wants and needs of these people might reveal a target audience that is health-conscious or possibly dealing with health issues and willing to spend more for hard-to-find items.

However, it’s essential to have a customer base that can support your business. You can be too specialized. For example, our baker startup can attract a broader audience and boost revenue by offering a wider selection of traditional baked goods alongside its gluten-free and keto-focused specialties.

4. Revenue Streams, Sales Channels and Marketing

Thanks to our internet-driven economy, startups have many revenue opportunities and can connect with target audiences through various channels. Revenue streams and sales channels also serve as marketing vehicles, so you can cover all three in this section.

Revenue Streams

Revenue streams are the many ways you can make money in your business. In your plan template, list how you’ll make money upon launch, plus include ideas for future expansion. The income possibilities just might surprise you.

For example, our cottage baker startup might consider these revenue streams:

• Product sales : Online, pop-up shops , wholesale and (future) in-store sales
• Affiliate income : Monetize blog and social media posts with affiliate links
• Advertising income : Reserve website space for advertising
• E-book sales : (future) Publish recipe e-books targeting gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Video income : (future) Monetize a YouTube channel featuring how-to videos for the gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Webinars and online classes : (future) Monetize coaching-style webinars and online classes covering specialty baking tips and techniques
• Members-only content : (future) Monetize a members-only section of the website for specialty content to complement webinars and online classes
• Franchise : (future) Monetize a specialty cottage bakery concept and sell to franchise entrepreneurs

Sales Channels

Sales channels put your revenue streams into action. This section also answers the “where will this happen” question in the second bullet of your vision.

The product sales channels for our cottage bakery example can include:

• Mobile point-of-sale (POS) : A mobile platform such as Shopify or Square POS for managing in-person sales at local farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals
• E-commerce platform : An online store such as Shopify, Square or WooCommerce for online retail sales and wholesale sales orders
• Social media channels : Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest shoppable posts and pins for online sales via social media channels
• Brick-and-mortar location : For in-store sales , once the business has grown to a point that it can support a physical location

Channels that support other income streams might include:

• Affiliate income : Blog section on the e-commerce website and affiliate partner accounts
• Advertising income : Reserved advertising spaces on the e-commerce website
• E-book sales : Amazon e-book sales via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
• Video income : YouTube channel with ad monetization
• Webinars and online classes : Online class and webinar platforms that support member accounts, recordings and playback
• Members-only content : Password-protected website content using membership apps such as MemberPress

Nowadays, the line between marketing and sales channels is blurred. Social media outlets, e-books, websites, blogs and videos serve as both marketing tools and income opportunities. Since most are free and those with advertising options are extremely economical, these are ideal marketing outlets for lean startups.

However, many businesses still find value in traditional advertising such as local radio, television, direct mail, newspapers and magazines. You can include these advertising costs in your simple business plan template to help build a marketing plan and budget.

5. Structure, Suppliers and Operations

This section of your simple business plan template explores how to structure and operate your business. Details include the type of business organization your startup will take, roles and responsibilities, supplier logistics and day-to-day operations. Also, include any certifications or permits needed to launch your enterprise in this section.

Our cottage baker example might use a structure and startup plan such as this:

• Business structure : Sole proprietorship with a “doing business as” (DBA) .
• Permits and certifications : County-issued food handling permit and state cottage food certification for home-based food production. Option, check into certified commercial kitchen rentals.
• Roles and responsibilities : Solopreneur, all roles and responsibilities with the owner.
• Supply chain : Bulk ingredients and food packaging via Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon Prime with annual membership costs. Uline for shipping supplies; no membership needed.
• Day-to-day operations : Source ingredients and bake three days per week to fulfill local and online orders. Reserve time for specialty sales, wholesale partner orders and market events as needed. Ship online orders on alternating days. Update website and create marketing and affiliate blog posts on non-shipping days.

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6. Financial Forecasts

Your final task is to list forecasted business startup and ongoing costs and profit projections in your simple business plan template. Thanks to free business tools such as Square and free marketing on social media, lean startups can launch with few upfront costs. In many cases, cost of goods, shipping and packaging, business permits and printing for business cards are your only out-of-pocket expenses.

Cost Forecast

Our cottage baker’s forecasted lean startup costs might include:

Gross Profit Projections

This helps you determine the retail prices and sales volume required to keep your business running and, hopefully, earn income for yourself. Use product research to spot target retail prices for your goods, then subtract your cost of goods, such as hourly rate, raw goods and supplier costs. The total amount is your gross profit per item or service.

Here are some examples of projected gross profits for our cottage baker:

Bottom Line

Putting careful thought and detail in a business plan is always beneficial, but don’t get so bogged down in planning that you never hit the start button to launch your business . Also, remember that business plans aren’t set in stone. Markets, audiences and technologies change, and so will your goals and means of achieving them. Think of your business plan as a living document and regularly revisit, expand and restructure it as market opportunities and business growth demand.

Is there a template for a business plan?

You can copy our free business plan template and fill in the blanks or customize it in Google Docs, Microsoft Word or another word processing app. This free business plan template includes the six key elements that any entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a new business.

What does a simple business plan include?

A simple business plan is a one- to two-page overview covering six key elements that any budding entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a startup. These include your vision or mission, product or service offering, target audience, revenue streams and sales channels, structure and operations, and financial forecasts.

How can I create a free business plan template?

Start with our free business plan template that covers the six essential elements of a startup. Once downloaded, you can edit this document in Google Docs or another word processing app and add new sections or subsections to your plan template to meet your specific business plan needs.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Krista Fabregas is a seasoned eCommerce and online content pro sharing more than 20 years of hands-on know-how with those looking to launch and grow tech-forward businesses. Her expertise includes eCommerce startups and growth, SMB operations and logistics, website platforms, payment systems, side-gig and affiliate income, and multichannel marketing. Krista holds a bachelor's degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin and held senior positions at NASA, a Fortune 100 company, and several online startups.

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A Mother's Place

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

A Mother’s Place is a new company targeted to open in downtown Santa Cruz. We will provide a family-friendly environment with high quality customer service to meet the daily emotional, physical and social well-being needs of mothers, young children and other family members.

The principal, Emili Willet, the proud mother of a nine-month-old son, wants to fulfill her passion to help and support other mothers in the community. Emili has a Master’s degree in Child Development from Harvard Graduate School and fifteen years of progressive management experience working with children and families. Most recently, she served as Chief of Operations of a childcare management company in the Silicon Valley, and as a Finance Account Manager for the largest corporate childcare center in California for Cisco Systems. The Cisco center was a start-up project to serve over 500 children, and employed 125 teachers and administrators. Emili wants to run a business that will provide a service to families, and that has a fun atmosphere, innovative and top of the line products, a supportive environment and high quality customer service. She feels that Santa Cruz lacks this service, and thus provides an excellent opportunity for her to utilize her skills, expertise and experience in child development and finance management, and at the same time, continue to exercise her passion for working with young children and families.

