how to build a 90 day business plan

30-60-90 Day Plan: 2024 Guide + Example

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:50am

Table of Contents

What is a 30-60-90 day plan, benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan, elements of a 30-60-90 day plan, when to make a 30-60-90 day plan, how to make a 30-60-90 day plan in 5 steps, 30-60-90 plan example, frequently asked questions (faqs).

It can take new employees time to settle in and learn the ropes of a new position. However, employers want to see productivity sooner than later. This is why developing a 30-60-90 day plan is a good idea. It’s a plan that outlines target milestones for employees to hit in the first 30, 60 and 90 days of employment. Follow along to learn more about the 30-60-90-day plan and how to create your own. To help give your employees the best start possible.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that is created either by a new employee or a hiring manager and outlines the goals to be accomplished during the first three months of employment. It breaks goals down into 30-, 60- and 90-day increments. Employees work to hit set milestones that are aligned with the mission of the organization. The goal is to maximize employee output in the first days of being hired, days which can be overwhelming and confusing in many cases. The plan helps simplify what the employee should be doing and focusing on.

The 30-60-90 day plan can be written by the employee or by the hiring manager. Managers may want employees to create their own plans to get the buy-in for the milestones and goals.

What Makes a Good 30-60-90 Day Plan?

A good 30-60-90 day plan takes larger goals and breaks them down into smaller, more digestible milestones. The plan has an ultimate goal set for 90 days and shows steps that are accomplished along the way at the 30- and 60-day marks. While the goals should be accomplishable, they should also be challenging.

A good plan also aligns with the mission of the company. Managers want employees to work on goals that move the company forward. Otherwise, the company may not meet its objectives and goals.

When managers utilize a 30-60-90 day plan for onboarding new employees , they help identify the key goals for the employee in the early days of employment. Not only does it set the parameters for success, but it also empowers employees to manage their own work to a large degree. When employees know what is expected of them, they can spend their day focusing on achieving those goals rather than on tasks that don’t support the plan. The 30-60-90 day plan is the roadmap for success.

A good 30-60-90 day plan has common components that are designed to explain expectations clearly. The first element of the plan is to have the company mission or purpose of the work stated. Then, of course, there are the goals. Goals should be concrete with measurable objectives. A good 30-60-90 day plan also lists resources to help employees accomplish their goals.

Make a 30-60-90 day plan when you onboard a new employee. It will serve as a way to help transition them from a new employee to a valuable team member in a short amount of time. You can also use a 30-60-90 day plan when rolling out new initiatives. This will help existing employees understand the goals and provide a workable path to accomplishing them.

It may also be helpful for a prospective employee to create a 30-60-90 day plan when preparing for an interview. This will show the hiring manager that you are serious about hitting the ground running and making an impact toward objectives and goals.

A 30-60-90 day plan doesn’t need to be complicated. It simply outlines the main objectives of a new employee and gives them guidance on how to accomplish them.

Here’s how to create a 30-60-90 day play in five easy steps:

1. Write the company mission

The very first thing that you should do when creating a 30-60-90 day plan is to identify and write down the company mission. Remember that the plan should align with the company’s mission and goals. By having it on the page for the employee to review, you can help the employee understand their role in the bigger picture.

2. Create the first 30 days’ objectives

Write down the goals for the first 30 days. Limit the goals to three to five to keep things clear. For each goal, write down a key metric that will be used to measure whether the goal is achieved or not.

3. Create the next 60- and 90-day objectives

Just as you did for the first 30 days, write down key goals for the first 60 days. Remember to keep goals limited to three to five goals for clarity. Have a key metric stated for each goal. Do the same for the first 90 days.

4. Provide ample resources for the employee

Because the plan is a guide, you should include any relevant resources that will help the employee accomplish their goals. Resources may include listing certain people to speak with or using certain computer-led tutorials. Give the employee the resources needed to succeed with as little oversight as possible.

5. Evaluate progress

For a 30-60-90 day plan to work, you need to give it time (as the name suggests). Part of the plan is to give said time and then follow-up with an evaluation. Did the employee manage to use the resources provided to hit their objectives?

Plan For: Employee name Date: August 1, 2022

Company Mission: To help consumers find the right resources for retirement and invest their money with our firm.

Goal 1: To complete all onboarding training. All boxes should be checked as complete in the employee file. Goal 2: Review investment products and become familiar with the key benefits. Goal 3: Pass state and federal licensing requirements to sell investment products.

Goal 1: Make first sales calls to potential clients. Goal 2: Work with your manager to develop a key product list to offer clients. Goal 3: Get the first sale in the program.

Goal 1: Consistently make 50 outbound calls per day. Goal 2: Hold at least three sales appointments per day. Goal 3: Generate at least $500,000 in sales.

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Bottom Line

A 30-60-90 day plan is a great way to help onboard new employees (or get an edge in an interview process) because it shows the key objectives for the first three months of employment. It aligns with the company’s mission, helping the employee integrate quickly into becoming a valuable team member. Set realistic goals in a 30-60-90 day plan to see success and build confidence in new team members.

The 30-60-90 day plan is just one tool in the employer’s toolkit. For more insights into managing staff and building strong teams, check out our article on strategic human resource management .

How do I answer what I will do in the first 30-60-90 days?

Prepare for this question in an interview. Make sure you approach it from the perspective of the company’s goals and say what you plan on accomplishing based on what you know about the job description. Don’t hesitate to ask questions to clarify the role before answering the question.

How many slides should a 30-60-90 day plan be?

If you are presenting a plan in a PowerPoint, you want to use three to four slides. The first slide should outline the mission and overall objective of the company, while the next three slides review the goals. Use one slide for each month.

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Kimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a small business writer.

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How to create a 90-day plan for new hires

Borrow our templates for a 90-day onboarding plan that will help new hires succeed.

Writer, Editor, Beard Puller

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5-second summary

• A comprehensive 90-day plan doesn’t just set expectations for new hires – it makes them feel welcome and included.
• Using the “buddy system” can make a 90-day plan even more effective.
• Building in milestones for checkpoints at 30, 60, and 90 days will ensure that new team members are set up for success throughout the onboarding process.

The first 90 days of a new job usually involve a pretty steep learning curve; so much information to absorb, so many people to meet. If you’re the new hire, you want to prove yourself. If you’re the hiring manager, you want to set your new teammate up for success.  

Based on our own onboarding practices, we’ve learned that using a 90-day plan can make it easier for newbies to get up to speed, understand their roles, and establish a strong team and company culture. Check out our templates below to see what we include. If you’re starting at a new company that doesn’t already use 90-day plans, consider using these templates as a starting point for gathering information. Schedule time with your new manager or a veteran coworker to fill in the blanks.

What is a 90-day plan?

Our definitive, road-tested virtual onboarding checklist

A 90-day plan is a framework for planning out how to onboard, acclimate, and educate new team members. It sets expectations for what the person will be expected to deliver in their first 90 days, which can include both learning goals and performance goals. Some people also refer to it as a 90-day action plan, which adds a nice emphasis on proactivity.

A 90-day plan should define the specific details that will allow the new employee to achieve success. A well-written plan should spell out how this person’s new role and day-to-day duties level up to company metrics and long-term plans. It should help them define priorities and checkpoints for follow-ups on their progress.

Ideally, a 90-day plan should:

• Serve as a single reference point for resources, outlets for support, and clarity on responsibilities and goals
• Introduce and foster an environment that supports regular growth conversations with managers so the employee can envision their path for advancement
• Orient the new employee to company and team culture by emphasizing relationships and shared objectives
• Reinforce strategies that support a growth mindset and a proactive work style

What should a 90-day plan include?

Keep in mind that an effective 90-day plan will vary depending on your company, goals, and the employee’s needs. 

Here are some great questions to think about when writing a 90-day plan for a new team member:

• How can you use this plan to help a new team member succeed?
• What quick wins can they ship to gain momentum?
• Who are the key stakeholders this person needs to know about?
• Since this person is coming in with a “clean slate” mindset, are there fresh insights you’d like them to contribute? 
• What feedback and observations would you like the new hire to include in a 90-day wrap-up blog or other written summary? 

As you’ll see in our templates, our 90-day plans lead off with an introduction. That helps the rest of the team experience someone’s writing voice, see pictures of family and friends, and learn about interests, hobbies, and whatever else they’d like to offer about themselves. One way to make a 90-day plan more effective is to use a kind of buddy system. Buddies show new teammates the ropes, introduce them to other Atlassians, and act as go-to resources for questions.

The first 90 days are precious. It’s important to have the right plan – and people – to act as a guide.

How to create a 90-day plan

Generally speaking, there are a few organizing principles to focus on.

• 90-day plans are often broken into three phases: Days 1-30, Days 30-60, and Days 60-90.
• Don’t overwhelm your newbies! You can’t learn everything there is to know about a job or a company in three short months. Focus on what matters most, and what’s realistic in the timeframe you’re working with.
• Consistent, frequent check-ins are very important, since you’ll be defining goals for what should be learned or delivered in each phase.
• Both the new hire and their manager should feel empowered to give honest and timely feedback (about systems, company habits, points of uncertainty, you name it) – don’t wait until the 90 days to clear up any points of friction.
• Don’t underestimate the power of open communication – it can mean the difference between clarity and confusion or empowerment and ineffectiveness.

90-day onboarding plans are good for your company culture

A 90-day plan isn’t just a task list – it’s the foundation for working together, learning together, and understanding team and company culture.

At Atlassian, we don’t think of a new hire’s first 90 days as a trial period or proving ground. Rather, we encourage an emphasis on knowledge gathering and sharing and relationship building. Initial tasks, goals, and deliverables should focus on helping someone feel more comfortable and confident about the road ahead.

Regular check-ins, honest feedback, and the support of learning (and failing), help establish a bedrock of trust, which should underpin all team and company interactions – during the first 90 days and beyond.

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Hit the ground running with this ultimate 30-60-90 day plan

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What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

6 benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan, when to use a 30-60-90 day plan, what to include in a 30-60-90 day plan, 30-60-90 day plan template for managers, 9 tips for creating a 30-60-90 day plan.

"The more I help out, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. That is the real accolade." Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and BetterUp Science Board Advisor 

When it comes to setting your people up for success, a little help goes a long way. How are you setting up your workforce to reach its full potential ? 

Well, if you ask any leader, a lot of it comes down to helping your employees think strategically from the start. It’s beyond finishing a project, solving a problem, or completing the menial, day-to-day tasks.

Of course, the day-to-day duties help to get work done. But it’s also helping your employees connect their day-to-day to the larger purpose of work . Why does that purpose matter? How does their work connect to the organization’s goals, mission, or purpose? 

When I first started at BetterUp, my manager shared a fully fleshed-out spreadsheet and Google document as part of my 30-60-90 day plan. In these resources, there were targets to hit, milestones to reach, and tasks to complete. 

But more importantly than the line items was the sentiment: the strategy behind the 30-60-90 day plan helped to set me up for success. It was that extra mile to help out a new hire that allowed me to onboard successfully to my new role. And it was the help I needed to see the larger vision of how my work connected to organizational success , even if I didn’t fully know it yet. 

When we think about helping others around us be successful, having a plan is critical. In fact, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they had a good onboarding experience.

Having a roadmap for the first three months can help your employees acclimate to the company culture. It'll also help them ramp up to the role and meaningfully connect with others — and ultimately lead to better performance.  

Sure, the plan might change. After all, we’re in a rapidly changing world where plans are often etched in pencil instead of stamped in pen. But if you’re hiring new employees or onboarding teammates, it’s important to give your workforce a sense of where you want to see them go. 

In this post, we’ll walk through what makes a good 30-60-90 day plan. We’ll also talk about the benefits of a good plan — and even give a template example to help you help your employees. 

First, let’s understand what defines a 30-60-90 day plan. The 30-60-90 plan is a key part of a robust onboarding process . And in remote and hybrid work environments, the onboarding process is more important than ever. It’s critical that in these early days of onboarding, you’re building culture and connection with your new employees. 

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document or resource that outlines the goals and strategies for a new employee within the first 90 days. It serves as a guide, a resource, and a checklist for your new hires.

When a new employee joins your organization, there’s likely a stage of information overload. In the onboarding process, the employee absorbs a lot of information. They might be networking and setting up coffee chats with other employees. They’re probably in a good chunk of training sessions and other sorts of new hire workshops. 

Depending on how your organization runs the onboarding process, your employees are likely trying to ramp up in their new roles. At the same time, they're also soaking in everything they can about the organization. All while your employees are acclimating to the new role, they’re also making connections. Or, at least, they should be.

In short: it’s a lot. It can feel overwhelming to retain all the information a new hire receives. Sometimes, it can lead to confusion or misalignment on overall goals. 

But with a 30-60-90 day plan, you’re able to clearly outline the expectations you have for your employee. As a manager, it’s a useful resource and tool to help keep the onboarding process on track. It can also serve as an accountability tool, one where you can ensure your employees are meeting your expectations. 

Let’s talk more about what benefits come with a clearly outlined 30-60-90 day plan. 

There are plenty of benefits to a 30-60-90 day plan, for both the employer and the employee. Here are six of our favorite benefits to consider. 

• It helps optimize productivity  

It sets clear expectations 

• It helps with goal setting  

It can help alleviate the new job jitters 

It empowers employees to self-manage their work , it serves as a reminder of priorities , it helps optimize productivity .

Ashley Ballard, social media manager, BetterUp, shared why a 30-60-90 day helped their productivity in the first three months of work. 

“I'm someone who benefits from an itemized list of expectations so that I’m not hindering my productivity by feeling anxious about my work product. It also keeps everyone on the same page about the meaning behind your role and how you will directly support team goals.” Ashley Ballard, social media manager  

As you’ll notice in some of these benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan, there’s a lot of overlap in what makes an employee productive. For Ashley, it’s clear expectations, alignment on the role, and clear communication about the priorities at hand. One could argue that all the benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan can contribute to overall increased productivity . 

It doesn’t get much clearer than getting a document of expectations in written form. At BetterUp, our 30-60-90 day plans come with a “checkbox” field to notch once you’ve completed the task at hand. 

Clear expectations can be hard to set, especially at the nebulous start of someone’s employment in a new role. But with a 30-60-90 day plan, you’re able to clearly outline your expectations as a manager. 

It helps with goal setting 

On my 30-60-90 day plan, I had a list of more administrative or mundane tasks. For example, I needed to upload my information into our HR management system. I needed to review the necessary policies and documents. I needed to set my email signature with the appropriate information. 

But it also outlined higher-level objectives. As a marketer and writer, I needed to learn the BetterUp voice, tone, and perspective. My manager clearly outlined blogs and resources that I could read, practice assignments that I could take on, and even some videos to watch. In fact, one of my goals was to write a blog within 30 days. 

Many of the new hire checklist items served as foundational tasks to get to me my goal. And by providing me with all the information at once, I could more easily connect the dots to the “why” behind some of the work I was receiving, too. 

Have you ever started a new job and not really know what you’re supposed to do with yourself? 

In my last job, I attended a half-day new hire orientation . I still remember going back to my desk upstairs, meeting my new manager, sitting down, and logging into my computer. I played around with my systems and got myself set up on my laptop. But after about an hour, I found myself spinning my chair around to my new boss and asking if I could help with anything. 

Frankly, I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing with myself. I felt that instant anxiety of not contributing anything meaningful, even though it was just my first day. 

There’s a lot of inherent pressure, stress, and anxiety that comes with starting a new job. New job anxiety is totally normal. It happens to all of us.