A Mother’s Place will provide a full range of services, including parenting and childbirthing classes, children’s play programs, “Mommy & Me” classes, fitness and yoga pre-natal classes and coordinated birthday parties.  In addition, it will have a retail store with high-end products for babies and young children.  All of these services and products will be provided by employees who are skilled and experienced with parenting and have child development knowledge.   This place will be the ONLY company in Santa Cruz county that provides all of these services in ONE location with easy access from a freeway, convenient parking and high quality customer service.

Sales projections for A Mother’s Place are estimated to begin at $513,000 in the first year of operation, increasing to $863,000 by the end of the third year. Our net profit will increase over the next three years.

1.1 Objectives

The objectives for A Mother’s Place are outlined below:

• To demonstrate how quality juvenile products will benefit new mothers and families.
• To create a family-friendly space that provides pregnancy resources, parenting classes, playgroups and fitness programs.
• to obtain revenue of $860,000 by the end of third year of operation.
• To increase sales by 20% per year through superior customer service and word-of-mouth referrals.
• In retail sales: to have a customer return rate of 60% by the end of first year.

In order to achieve these objectives, A Mother’s Place has the following goals:

• With a strong and viable business:
• The first year of operation will bring in total revenue of $510,000.
• Second year of operation will bring in total revenue of $665,000.
• Third year of operation will bring in total revenue of $860,000.
• The company will provide services and products that have been rated as “top of the line”, and highly recommended by experts in the child development field.
• The environment of A Mother’s Place will be inviting, professional, and adhere to the highest quality customer care, promoting a strong customer base in all services the company provides.
• Sales will increase by 20% from first year to second year, through superior customer service and effective marketing strategies.
• The return rate of participants in the classes and play programs will be 15% annually.

1.3 Keys to Success

The keys to success in our business are:

• Superior Customer Service: Each employee will have experience with our products, and in parenting.
• Environment: We will provide a clean, upscale, odor-free, enjoyable environment conducive to giving professional trusting service. 
• Feeding support:   We will provide a nursing room to allow mothers to breastfeed or bottle feed their child in a supportive environment, thus allowing them to continue shopping.
• Convenience: We will offer clients a wide range of services in one environment.
• Location: We will provide an easily accessible location and parking for customer convenience.
• Reputation: The principal’s expertise, credibility, integrity, and knowledge from 15+ years experience of working with young children, her Master’s degree in Child Development, and her experience as a mother will establish our high reputation from the beginning. 

1.4 Mission

For the community : A Mother’s Place will provide a family-friendly atmosphere in which customers will gain expertise, resources and emotional and social support through a wide range of services.

For the employees : The company will allow the staff to enjoy the satisfaction of providing quality services to young children and families.

For the business : A Mother’s Place will provide an economically viable business for the principal.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

A Mother’s Place is a new company that will provide high-level customer service and a family-friendly environment in the following categories:

• Juvenile Products (diapers, strollers, car seats, developmentally appropriate toys & books)
• Baby registering service
• Yoga Pregnancy and childbirthing classes
• StrollerFit Franchise (Exercise with baby program)
• “Mommy & Me” and parenting support programs
• Birthday parties for children coordinated by a child development specialist
• Infant/Child Car Seat Installation provided by AAA CPS Certified Employees
• All employees can provide expertise & knowledge on each baby product
• Full-service nursing room provided

What will set A Mother’s Place apart from the competition is our commitment to provide these services in one convenient location, with expertise in child development, experience with each product and high-quality customer service.

2.1 Company Location

A Mother’s Place will be conveniently located in downtown Santa Cruz at 504 Front Street. Unlike many of the stores downtown with limited metered parking, this location has free on-site parking with a new outside lighting system. There is additional free public parking directly across the street with a stop light to provide safety for families who may need to cross the street. A Mother’s Place is one block from the Pacific Garden Mall that includes BabyGap, Cottontales (children clothing store) and Borders Books, all stores that are frequented by families. Down the street, two blocks away on Front Street, is a Long’s Drug Store, and a new Trader Joe’s is scheduled to open by November 2004. All of these stores draw families to this location.

This location is 4,000 square feet, providing ample room for retail space, a tumbling and gym room, a nursing room, inventory storage, and two restroom facilities. It’s currently being renovated by the building owner, and upon completion, the front of the building will have an inviting and upscale appearance.  It’s scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2004 after which A Mother’s Place will begin to prepare the space for opening in September.

2.2 Start-up Summary

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The Start-up table, below, shows our start-up expenses and assets, including the following necessary current assets:

• (Gym Room): Mats, Tumbling Equipment and Mirror
• (Nursing Room): Chairs, Tables, Changing Table

2.3 Company Ownership

A Mother’s Place will be a privately held S corporation owned by Emili Willet, M.Ed.

Products and Services

A Mother’s Place will provide upscale baby products, parenting resources, children’s play programs, and fitness classes.

• Baby/Gift Registering: Families can register items for baby showers, birthday parties and other events.
• Girlfriends Buddy Program:   Pregnant women can obtain an appointment with an experienced Child Specialist (employee of the company) to provide support and recommendations on the baby registration process. Many new moms are overwhelmed with the process, and this can be an inviting opportunity to help new moms make decisions on the needs of her new baby.
• Nursing Room:   Moms can shop with peace of mind knowing that they can nurse their baby when needed without leaving the store. This room will be a full-service program with comfortable seating, soft instrumental music, changing facilities and drinking water available.
• Car Seat Installation:   A Mother’s Place employees will be AAA CPS (Child Passenger Safety) Certified, and available to install car seats properly.
• Childbirthing Classes:   We will offer classes for pregnant women (and a support person) in preparation for the birth of her child.  Each session will include six weekly classes.
• Yoga Pregnancy Classes: Yoga classes for pregnant women will be taught by a certified Yoga instructor (specialized in pregnancy fitness). 
• Mommy & Me Classes: New moms can bring their infants to classes that will offer support, guidance and parenting resources. Topics in the classes can include “Songs to sing to your little one”, “How to interact with your 2 week old infant,” “What can my baby see & hear?” and “What to expect from your 6 month old.” Each class will be guided by a trained Child Specialist Instructor.
• StrollerFit: A Mother’s Place will franchise this established program that is growing across the nation. This program provides a fitness class that allows both mom and the baby (4 weeks – 2 1/2 years of age) to exercise together, and have fun with other moms in the community. Currently there is no program that allows babies to exercise with their moms in Santa Cruz county. Franchising this program will allow A Mother’s Place to offer this program at other locations. As part of this plan, StrollerFit will be offered at A Mother’s Place, West Cliff Drive, Westlake Elementary School gymnasium (approval already obtained), and Seacliff Beach during the first year of operation.
• Winter Playgroups:
• Infant Playgroup (4 weeks old – 12 months old)
• Young Walkers Playgroup (12 months – 23 months old)
• Older Walkers Playgroup (24 months – 36 months old):  During the winter months (November to March), moms can sign up for a weekly playgroup at a low monthly cost.This will allow moms to bring their infants or young children to an environment that will be set up appropriately with mats, tumbling equipment, soft toys, mirrors, and other soft indoor equipment. Frequently during the winter months, cold and wet weather prevents mothers from going to outdoor parks, and this provides an alternative option. In addition, it provides an opportunity for mothers to meet other moms in the community.
• Children’s Classes:
• Jr. Jumpers: This will provide toddlers (12 months – 20 months of age) an opportunity to build physical coordination through an educational program.  This will be an instructed class that will provide fun with tunnels, slides, balance beams, obstacle courses, parachutes and bubbles to excite children of this age group.
• Jumper Time:  This provides older toddlers (21 months – 36 months of age) a developmentally-appropriate educational program for older, more stable toddlers.  In addition to building physical coordination through movement play, it will provide opportunities for children to explore through language with songs, finger plays and body movement games.
• Art Time:  This will provide preschool aged children (3 – 5 years of age) opportunities for creative exploration through art play, projects and group art activities.
• Birthday Parties:   Families can arrange birthday parties for their children at A Mother’s Place.  A variety of packages and themes will be available, including choices of event type, (Magician, Balloon Maker, Face Painter, Animal Show etc), party bag type, dessert (cake, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, popsicles etc), setup (gymnasium set up, art project set up, bubbles machine set up etc) and extent of service (set up & clean up service).
• Room available to contract out: A Mother’s Place will provide the room on a contractual basis for programs and/or events that are supported by this company.

Each product must receive high ratings from reviewers (parenting magazines, internet reviews, Baby Products books) in order to be sold at A Mother’s Place.

• Juvenile Equipment:   Car seats, strollers, swings, joggers, exersaucers and high chairs will be among the selection of juvenile equipment available.
• Juvenile Feeding & Bathing Products: Bottles, diapers, sippy cups, bathing toys, stain removers and other feeding related products will be sold.
• Breastfeeding Products: Breast pumps, nursing pads, nursing creams, nursing bras and nursing pillows will be available.
• Young Infant Toys & Mobiles: A selection of developmentally appropriate infant toys and hanging mobiles will be available. In addition to meeting the highly rated criteria, toys will be selected by the owner, who has a Masters degree specialized in Infant/Child Development, for their ability to serve the growing intellectual needs of infants and young children.
• Books: A selection of board books will be provided. This will also help promote the importance of early reading for young infants and children.
• Layette clothing and blankets: A small selection of layette sets will be available for customers who would like to purchase layettes for baby shower gifts, or other gifts.
• Baby Gift Baskets: A variety of baskets will be available, filled with an assortment of baby products.
• Gift Items: A selection of photo albums, picture frames, handprint kits, and art prints will be available.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

Overall, there has been a steady increase in the population of families with young children, and a steadily rising median income in Santa Cruz county. In addition, with more residents employed in Santa Cruz County and not commuting to Silicon Valley, more families are opting to shop for their household needs in Santa Cruz County.

It was reported at the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) trade show in Dallas (May 2004) that there is growing interest in juvenile products, with an increase in sales of 5% to 6% percent annually. The president of a large juvenile product organization stated, “the industry is very healthy and birth rates are strong,” and “parents also are spending more than ever.”  2

1 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy , Prepared for the County of Santa Cruz County December 2002.  Applied Survey Research, Watsonville, December 2003.

2 “License! Where Concepts Come to Market,” April 2004  One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016, made available at JPMA Trade Show, Dallas May 2004.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

In all areas of marketing, A Mother’s Place will implement consistent marketing and sales strategies from the beginning (prior to opening). The following sections outline our strategies for sales and marketing.

5.1 Competitive Edge

The advantages A Mother’s Place has over the competition are numerous:

• Toys ‘R Us and K-Mart are the only two places within a 10 mile radius from Santa Cruz city that carry juvenile products, and both are limited in their selection.  Neither of these stores offers the small and family-friendly atmosphere or high quality customer service of A Mother’s Place.
• A Mother’s Place has a multitude of parenting resources:  there are parenting classes, pregnancy support programs, children’s play programs and winter playgroups, as well as the wealth of child development knowledge that will be delivered by the principal and the employees of the company.
• A Mother’s Place offers a baby registering program with consulting at free of cost that is not available in Santa Cruz or Santa Clara County.
• A Mother’s Place will offer parents the convenience of purchasing multiple baby products (diapers, bottles, car seats, toys, books) in the same location where they can take parenting and/or fitness classes.
• A Mother’s Place will provide Installation of Car Seats by AAA CPS Certified(Child Passenger Safety) employees.  The only place that provides this program currently is the local California Highway Patrol office, which has limited hours.

5.2 Marketing Strategy

A Mother’s Place will market the company in the following ways:

Giving brochures with a promotional discount offer to:

• Birthing Classes at Sutter Medical Center
• Childbirthing Classes at Dominican Hospital
• Breastfeeding Support Group at Dominican Hospital
• Mom’s Support Group at Dominican Hospital

Posting flyers at:

• OB/Gyn Examination rooms
• Area childcare centers
• Local children’s clothing stores (i.e. Lollipops, Cottontales, Hopscotch)
• Local stores that carry children’s items (i.e. Aptos Shoes & Apparel, Toy Chest, Farmer Exchange)
• Local children’s programs (Harvey West swimming classes, Simpson Swim Center, Loudon Nelson’s Center, Santa Cruz Gymnastics)
• Libraries ~ children’s books section
• Local bookstores ~ children’s book section (i.e. Santa Cruz Bookshop, Book Cafe Capitola)
• Fitness Centers ~ childcare area

Getting articles promoting A Mother’s Place grand opening printed in:

• Santa Cruz Sentinel Newspaper
• Growing Up in Santa Cruz:  A newsletter serving families of Santa Cruz County
• San Jose Mercury News

All brochures, flyers and other marketing tools will promote our website, which will list the products and services this company can provide to the community.  It will also have all schedules of classes, and a registration form for class enrollment can be printed from the website, as well.