No matter how great we felt through the hiring process , on top of the world with our offer letter, as the new kid you can feel at loose ends pretty quickly. You waste time in self-doubt or doing unimportant tasks to look busy and loose confidence and momentum. But one way to help alleviate the jitters your employees are feeling is by giving them a plan. 

Ashley Strahm, content marketing manager, BetterUp, shared why she finds having set milestones in place can help reduce anxiety . 

“I’ve come to experience onboarding as a time where folks are the most hungry, curious, enthusiastic, and eager to please. Having a plan with milestones from the outset means that none of the initial emotions that come with starting a new job overwhelm or cause scattered or inefficient outreach — and anxiety about performance."  Ashley Strahm, content marketing manager

Without a 30-60-90 day plan, you couldn’t possibly have made the connections or digested the right resources to help quell those productivity nerves. And without it, you risk a big loss. Those early days are when new hires have the freshest eyes. It’s the best and most optimal opportunity to ask your new hires to observe and provide feedback. 

I’ve never heard of a manager that wants to hold their employees’ hands through every project. Sure, there are micromanagers who like to stay close to their employees’ work. 

But at BetterUp, we’re big believers in giving employees autonomy to self-manage their work. We talk about this in the context of some of our high-impact behaviors: extreme ownership, bias toward action, craftspersonship, and work to learn. 

Managers also need their time to focus on high-impact work and priorities. So when it comes to onboarding a new employee, it’s not plausible to walk your new hire through everything they need to know. And if you were to do so, it certainly wouldn't set them up for success. 

A 30-60-90 day plan empowers your employees to self-manage their work. By leveraging a 30-60-90 day plan as part of your onboarding strategy, you’re giving your employees autonomy to build their own schedules. It helps give them the roadmap but how they get to the final destination is up to them. 

Hand-in-hand with self-management comes managing priorities. We all know that work is busy. As your employees become more acclimated to the role, it’s likely their workload is gradually increasing. 

But with a 30-60-90 day plan, your employees are reminded of their priorities. And it’s on your employees to manage their priorities effectively, which is a good life and work muscle to flex. 

So, you might be wondering when to use a 30-60-90 day plan. When is it most effective? What situations will it have the most impact? Let’s dig in. 

30-60-90 day plan for an interview 

Job seekers, this is for you. If you want to knock the socks off a potential employer, consider putting together a 30-60-90 day plan for your interview. Even if it’s just an informational interview , you can show how you’d approach your first 90 days on the job. 

For example, let’s say you’re interviewing for a sales position. From the job description and from your informational interview, you know what markets you’ll be focused on. You also know about some target accounts and have a good sense of the industry.

While you might not know exactly what you are going to be doing, you have a good idea. You’ve worked in software sales for a while, enough to know how to approach breaking into a new market. 

So, you decide to come up with a proposed 30-60-90 day plan. You put together a rough sketch in a Google sheet about what you would focus on in your new role . 

30-60-90 day plan for a new job

More commonly, 30-60-90 day plans are used in the onboarding process. This is useful for both hiring managers and employees. For example, at BetterUp, I received my 30-60-90 day plan on my first day of employment. It helped to set expectations about what I would be focused on for the next three months. 

But some companies also use 30-60-90 day plans for things like performance reviews or even lateral moves within the organization. You can also use 30-60-90 day plans for project-based initiatives. 

First, it’s important to understand that 30-60-90 day plans should be personalized based on the employee. For example, a new employee in an entry-level position will probably have a radically different plan than that of a new executive. 

And 30-60-90 day plans for managers are going to look different than plans for individual contributors. There are nuances to these sorts of plans because of job responsibilities, work goals , expectations, and experience. 

But generally speaking, we can outline four key components of a 30-60-90 day plan. 

Expectations and concrete goals 

Go-to resources and information .

• New hire checklist or to-do list  
• Company mission, culture, the purpose of work  

Every 30-60-90 day plan should have clear expectations and concrete goals. As a manager, it’s important to clearly communicate the expectations you have for your employees. For example, my manager has created a couple of documents that very clearly outline the expectations of her employees. 

Oftentimes, expectations serve as the foundation for your working relationships. As part of my 30-60-90 day plan, my manager also asked about my expectations. In a lot of ways, it’s a two-way street.

I filled out a document that outlined my preferred working style, my communication style, and how I  resolve conflict . It helped both parties to essentially get a good sense of how the other works. 

Along the same vein of expectations are goals. My manager expressed some clear goals that she wanted me to reach within my first 90 days. But I also had the opportunity to think about my own personal goals and what I wanted to accomplish.

Together, we iterated on the plan to come up with an action plan. Some of these goals can ladder up to other big milestones that you’d like to have your employees reach along the way. 

The world of work is a complex one. Especially in today’s day and age, there’s a lot of information that’s probably changing rapidly. 

For example, is your workforce hybrid or remote? What sort of COVID-19 guidelines are in place? How do you submit your expense reports or ask for time off? What systems does your organization use for benefits ? What employee resource groups or culture programs does your organization have? 

A 30-60-90 day plan is a good one-stop-shop for all the resources your new hire will need. It’s a great reference and resources with a wealth of information (and can help your employee become more self-sufficient, too). 

New hire checklist or to-do list 

When an employee joins a company, there are a lot of “tasks” that need to be done. For example, I needed to enroll in my benefits and 401K. I needed to upload my personal contact information into our human resources management system. I needed to upload my Slack photo and put my preferred pronouns on my email signature and Slack profile. 

A 30-60-90 day plan is a great place for all of the one-off tasks that every new hire needs to complete. It also helps keep your employees on track with all the administrative and HR tasks needed within the first couple of months of employment. 

Company mission, culture, and purpose of work 

Last but certainly not least, your employees need to understand the purpose of work. This likely won’t “click” fully in the first 30 (or even 90) days. But it’s important to start drawing connections between their work and the company’s vision early on. 

In a recent Forbes article, Great Place to Work® released new data around employee retention . One of the top drivers? Purpose. In fact, employees at top-rated workplaces in the US reported that if they feel their work has a purpose , their intent to stay at said companies triples.

Don’t dismiss the role that purpose plays in your organization. At BetterUp, we’re on a mission to help everyone everywhere live with greater purpose, clarity, and passion . This can only happen if employees understand their purpose and the role of their work in the company’s mission. 

We’ve created a free draft 30-60-90 day plan template to use for managers. Access the draft template and start using it today. 

30-60-90 day plan for interviews

As mentioned earlier, there are some situations where an employee may prepare a 30-60-90 day plan as part of an interview. Or, perhaps as part of your company’s hiring process, you ask job applicants to put together their plans. 

With these elements, you’ll be sure the candidate is ready to hit the ground running. Here are some key components you should look for in a job applicant’s 30-60-90 day plan: 

• Short-term goals (generally achievable, time-bound goals)
• Long-term goals (that are also measurable goals)   
• Establishing metrics for success 
• Outlined priorities (especially for the first week) 
• Learning new processes 
• Meeting the new team and team members 
• Any learning goals (or professional development goals ) 

Of course, your 30-60-90 day play is going to be catered to each individual. We’re all human with different responsibilities needed. Keep these nine tips in mind as you put together your 30-60-90 day plans. 

• Set SMART goals  
• Consider what you want your employee to prioritize 
• Encourage professional development  
• Encourage reflection time 
• Outline goals into months: first month, second month, third month 
• Ask for input from your employees and direct reports 
• Promote ongoing learning about the company culture and purpose 
• Adjust (and readjust) as needed 
• Follow-up on the progress 

You can always work with a coach to help outline what might be needed in your 30-60-90 day plan. A coach will have a wealth of experience in the field and an objective, third-party perspective. With guidance from BetterUp, you can ensure you’re setting up your people for success.

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

How to create a work plan (with template)

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The Best 30-60-90 Day Plan for Your New Job [Template + Example]

Published: December 06, 2023

I remember my first day at HubSpot. I was so nervous and had a million concerns swimming around in my head.

Will I adapt to my new job? How long will it take for me to get the hang of things? Can I manage the workload and maintain a good rapport with my coworkers?

Fortunately, my outstanding manager at the time prepared a comprehensive checklist to be completed over a few months, and it helped me slowly but steadily adapt to HubSpot. Fast forward a few years, and I'm a rockstar at my job.

The checklist was called a 100-day checklist, but it followed the rhythm of a typical 30-60-90 Day Plan.

A 30-60-90 Day Plan, or something similar, is imperative to the success of a new employee as it helps them set and reach attainable goals and acclimate to their new position.

To help set your new employee, or yourself, up for success, here's what you need to know about crafting the best 30-60-90 Day Plan.

30-60-90 Day Plan

A 30-60-90 day plan lays out a clear course of action for a new employee during the first 30, 60, and 90 days of their new job. By setting concrete goals and a vision for one's abilities at each stage of the plan, you can make the transition into a new organization smooth and empowering.

Learning the nuances of your new role in less than three months won't be easy. But crafting a strong 30-60-90 day plan is your best bet for accelerating your development and adapting to your new work environment as quickly as possible.

You‘d write a 30-60-90 day plan in two situations: during the final stages of an interview and the first week of the job. Here’s how each type can be executed:

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30-60-90 Day Plan for Interview

Some hiring managers ask candidates to think about and explain their potential 30-60-90 day plan as a new hire.

As a candidate, this would sometimes confuse me in the past, but I now understand they just want to see if a potential hire can organize their time, prioritize the tasks they likely take, and strategize an approach to the job description.

For a new hire, a well-thought-out 30-60-90 day plan is a great way to help the hiring manager visualize you in the role and differentiate yourself from all other candidates.

But how can you outline your goals before accepting a new job? How are you supposed to know what those goals are? I've found that starting with the job description is an excellent stepping stone.

Typically, open job listings have separate sections for a job‘s responsibilities and a job’s qualifications. Work to find commonalities in these two sections and how you might turn them into goals for yourself.

Then, stagger those goals over three months.

For example, let‘s say a job requires three years of experience in Google Analytics, and the responsibilities include tracking the company’s website performance every month.

I would use these points to develop an action plan explaining how:

• I‘ll learn the company’s key performance metrics (first 30 days)
• Strengthen the company's performance in these metrics (next 30 days)
• Lead the team toward a better Google Analytics strategy (last 30 days)

30-60-90 Day Plan for New Job

The second situation where you‘d write a 30-60-90 day plan is during the first week of a new job, which I highly recommend whether you’re a new employee or a manager working with a new hire.

If you're the hiring manager, this plan will allow you to learn how the new employee operates, address their concerns or preconceived notions about the role, and ultimately help them succeed.

If you‘re starting a new job and are not asked to craft a 30-60-90 day plan during the first week of that job, it’s still a good idea to write one for yourself.

A new position can feel like a completely foreign environment during the first few months, and having a plan in place can make it feel more like home.

Even though 90 days is the standard grace period for new employees to learn the ropes, it's also the best time to make a great first impression.

How long should a 30-60-90 day plan be?

While there's no set length for a 30-60-90 day plan, it should include information about onboarding and training, set goals that you're expected to hit by the end of each phase, and all the people to meet and resources to review in support of those goals. This can result in a document that's 3-8 pages long, depending on formatting.

The purpose of your plan is to help you transition into your new role, but it should also be a catalyst for your career development.

Instead of just guiding you over your job's learning curve, the goals outlined in your plan should push you to perform up to your potential and raise the bar for success at every stage.

HubSpot's Senior Manager of Content (and my former manager) Meg Prater suggests having a solid template for your plan that allows it to evolve.

“Anytime I onboard someone, I review all training docs and ensure they're up to date,” she says. “I also ask for feedback from the folks on the team who have most recently been onboarded. What did they like? What didn't work for them?”

She also says moving the plan to a more interactive platform proved to be helpful to new employees.

“One of the most helpful shifts we've made recently is moving our 30-60-90 plan (or 100-Days Plan) from a static Google Doc to Asana,” she says. “The plan is organized by week, and each task contains relevant readings and links. It's much easier for folks to move through, and it gives me better insight into where folks are in the plan.”

Meg onboarded me when I started at HubSpot, and I can confirm that my checklist in Asana was a game-changer because it helped me stay on task and visually track my progress.

The checklist below isn‘t mine, but it’s one she set up and follows the same format as the one she created for me.

Free 30/60/90 Day Onboarding Template

Fill out the form to get the template., parts of a 30-60-90 day plan.

An effective 30-60-90 day plan consists of three extensive phases — one for days 1-30, one for days 31-60, and one for days 61-90.

Each phase has its own goal. For example, the goal in the first 30 days is to learn as much as possible about your new job.

The following 30 focus on using learned skills to contribute, and the last 30 are about demonstrating skill mastery with metrics and taking the lead on new challenges.

Each phase also contains components that help define goals and describe desired outcomes. These parts include:

The primer is a general overview of what you hope to achieve during the current 30-day period.

I prefer sitting down with my manager to pinpoint a primer that aligns with my goals and desired company outcomes, and I encourage you to do the same.

This ensures you and your manager are on the same page about expectations early on in your journey with the company.

The theme is a quick-hitter sentence or statement summarizing your goals for the period. For example, your theme might be “find new opportunities”, “take initiative,” or “be a sponge.”

Learning Goals

Learning goals focus on skills you want to learn or improve to drive better outcomes at your job. For example, if you're responsible for creating website content at your company, you should learn new HTML or CSS skills .

At the start of my career with HubSpot, some marketing trends and jargon were unfamiliar, and I wasn‘t used to the company’s writing style.

As a result, my learning goals as a new blogger were to become more well-versed in marketing and to adapt to HubSpot's writing style.

Performance Goals

Performance goals speak to specific metrics that demonstrate improvement. These include making one more weekly content post or reducing the revisions management requires.

For example, I was only writing one article per week when I started HubSpot, but it was my performance goal to be able to write multiple articles by the end of 30 days.

Initiative Goals

Initiative goals are about thinking outside the box to discover other ways you can contribute. This might mean asking your manager about taking ownership of new website changes or upgrades with a specific deadline in mind.

Personal Goals

Personal goals focus on company culture — are there ways you can improve relationships with your team members or demonstrate your willingness to contribute?

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Best Practices for 30-60-90 day sales plan

A new sales rep needs time to adjust to a new role, company or industry. Factoring in this period of change is crucial for a seamless transition. A 30-60-90-day sales plan provides structure and guidance when building a sales team .

In this article, we’ll define a 30-60-90-day sales plan and identify why it’s important. We’ll then discuss the benefits and when and how to use the sales plan. We’ll finish with examples and cover post-plan steps.

What is a 30-60-90 day sales plan and why is it important?

A 30-60-90 day sales plan is a three-month strategy designed to onboard new sales team members or sales managers. You can also use it to help guide reps in expanding to new territories or implementing new tools or processes.

The distinguishing feature of the 30-60-90 day plan for sales lies in the name. Each 30-day chunk represents a new area of focus:

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Days 1–30, Learning. Reserve the first month for learning. New hires should learn about the company’s products and services, sales process , geographical area and demographics. This builds a comprehensive picture of the company and the industry.

Days 31–60, Implementing. Design the second month around implementation. Integrate learning as you start tracking sales and performance.

Days 61–90, Improving. Focus the third month on analyzing the actions and outcomes of the previous 30 days. Identify strengths and weaknesses and set goals and plans for improvement.

Why focus is essential in sales and 5 steps to achieve it

Benefits of a 30-60-90 day sales plan

Whether using a 30-60-90 day sales plan to bring on a new hire or to make a great interview impression, an in-depth plan has a range of benefits.

Reduces the pressure of onboarding . A three-month plan clarifies expectations for a new employee. It helps them hit the ground running to ramp up productivity. It also lets them know where to focus their time and energy, minimizing the risk of burnout.