5.3 Employee Incentive Program

Our employees will play a vital part in the success of the company. A Mother’s Place will allow the employees to be part of the company in the following ways:

• Each employee will have a job description and orientation that will provide clear expectations for their performances, and the company’s mission and goals. This will benefit both the employees and the principal as everyone will be working towards the same goal.
• Included in the job description and training, each employee will be given responsibility for moving us toward one of our company objectives, to develop a feeling of ownership in the company’s success.  This will promote better work performances, as each employee will feel responsible for his/her actions, and will thus help to increase sales.
• Each month, if the company meets the sales forecast goal, each employee will be eligible for a bonus card that will provide cash towards any purchases at A Mother’s Place. The amount will be determined based on the performance of the employee.
• The company will introduce an “Star Employee” system based on reviews from customers, sales performance and employee performance. The employee of the month will earn a choice of an afternoon paid time off, or a bonus card (the bonuses/rewards can be modified to make it more suitable for the employee group).
• Each of the employees will have the satisfaction of providing quality products and services to families and children.  They will be recognized for their high quality services, customer relations and “going beyond their job descriptions.”

5.4 Sales Strategy

The sales strategy of A Mother’s Place will be threefold:

• “Shop for convenience” Products such as diapers, baby wipes, and bottlefeeding accessories will draw mothers to A Mother’s Place as they can shop “at one place” for all their needs, and may purchase other items at the retail store, and/or enroll in classes.
• Competitive Prices: Diapers and baby wipes will be offered at the lowest price among all competitors (including local supermarkets, drug stores, Costco, Target, and KMart). These items are not intended to make large profit, only as a marketing strategy to draw customers to the store.
• “Review & Save Program”:  This program will allow customers to “rate” the products they have purchased, and receive a promotional coupon towards their next shopping trip at A Mother’s Place. All of the reviews will be posted, to help provide customers with additional information on the products, and to promote sales.
• Classes:   The classes (Yoga Pregnancy, Parenting classes, StrollerFit, Playgroups) will also be an incentive to draw mothers into the store and enroll in additional classes.
• Environment:
• Nursing Room:  The nurturing and comforting environment of this room will contribute to our family-friendly atmosphere, and the resultant high return rate of our customers.
• Upscale and inviting presentation:  All products will be displayed in an organized and inviting fashion (i.e. there will be a “nursery room set up” with cribs fitted with coordinated beddings, pillows, art prints, mobiles and rugs), that will provide ideas for the customers, thus increasing sales.

5.5 Sales Forecast

Note: The financial assumptions can be found in section 8.0 of this plan, below.

5.6 Stepping Stones

The JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association) Trade Show is one of the largest trade shows in the industry of baby products, offered annually in May. The principal will attend to gain information on the products (current and new lines for 2005), meet the company representatives, and establish the strong relationships that will be vital to the success of A Mother’s Place.

The next step will be completion of the business plan, through the grand opening of the company, and the beginning of profitability in January 2005.

Web Plan Summary

A Mother’s Place will provide an informational website that will serve primarily as a resource for mothers, families and the community. The website will be developed by Erik Gundersen at EDesigns. The website will provide the following resources:

Class Schedules & Registration Form:  The website will provide a current schedule, detailed class descriptions and a registration form for each of the classes provided:

• Yoga Prenatal Classes
• StrollerFitâ Classes
• Children’s Play Classes (Jr. Jumpers, Jumper Time, Art Time)
• Winter Play Groups (Infant, Young Walkers, Older Walkers)
• Childbirthing Classes
• “Mommy & Me” Classes

Birthday Party Packages: The website will provide detailed information on the packages available for the birthday parties.  It will include the different themes, party bags, events and other birthday party options that families can choose.

Car Seat Installation Program: We will provide information on our car seat installation program intended to promote safety for the children, and convenience for their families.

Baby Shower/Gift Registering: Families and friends will be able to access baby shower/gift registering directly from our website.

General Information: In addition to providing information about all of our services, the website will provide directions on how to get to A Mother’s Place, post the hours of the company, and also provide an email link to allow customers to ask any questions regarding our services, our products or our company.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

Emili graduated from Harvard with a Master’s Degree in Education & Child Development. She has 15 years experience as an administrator in the child development field. Most recently, she was Chief of Operations for a local, family owned childcare management company in the Silicon Valley. In this role, she was responsible for the day to day operations, including finance management, employee relations and customer service, for each of the 15 childcare centers.

Prior to this position, Emili had the opportunity to gain valuable fiscal management experience as the Director of Finance/Account Manager for the Cisco Systems corporate sponsored childcare center. This center was a start-up project to serve over 500 children, and employed 125 teachers and administrators. At this largest childcare center of California, Emili was responsible for the fiscal management, fiscal reporting, human resources and payroll and overseeing the day to day operations of the services the center provided. In addition, she has been a child development instructor at San Jose State University. She is also the proud mother of a young infant, which has taught her a great deal about purchasing juvenile products and parenting services.

7.1 Personnel Plan

A Mother’s Place will be looking for candidates who currently have young children, and want part-time hours. This team of parents will make our customers, who are also parents, feel more comfortable, and serve as a resource for many of our products and services. 

The following personnel plan will be implemented completely when total sales exceeds $53,000 monthly at A Mother’s Place:

Start-Up Personnel:

• The principal, Emili Willet will be onsite full-time, responsible for day-to-day operations, all accounting/administrative tasks, and providing customer service.
• One full-time manager to oversee and fill in for all areas.  In addition, due to the principal’s deafness, it’s vital to have an employee onsite at all hours to provide high quality customer service communications on the phone.
• One part-time manager to oversee and fill in all areas during the weekend hours (each manager will have additional responsibilities that will be specific to each manager to establish ownership of their jobs). (16 hrs/wk)
• One part-time StrollerFitâ instructor to teach the StrollerFitâ fitness classes (6 hrs/wk).
• One part-time class instructor and party coordinator to teach classes, and plan and organize birthday parties.  Classes and birthday parties will start in October, and the hours for this position will be determined by the number of classes and parties that are served. (3 – 15 hrs/wk)

Long Term:

• One part-time retail specialist will be hired when total monthly sales have exceeded $45,000 in March, primarily to help on weekends to greet customers, provide expertise in products, inventory, keeping floor space organized and presentable, run cash register, answer phones and perform any other customer service related tasks.  (16 hrs/wk)
• One full-time retail specialist will be hired when total monthly sales have exceeded $53,000 in May, to greet customers, provide expertise in products, inventory, keeping floor space organized and presentable, run cash register, answer phones and perform any other customer service related tasks.

The growth of the company will be determined by how accurately and efficiently the company is able to implement the facets of this business plan.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

The following sections will outline the important information on the financial aspects of A Mother’s Place.

8.1 Break-even Analysis

The following table and chart show our Break-even Analysis.

8.2 Important Assumptions

Retail sales based on the following assumptions:

• Start-up growth
• Slow steady growth from September – December.
• The marketing strategies in this plan will be implemented prior to grand opening to build customer base for this period.
• Growth will slow down slightly post holiday season during the month of January.
• Steady growth will begins to pick up from February – August with the implementation of new class. sessions, and more marketing tools.
• Each time a new class begins each month, it’s assumed that the class participants will bring in additional sales revenue (see additional details below).
• StrollerFit® will begin in September.
• Children’s classes and birthday parties will begin in October.
• Holiday children’s parties will begin during the holiday season (Nov – Dec).
• These starting projections are based on the actual sales of opening month of a woman-owned shoe store in Capitola, and recent sales of a church/religious store in Santa Cruz. The starting projections are estimated lower than these two stores.

Classes sales  based on the following assumptions:

• StrollerFit®
• StrollerFit® will begin in September at two locations (Westlake Elementary, and at Lighthouse, WestCliff Drive) and continue through December.
• During the holidays, there is no projection of increased enrollment.
• It’s a common trend that enrollment for exercise programs increases in January, and one more class will be added at A Mother’s Place.
• As the weather warms up again in March, we project increased enrollment will begin and stay steady throughout the summer months.
• One class revenue is based on $7.50 fee per person, 8 participants per class, and 3 sessions per week which equals $780/month.  StrollerFitâ requires a 15% royalty fee of all sales which brings A Mother’s Place a total sales of $662/month.
• There is no direct cost of sales involved for StrollerFitâ
• Each children’s class is a 10-week session (Sept – mid Nov).
• One session will begin in September, restart every 10 weeks continuously.
• Another session will begin in October, restart every 10 weeks continuously.
• A total of 3 sessions will be offered starting in January.
• A total of 4 sessions will be offered starting in March.
• Each children’s class revenue is based on $9.00 per class, 11 participants, one class per week which is a total of $467/month. 
• In addition, a Winter Playgroup will be offered each month from November – March (during the cold weather months). We project that each month will bring in an additional $200/month. This is based on $10 per month per child, 10 children each Playgroup session which equals $100/month. Each month will have 2 groups.
• Cost of all children’s classes combined is projected at $50/per class per month to maintain play and activity equipment.
• Pregnancy Classes:
• One childbirthing/pregnancy class will begin a 6-week session in October and restart continuously every 6 weeks. A second session will begin in November, and restart continuously every 6 weeks.

Birthday Parties sales based on the following assumptions:

• Several packages will be offered for Birthday parties, ranging from $500 – $800 per party.
• No birthday parties will be offered during the month of September.
• Two birthday parties will be offered during the month of October, and three parties in November.
• Holiday parties will be offered during the month of December, and a total of 5 parties is projected.
• We project that a total of 6 parties per month will be held from January – May. During summer months, a maximum of 7 per month will be offered.

Payroll  is based on the following assumptions:

• In addition to the principal owner, a full-time manager (40hr/wk) and part-time manager (16hr/wk) will begin employment in September to cover a 7 day work week schedule.   Due to the owner’s deafness, it’s vital for a manager to be on-staff at all times to provide customer service on the telephone.
• A part-time retail employee will be hired in March, when total gross sales reach $45,000, to work during busiest hours.
• A full-time employee will not be hired until total gross sales exceed $50,000, projected to occur in May.
• All instructors for StrollerFitâ are part-time, and work one hour per class at $20/hr.
• All instructors and party coordinators are part-time, and work per class/party at $12.75/hr. The party coordinator will be employed additional hour per party for set-up/clean-up, and planning. The additional hours in October are for training. 

Expenses are based on the following assumptions:

• Loan repayment is estimated at $163,000 total borrowing, at 8.5% with 6 year term, equaling payments of $2897 per month (principal repayment listed in the Cash Flow, and interest expenses in the Profit and Loss, below).
• POS System, insurance, payroll processing fees, website, StrollerFit manual, shelving, tumbling equipment and all other equipment are based on actual bids from vendors.
• We do not expect to hire janitorial services during the first year of operation.  The retail employee will assume the janitorial responsibilities to minimize cost.
• Rent is estimated at $5,000 per month for a 3,550 square foot space at $1.40 NNN.
• Space is estimated to provide 1600 sq ft for retail, 1150 sq ft for class/gym room, 400 sq ft for inventory storage and 400 sq ft for office, nursing room and bathroom. 

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

The following table and chart show the profit and loss projections for the first three years of operation.

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

The following table and chart show the projected cash flow for the first three years of operation. Please note that A Mother’s Place will receive cash for all purchases and services. All classes and birthday parties will be paid in advance upon registration.

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

The following table indicates the Projected Balance for the first three years of operation.

8.6 Business Ratios

A Mother’s Place does not fit neatly into any one existing industry. We are a fitness and educational center; we offer children’s entertainment (birthday parties, playgroups), and social space for mothers; and we have a retail component, in our gift store. It is, therefore, difficult to compare our projected overall business ratios to any one industry standard, because our revenue stream and costs are mixed.

The following table lists our business ratios, and includes a comparison with standard ratios from the “Children’s Goods,” Industry (SIC Code 5137.05). These industry ratios obviously reflect only the retail side of our operations.

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Sample Business Plan Outline

In general, a good business plan includes the following topics:, i. executive summary.

• This contains a brief description of your business, a plan of action (if applying for loan, describe purpose(s) of loan), and why you think this plan makes sense.

II. Ownership

• Who owns the business
• What type of organization is it? (proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability)
• The division of responsibility between owners/employees (if applicable)

III. Description of Business

• History of business
• Products/services presently offered described in detail and briefly whom you sell to and how (store, shows, catalog, wholesale, cold calls, etc.)
• New products/services described & brief description of customers and sales methods
• Number of employees and if planning to expand, increase in jobs
• Suppliers & inventory levels/turnover
• Facility – (own or rent, description of location, size, special features)
• Improvements planned (if applicable)
• Equipment owned
• Equipment you plan to purchase (if loan is for equipment)

IV. Market information

• [To help you write a complete Marketing Plan, visit  Creating a Marketing Plan  in our Resource Center.]
• Industry - (depending on type of business, may not apply)
• Industry outlook (nationally, statewide, locally -if applicable)
• Factors affecting the industry currently (supplies, changes in legislation, market trends, new technologies)
• Your customers
• Describe major customer groups in detail (i.e. by age, geography, income, business type, sex, local or tourist, wholesale or retail) and assign percentages to each group (for example, 40 percent local, 60 percent tourist)
• Buying patterns for each group (season, time of day, day of week, how often, etc.)
• Why these customer groups choose your business
• Trends affecting their choices/decisions/behavior
• Your competitors
• List your major competitors and describe how their businesses are similar/different to yours
• Describe where your business fits into the market
• Discuss your strengths/weaknesses relative to your competitors and how you will use/improve them
• Describe your relationships with your competitors
• Your marketing strategy
• Your image, advertising/promotion plan, and pricing and how they match your target market(s)
• Detail on how you sell, distribute, and service your product/service and why
• Sales goals, strategies for the next year 

V. Management

• Include a resume which describes your relevant experience and education
• Key personnel and their job descriptions (if applicable)
• Describe accounting and record-keeping systems
• Other relevant management systems or techniques (inventory, production, etc.)