Offers clear goals for sales managers to monitor. When you set goals with measurable outcomes, you help sales leadership track progress. The goals provide a baseline for measuring success and help managers ensure the sales rep’s work aligns with company objectives.

Improves time management. Whether you’re a new manager, embarking on a new sales job or entering new sales territory , getting up to speed quickly can be a challenge. A 30-60-90 day sales plan encourages realistic time management.

Builds trust in a new work environment. A plan encourages conversations with managers and coworkers. It helps create a collaborative environment, building connections and, more importantly, trust in the work environment.

Develops a framework for continuous improvement. A 30-60-90 day sales plan template is a foundation for fast improvement. It also offers a framework for ongoing growth. Leaders can use the sections on implementing and improving as a template for development efforts going forward.

Makes a lasting impression (in the interview process ). Creating a 30-60-90 day sales plan for an interview shows initiative. It can help job seekers stand out in a sea of candidates.

Sales Motivation: 18 Tips to Keep Your Salespeople Happy

When to use a 30-60-90 day sales plan

A 30-60-90 day plan is most effective during career transition periods. The “learning, implementing and analyzing” structure is perfect for onboarding. It’s also helpful for continual improvement. Some of the most popular times to use 30-60-90 sales plans include:

Interviewing for a new sales position. Presenting an action plan shows hiring managers a candidate has done their research. It can also provide a great structure for onboarding if they get the job.

In the first week of a new job . A sales manager may provide a 30-60-90 day sales plan within the first week of a new hire’s start date. If a sales plan isn’t part of the standard company onboarding process, new employees may find it beneficial to draft their own.

As a new sales manager . A sales plan can help newly promoted leaders get up to speed so they know how to help their team accomplish company objectives. It can develop great sales managers by helping them make changes and implement feedback without disrupting processes that work.

When improving sales skills. If you’re looking to secure a promotion or boost company sales, a 30-60-90 day plan can help. It lets you create actionable steps with measurable outcomes to improve sales skills .

During times of change. Whether it’s starting in a new territory or switching to new processes or technology, a 30-60-90 day sales plan can help sales reps get up to speed quickly.

How to create a 30-60-90 day sales plan

A 30-60-90 day sales plan should be simple, concise and easy to follow.

It can be much easier to visualize a personal plan by using a template for reference. If you have a connection with a mentor or trusted peer, ask if they are willing to share their 30-60-90 day plan for sales.

What to include in a 30-60-90 day sales plan

While every sales plan will be different depending on intent, there are some basic elements common to all plans.

A focus for each time frame. As mentioned above, each month of the plan serves a different purpose. It may vary from plan to plan, but generally, the focus for each will be along the following lines.

Days 1–30: Learning, where the user spends time getting up to speed with the company and their role in it

Days 31–60: Implementing, where the user begins setting and working toward goals

Days 60–90: Improving, where the user and their manager evaluate performance and make changes

Company values and objectives. The plan should share the company mission and overall sales objectives . This will help the rep or manager align their efforts and keep the company on track.

Clear and measurable goals . Each phase of the plan should outline specific goals. These include learning goals, performance goals and personal goals. They should also be SMART goals – each should be specific, have a timeline to follow and include a way to measure progress and success.

Metrics. You need to know how you’ll determine the success of each phase. Your plan should break goals into activities with set metrics. For example, the goal “Learn about the company’s services” is vital but hard to measure. You can make it easier by breaking it down into achievable chunks with a clear metric:

Study company services for 30 minutes daily

Read a minimum of 30 customer reviews each week

Chat with a minimum of 1 colleague about company services daily

Metric: Able to discuss services on a customer call for 10 minutes without referring to company material

All these elements will help ensure your plan is useful and covers the basics. You can see a sample of specifics you might include in the sales 30-60-90 day plan examples below.

How long should a 30-60-90 day sales plan be?

The length of a 30-60-90 day sales plan depends on the purpose of the plan.

In an interview scenario, for example, a shorter sales plan is a wise choice. It’s meant just as an overview of the candidate’s approach. It won’t go into the same detail as an action plan produced by the company.

Similarly, an internal employee who’s been promoted to a sales manager role might not need as much detail as an external hire. A longer, in-depth plan that tackles goals on a weekly/daily basis may be beneficial for a new role.

The sales plan should only be as long as it needs to be to cover all the elements listed above. If the plan meets the user’s needs, it is successful.

Sales 30-60-90 day plan examples

A 30-60-90 day plan template can make building a sales plan much easier. Here are examples of plans for new sales reps/job candidates and sales managers.

30-60-90 day plan: New sales reps/job candidate example

A 30-60-90 day sales plan created for a job interview contains much of the same DNA as a plan for a new hire.

Though plans created for the interview process may be shorter and less detailed, both share the same information. We’ve combined the two below to create a comprehensive plan for new hires.

Phase 1 (Days 1–30)

Complete all company sales training and onboarding tasks

Learn the company’s mission values and goals

Learn the names and roles of people within the team/company

Familiarize yourself with all company products/services

Research company target markets

Generate ideal customer profiles

Become familiar with the company’s competition/rivals

Phase 2 (Days 31–60)

Shadow a different member of the sales team each week

Mock selling calls with colleagues and managers

Communicate with leads to gain sales experience

Record all sales activities

Set sales goals

Create a customer list and begin optimizing

Phase 3 (Days 61–90)

Review your sales record and identify both strong and weak areas

Create sales goals for the upcoming month

Repeat and optimize strong sales areas

Trial new techniques and strategies for weak sales areas

Create a daily structure to maximize productivity

Set up meetings/calls with regional managers to discuss progress

30-60-90 day plan: Manager example

Although the plan follows a similar format, a 30-60-90 day plan for a manager is different from a new sales rep plan. It focuses more on building the team and understanding/improving processes. The goal is to improve at managing a sales team .

View each phase of the plan in detail below.

Complete all company training and onboarding tasks

Get to know each of your direct reports

Create connections within the company

Observe current workflows and document inefficiencies

Identify any sales management tools you may need (e.g., a CRM)

Familiarize yourself with team structure and individual strengths/weaknesses

Research your company’s competitors

Request company/managerial feedback from employees

Make one minor feedback-focused change

Request feedback from initial minor change

Identify gaps in the team (skillset, software, etc.)

Build data-driven reports for sales data

Create report-based sales goals for the month ahead

Make a minimum of one feedback-focused change

Request feedback on further changes

Set up meetings/calls with sales team members to discuss progress

Using the customer journey to achieve sales success

Best practices: Use software to create and track a 30-60-90 day plan

Building a sales plan takes time. The right tools can make planning and tracking goals much more efficient.

A solution like customer relationship management (CRM) software has a range of sales reporting and analytics tools that can help you determine goals and measure success, all under the same digital roof.

Here are some of the features to look for and how they can help:

Dashboards . Visual data representation can show you where performance is on track and where there may be room for improvement. Customize and share dashboards with others in the company to keep sales leadership and team members in the loop.

Customizable activities and goals . A CRM allows you to create goals based on deals or activities. Tracking these activities helps you know your reps have everything they need to do their jobs.

A good CRM will let you set goals and watch your team’s performance. You’ll see when a new hire is succeeding or is falling short of the mark. This will enable you to step in and make adjustments, like offering tailored training or extra coaching.

Sales forecasting . Forecasting can also help you set useful milestones. Users can create a clear sales forecast, view projected revenues and put numbers to the goals. Knowing what to expect can help you understand which deals and activities your reps should focus on to reach your sales targets .

Reports and insights . A CRM solution will generate reports that help you set and measure goals. Customize the metrics to measure a new hire’s progress on targeted KPIs.

For instance, generate reports that tell you which accounts bring in the most revenue. Get a clear understanding of progress by viewing reports on individual and team performance. See how many opportunities reps win or lose and understand why.

What next? How to follow up on a 30-60-90 day plan

The rigid structure of a 30-60-90 day plan provides a safety net for those in a transition period. It can also support ongoing growth as you continue the process beyond day 90.

You can repeat the two later phases of the plan (days 31 to 90) to put new goals into practice and evaluate as necessary.

Managers or new hires can modify the model to keep implementing and improving in 30-day cycles.

Final thoughts

From the interview process to the third month on the job. The 30-60-90 day sales plan is one of the most valuable tools for salespeople .

Whether you’re new to the industry, changing companies or refocusing a territory, a clever sales plan can make for a painless transition. Use software to keep track of your goals with data-driven visuals and make smart decisions faster with trackable metrics.

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The Best 30-60-90 Day Plan Templates + Examples Of 2024

by Emre Ok April 24, 2023, 12:12 am updated May 21, 2024, 1:25 pm 6k Views

Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? We all have a bit of Hannibal inside of us after all. We’re referring to the A-Team and not the Silence Of The Lambs of course. Don’t break out the cianti just yet!

All jokes aside 30-60-90 day plans are amazing performance management tools for large teams and individuals alike. Creating a 30-60-90 day plan ranks among the top best practices when onboarding new hires or promoting existing team members to new roles.

This week, we wanted to provide you with helpful tips on how to write 30-60-90 day plans, alongside helpful 30-60-90 day plan examples and effective 30-60-90 day plan templates! So what are we waiting for? Let’s get right to it!

A quick note before we start: If you are looking into these plans and templates, you might also be looking for a goal-setting template as well! Don’t worry, just fire this up on a separate tab:

9 Free Goal Setting Templates.

Table of Contents

What Is A 30-60-90 Day Plan?

A 30/60/90 plan is a strategy that outlines your goals and objectives for the first three months of a new job or a new role within your company.

It’s a game plan that helps you focus your efforts, prioritize your tasks, and track your progress as you navigate your new responsibilities.

The plan is typically divided into three phases, with each phase representing 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days respectively.

The First 30 Days

During the first 30 days of your new role, your primary focus is usually on getting settled in and learning the ropes.

While some could liken this section of the 30-60-90 day plan to the honeymoon phase, completely full of sunshine and rainbows, it does come with some getting used to.

You may find yourself spending time getting to know your team, understanding the company culture and values, and familiarizing yourself with the processes and procedures of your new job.

This period might also be the timeframe when you begin to identify potential challenges and opportunities for improvement, which you can address in the upcoming phases of your plan.

This also happens to be a great time to start exchanging positive feedback with your team and boost morale alongside employee engagement .

The First 60 Days

As you move into the 60-day phase of your plan, your focus may shift towards executing key projects and making meaningful contributions to the organization.

You should definitely begin to take ownership of specific initiatives, work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve shared goals, and implement new ideas and strategies that align with the company’s objectives.

Taking ownership at this phase displays an impressive amount of commitment on your part and shows you have a knack for leadership.

Start measuring your progress and track your results, refining your approach based on feedback from your team and your supervisor.

If you are looking for some fresh HR-related initiatives: Best HR Initiatives of 2024 .

The First 90 Days

By the time you reach the 90-day mark, your goal is to have established yourself as a valuable contributor to the company.

You should have a clear understanding of your job responsibilities, your team dynamics, and the organization’s priorities.

Having a complete grasp of how everything around you works brings with it a certain amount of confidence that should really impact your performance.

You should also be able to demonstrate your ability to achieve results, innovate, and adapt to changing circumstances by now. After all, you are now a full-fledged member of the team!

Reviews after each checkpoint

Conducting 30 60 90 day reviews after each checkpoint is the best practice when it comes to an effective onboarding process . If you want to automate these reviews, you can try using an integrated onboarding software such as Teamflect.

You can try using it for free, without signing up and with no time limits, inside Microsoft Teams. All you need to do is click the button below.

Wandering how you can conduct 30 60 90 day reviews inside Microsoft Teams? Here is a nifty little tutorial!

30-60-90 Day Plan Examples:

Example 1: 30-60-90 day plan for a sales manager:.

30 Day Plan:

• Clarify sales goals: Meet with the sales team and clarify sales goals for the quarter. Identify any gaps in the team’s understanding and develop a plan to fill those gaps.
• Develop relationships with team members: Meet with each team member individually to understand their strengths and areas of development. Develop a plan for how to work together to achieve individual and team goals.
• Conduct market research: Conduct research on the market and identify potential clients to target. Develop a list of prospects for the sales team to reach out to.

60 Day Plan:

• Develop sales strategies: Develop sales strategies for the next quarter, based on market research and feedback from the sales team. Develop strategies for both new business and account management.
• Develop sales training: Identify areas for sales team development and develop a sales training program to address these areas.
• Build relationships with clients: Schedule meetings with key clients and develop relationships with them. Gain a deep understanding of their needs and develop strategies for how to best serve them.

90 Day Plan:

• Implement new sales strategies: Roll out new sales strategies and track progress against sales goals. Identify areas for improvement and make adjustments as necessary.
• Implement sales training: Implement a sales training program and track team members’ progress against development goals.
• Measure success: Develop metrics to track the success of new strategies and training programs. Share progress with the team and celebrate successes.

Example 2: 30-60-90 Day Plan For a Marketing Manager:

30 Day Plan :

• Meet with team members and key stakeholders to understand the current state of the marketing department, the key challenges and opportunities, and the short and long-term goals.
• Conduct a thorough analysis of the company’s current marketing strategy, including customer segmentation, brand positioning, and market trends.
• Develop a deep understanding of the company’s products, target market, and competitors.
• Review the marketing budget and allocate resources according to the priorities of the business.
• Identify areas for improvement in the marketing plan, such as optimizing the company’s digital marketing campaigns, improving the customer journey, or streamlining the sales funnel.
• Begin to develop and implement new marketing initiatives that align with the company’s goals and objectives.

60 Day Plan :

• Build a strong relationship with the sales team to better understand their needs and how marketing can support them.
• Identify and prioritize key marketing projects that will have the most impact on the company’s growth.
• Analyze the company’s marketing metrics and use the insights to refine the marketing strategy and make data-driven decisions.
• Optimize the company’s website, social media channels, and other digital assets to improve lead generation and customer engagement.
• Develop and execute a content marketing plan that aligns with the company’s messaging and brand voice.
• Explore new marketing channels and tactics to expand the company’s reach and build brand awareness.

90 Day Plan :

• Evaluate the impact of the new marketing initiatives and adjust the strategy accordingly.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure alignment on messaging and branding.
• Develop a plan for ongoing measurement and analysis of marketing performance.
• Finalize the marketing budget for the upcoming year and ensure that it aligns with the company’s goals and priorities.
• Evaluate the marketing team’s performance and identify opportunities for professional development and growth.
• Present a summary of accomplishments and plans for the future to the leadership team.

Example 3: 30-60-90 Day Plan for a Human Resources Manager

• Get to know the company culture and values: Meet with key stakeholders, including the CEO, senior leadership, and department heads, to understand the company’s mission, vision, values, and culture.
• Evaluate existing HR policies and procedures: Review the current HR policies and procedures to identify areas for improvement or updating. Meet with HR staff and other department heads to get their feedback on what’s working and what’s not.
• Develop relationships with staff: Schedule one-on-one meetings with all HR team members to get to know them and understand their roles. Meet with other key staff to understand their needs and expectations of HR.
• Assess staffing needs: Work with department heads to identify staffing needs and develop a plan for recruiting and hiring new employees.
• Develop an HR strategy: Based on the information gathered, develop a comprehensive HR strategy that aligns with the company’s goals and objectives. Research current HR trends and create a strategy that is up to date.
• Implement HR strategy: Begin implementing the HR strategy, including changes to policies and procedures, and start recruiting new staff members.
• Develop and conduct training programs: Develop and conduct training programs for HR staff and other employees on topics such as performance management, diversity and inclusion, and employee relations.
• Improve employee engagement: Develop and implement initiatives to improve employee engagement, such as employee recognition programs, regular feedback sessions, and career development plans.
• Review compensation and benefits: Review the company’s compensation and benefits packages to ensure they are competitive and in line with industry standards.
• Conduct a compliance audit: Review HR analytics software and procedures to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Evaluate HR initiatives: Evaluate the effectiveness of HR initiatives implemented during the first 60 days and make any necessary adjustments.
• Develop long-term HR goals: Work with the senior leadership team to develop long-term HR goals and strategies.
• Improve communication channels: Develop and implement initiatives to improve communication channels between HR and other departments.
• Build external relationships: Build relationships with industry organizations and attend networking events to stay up-to-date on HR trends and best practices.
• Review recruitment process: Review the recruitment process and make any necessary changes to improve the quality of new hires.

30-60-90 Day Plan Templates

HR managers should use a 30-60-90 day plan because it is an effective tool for managing employee performance and ensuring that new hires are successfully integrated into the organization.

This particular 30-60 90-day plan template outlines specific goals and objectives for the employee to achieve during their first three months on the job.

This in turn lets the HR manager set expectations and provide clear direction, which can help the employee stay focused and motivated.

The 30-60-90 day plan can be used as a performance evaluation tool as well, allowing the HR manager to assess the employee’s progress and make any necessary adjustments to their training or development.

Using a 30-60-90 day plan is an excellent tool for account managers for several reasons. Why? Because it simply helps them hit the ground running and achieve success quickly in their new role.

The plan provides a roadmap of what they need to achieve in the first three months and keeps their focus on the most important activities and stay on track to meet their goals.

What Are The Benefits Of 30-60-90 Day Plans?

1. Clarifies priorities and goals

Having a 30-60-90 day plan helps you clarify your priorities and goals in the first few months of your new role. The first three months on the job can be intimidating. breaking down your objectives into manageable pieces helps make sure you are focusing on the most important tasks and making progress towards your goals. Taking advantage of OKR software definitely helps here.

2. Demonstrates initiative

Creating a 30-60-90 day plan shows your employer that you are proactive, invested in your role, and willing to take the initiative to succeed. Demonstrating how you are willing to map out the next three months can help you build trust with your employer and position yourself as a valuable asset to the organization.

3. Helps with time management

A 30-60-90 day plan can help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the amount of new information and responsibilities you need to absorb.

Dividing your initial three months at an organization into achievable milestones will help you manage all the difficulties of managing time and responsibilities in your first months.

4. Provides structure and direction

The plan provides a structure and direction to your work, helping you make steady progress toward your objectives. Having a plan in place keeps you focused, engaged, and most importantly, accountable.

5. Facilitates communication

Creating a 30-60-90 day plan can help you communicate with your supervisor and team about your goals, priorities, and progress. You will always have an answer to the question “What are you up to these days?”. That translates into an improved relationship with your management and colleagues.

What Are The Challenges Of 30-60-90 Day Plans?

1. time constraints.

Crafting a comprehensive plan within a short timeframe can be challenging, especially when considering the need for thorough research and analysis. Processes like gathering data, market research, and the evaluation of internal processes can be a tricky balance when you’re trying to meet business needs.

2. Ambiguity

Uncertainty about the role, expectations, and organizational dynamics can make it difficult to create a detailed plan that aligns with the company’s goals and objectives. Lack of clarity at any level in 30-60-90 day plans can lead to misalignments and unmet expectations.

3. Resource Limitations

Limited access to resources, such as data, tools, or personnel, may hinder the development and implementation of the plan. If you don’t possess the right software or other tools, it can be hard to keep the steps on your 30-60-90 day plan smooth sailing and meet objectives in the given time frames.

4. Alignment

Aligning the plan with the organization’s strategic priorities and gaining buy-in from key stakeholders can be challenging, especially in complex organizational structures. It’s not always easy to manage alignment due to competing agendas and schedules in such organizations and it is why effective stakeholder engagement is a must.

5. Measuring Progress

Establishing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress and success can be challenging, particularly when dealing with qualitative objectives or outcomes. Identifying realistic and objective-related metrics need to come from certain benchmarks of your industry otherwise it can be hard to provide an insightful monitoring during your 30-60-90 plan.

9 Useful Tips For Creating A 30-60-90 Day Plan

To determine what you should focus on while creating a 30-60-90 day plan, you need to understand how you can help the new hire in the first 90 days. Below are nine ways of creating an impactful 30-60-90 day plan.

• Set SMART goals 
• Establish your employees’ priorities
• Promote career growth
• Encourage time to reflect on employee strengths and weaknesses
• Create goals for the first month, second month, and third month 
• Collect feedback from your peers and direct reports 
• Create opportunities for continuous learning about the company culture 
• Make adjustments when needed
• Follow up  

When To Use A 30-60-90 Day Plan

What situations will your 30 60 90 day plan be the most effective in? Let’s dive right in.

30-60-90 day plan for an interview 

You can consider creating a 30-60-90 day plan for your interviews if you want to impress your potential employer. For instance, an employee who is applying for a sales role can put together a 30-60-90 day plan which includes what they can focus on in their new position.

30-60-90 day plan for a new job

30 60 90 plans are more frequently used in the employee onboarding process because they help both hiring managers and new hires. It helps you set performance expectations for the next three months.

Performance Management Software

Creating 30-60-90 day plans is only half the battle. Keeping up with them and making the absolute most of them is an entirely different beast to overcome.

This is where taking advantage of a performance management solution can make all the difference. We’ve highlighted some of the best ones you can find right here:

That being said, if your organization uses Microsoft Teams on a daily basis, then the best option for you would be:

Teamflect is an official Microsoft partner and the best performance management software for Microsoft Teams. With complete Microsoft Teams integration , Teamflect lets users manage tasks, set goals, exchange recognition, and conduct highly effective meetings, without ever having to leave Microsoft Teams.

As a highly efficient task software , Teamflect lets users assign and track tasks from inside even inside team chat, providing the perfect tool to make sure your 30-60-90 day plans are executed to perfection!

Other Teamflect features include but aren’t limited to:

• Employee Engagement Surveys
• An extensive library of customizable performance review templates
• Customizable employee recognition badges
• A strong meeting module with comprehensive meeting agendas
• So much more!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 30-60-90 day plan.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a strategy that outlines your goals and objectives for the first three months of a new job or a new role within your current company. It’s a game plan that helps you focus your efforts, prioritize your tasks, and track your progress as you navigate your new responsibilities. The plan is typically divided into three phases, with each phase representing 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days respectively.

What are the benefits of 30-60-90 day plans?

• Clarifies priorities and goals
• Demonstrates initiative
• Helps with time management
• Provides structure and direction
• Facilitates communication

What are some mistakes to avoid with 30 60 90 day plans?

Setting Unrealistic Expectations : While it’s essential to be ambitious, setting unrealistic expectations is a common pitfall. We are after all, only talking about a one to three-month period. That isn’t very long now, is it?

Overloading a 30-60-90 day plan with too many objectives can overwhelm individuals and lead to burnout. Ensure that your goals are challenging but also attainable within the designated time frames.

Neglecting Prioritization : Setting tasks for the upcoming 30-60-90 days is great but your job as a leader doesn’t end with task assignments. A common mistake is failing to prioritize tasks and goals within the 30-60-90 day plans.

Without clear priorities, individuals may find themselves scattered, trying to accomplish everything at once. Establishing a clear order of importance for tasks can help individuals focus on what matters most.

Ignoring Flexibility : What is that old saying about the best-laid plans of mice and men? Circumstances change. Plans go down the drain and new ones need to be made. That is why rigidity can be detrimental to 30-60-90-day plans.

The unexpected can happen, and unforeseen challenges can arise. A mistake to avoid is not allowing room for adjustments and flexibility within the plan. Plans should be adaptable to accommodate changing circumstances.

Short-Term Focus Only : 30-60-90 day plans are designed to provide short-term structure, but another mistake is neglecting the long-term perspective. These plans should ideally align with broader career or organizational goals. It is imperative to ensure that short-term actions contribute to long-term success.

All in all, a well-structured 30-60-90 day plan is a highly powerful tool to use when striving for your goals and objectives. It provides you with a valuable roadmap that gives a clear direction of where you’re headed and how you can get to your envisioned future in your business.

This structured approach of a strategic plan you will craft is not only a key part of your road to success but also a very important asset in your real growth as a person and a business. 30-60-90 day plans promise short-term success and the enablement of continued improvement and sustained success.

Whether you apply it in a personal or professional setting, as an employee or a leader, 30-60-90-day plans prove to be effective in turning aspirations into tangible, measurable outcomes. Use this guide and craft one of your own to start succeeding!

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Written by emre ok.

Emre is a content writer at Teamflect who aims to share fun and unique insight into the world of performance management.

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Free 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Templates and Samples

By Joe Weller | September 4, 2020

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In this article, we’ve compiled a variety of useful 30-60-90-day business plan templates. Download them in PDF, Word, and Excel formats for free.

On this page, you’ll find a one-page 30-60-90-day business plan template , a sample 30-60-90-day business plan for startups , a sample 90-day business plan template with timeline , and more that you can use to develop an actionable plan.

Simple 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Use this simple 30-60-90-day business plan template to map out main goals and deliverables. You can easily break down your high-level plan into bite-sized chunks to create an effective roadmap for accomplishing business goals. Add key tasks and descriptions, assign ownership, and enter deadlines to keep plans on track.

Download Simple 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Word | PDF | Smartsheet

One-Page 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Document key goals and tasks with this single-page 30-60-90-day business plan template. This template can help you create a high-level view of main business objectives and track the status of your goals in an organized and scannable manner. 

Download One-Page 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

Sample 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup 

Use this sample 30-60-90-day plan as a basis to build out and develop your organization’s startup business plan. This template enables you to produce and implement a plan of action — from idea conception to business plan finalization. There is also space to detail main goals and deliverables, assign task ownership, and set due dates to ensure your plan stays on track.

‌Download Sample 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup Template 

Sample 90-Day Business Plan Template with Timeline

This sample 90-day business plan template is customizable and doubles as an action plan and timeline so you can track progress in 30-day increments. Easily break your plan into phases, then add key tasks, task ownership, and dates for each activity. You can also fill in and color-code the cells according to the respective start and end dates to create a visual timeline. 

Download Sample 90-Day Business Plan Template with Timeline - Excel

30-60-90-Day Business Plan to Increase Sales (With Gantt Chart)

Use this template to develop a 90-day action plan to increase sales for your business. This customizable template is designed to help you reevaluate and improve your sales strategy and business plan. Broken up into 30-day increments, this template comes pre-filled with actionable tasks, like defining and prioritizing goals, conducting market research, evaluating current processes, finding untapped opportunities, and refining your sales plan to reach sales goals.

Download 30-60-90-Day Business Plan to Increase Sales

Excel | Smartsheet

For additional resources to create and enhance the sales plan portion of your business plan, visit “ All about Sales Plans: Definitions, Tips, and Free Templates .”

30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Marketing

This 30-60-90-day business plan for marketing features a simple and scannable design to help stakeholders track the progress of key marketing goals and activities. Use this customizable template to provide an overview of main objectives and the status of tasks you need to complete.

Download 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Marketing

Excel | Word | PDF

For additional resources to help develop the marketing plan portion of your business plan, view “ Free Marketing Plan Templates, Examples, and a Comprehensive Guide .”

Purpose of a 30-60-90-Day Business Plan

Unlike a 30-60-90-day plan used to interview for or transition into a new role, a 30-60-90-day business plan is a useful document for developing a roadmap covering the first 90 days of your business planning process.  

Small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and established organizations use a 30-60-90-day business plan to do the following: 

• Establish high-level goals, objectives, and deliverables for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.
• Align your team’s goals with overarching business goals.
• Outline key business activities needed to accomplish the established goals.
• Determine the necessary resources to effectively complete the tasks.
• Define success metrics.
• Assign activity ownership, define milestones, and create a timeline to keep the plan on track.

Looking for additional resources to help you develop your business plan? Visit the following pages for more free templates:

Simple Business Plan Templates

One-Page Business Plan Templates

Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Templates

Business Plan Templates for Startups

Business Plan Templates for Nonprofits

Streamline Your 30-60-90-Day Business Plan with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

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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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30-60-90 day plan for new hires (template and examples)

A 30-60-90 day plan outlines the first 90 days of a new team member’s employment and familiarizes them with company policies, teamwork, and goals. This action plan helps your team members check off essential items as they adjust to their new work environment. In this piece, we’ll outline the key components of a 30-60-90 day plan and explain why having one is beneficial.

It’s universally acknowledged that the first 90 days at any company can be intimidating. This isn’t any one person's or program’s fault, either. There’s a lot for your new team members to learn—including using different tools, navigating team norms, and adjusting their own expectations. But when you provide new hires with guidance and expectations, you empower them to hit the ground running from day one.

What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan is an outline of a new hire’s first 90 days on your team. It lays out exactly what your new employee should accomplish, from their first week to the end of their third month in a new job. The goal of a 30-60-90 day plan is to give team members a concrete plan for getting up to speed and accomplishing their learning goals. It helps ensure every new hire feels welcomed into the company and understands the responsibilities of their role.

30-60-90 day plans often include the following milestones for each month of onboarding: 

1–30 days: The first month involves intensive training for the employee’s new position. This is when the new hire learns as much as possible about company policies, your company’s products, team structure, and job responsibilities. 

31–60 days: The second month of employment is the new hire’s opportunity to put what they’ve learned into practice by taking on new tasks. This is a key learning period, so it’s ok if your direct reports make mistakes as they get familiar with how things are done. 

61–90 days: The third month of employment is when the new hire starts mastering the skills of their job. This means your employee can now fully meet job expectations and start achieving long-term performance goals .

A 30-60-90 day plan may have similar sections for all new hires, such as company policies and resources. That said, you should also tailor many parts of the plan to fit each individual’s specific role and responsibilities .

Benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan

Creating a 30-60-90 day plan helps improve your onboarding process and set new employees up for success. Onboarding can make or break someone’s experience at a new company, so it’s worth investing in. In fact, research shows that a strong onboarding process can improve employee retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.

With a 30-60-90 day plan, you can: 

Set goals and create clear expectations for an employee’s first three months on the job.

Space out training sessions and introductions so new hires don’t feel overwhelmed. 

Ensure new team members have the knowledge, resources, and skills they need to be successful in their new role. 

Take time to communicate your core company values . 

Build trust with effective feedback throughout the onboarding process. 

Proactively creating a 30-60-90 day plan can also benefit your hiring process and interview process. Candidates often want to know what their first few months on the job will look like. Having a plan already in place helps hiring managers and recruiters paint a concrete picture for applicants during job interviews. 

What should new hires accomplish in their first 90 days?

Your new hire’s focus in the first 90 days should be to integrate into company culture and master their job description. While there’s time during this initial period for new hires to help with tasks outside of onboarding, your new team members’ initial objectives should revolve around basic acclimation.

Some accomplishments you may ask your new hire to achieve in their first 90 days include:

Learn the company’s mission

Know the organizational structure , including management roles and fellow team members

Understand the responsibilities outlined in the job description

Understand the project roadmap from start to finish

Set short-term objectives toward long-term goals

You should hold a performance review at the end of a new hire’s first 90 days to assess their progress. During this time, you can offer constructive feedback about what they’ve accomplished and how they can continue to improve in their role.

How to write a 30-60-90 day plan

Typically, you’ll write a 30-60-90 day plan before your new hire's onboarding or immediately after they begin their job. As a result, you probably don’t know a lot about your new hire’s personality or strengths. Instead of making your 30-60-90 day plan personal to the team member’s abilities, use your expectations for what you want them to become in their new role to customize each plan.