VI. Financial information

• Your past three years of tax returns
• Past three years of business tax returns (if applicable)
• Balance sheet  and income statement (if available)
• Source and use of funds  (if plan is for financing/start-up or expansion)
• Include estimates for purchases of equipment, renovations, etc.
• Lists of inventory, supplies, etc
• Projections
• Sales goals, in dollars and units (if applicable)
• Break-even analysis , if new business
• One-year, monthly cash flow projection
• Projected balance sheet/income statement (if applicable)

VII. Other Information

• Lease Agreement or a Purchase & Sales Agreement
• Sales materials (brochures, sell sheets, price lists, etc.)
• Pictures of products
• Pictures of facility
• Customer lists
• Letters of commitment or contracts
• Letter of recommendation
• Market research data
• Other, as appropriate
• Business planning

NH Small Business Development Center

Simple Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | April 2, 2020

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In this article, we’ve compiled a variety of simple business plan templates, all of which are free to download in PDF, Word, and Excel formats.

On this page, you’ll find a one-page business plan template , a simple business plan for startups , a small-business plan template , a business plan outline , and more. We also include a business plan sample and the main components of a business plan to help get you started.

Simple Business Plan Template

Download Simple Business Plan Template

This simple business plan template lays out each element of a traditional business plan to assist you as you build your own, and it provides space to add financing information for startups seeking funding. You can use and customize this simple business plan template to fit the needs for organizations of any size.

One-Page Business Plan Template

Download One-Page Business Plan Template

Excel | Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

Use this one-page business plan to document your key ideas in an organized manner. The template can help you create a high-level view of your business plan, and it provides easy scannability for stakeholders. You can use this one-page plan as a reference to build a more detailed blueprint for your business. 

For additional single page plans, take a look at " One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide ."

Simple Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Template

Download Simple Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Template

Use this fill-in-the-blank business plan template to guide you as you build your business plan. Each section comes pre-filled with sample content, with space to add customized verbiage relevant to your product or service.

For additional free, downloadable resources, visit " Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates ."

Simple Business Plan for Startup

‌ Download Startup Business Plan Template — Word

This business plan template is designed with a startup business in mind and contains the essential elements needed to convey key product or service details to investors and stakeholders. Keep all your information organized with this template, which provides space to include an executive summary, a company overview, competitive analysis, a marketing strategy, financial data, and more. For additional resources, visit " Free Startup Business Plan Templates and Examples ."

Simple Small-Business Plan Template

Download Simple Small-Business Plan Template

This template walks you through each component of a small-business plan, including the company background, the introduction of the management team, market analysis, product or service offerings, a financial plan, and more. This template also comes with a built-in table of contents to keep your plan in order, and it can be customized to fit your requirements.

Lean Business Plan Template

Download Lean Business Plan Template

This lean business plan template is a stripped-down version of a traditional business plan that provides only the most essential aspects. Briefly outline your company and industry overview, along with the problem you are solving, as well as your unique value proposition, target market, and key performance metrics. There is also room to list out a timeline of key activities.

Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Download Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Word  | PDF

Use this simple business plan outline as a basis to create your own business plan. This template contains 11 sections, including a title page and a table of contents, which details what each section should cover in a traditional business plan. Simplify or expand this outline to create the foundation for a business plan that fits your business needs.

Simple Business Planning Template with Timeline

Download Simple Business Planning Template with Timeline

Excel | Smartsheet

This template doubles as a project plan and timeline to track progress as you develop your business plan. This business planning template enables you to break down your work into phases and provides room to add key tasks and dates for each activity. Easily fill in the cells according to the start and end dates to create a visual timeline, as well as to ensure your plan stays on track.

Simple Business Plan Rubric Template

Download Simple Business Plan Rubric

Excel | Word | PDF | Smartsheet

Once you complete your business plan, use this business plan rubric template to assess and score each component of your plan. This rubric helps you identify elements of your plan that meet or exceed requirements and pinpoint areas where you need to improve or further elaborate. This template is an invaluable tool to ensure your business plan clearly defines your goals, objectives, and plan of action in order to gain buy-in from potential investors, stakeholders, and partners.

Basic Business Plan Sample

Download Basic Business Plan Sample

This business plan sample serves as an example of a basic business plan that contains all the traditional components. The sample provides a model of what a business plan might look like for a fictional food truck business. Reference this sample as you develop your own business plan.

For additional resources to help support your business planning efforts, check out “ Free Strategic Planning Templates .”

Main Components of a Business Plan

The elements you include in your business plan will depend on your product or service offerings, as well as the size and needs of your business. 

Below are the components of a standard business plan and details you should include in each section:

• Company name and contact information
• Website address
• The name of the company or individual viewing the presentation
• Table of Contents
• Company background and purpose
• Mission and vision statement
• Management team introduction
• Core product and service offerings
• Target customers and segments
• Marketing plan
• Competitive analysis
• Unique value proposition
• Financial plan (and requirements, if applicable)
• Business and industry overview
• Historical timeline of your business
• Offerings and the problem they solve
• Current alternatives
• Competitive advantage
• Market size
• Target market segment(s)
• Projected volume and value of sales compared to competitors
• Differentiation from competitors
• Pricing strategy
• Marketing channels
• Promotional plan
• Distribution methods
• Legal structure of your business
• Names of founders, owners, advisors, etc.
• Management team’s roles, relevant experience, and compensation plan
• Staffing requirements and training plans
• Physical location(s) of your business
• Additional physical requirements (e.g., warehouse, specialized equipment, facilities, etc.)
• Production workflow
• Raw materials and sourcing methods
• Projected income statement
• Projected cash flow statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Break-even analysis
• Charts and graphs
• Market research and competitive analysis
• Information about your industry
• Information about your offerings
• Samples of marketing materials
• Other supporting materials

Tips for Creating a Business Plan

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the thought of putting together a business plan. Below, you’ll find top tips to help simplify the process as you develop your own plan. 

• Use a business plan template (you can choose from the variety above), or refer to the previous section to create a standard outline for your plan.
• Modify your outline to reflect the requirements of your specific business. If you use a standard business plan outline, remove sections that aren’t relevant to you or aren’t necessary to run your business.
• Gather all the information you currently have about your business first, and then use that information to fill out each section in your plan outline.
• Use your resources and conduct additional research to fill in the remaining gaps. (Note: It isn’t necessary to fill out your plan in order, but the executive summary needs to be completed last, as it summarizes the key points in your plan.)
• Ensure your plan clearly communicates the relationship between your marketing, sales, and financial objectives.
• Provide details in your plan that illustrate your strategic plan of action, looking forward three to five years.
• Revisit your plan regularly as strategies and objectives evolve.
• What product or service are we offering?
• Who is the product or service for?
• What problem does our product or service offering solve?
• How will we get the product or service to our target customers?
• Why is our product or service better than the alternatives?
• How can we outperform our competitors?
• What is our unique value proposition?
• When will things get done, and who is responsible for doing them?
• If you need to obtain funding, how will you use the funding?
• When are payments due, and when do payments come in?
• What is the ultimate purpose of your business?
• When do you expect to be profitable?

To identify which type of business plan you should write, and for more helpful tips, take a look at our guide to writing a simple business plan .

Benefits of Using a Business Plan Template

Creating a business plan can be very time-consuming, especially if you aren’t sure where to begin. Finding the right template for your business needs can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. 

Using a business plan template — instead of creating your plan from scratch — can benefit you in the following ways:

• Enables you to immediately write down your thoughts and ideas in an organized manner
• Provides structure to help outline your plan
• Saves time and valuable resources
• Helps ensure you don’t miss essential details

Limitations of a Business Plan Template

A business plan template can be convenient, but it has its drawbacks — especially if you use a template that doesn’t fit the specific needs of your business.

Below are some limitations of using a business plan template:

• Each business is unique and needs a business plan that reflects that. A template may not fit your needs.
• A template may restrict collaboration with other team members on different aspects of the plan’s development (sales, marketing, and accounting teams).
• Multiple files containing different versions of the plan may be stored in more than one place.
• You still have to manually create charts and graphs to add to the plan to support your strategy.
• Updates to the plan, spreadsheets, and supporting documents have to be made in multiple places (all documents may not update in real time as changes are made).

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The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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• Project management |
• What is resource management? A guide to ...

What is resource management? A guide to getting started

Resource management is the process of planning and scheduling your team’s resources and activities—essentially anything that helps you complete a project. Developing a resource management plan can give you visibility into team member workloads. Learn how to manage resources and improve team performance.

Making sure your team doesn’t feel overworked or underutilized is a challenge you’ll often face as a leader. It's easy to lose sight of your team's workload and bandwidth. That’s where resource management comes in. 

Developing a resource management plan can give you consistent visibility into your team’s workload. It allows you to balance all your resources effectively and to see the full picture of how your team will achieve its goals.

What is resource management?

Resource management is the process of planning out and scheduling your team’s resources to optimize utilization and ensure project success. A resource can include everything from equipment and financial funds to tech tools and employee bandwidth—basically, anything that helps you complete a project.

When you’re deciding how to manage or assign your team’s resources, consider a few questions:

What is the availability of each resource?

What are the timelines for each activity?

How many resources will be required to accomplish each activity?

Who is the best person to accomplish the activity effectively?

Effectively managing your resources ensures every project is well-equipped and every team member is appropriately allocated, paving the way for successful project completion.

How to effectively manage your team’s workload

Learn how to leverage work management to distribute work more effectively.

Why is resource management important?

Resource management allows you to make sure your team members are confident with the amount of work on their plate and equipped with the tools they need to accomplish each task. When resource management is done right, you’re empowering your team to produce high-quality work at a sustainable rate. 

Benefits of resource management

Let’s dig a little deeper into why resource management is critical to your team’s success. With effective resource management, you can:

Distribute work appropriately , ensuring all your team members are appropriately staffed—not overworked or underutilized.  

Spot potential resourcing problems in real-time and adjust accordingly, preventing staffing issues from impacting progress on projects.

Give your team clarity around their responsibilities and the responsibilities of their team members, limiting misunderstandings and promoting accountability. 

Set realistic project goals , reducing the likelihood of missing important milestones and increasing the chances of on-time project completion.

Enhance your team's profitability by optimizing resource utilization and ensuring projects are completed efficiently and within budget.

Improve future resource planning by drawing on the knowledge gained to better estimate and forecast bandwidth for upcoming projects.

Resource management techniques

Leveraging resource management techniques is all about finding the smartest ways to use your team's skills and resources. Let’s explore a few common types of resource management methods.

Resource allocation

Resource allocation is more than just allocating resources to tasks and projects; it's the process of choosing the best resource based on the project team’s skills and capacity. After all, good resource management isn’t just about making sure you have enough resources; it’s about making sure you have the right resources for the right projects. Resource allocation can help you achieve this by strategically matching your team's strengths, capabilities, and resource capacity to the specific demands of each project.

Resource utilization

Resource utilization involves using tools like utilization reports and time tracking software to identify your team’s capacity over a specific period of time. It’s a capacity planning technique that allows you to identify whether project resources are being underutilized or overallocated, so you can better manage workloads.

Resource forecasting

Resource forecasting is a resource management process that involves proactively predicting the resource requirements for future projects and initiatives. You can identify these needs by relying on past trends and project metrics, as well as your team’s current capacity and the needs of upcoming projects. Resource forecasting is typically done during the project planning stage and can help with risk management by identifying potential resource bottlenecks or gaps in your team's availability in advance.

Resource leveling

Resource leveling is a resource management solution designed to combat shortages or overallocation by leveraging underutilized resources. For example, this might mean shifting work from one team member’s plate to another who has similar skills and additional capacity. Or, it could mean taking advantage of skill sets that typically aren’t utilized, like having a website content writer create social copy.

Types of resource management

Effective resource management is pivotal in steering any organization toward its goals. This process involves a strategic approach to managing various essential resources. 

Here, we focus on three fundamental types: human, financial, and material resources. Each category plays a unique role in the broader spectrum of resource planning and is a crucial component of any resource management plan.

Human resource management (work resources)

Human resource management is the strategic approach to managing a company's most valuable assets—its employees. This involves not just recruiting and hiring but also integrating workflow and automation tools to streamline training, performance assessments, and career development planning.

Example: A software company might enhance its human resource management by using workflow automation to efficiently align its workforce with emerging technology trends. This ensures that developers are systematically trained in the latest programming languages and Agile methodologies. By automating parts of the training and development process, the company can quickly adapt to changes in the fast-paced tech industry.

Financial resource management (cost resources)

Financial resource management is the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling financial activities such as procurement and utilization of funds. It involves making smart decisions about allocating financial resources to various projects or departments. 

Example: Consider a multinational corporation that allocates budgets across different regions, taking into account local market conditions, operational costs, pricing strategies, and revenue projections. This strategic financial management helps to ensure high-priority initiatives receive the necessary funding and resources to thrive. These resources, such as consulting or other professional services, are instances of tactical spending that are helpful but not the main purpose of budgetary allocation.

Material resource management (material assets) 

Material resource management involves the efficient planning, sourcing, and utilization of physical resources required for business operations. It encompasses inventory management, purchasing, and supply chain optimization to support the entire project lifecycle, from initial planning to final delivery. 