Step 1: Ask questions

Once you’ve hired someone new, start your 30-60-90 day plan by looking at the big picture and assessing how your new hire fits into that picture. Ask yourself any questions that come to mind about the job role, the onboarding process, and the team. Some questions to begin brainstorming include:

What need do you hope this person will fill? 

What specific problem are you bringing this person in to solve?

What should this person know in order to be successful?

What will the new hire’s daily responsibilities be?

How will the new hire take part in project development?

Ultimately, your 30-60-90 day plan will give your new hire a clear idea of what the first three months will look like. Answering these questions early sets them up for success and helps them build their skills for the role.

Step 2: Set realistic goals

Your 30-60-90 day plan isn’t a day-to-day list of activities your new hire will be working on. Rather, your goal is to give your new hire an overview of their purpose within the company. 

You should also keep in mind when you create your 30-60-90 day plan that a new team member can only do and learn so much in their first few months of employment. While you may have some dire needs to address, try not to throw too much on your new hire’s plate too fast. 

Consider what a reasonable workload should be and minimize that workload for at least the first 30 days. Expect there to be a learning curve. Then, if you find that the team member catches up quickly, you can add work to their plate as appropriate.

Step 3: Create SMART goals

According to a 2014 study by BambooHR, the average company loses one-sixth of their new hires each month for the first three months. Setting concrete goals during onboarding can boost retention, especially if those goals are SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. SMART goals help clarify expectations and give team members clear stepping stones to follow. That way, new hires are less likely to feel overwhelmed or unengaged. 

The specific goal and success metrics you set for your new hire will depend on their particular role and level within the company. Check out some examples of 90-day SMART goals for different employee positions:

Writer: Successfully publish three articles for one of our clients, which includes taking each article through the entire publishing process from QA to internal edits, client edits, and final edits. 

Customer support: Work with team members to close 30 tickets, which includes learning the internal computer system and solving an array of unexpected tech issues. 

Agency: Collaborate with stakeholders to write one promotional piece. Then promote the piece to bloggers and successfully get it published on at least three websites relevant to the client.

While the new hire’s first 90 days should focus on helping them get comfortable in their new role, adding measurable goals to their action plan can give them a project to work on so they don’t feel like their only purpose is to shadow others. 

Step 4: Give them a mentor

A 30-60-90 day plan isn’t a document you’ll hand over to your new hire and then simply send them on their way to complete their duties. This document should be a reference for your new hire while they collaborate with you and other team members to accomplish tasks. 

When writing your plan, assign the new hire a mentor to give them any advice or guidance they might need. This person will be their go-to guide during the first few weeks for any questions. A good mentor can help orient your new hire so they don’t feel overwhelmed by their new work environment.

Make sure to set your new hire up with a mentor who isn’t their manager. That way, they have someone they can turn to with questions about team synergy and team norms . As their manager, you can focus on providing bigger picture guidance about long-term goals and team collaboration best practices.

Step 5: Set up regular check-ins

An important thing to remember when creating a 30-60-90 day plan is to stay flexible. Even if you feel like your plan outlines exactly what you hope for your new hire to accomplish, there’s no guarantee that the first 90 days will go as expected. 

For example, another team may need help from your new hire a week into their employment, which can derail the SMART goals you initially set for them. It’s also possible that your new hire will learn at a slower or faster pace than you expected. When you understand that the plan is an outline and not a schedule, you’ll feel better about the work you’ve put into it.

Elements of a 30-60-90 day plan

The elements of a 30-60-90 day plan are unique to the team member joining your organization, but the framework of the plan should look similar.

The essential components of a 30-60-90 day plan include:

Company mission: Briefly state your company’s mission at the top of the 30-60-90 day plan to give your new hire an idea of what your company stands for. 

Guiding points: Guiding points may include information about your company culture and elaborate on your business’ core values . For example, these points may include things like: “Ask questions… Value relationships… Have a team mindset… Put your health first…”

Meet the team: In this section, include pictures and blurbs of the people your new hire will work with closely. This can be a good reference for the new hire as they try to learn names and team roles. 

First day overview: The first day overview is the only section of the 30-60-90 day plan that lists out a detailed schedule for the new hire. While this schedule may change, do your best to let your new hire know what to expect on their first day of work , including log-in information or how to set up their email and phone voicemail. That way, they don’t come in feeling lost and unsure about what to do or where to go. 

Top priorities: In the top priorities section of the plan, include an overview of the new hire’s job responsibilities and any needs you hope for them to fill in their new role. 

SMART goals: As mentioned above, the SMART goals you list in the 30-60-90 day plan should be measurable, job-related goals you hope the new hire will achieve within their first 90 days. 

Resources: In the resources section, list links to the company handbook, job description, team directory, and other relevant resources. You can add any resources to this section that you think the team member will find useful as they familiarize themselves with the company and the job.

30-60-90 day plan example

Your new hire will use their 30-60-90 day plan as a roadmap for success as they navigate the challenges in their first months of onboarding. Break down SMART goals and objectives into manageable chunks and include a mix of personal goals and company goals to help new team members settle in.

You should further develop these objectives by including success metrics and KPIs when applicable. This will help people stay motivated and track progress effectively.

Here’s a 30-60-90 day plan example to get you started.

Goal 1: Complete all required onboarding and compliance training modules.

Metric: Completion of all training modules confirmed by human resources.

Example: A new manager at a tech company uses the first 30 days to complete all human resource-led compliance training sessions to ensure they understand the legal and ethical standards required by their new role.

Goal 2: Build relationships with at least 10 new colleagues across different teams and departments.

Metric: Number of introductory meetings or coffee chats held.

Example: A new contributor in a marketing department sets up coffee chats to connect and make a positive first impression with peers in other departments, such as sales and product development.

Goal 3: Develop a solid understanding of the company's products, services, and key processes.

KPI: Score at least 85% on a knowledge assessment test to measure understanding of key information.

Example: A sales manager spends their first month attending product demonstrations and shadowing senior sales calls to observe the nuances of the company's offerings and sales techniques.

Goal 4: Establish a consistent morning routine to improve punctuality and productivity.

Metric: Days arriving at least 15 minutes early tracked over the first month.

Example: A new hire decides to start each day by reading industry news for 15 minutes to stay informed and arrive early to prepare for the day ahead.

Goal 5: Identify and document at least three areas for process improvement or inefficiencies.

KPI: Submission of a detailed report with actionable recommendations for optimization.

Example: A new project manager uses workflow analysis tools to track the time spent on various project stages, identify bottlenecks, and propose solutions to improve efficiency.

Goal 6: Join company-sponsored clubs, sports teams, or volunteer initiatives.

Metric: Participation in at least two different company-sponsored activities.

Example: A new sales manager joins the company's soccer team and the volunteer committee, which allows them to build relationships outside of formal work settings and demonstrate team spirit.

Goal 7: Complete an online course or certification relevant to your role or industry.

KPI: Acquisition of a new certification within the 60-day period.

Example: A new contributor in data analytics enrolls in a certified online course on advanced data visualization techniques to improve their skill set and contribute more effectively to ongoing and new projects.

Goal 8: Establish a healthy work-life balance by scheduling regular exercise or self-care activities.

Metric: Number of weeks adhering to the twice-weekly exercise or self-care schedule.

Example: A human resources manager starts attending yoga classes three times a week after work and using a wellness app to schedule and track sessions.

Goal 9: Propose and implement at least one process improvement or cost-saving measure.

KPI: Documented percentage improvement in efficiency or reduction in costs.

Example: After reviewing existing procurement processes, a new manager proposes a new vendor management system that reduces order times and costs by 15%. They then highlight the direct impact of their initiative on the company's bottom line.

Goal 10: Seek out a mentor within the company who can provide guidance and support.

Metric: Successful identification and commencement of mentorship sessions.

Example: An e-commerce contributor uses LinkedIn to identify and approach a senior leader within the company known for their expertise in developing sales plans and sets up bi-monthly mentorship sessions.

Goal 11: Deliver a training session or knowledge transfer to team members on a specific topic.

KPI: Percentage of attendees who can successfully pass a follow-up knowledge test.

Example: A new manager organizes a workshop on effective sales techniques, using real-world examples from recent successful deals to boost the team's skills and confidence.

Goal 12: Identify and pursue a professional development opportunity outside of work.

Metric: Registration for a relevant professional development activity.

Example: A new hire attends a regional conference on digital marketing trends to network with industry leaders and bring back valuable insights to inform the company's new online marketing strategies.

Not sure where to start? Check out our example 30-60-90 day plan template below for inspiration on how to optimize your onboarding process.

Use this 30-60-90 day outline as a framework to build and customize a plan that works for each new hire that you onboard.

Streamline the onboarding process with work management tools

Printouts and documents quickly become out of date. Keep your onboarding process flexible by creating your 30-60-90 day plan with project management software . Once you share the plan, you can easily monitor your new hire’s progress—plus assign day-to-day action items to keep things on track.

FAQ: 30-60-90 day plan

Why have a 30-60-90 day plan?

Having a 30-60-90 day plan sets clear objectives and benchmarks for personal and professional development over a 90-day period. This type of plan helps individuals organize their priorities, measure their progress, and establish a structured approach to achieving their goals. Whether you're starting a new position, launching a project, or trying to implement a change, having a 30-60-90 day plan can ensure you are focused and hit the ground running.

When should I use a 30-60-90 day plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan is particularly useful when starting a new job, taking on a significant project, or undergoing a transition in a professional role. It helps hiring managers integrate new team members more effectively by facilitating quick acclimatization and productivity. These plans also work well for promoting internal changes or strategies within an organization by acting as a roadmap to align measurable objectives with practical action steps.

What should be included in a 30-60-90 day plan?

A well-crafted 30-60-90 day plan should include specific, measurable goals for each of the three periods. 

The first 30 days are typically focused on learning and integration, where you should include objectives related to understanding company goals, procedures, and tools. 

The next 30 days (the 60-day mark) often shift towards more active involvement, which can include starting new projects and building relationships. 

By the final 30 days, the plan should focus on implementing changes and taking on more significant responsibilities, such as long-term goal setting.

How can a 30-60-90 day plan help you succeed in a new job?

A 30-60-90 day plan can help your success in a new job by providing a clear outline of what to accomplish and when. This strategic plan encourages a proactive approach to learning, relationship-building, and skill development. 

Initially, it helps you quickly absorb the necessary information and company culture. As the plan progresses, it assists in demonstrating your value through early contributions while establishing your presence and impact within the team.

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30-60-90 Day Plan: A Guide (With Templates)

Here’s how to make a 30-60-90 day plan that will set employees up for success in their new roles.

A 30-60-90 day plan is essential for onboarding effectively at any company, as it help outlines expectations for an employee to meet when entering a new job.

30-60-90 Day Plan Definition

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that guides an employee on the expectations and goals they should be striving for during the first 30, 60 and 90 days on the job.

Whether you’re starting a new job, or you’re a manager bringing a new employee onboard, we’ve compiled a comprehensive set of tips to create 30-60-90 day plans that will support successful onboarding .

What Is a 30-60-90 Day Plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that guides an employee on the expectations and goals they should meet during the first 30, 60 and 90 days on the job. Typically provided for new employees on or before their first day of work, they are a common component of companies’ onboarding processes, as they’re used to set up a new employee for success right away. 

The plan “needs to be some kind of structure that you mutually agree on, a structure that is outcome-focused and that helps people go towards maximizing their contribution to your company as fast as possible,” Rik Haandrikman, vice president of growth at Bitrise , told Built In. “Without a plan, it’s a mess, and 30-60-90 days works.” 

At Bitrise, 30-60-90 day plans tend to be pretty high level, with a few bullet points for each milestone. The first 30 days are all about understanding the context of the business. At the 60 days, employees should be proposing concrete steps to reach an outcome, and by day 90, the company wants to start seeing deliverables.

30-60-90 day plans can also be shaped by both a manager and the employee to fit mutual needs. This is where a manager provides overall support and makes sure company-wide tasks and department-specific KPIs are covered, but leaves enough room for the employee to set their own goals too.

These plans can be so flexible that some companies, like  Instawork , even use a 14-30-60 day plan. “It’s really important to get things going quickly,” said Sumir Meghani, co-founder and CEO of Instawork. 

Adriana Roche, chief people officer at Mural , suggests managers have a 30-60-90 day plan ready for a new employee but to sit down with them to discuss and modify the plan as needed.

“The important thing is that you fill this out before the person starts. So on day one, you sit down with them, and you walk them through this journey,” Roche said. “The person feels like they’ve co-created their onboarding versus just having something handed to them.”

Benefits of a 30-60-90 Day Plan

Makes employee onboarding structured and approachable.

30-60-90 day plans are a digestible way to help an employee transition into their role smoothly, have a vision for their position and not feel too overwhelmed. 

“We’re just trying to distill [work] down to something that’s achievable in the foreseeable future. Most people can get their heads around three months,’” David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices , told Built In.

Boosts Employee Confidence and Sense of Belonging

These plans can give employees a consistent introduction to the company and help them feel confident about joining.

“If you do it well, you create a sense of cohesion with the people, so creating a sense of belonging, and then getting people ramped up as quickly as possible.” Roche said. “They’re going to feel much more engaged because they’re feeling like they’re having an impact from the get-go.”

Useful for Transitions Into New Roles or After Leaves

30-60-90 plans don’t have to be just for new employees, Ciccarelli said. You can use them to help someone transition into a new role or acclimate again after a leave .

“Any kind of re-entry, the 30-60-90 day plan is a great level set,” Ciccarelli noted. “In consideration of a promotion, that actually is much more meaningful because somebody has the context of what are the big objectives of the year.”

More on Onboarding How 15 Companies Nail The Employee Onboarding Process

To make a 30-60-90 day plan, it’s helpful to know common goals associated with each major milestone. Here’s what you can expect to accomplish or see from employees 30, 60 and 90 days into a new job.

30 Days Into a 30-60-90 Day Plan

Complete common onboarding tasks.

The first 30 days in a new job should be all about creating a foundation of knowledge before diving in head first. These types of tasks can include:

• Reading company handbooks and guides.
• Learning company culture and history.
• Learning company processes around benefits, requesting time off, etc.
• Gaining access to and learning how to use tools and systems (email, chat, software tools).
• Attending coffee chats or onboarding sessions offered by your company.

Meet Managers, Team Members and Collaborators

At many companies, part of onboarding can look like having 15- to 30-minute one-on-one meetings with team members or collaborators. It’s especially important to meet with your manager on the first or second day of a new job to discuss what their expectations are. 

“The list of people your manager is getting you to talk to, those are your performance review people,” said Alexandria “Lexi B.” Butler, who has worked in tech for several years and is the founder of Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech . “Literally your manager is telling you, these are the people that I will talk to to see if you get a raise.”

New hires will want to ask their coworkers about what they do, how their jobs impact one another and their overall thoughts on company culture and processes.  

Some companies have a buddy system for new employees, where they can get to know someone else at the company who they can go to for guidance that isn’t their direct manager.

“We make sure that we also have a peer onboarding partner, so really having a buddy with somebody, a safe space where you can ask those questions that you perhaps wouldn’t want to ask of your manager,” Rebecca Port, chief people officer at 10x Genomics , told Built In. “Someone who can help you understand the context of the why behind things.”

Go Over Responsibilities and Company Dynamics

During these first 30 days, take time to go over the responsibilities in the job description and start to think of a plan to tackle them, plus focusing on learning the company dynamics, according to Annabel Maw, director of communications at Jotform .

“It’s mostly just getting a really good framework and foundation for how the company operates and how the product works, and then just understanding the competitive landscape too in the industry,” Maw said.

60 Days Into a 30-60-90 Day Plan

Have steps to reach a goal and start to contribute.

Before the first 60 days, many companies expect that there will be outlined steps for meeting an employee’s initial goals or completing first projects.

By day 60, Ciccarelli said Voices employees are expected to have an understanding of the product and be able to give a product demonstration, which is a rite of passage for new employees. At Bitise, Haandrikman said employees should strive to start making an impact on the business after the first 30 days by outlining specific steps to reach a goal.

Deepen Colleague Relationships and Discuss Projects

Conversations with colleagues should continue after the first 30 days, Butler said, and these conversations should go even deeper to help employees learn about how they are performing against expectations so far.

90 Days Into a 30-60-90 Day Plan

Have an outcome to share and make suggestions.

By the end of an employee’s first 90 days, they are often expected to have an outcome to share with the company, such as completing a key first assignment or goal. It’s also not too early to start making enhancements at the company by day 90, Haandrikman said.

Reflect and Review With Your Manager

At an employee’s 90-day review with their manager, Butler suggests asking these questions:

• What have I done well? 
• What can I work on? 
• How do you see me in this role evolving in the next year?

These questions will help you to understand your strengths and where you stand out — your special skills and abilities that will help shape your career. 

“Now people have gotten to know you. They’ve gotten to see your strengths and your weaknesses because everybody has them,” Butler said. “You start creating your career … people just start seeing it, and in those 90 days, people will start giving you those tidbits.”

30-60-90 Day Plan Templates

While 30-60-90 day plans can be highly personalized to the employee, a template is a proven way to help a manager get started and make sure they don’t forget all of the essential tasks needed for onboarding.

These 30-60-90 day template ideas — whether provided by a company or used for personal progress tracking — can be used to outline and track expectations for new employees.

Simple 30-60-90 Day Plan Template 

Voices’ 30-60-90 day plan template, as shared by Ciccarelli, fits on one page and is in bullet form. This type of template is effective for making plan notes in a simple format that can be fleshed out later. It also implements a SMART goal template, which gives employees direction for writing clear goals. 

Visual 30-60-90 Day Plan Template 

As for Mural’s 30-60-90 day plan template, this example is highly visual and maps out a path for an employee to follow over the course of the first three months. Templates like this can keep the 30-60-90 day plan fun and light-hearted, and provide images alongside goals to help employees better visualize what they should accomplish.

Create Your Own 30-60-90 Day Plan Template

It also doesn’t have to be all up to the company to provide a plan to follow.

For Butler when she enters a new job, she creates an Excel document with tabs for 30, 60 and 90 days. She has columns for the tasks she’s working on and the feedback she receives. For items she’s told to keep working on after the first 30 days, she copies them to the 60 day tab, and so on. 

She also said working with software tools like Workday has been a helpful way to keep both the employee and manager accountable with documenting progress.

In many cases, how well an employee follows a 30-60-90 plan can be a strong predictor of their future success at the company.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 30-60-90 day plan.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that outlines expectations or goals new employees should meet within their first 30, 60 and 90 days at a company.

What should be included in a 30-60-90 day plan?

A 30-60-90 plan should include:

• Defined goals or expectations a new employee should meet by day 30, 60 and 90
• Information about onboarding, training and key employee documents or systems to access
• Information about who to contact or what other resources to reference to help reach the defined goals

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What is a 30-60-90 day business plan and how do I create one?

First time creating a 30-60-90 day business plan? Not to worry! While it's fairly common in many fields, it's underused in others. Here's what you need to know about these plans and how to create your own.

What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan is a goal-oriented way to structure your time for the next three months. Though you could make a 30-60-90 day plan for learning anything, this strategy is most often used in business, generally when you're trying to get hired, were just hired, or have recently been promoted.

30-60-90 day plans help you start in a new position with a plan of action and a sense of purpose beyond learning the ropes of your new role. It also gives you measurable milestones that your superiors can use to track your progress.

What's the goal of a 30-60-90 day plan?

As mentioned, 30-60-90 day plans are usually implemented at the beginning of a new job, during a job interview, or shortly after a promotion. They serve several purposes, which we'll get into now.

Identify your goals

First and foremost, 30-60-90 day plans help you identify your goals for a job position. Let's exclude everyone else at your place of work for a moment and focus on you. Outside of making money, there are probably a few things you want out of a job: to improve, to climb up the ranks, to build a solid reputation, and to increase your value.

To manage all of these different things, you need goals. And not goals like "become a millionaire." It helps to have grounded, actionable goals that you can work toward. We're not saying you can't become a millionaire, but that you need a step 1, step 2, etc. If you don't know these steps, then you're just relying on luck, which isn't recommended.

Creating a 30-60-90 day plan helps you write down your goals for your job over the next three months in a strategic and focused manner, which is essential to making progress and achieving success.

Get your team on the same page

Now that we've covered that, we can start to zoom out a little and look at the rest of your coworkers. If you work on a team (or manage a team) a 30-60-90 day plan is a great way to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Too often, teams are either smothered by micromanagement or given so much freedom that "team" is a generous title. A clear 30-60-90 day plan helps everyone understand their role in the team and their goals perfectly without you (or your team manager) constantly reminding people of what they're supposed to be working on.

Measure your progress

Lastly, using a 30-60-90 day plan gives you a metric for measuring your progress. If you plan to accomplish something within the next 30 days, you can easily check to see if you've completed that goal in 30 days; it's a binary answer. You can also see how close you've gotten to completing that goal and estimate how much longer you need to finish it.

This is helpful for employees and managers alike, as managers can see how their employees are performing based on an agreed-upon 30-60-90 day plan. For employees, this gives you proof of your efforts, which increases your value. And for managers, this gives you clarity into what your employees are accomplishing.

When you shouldn’t use a 30-60-90 day plan

Now that we've covered all of the great things about 30-60-90 day plans, let's talk about some of the things that make them not so great, specifically, when you shouldn't use them.

You should not use a 30-60-90 day plan if you're applying for a job that you know nothing about. If you're new to your industry and haven't been asked to create a 30-60-90 day plan, skip it. Otherwise, it will probably come across as arrogant and likely won't be accurate anyway. Instead of coming in with a plan, come in with an open mind and an eagerness to learn. This is what hiring managers look for when hiring someone with little experience.

You also shouldn't use a 30-60-90 day plan if the job you're applying for has an extremely clear, predefined role for you to fill. For example, if you're going to be screwing the caps on toothpaste tubes or answering customer service calls, a 30-60-90 day plan won't be relevant to the type of work you're doing.

30-60-90 day plans work best when you have a few years of experience in your industry (at least), already work within the company you're writing it for, or you've been specifically tasked with creating one.

30-60-90 day business plan template

Your 30-60-90 day business plan will look a little different depending on what you're using it for, but there are a few things that should apply across the board. Below is a simple template you can use to help you quickly create your own 30-60-90 day business plan.

The first 30 days: Be a learner

The first 30 days of a 30-60-90 day business plan should be your learning cycle. This is where you'll learn what the company is all about, who performs which jobs, how your role fits into the grand scheme of things, and your daily activities.

If you're seeking a promotion, creating this part of the plan should be fairly straightforward. But for new hires, it can be tricky, as you won't know how to write this down in a way that's specific to this company.

To overcome this challenge, don't be afraid to ask your hiring manager questions, talk to others who work at the company, and scour any information you can find online. Use the information you find to tailor your learning goals to this company's values and functions.

The first 60 days: Be a worker

The first sixty days of a 30-60-90 day business plan (or the second month) is when you'll start to have your feet under you. This means you can start working on more serious goals that advance the company; it's when you start preparing to make real change using the knowledge you've acquired during the first 30 days.

Your goals during this segment will be to start seeking feedback and criticism from superiors, trying to hone what you've already learned. You'll also want to start setting weekly goals for yourself, like landing a new sale, speaking with a lead, taking on a new client, debugging software, etc.

The first 90 days: Be a leade r

The first 90 days of your 30-60-90 day business plan (or the third and final month) is when you should have found confidence in your role at this company. You'll understand how the company runs, what each person does, what you do, and how all of these things affect one another.

Knowing this will allow you to be proactive and to make real changes that can benefit you, your coworkers, and the company. This is the part of your 30-60-90 day business plan where you'll suggest potential projects that you can lead, performing tasks (within reason) that go beyond your role's requirements, and communicating with coworkers to start making real progress.

Mistakes to avoid when making a 30-60-90 day business plan

1. Don't be vague about your goals

This is one of the easiest mistakes to make, especially when you look at lots of different templates before you start writing your own 30-60-90 day plan. You don't much about the company or what you'll be doing there, so you say things like "I'll learn a lot and then start a project of my own."

Of course, this isn't a bad goal, but it doesn't tell your hiring manager anything that any other applicant couldn't have said themselves. The same goes for those seeking a promotion.

Being vague in this way tends to make your 30-60-90 day plan somewhat pointless. It's not really a plan, more so a collection of feel-good answers you think a manager wants to hear. To avoid this mistake, make sure that you choose grounded, measurable, clear goals, like "Make [x] sales," or "Implement [y] feature."

2. Don't create a one-size-fits-all business plan

Similarly, don't create a 30-60-90 day plan that reads like it could've been used for any number of businesses within your field. For example, if you're going into sales, creating goals like "Landing [x] amount of clients," and "Improving ad copy," doesn't show that you understand the company at hand.

You can easily tell if you've made this mistake by changing the name of the business in your 30-60-90 day plan to another business's name. If everything still makes perfect sense, then you've probably erred too close to being generic.

Fortunately, this is an easy fix! Just take the goals you've already created and tweak them in small ways that show you've paid attention to this company's values, workflow, customers, and goals. For example, you can tweak the goals above as such: "I will land [x] clients that can improve ABC Company's performance in [y] market," or "I will improve ABC Company's ad copy to showcase [xyz] strengths."

3. Don't use your plan as a crutch

Last but not least, don't use your 30-60-90 day plan as a crutch during an interview or promotion discussion. What that means is, don't let it be the most impressive part of your interview. It's only a small part of what will make you a desirable candidate.

There are other factors that most managers will see as equally or more important, like your adaptability, willingness to learn, experience, and so on. Your 30-60-90 day plan should showcase that you're a thoughtful and motivated candidate, not that you know everything about this job and that you will "shake this company up." Be humble, present your plan, and sell yourself, not your goals.

Start improving your job success today

A 30-60-90 day business plan is a great way to improve your chances of landing a job or a promotion and improve your job performance in general. If you found this article helpful, check out the rest of our Resource Center for more helpful tips from B12 !

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How to Create a 30 60 90 Days Plan: Ultimate Guide with Examples

Kate williams.

Last Updated:  

16 November 2022

Table Of Contents

• What is a 30 60 90 Day Plan?
• What are the Benefits of Creating a 30 60 90 day Plan?

Elements You Need to Create a 30 60 90 Day Plan?

A specific focus, top priorities, smart goals, smart goal: specific, smart goal: measurable, smart goal: achievable, smart goal: realistic, smart goal: timely.

• How to Create a General 30 60 90 Day Plan?
• Example of a 30 60 90 Day Plan

30 60 90 Days Sales Plan Example

• 7 Tips to Create an Actionable 30 60 90 Day Plan
• Wrapping it up..

Wondering how to create a 30-60-90-day plan to achieve your goals during the first 90 days at your new company? Well, when you land a new job, or when you want to create a business strategy, you feel like you’re on top of the world.

But, this excitement starts to fade once you realize you don’t have a plan to manage your work. You’ll be surprised to know that more than  80% of small business executives don’t have a strategic plan. 

Hopefully, there is a way to create a goal-oriented plan to complete all your work and achieve the right success. It’s popularly known as a 30 60 90 day plan (for employees) or a 30 60 90 business plan(for businesses).

This plan will help you gather information, master new responsibilities, and leave an impact in your professional space. Are you a newbie trying to create a 30 60 90 day plan for your business? Don’t worry! Here’s everything you need to know about a 30 60 90 day plan and how to create one.  

What is a 30-60-90-Day Plan? 

A 30-60 90-day plan is a plan most  businesses and sales managers use and follow to create tangible goals.   You can set goals and structure time with a 30-60-90 plan. Anyone can make these goal-oriented plans to keep track of their progress or to learn something. 

An amazing thing about this plan is that it can be applied to any team, task, or organization. For example, you can create a:

• 30 60 90 sales plan – for sales managers and executives
• 30 60 90 business plan – for SMBs or SMEs
• 30-60-90 plan for managers and team leaders
• 30 60 90 plan for a new job or an interview

If you are a new employee, setting a 30 60 90 days plan can help you set realistic goals to run smoothly. A quick heads up for the new employees: You can create a 30 60 90 days plan either d uring the final stages of an interview process or during the first week of the job.

What are the Benefits of Creating a 30 60 90 Plan?

• It shows how focused and serious you are about your role within a company.
• The 30 60 90 days plan represents how committed you are to contributing to the development of your company.
• The plan will help you realize and understand your responsibility clearly.
• The goals you’ll set will ensure your actions will be productive and timely.

Before going further, you may want to know about the elements of a 30 60 90 day plan. Like its name, you have to create a plan into three chunks- 30, 60, and 90 days.

In each 30-day phase, you’ll require: A Specific focus, Top priority, SMART Goals, and Success Metrics.

Before that, things will be smooth if you have an oven-ready template for this.

Here’s a ready-to-use first 30 days in a new job template.

Sign up for FREE to create a similar 30 60 90 plan template!

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You can’t create an actionable plan without a specific focus. If you are a business owner, your focus for the first 30 months should be on learning. You can focus on working towards your goal for the second month. For the final month, your primary focus should be to become a leader.

Similarly, your 30-60 90-day plan focus will revolve around learning, planning, contributing, and finally executing if you are a new employee. However, you can change your focus based on your job role or the company.

Your priorities should always be broader than your goals and more specific than your focus. Within this 30-60-90-day phase, you have to determine your top priorities. Your top priorities could include learning your company’s internal process, completing your role, finding solutions to resolve the company’s problems, etc.

87% of the people fail to gain success because their goals are not SMART. Setting SMART goals and having a well-put 30 60 90 business plan helps you fulfill your priorities with clear motivation and focus. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Once you are all set with your priorities, set SMART goals to achieve success.  

Here’s How You Can Create a SMART Goal-

Ask yourself the five ‘W’ questions to set specific smart goals. These questions are-

• Who:  Who is part of this goal?
• What:  What do you need to achieve?
• Where:  Where it will take place? Are you going to target a geographical or digital location?
• When:  When can you achieve this goal?
•  Why: Why these goals are important, and why do you need to achieve this? 

For example, a goal would be “I want to be healthy.” A more specific goal would be “I want to start jogging and work out to be more healthy.”

Without measuring criteria, you won’t be able to track your progress.  80% of businesses admitted that their goals are specific and measurable. To make your business goals measurable, ask yourself the following questions:

• How much/many?
• How would you know if you have fulfilled your goals or not?
• What will be the indicator of your performance progress?

For example, “I want to start jogging and work out every day to lose five pounds from my body.”

You must achieve the goals you set. If your goal isn’t attainable or achievable, then it’s not a SMART goal. Make sure to ask yourself these questions:

• Is this goal achievable?
• Do you have all the required resources to achieve this goal?

A SMART Goal should be realistic enough for you to achieve it. Ask these questions:

• Is the goal realistic?
• Do you have the proper resources to achieve the goal on time?

For example, “I want to lose five pounds within two months.” – This is a realistic goal. “I want to lose five pounds within two days.”- Unrealistic goal.