Example: A manufacturing firm may use material resource management to ensure a steady supply of raw materials like metals and plastics. By doing so, the firm can avoid production delays and cost overruns, thereby maintaining product quality and meeting customer delivery timelines.

5 step resource management plan

A comprehensive resource management plan is essential for any organization looking to optimize its resources effectively. This plan involves a series of steps that ensure resources are deployed efficiently and comply with both the project lifecycle and overarching business goals. 

Below are the five key steps in developing a solid resource management plan.

Step 1: Resource planning and budgeting

The first step in effective resource management involves detailed resource planning and budgeting. This process includes forecasting resource requirements and matching them to the available budget. 

Example: A tech startup, XYZ Software, begins its journey by planning resources for its innovative project management software. They forecast the demand for qualified software engineers and marketers, set aside money for cloud infrastructure, and make sure their financial resources are distributed effectively between development and marketing.

Step 2: Identify resources (capacity planning)

Identifying the right resources is make-or-break for any project's success. This step, often referred to as capacity planning , involves understanding the availability and skills of your workforce, as well as the physical and financial resources at your disposal. It’s about decision-makers being able to match the right resources with the right tasks, ensuring that your human, financial, and material resources are aligned with your project's needs.

Example: XYZ Software conducts a thorough analysis of its team's skills and identifies the need for additional software engineers with expertise in cloud computing. The company also assesses its current financial resources to ensure sufficient funding is available for these new hires.

Step 3: Allocate resources

Once resources are identified, the next step is their effective allocation. This involves assigning resources to various tasks and projects based on their availability and suitability. Resource allocation ensures that every project gets the necessary resources without overburdening any single aspect of the business.

Example: XYZ Software allocates its existing team to initial development phases, while the newly hired cloud experts are tasked with building the cloud infrastructure. Financial resources are allocated to ensure both teams have the necessary tools and software licenses.

Step 4: Resource tracking

Tracking resources throughout the project lifecycle is essential for ensuring that everything is proceeding as planned. This involves monitoring the usage of resources, assessing if they are meeting the project's requirements, and making adjustments as needed. Effective resource tracking helps in identifying potential shortages or surpluses early, allowing for timely corrective actions.

Example: As XYZ Software's project progresses, they use project management software to track the time and resources spent on each aspect of the project. By doing so, they are able to make adjustments in real time by identifying areas where resources might be overutilized or underutilized.

Step 5: Resource optimization

The final step in the resource management plan is optimization. This involves analyzing the performance and usage of resources and making necessary adjustments to improve efficiency. 

Resource optimization might include implementing automation tools to streamline processes or revising strategies based on performance data. Using resources as efficiently as possible is the aim, which will help the organization succeed as a whole.

Example: After launching the first version of their software, XYZ Software reviews their resource usage data. They realize that automating certain testing processes can free up developer time. This enables the team to focus more on critical tasks, thereby optimizing their use of human resources for future updates.

10 resource management best practices

Follow these ten best practices to boost your team’s productivity, hit project goals, and achieve a balanced team workload. 

Use a work management platform to streamline the planning process and ensure consistent, efficient allocation of resources across projects. While traditional resource management tools, like Gantt charts or spreadsheets, are useful ways to track capacity, their limited scope can’t match the extensive capabilities offered by a comprehensive work management platform. 

Measure available resources by gauging team capacity and necessary tools. This will help you ensure realistic resource allocation and avoid rescheduling issues.

Set start and end dates so you get a realistic timeframe for how long each task will take and set realistic expectations for your team. 

Know your employees’ skill sets so you can determine the best resourcing for each task. 

Set clear, accessible project goals to help you prioritize your team's work and drive high-impact work forward.

Help your team increase their utilization rate by automating routine, low-impact tasks so your team can focus on actionable, strategic, and billable work. 

Adjust resources as necessary because tasks, project timelines, and priorities change.

Keep some team bandwidth open for new work or priorities that might come up. 

Check in on your team to ensure each team member feels their work volume is fair and achievable. 

Connect your resource management plan to your operational plan in order to effectively manage your team's time and align daily tasks with strategic objectives. 

Manage your resources more effectively with a work management platform

To ensure you’re allocating resources effectively and aligning them to your wider organizational goals, use a work management platform. By centralizing project details and team capabilities in one platform, you can ensure efficiency, clarity, and alignment at every project stage.

Resource management FAQs

Have more resource management questions? We’ve got answers.

What is a resource management plan?

A resource management plan can help you manage and assign every type of resource you need for your project. An effective plan outlines the specific resources (including human resources, financial resources, technical resources, and physical resources) and activities necessary during the course of a project or initiative. 

Why is creating and implementing a resource management plan important? 

A resource management plan will guide you by giving a holistic view of all of a project’s moving pieces: budget, staffing and workload requirements, and tech stack limitations—allowing you to easily manage, schedule, and assign every resource while maximizing resource availability. Learning how to manage resources will empower you (and your team) to run projects effectively.

Should I create a resource management plan for my project?

The short answer is yes. Resource management in project management isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have to support your team and prevent burnout. The benefits of resource scheduling far outweigh the time it takes. 

The number of projects your team can handle, along with the quality of each, depends on it. As a project leader, resource management is your opportunity to optimize efficiency, prevent overwork, and effectively manage your team’s workload.

What is a resource management plan template?

A resource management template is a reusable guide that helps you manage team bandwidth over the course of a project. It shows you everything your team is working on—so you can see how full everyone’s plate is, if they can take on additional work, or if they need help to get project tasks done by the deadline. Thanks to your template, you don’t have to waste time setting up a resource management plan for every new project. Instead, you can just copy the template, fill it in, and start working.

What are the steps to creating a resource management plan? 

To create an effective resource management plan, leverage a tool like a work management platform, which will give you easy insight into what everyone on your team is working on, what resources are available, and how to prevent team burnout. Then, follow these steps:

Define the project’s goals to gain clarity on what each project entails and make it easier to know what resources you need and how to assign them. 

Align on the project scope by meeting with project stakeholders to define how much time and resources you should dedicate to the initiative. That will give you the best sense of the project plan and help you decide what resources are best suited for the job.

Identify the types of resources you’ll need —such as bandwidth, equipment, software, and project budget—so you can then identify what resources you have available.

Identify available resources by checking each resource you previously needed against what you have already available. Depending on the project scope, you might have to adjust your resource level and deprioritize other work to avoid putting too much on your team’s plate.

Kick off your project by clearly communicating the resource plan to your team, ensuring everyone understands their roles and the resources at their disposal.

Periodically check in on project progress to see how the project is progressing and whether you need to make adjustments to your resourcing strategy.

Related resources

15 project management interview questions, answers, and tips

Critical path method: How to use CPM for project management

Unmanaged business goals don’t work. Here’s what does.

How Asana uses work management to drive product development

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