You have to make your goal time-bound to fulfill it successfully. Ensure your goal has a deadline. If you follow a start and end date, there will be no longer urgency or low motivation to achieve the goal. To set a timely goal, ask these questions to yourself:

• Does your goal come with a deadline?
• When do you want to achieve this goal?

For example, “I will start jogging and workout from the 1st of September, and I will lose five pounds by the end of November.” It’s best to break down your SMART goals into three categories: Learning, Performance, and Personal goals. 

Learning Goals

To set a clear learning goal, you can ask these questions to yourself-

• What skills or knowledge do I need to learn to achieve success?
• How can I gain those learnings and skills?

Performance Goals

These goals should only focus on things you want to fulfill as a part of your business plan or new job role. You can set the performance goals by asking yourself this question:

• What progress can I make within the 30-60-90-day period?

Personal Goals

You can set personal goals to build a good relationship with your company or business team. Setting a personal goal will help you to find your position within the company. You can create personal goals by asking yourself:

• With whom do I have to build relationships?
• Who are the key people I should network with?
• How can I create credibility, and trust and foster those relationships?

For each specific goal you made for the 30 60 90 days plan, you’ll need at least one metric to determine progress. For each 30 days goal, set a success metric for yourself that’ll track your improvement. 

You can ask yourself questions to set a success metric. For example, “What is success for me, and how will I measure it?”

How to Create a General 30-60-90-Day Plan?

• Create a 30 60 90 day Plan Template:  First draft a template (one example is included in this post) to create your 30 60 90 day plan. You’ll get free templates from websites like  HubSpot   and  Pinteres t. 
• Set Goals:  Decide and categorize SMART goals (learning, performance, personal goals) to make a list on your template.  
• Set 30-Day Target:  The first 30 days of your new job or business will revolve around learning about the company.
• Set 60-Day Target:  Implement your learnings from the first 30 days to understand your responsibility in the company.
• Set 90-Day Target:  The last 30 days will be about leading a team. Use the knowledge you gained during the first 60 days to lead a team confidently. 

Here’s an Example of One Such 30-60-90-Day Plan

Your 30-60 90-day business plan will depend on your work purpose and priority. You can follow the below-mentioned 30-60 90-day plan template to learn how to create an organized business plan.

30 Days (First Month): Focus on Learning

The 30 days of the first month of our 30-60 90-day business plan will entirely be for your learning cycle. During this time, you will learn about the company, your part, and your position in the company. You will learn about your goal and activities within the company.

If you are already working in a company and seeking a promotion, creating a 30-60 90-day business plan won’t be a headache for you. If you are a newbie using a business plan can be a little tricky. You can resolve this by asking your company’s managers and colleagues some questions to create an outline for the plan.

60 Days (Second Month): Plan to be a Worker

In the second month, you have to start implementing the learnings you gathered during the first 30 days of your business plan. You can start working on your goal by using the learning from the first 30 days.

When you try to hone a new skill, you should accept criticism. In this stage, you should seek feedback from your superiors and colleagues. It can be via an online survey as well. In this second month, you can work on landing New clients and working on your weekly goals!

To create intriguing online surveys, you can sign up for SurveySparrow for free.

90 Days (Third Month): Plan to be a Leader

In the final month of your 30-60 90-day business plan, you should be confident about your responsibility and role in the company. In this final month, you will understand how your company runs, your duty, how one thing impacts another, etc.

You would also understand how realistic changes can benefit your company and co-workers. In this phase of your 30 60 90 days business plan, you will take the lead in performing tasks. You will handle essential projects and communicate with your colleagues to bring progress within the company.

Here is a template of  a 30 60 90 days sales plan  for a sales representative. If you want to inspire what goals you should set, consider this plan as your savior!

First 1-30 Days 

Focus:  Learning

• Learn about your role on the business team and the whole company
• Understand the expectations your company has for you
• Learn how the company’s internal and external process works
• Explore the challenges your company is currently facing

Learning Goals 

• Please read all the information about the company from its drive or wiki-page
• Gather articles and reports from the manager to learn more
• Get access to the company’s emails, CRM platforms, task management platforms
• Ask for the manager’s recommendation to learn about the leads and clients

Performance Goals:

• Complete your responsibility like making sales calls to clients
• Ask for feedback from your manager about your performance

Personal Goals:

• Meet and network with your managers and co-employees
• Set up meetings to introduce yourself

Second 31-60 Days

Focus:  Performing

• Learn how to make a profound impact on the company
• Learn how to complete your duty with full potential
• Conduct online training or course to know how to manage CRM platforms
• Listen to sales calls and document what you’re learning and observing
• Make sales calls to potential prospects and clients
• Ask a co-worker or manager to give you feedback about your sales calls
• Listen to your own sales calls and take notes on how can you make improvements
• Set meetings with clients or people from the company you haven’t met yet (Ask for lunch or coffee).

Final 61-90 Days

Focus:  Leading

• Start practicing leadership skills
• Make goals for the rest of the year
• Present your personal sales strategy
• Lead a conference, or development session professionally
• Write your sales strategy
• Develop a relationship with clients that results in sales
• Prepare a well-research sales strategy
• Lead sales meetings with your co-employees
• Represent your sales ability in front of your co-employee and manager

Use this 30-60 90-day  plan as an example or template to understand how to create your own sales or business plan. You might need to create online surveys to understand market strategies, employee preferences, and customer feedback  and make a complete plan. SurveySparrow can be your go-to platform for all your online survey needs, business goals and communication, aligned workflows, customer feedback, and employee satisfaction .  

7 Tips to Create an Actionable 30 60 90 Day Plan 

1. Don’t create vague goals. When you create your own 30 60 90 days plan, make sure to think about your overall priorities. Before creating your 30-60 90-day business plan, learn why the company is hiring you. And create your priorities based on that.

For example, if you are getting hired for a senior-level job role, your responsibility will be to lead a team or resolve the company’s problem. Based on this responsibility, you can create your specific SMART business goal . 

2. Asking questions is a crucial thing to creating a specific and realistic goal. Whether you are a new employee or still in the interview phase, ask questions. You can ask your managers or new co-employees about the company and your role. It will help you to create more clear priorities in your 30 60 90 days plan.

3. Make the plan short and skimmable. Don’t write one-two page long extended plans in the 30-60-90-day plan template.

4. Avoid any misinterpretation of your plan by making it specific. Use the date, time, and numbers to make it a SMART goal.

5. Always have a growth mindset while following a business or sales plan. If anything goes wrong or not according to the plan, learn from the mistakes.

6. Developing a healthy relationship with your co-workers, clients, and potential leads is a key factor in your 30-60 90-day plan. If you are a new employee, always look for setting several meetings with your managers, colleagues, clients, potential leads, etc. You’ll get a fair share of experience this way.

For instance, ask questions to know more about them, the company culture, processes, challenges, and other relevant questions. 

7. It’s essential to decide how you’ll measure your success. Some success metrics are quantifiable, for example –  Revenues . And some are qualitative, for example,  customer feedback . Try to use qualitative metrics to measure your success.

Wrapping Up

Your 30-60 90-day plan is a conversational tool you should swear by to bring growth and development for you and your company. This plan will include a specific timeline, objective, and SMART goals to measure success.

The plan will help you understand your responsibility within your company. You will be able to show your skills better and be really productive.  Learning new work roles in just three months can be a hassle! But with our 30-60 90-day plan guidelines and examples, you’re all set to tackle the responsibilities in your new job role.

Happy planning! 

Content Marketer at SurveySparrow

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30-60-90-Day Plan (2024 Guide with Examples)

Emily Kho is a writer with a specialization in B2B, edtech and real estate. She has a degree from the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Katie Gray is a Chicago-based editor. She started her career writing and editing content about home services before transitioning to home improvement products. She has spent the last year and a half working at a software company, managing content about CRM, project management and other business topics.

Starting a new position can be both exciting and daunting. To ease this transition, many employers rely on a structured approach known as the 30-60-90-day plan. This framework outlines clear goals and objectives for the first 90 days in a new role, ensuring successful onboarding and adaptation.

In this guide, we at the MarketWatch Guides team explore what a 30-60-90-day plan is and how to create one, complete with examples.

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What Is a 30-60-90-Day Plan?

A 30-60-90-day plan is a strategic action plan that divides the first three months of employment into 30-day segments. Each phase focuses on a different goal or objective, helping the new hire integrate into their role and the company a little at a time.

Benefits of a 30-60-90-Day Plan

The first quarter of employment is a critical period that often determines the pace and direction of a new hire’s trajectory within the company. Here is how a 30-60-90-day plan helps with these 90 days.

For Employees

A well-crafted 30-60-90-day plan provides a clear understanding of expectations, helping the employee organize their time. Having this sort of structure reduces their anxiety and increases their confidence.

For Managers

From a managerial perspective, a 30-60-90-day plan is invaluable for monitoring a new hire’s individual performance and team integration. It helps identify roadblocks early on to get the team member running at full capacity as soon as possible.

When To Create a 30-60-90-Day Plan

The ideal time to draft a 30-60-90-day plan is just before the new team member joins. Crafting this plan prior to the start date equips the new hire with a sense of direction. However, the plan continues to get refined into the first month of employment with real-time exposure to how the employee integrates into the work environment.

How To Create a 30-60-90-Day Plan

Crafting a 30-60-90-day plan requires thoughtful consideration of both the role’s demands and the individual’s personal goals. This plan acts as a personalized roadmap, guiding the new hire through the crucial first three months in a structured manner. 

Here is how you create one with the above in mind:

• Explain the organization and role: Ensure your new hire understands their job’s key responsibilities as well as the company’s wider objectives that they’re supporting.
• Set goals for each 30-day phase: Set goals for each 30-day period of the 30-60-90-day plan. Make these goals about getting acquainted with the role and company and starting to own the role’s responsibilities.
• Break goals into actions: Break down the goals into actionable steps so that the hire knows what to do to accomplish them.
• Establish metrics to track progress: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for each goal. Use these KPIs to quantitatively assess the hire’s progress toward achieving their goals.

By following these steps, hiring managers can create a comprehensive and effective 30-60-90-day plan that sets their new hire up to hit the ground running.

Setting SMART 30-60-90-Day Goals

The key part of a 30-60-90-day plan is to lay out goals for the new hire. We recommend using the SMART framework for this. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. 

Below, we take a closer look at this concept by showing you what SMART goals might look like for different roles.

Sales 30-60-90-Day SMART Goals

SMART goals on a sales team should focus on learning company products, building client relationships, and getting some sales.

Engineering 30-60-90-Day SMART Goals

In engineering, the initial period is typically about understanding the technical environment, integrating into the development team and starting to contribute to any current and new projects.

30-60-90-Day Tips for Managers

As a manager, a 30-60-90-day plan enhances your ability to guide the new employee through their initial months. Here are some tips on how to implement this plan to ensure a smooth transition and set the stage for long-term success:

Set Expectations

• Discuss responsibilities and priorities: Communicate what is expected of the new hire in terms of deliverables and behavior.
• Collaborate on achievable, realistic goals: Work together to set goals that are challenging yet attainable, ensuring that they align with both the team’s and the organization’s objectives.
• Explain the company: Explain the company’s mission, vision, core values and history to help the new hire assimilate to the company’s culture.

Foster Growth

• Make introductions to key colleagues: Set up introductory meetings with direct team members and other employees who could help the new hire during onboarding and beyond.
• Ensure access to tools and trainings: Give the employee access to the tools they need to do their job as well as additional resources they can use in the future to improve their skills.
• Promote proactive problem solving: Encourage the new hire to propose process improvements as they review team and role documentation to foster a mindset of innovation.

Track Progress

• Maintain open communication: Encourage a two-way dialogue to build a trusting relationship where both parties feel comfortable bringing up any concerns.
• Schedule regular check-ins: Meet once a week to review progress, provide feedback and adjust goals as necessary.
• Give constructive feedback: Offer specific and actionable feedback that the new hire can use to grow and improve in their role.

30-60-90-Day Tips for Employees

For an employee, the 30-60-90-day plan is a valuable tool for navigating the early stages of their career at a new company. Here is how they can maximize the benefits of this tool:

Prepare Thoroughly

• Study role expectations: Understand the specifics of your new job, including the skills, responsibilities and deliverables.
• Learn about the company and team: Familiarize yourself with the company culture and team dynamics to better integrate yourself.
• Create likely scenarios: Anticipate potential challenges you might face, and plan how you would address them.

Set Milestones

• Outline measurable targets: Work with your manager to set clear, quantifiable goals for what you want to achieve in each phase of your 30-60-90-day plan.
• List project checkpoints: Identify key points in your projects or tasks where you can pause to assess your progress.
• Identify resource requirements: Determine if you need additional support or documentation outside of what your manager provides you.

Maintain Accountability

• Share updates proactively: Communicate your progress to your manager and team, showing initiative and transparency.
• Highlight completed actions: Use the progress updates with your manager and team to discuss what you have accomplished and how it aligns with your goals.
• Realign goals as needed: Be open to modifying your goals based on the evolving needs of your role, team and organization.

Conducting 90-Day Reviews

A 90-day review is a new hire’s final onboarding check-in. It is more than just a formality; it wraps up the onboarding process , offering a structured platform for reflection, feedback and adjustment.

During this performance review, engage in open and honest dialogue about how the first 90 days went. Here are some potential questions to ask:

• What have you done well in the first 90 days?
• What needs improvement moving forward?
• Do you feel like you understand the overall company goals?
• What should your performance goals be moving into the next quarter?
• Have you learned any new skills you didn’t have 90 days ago?

30-60-90-Day Plan Example

Now that we have walked through every aspect of a 30-60-90-day plan, let’s see it in action with a specific example for a marketing manager.

Days 1-30: Orientation

Days 31-60: Initial Contribution

Days 61-90: Full Integration

The above tables demonstrate how a marketing manager can systematically ramp up their understanding and contribution within the first 90 days, setting a strong foundation for their ongoing role in the organization.

The Bottom Line

A 30-60-90-day plan is an essential part of a new hire’s onboarding process, helping them quickly and effectively assimilate into the company and role. Using the 30-60-90-day plan templates and tips in this guide, you can create your own tailored plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 30-60-90-day plan?

A 30-60-90-day plan is an outline of a new hire’s first 90 days on the job. It lays out what tasks they must complete to understand the company, team and role.

What is a 90-day review for a new hire?

A 90-day review is a meeting between a new hire and their manager that happens at the end of the hire’s third month. The manager assesses progress and provides feedback to set the hire up to excel as they finish onboarding and become a full-fledged employee.

What should I include in a 30-60-90-day plan?

In a 30-60-90-day plan, include goals to achieve, steps to take, resources to use and metrics to track. Each phase — 1-30 days, 31-60 days and 61-90 days — should have its own goals, steps, resources and metrics.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at  editors@marketwatchguides. com .

Related Articles

Free 30-60-90 Day Plan Template for Interviews

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Interview Preparation

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

One of the best ways to stand out in your interview is to create a 90-day business plan (also called a 30-60-90-day plan) to show employers how you’ll help them in the first three months on the job.

Having a plan to learn the job and succeed quickly is going to set you apart from other candidates and make you more attractive to employers.

Let’s look at how to create a plan that will land you the job…

How to Create a 90-Day Business Plan for Job Interviews

I recommend splitting your 90-day business plan into three sections: 0-30 days, 30-60 days, and 60-90 days.

So we’ll actually be creating a 30-60-90 day plan.

We’ll divide it into three periods, and you’ll outline different goals and milestones for each of the first three months.

I’ll help you do this below.

If you prefer to lump everything together into a single 90-day period, that’s fine too.

What to Write About in Your 30-60-90 Day Business Plan

In your business plan, you want to show the interviewer the following:

• You understand what the job involves
• You’re capable of quickly learning and performing the job duties
• You’re motivated to learn and do the work
• How you plan on learning and succeeding. Which specific steps will you take to reach your goals?

So let’s look at each 30-day period now, and what should go into each…

The First 30 Days

In the first part of your business plan, you’ll want to focus on training/learning.

The company likely has a training program (if you’re not sure, this is a good question to ask in the interview ).

So what is your plan to make the most of their training, and get up to speed quickly?

This could include reviewing and studying at home each night for the first week, staying 30 minutes late to review what you learned each day, finding a teammate to have lunches with, or finding a fellow new hire to review with (if you’re in a training class with multiple people).

Other things to talk about in the first part of your plan:

• How will you learn about the company’s products/services ?
• If you’re new to this industry, how will you learn the industry/market overall?
• How will you learn this company’s systems and procedures? (They might have an employee booklet you can review, so include some time to review this in the first 30-day period of your business plan.

Your goal in this section is to show them you have a detailed plan and a lot of motivation to learn the basics of the job and understand how they operate quickly.

The Next 30 Days

The next 30 days should focus on how you’ll learn and improve by “doing”.

By now, you should be able to start using what you’ve learned to perform some of the job duties on your own.

You might be interacting with team members, customers, etc. (this will depend on your specific position)

And while learning is still a focus here, you want to show them that you plan on being ready to work hands-on and learn in a real-world environment.

Also, a big part of this section should be getting feedback from your manager to see how you’re progressing.

What is your plan for checking in, receiving and organizing feedback, and using it to improve?

Most new employees wait for their manager to set up a meeting to review their performance…

Show the interviewer that you’re different – that you’ll take initiative and be responsible for this yourself.

Employers love when a job candidate seems proactive and self-starting.

The Final 30 Days

In the final 30 days of your 90-day plan, you want to show the interviewer that you’ll be ready to use everything you’ve learned to work independently.

You’ll be up-to-speed, contributing to the team’s efforts, and not requiring any more supervision/help than anyone else on the team.

You may also want to talk about ways you’ll go above and beyond the basic job duties now.

This could include looking for processes that can be improved, finding new ways to help the company get more customers, etc.

Also, you can still include steps for getting feedback and continuing to improve.

But it should be less of a focus here. The main focus now should be on contributions, independent work, and “taking off” with what you’ve learned.

What will you be able to do for them? What will you be contributing after 90 days?

Using S.M.A.R.T. Goals

When talking about a specific goal or objective in your 90-day job interview plan, try to use SMART goals whenever possible.

SMART goals are:

Saying, “I plan on being very good at serving customers after 90 days,” doesn’t say much.

However, it sounds a lot more impressive if you say something like, “At the 90-day mark, I plan on achieving 120% of the monthly goal for customer service calls taken, and I will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 98% or greater.”

Using “Learning Goals” and “Performance Goals”

One strategy I’ve seen used very effectively is to divide your main goals for each 30-day period into two different categories: Learning Goals and Performance Goals.

You’ll have more Learning Goals than Performance Goals in the first 30-day period.

Then, as you move through the plan, you’ll gradually shift to having more Performance Goals, and fewer Learning Goals (but still some!)

You can also add one or two personal goals, such as having lunch with one new team member per week, or visiting the gym after work two nights per week to stay healthy.

Don’t worry if this sounds complicated. Coming up soon I’m going to show you a full example of a 90-day plan for your interview, that you can copy. 

And in that sample business plan, you’ll see the three different categories laid out (Learning Goals, Performance Goals, and Personal Goals).

Creating and Formatting Your 90-Day Plan

If you’re comfortable making a good-looking document in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or some other word-processing software, feel free to use that to create your 30-60-90 day business plan.

Otherwise, I’d recommend using Canva.com .

The website has great templates for creating a PDF, and it’s free to use. I use it myself for creating images and PDF guides for this blog .

Make it EASY to Skim and Read

I’d keep the whole document to 1-2 pages maximum.

It’s an outline/presentation, not an essay. 

Try to avoid long paragraphs and giant blocks of text with no spacing.

Make it skimmable and easy to read.

Use headers, bullets, etc.

Here’s a full example of how you might lay out your 90-day plan…

30-60-90 Day Plan Template/Example:

0-30 Days: (Write your main focus and objective here. The priority should be learning and getting up to speed on the basics as quickly as possible. What will you need to learn to perform well in the job, and how will you learn it?) Learning Goals: Learn the company’s entire product offering Study the top 3 competitors’ product offerings to understand strengths/weaknesses Review training manual, and bring any questions to direct supervisor before the end of month 1 Listen to at least 4 sales calls per week with senior team members Learn all industry terminology so I’ll be ready to communicate effectively with prospects and customers Meet with supervisor at the end of each week to discuss progress, questions, and results achieved Performance Goals: Score 100% on the training manual examination on week 3 Personal Goals: Get coffee with each team member before the end of the first month 30-60 Days: (Write your main focus for the next 30 day period here. You should still be learning, but the focus now shifts to taking what you’ve learned and using it in the real world. You want to start doing the work and learning through experience). Learning Goals: Continue listening to 4 sales calls per week with senior team members Find team members to listen to at least 10 of my sales calls per week and provide feedback Meet with supervisor twice per week to ensure I continue learning and progressing as quickly as possible. This will include reviewing my sales call results and the tactics I’m using and working on as I listen to team members Take one free LinkedIn Learning course to improve my sales skills outside of work hours Performance Goals: Conduct a minimum of 12 sales calls per day Convert one sales call per week into a customer Qualify leads and do thorough research of potential clients before calling, so that at least 80% of prospects I speak with are fully-qualified for our products Follow up with each potential prospect/lead within four business days of initial conversation Personal Goals: Have at least two lunches with Supervisors or Team Leaders from other departments to grow my network and better understand how other areas of the organization work. 60-90 Days: (Now you’ll want to show that you’re ready to produce at a high level and be a valuable member of the team. Your learning is never fully done, but this section should talk far less about learning, and really focus on demonstrating what you’ll DO for the employer after 90 days on the job.) Learning Goals: Meet with supervisor once per week to track progress and continue learning sales tactics Performance Goals: Conduct a minimum of 25 outbound sales calls per day Convert 4 sales calls per week into customers Qualify leads and do thorough research of potential clients before calling, so that at least 90% of prospects I speak with are fully-qualified for our products Ask for referrals after each completed sale, and/or after determining a sale is not going to occur. Goal: Obtain five qualified referrals per week and contact each referral within 24 hours. Personal Goals: Join the gym and go every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for one hour minimum.

You can alter this example however you want. This is just one way to set up your 30-60-90 day plan for a job interview.

If you invest the time into creating a plan like this, it will make you stand out and will boost your chances of receiving a job offer.

And once you’ve created a template for yourself, you can re-use it for multiple interviews by changing the basic details to match each job.

How and When to Show Interviewers Your 90-Day Plan

The best time to mention your 90-day plan is at the beginning of the interview.

As you sit down, mention that you brought it by saying something like this:

“By the way – I put together a 90-day plan demonstrating some of the ideas I had for what I could accomplish in the first 3 months in the role. Whenever you think it fits well into the conversation, I’d love to show you some of what I was thinking.”

Now they’re immediately impressed with your preparation and effort, and they can decide whether they want to look at it immediately or discuss your 90-day plan later in the interview.

Either way, you won’t have to constantly think about finding the right to mention it, and you’ll make a fantastic first impression to begin your interview. 

The “Hidden” Benefit of Creating a 30-60-90 Day Plan for Interviews

The steps and free template above involve some work, so you may be thinking, “Is it really worth creating my 30-60-90-day plan for my interview?”

In case you’re on the fence, here’s one of the biggest benefits that you may not have realized.

Creating your plan doesn’t just show hiring managers you’re motivated and ready to hit the ground running.

It also better prepares you for the interview, and for responding to all of the questions that they’re planning on asking you.

You can’t create a 90-day plan without researching the team and company, reviewing the job description, etc.

So you’re going to have a big advantage throughout the interview in terms of showing your new manager that you grasp the role and know what’s needed in the first 30 days, 60 days, and beyond.

You’ll be able to ask better and more unique questions in the interview , too. While other candidates are asking simple questions like, “What is the company’s mission?” or, “What are the typical working hours?” you can ask advanced questions like:

“As mentioned in my 90-day plan, I’d like to be able to contribute <key goal> within the first 60 days. To do that, I’ll need to absorb as much information as possible in my first month. Can you share a bit about what type of training is provided to new hires, and what type of feedback I’d get from my new manager and team as I learn the fundamentals in those first 30 days?”

The bottom line is:

By creating a 90-day plan for your job interview, you’ll not only impress the hiring manager with your effort, but you’ll also be much better prepared for the interview as a whole so that you can land a new job faster.

Employers will see that you’re focused on being a high performer when starting a new job and that you’re already well-informed about the role and their needs and ready to contribute at a high level as soon as you’re hired. This will impress any hiring manager.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

4 thoughts on “Free 30-60-90 Day Plan Template for Interviews”

Thanks for the generous guidance. I have a job interview coming and they said they will send me the topic for creating a 30-60-90 plan the day before the interview, but never created one before, so this was very, very useful!

Is there a template please that you have

This is very timely information. I was asked to bring a 90 day plan to my face to face interview later this week. Thank you!!

Hello have you got an example of your presentation x

Comments are closed.

30 60 90 Day Plan

A 30-60-90 day plan is a tool to help you outline the first 90 days of a new job or role. It will help you think about what you need to achieve and reflect on your progress.

Add your objectives to reach in your first 30, 60, and 90 days. Be realistic but be flexible. As you learn more about the new environment, your objectives may change.

Make your plan more tangible by adding metrics to the objectives. Try to make them specific, for example, to the objective "Have 1 on 1s with my new team", A metric could be as simple as "Scheduled 8 calls with each of my 8 colleagues".

Add any learnings, achievements, or notes as you progress through, and you will have a great picture to reflect on by day 90.

Congratulations, and good luck on your new adventure!!

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The 30-60-90-Day Blueprint: Your Path to Key Account Success

Milind Katti

COO & Co-Founder, DemandFarm

Powering Progress: The 30-60-90-Day Blueprint Plan for Key Account Excellence

Your Guide to Key Account Management Excellence. Learn how the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint powers progress, fostering sustainable business growth.

In the world of B2B sales, success is all about relationships. The most important of these relationships is with your key accounts. That is the customers who have the potential to generate the most revenue for your business. By building and managing long-term relationships with your key accounts , you can create a foundation for sustainable growth.

The 30-60-90-Day Blueprint is a time-bound, comprehensive approach to Key Account Management . It breaks down your first 90 days into three phases:

• The 30-day phase: You actively engage in learning and comprehending the intricacies of your key accounts . During this period, you diligently gather essential information about their businesses, goals, and challenges, establishing a strong foundation for your future interactions.
• The 60-day phase: The focus shifts towards building robust relationships and delivering exceptional value. To achieve this, you strategically devise and execute plans tailored to meet the specific needs of each key account, aiming not only to meet but also exceed their expectations.
• The 90-day phase: Your efforts are geared towards cementing and solidifying these newly formed relationships. It is crucial to continue delivering value consistently, ensuring that your key accounts remain content and satisfied. This stage sets the groundwork for long-term success and opens the doors to further growth and opportunities.

Through sustained dedication and customer-centricity, you position yourself as a trusted partner for your key accounts, fostering enduring relationships that propel mutual prosperity.

Understanding the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint

The 30-60-90-Day Blueprint is your trusted roadmap in Key Account Management, guiding your journey with strategic precision. This game plan operates on understanding, delivering value, and building strong relationships, gradually leading to long-term success. By breaking down KAM into manageable stages, it eliminates guesswork and empowers you with a clear vision, focusing your efforts on specific goals while optimizing resource utilization.

As a catalyst for progress, each stage builds upon the previous, ensuring continuous growth. With a keen understanding of your key accounts , you can effectively cater to their needs, consistently deliver value, and forge powerful strategic relationships. Follow the proven path of the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint to unlock the full potential of your key accounts, driving increased revenue, heightened customer satisfaction, and strengthened relationships.

The First 30 Days: Building a Strong Foundation

The first 30 days of the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint are all about getting to know your key accounts. Knowledge is power, and in this phase, the spotlight is on in-depth research and analysis. Gather information about their businesses, their goals, their challenges, and their expectations. This information will help you understand your key accounts’ needs and how best you can meet them.

You’ll also start to build relationships with your key accounts . This means communicating with them regularly and listening to their needs. It also means being responsive to their requests and going the extra mile to help them succeed. Through effective communication, you understand the nuances of your clients’ needs – giving you an edge in offering them precisely what they need.

With a solid understanding and clear objectives, you can craft an actionable plan. This roadmap outlines the steps you’ll take to meet and exceed your clients’ expectations, making the first stride towards a mutually beneficial relationship.

By the end of the first 30 days, you’ll have a solid understanding of your key accounts and their needs. You’ll also have started to build strong relationships with them. This will put you in a great position to deliver value and achieve mutually beneficial results.

The Next 60 Days: Driving Growth and Value

The second stage of the blueprint, spanning the next 60 days, moves the lens from understanding to action. With deep insight into your key accounts’ needs and goals, you’re well-positioned to deliver value and drive growth.

The first step in this next phase is developing a customized account strategy . This plan, tailored to your key account’s needs, will outline how you will enhance engagement, identify growth avenues, and drive account expansion. Your strategy must be flexible, allowing for modifications based on evolving needs and market dynamics.

An important aspect of this phase involves exploring opportunities for upselling and cross-selling . By aligning these opportunities with your clients’ needs, you could find additional revenue streams, while simultaneously providing more value to your clients.

Collaboration is essential during this phase. Cross-functional teams within your organization can provide unique insights and skills. This ensures a holistic approach to Key Account Management. By pooling resources and harnessing internal expertise, you create a synergy that amplifies the value delivered to your key accounts.

Project monitoring should not be ignored. Regularly assess your strategy’s effectiveness, identify potential gaps and adjust as required. This cyclical process helps you stay in sync with your key accounts’ expectations. You can thus ensure that your efforts are on the right track.

By the end of the second phase, you’ll have implemented targeted strategies, driven significant growth, and created tangible value for your key accounts. This places you in a strong position to solidify your relationships and lay the foundation for long-term success.

The Final 90 Days: Solidifying Success and Expanding Relationships

The final phase of the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint is about consolidating your success and laying the groundwork for future growth. It’s in this phase that your efforts bear fruit.

You will concentrate on cementing the relationships you’ve built and continuously delivering value to your key accounts. Your primary task is to deliver on promises made and meet client expectations. The emphasis is on maintaining the high bar of performance you’ve set. But you also need to be consistent in the quality of service you provide.

Your ability to meet and surpass expectations will bolster your clients’ confidence in your partnership, and drive their loyalty and satisfaction.

However, it doesn’t stop there. This final phase calls for the provision of continuous value-added solutions. This involves anticipating your key accounts’ future needs and presenting innovative solutions. Through this, you demonstrate a commitment to their ongoing success. Your proactive approach will further reinforce your value as a trusted partner.

Towards the end of this 90-day period, the focus shifts to fostering long-term partnerships. All your work in understanding, strategizing, and delivering value results in a strong, trusting relationship. Your efforts should be directed towards maintaining these relationships. You must find ways to expand them further and promote sustainable growth.

It’s crucial to remember that the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint isn’t an end, but only just a beginning. It’s a cycle of continuous improvement and strengthening relationships. It sets the stage for ongoing growth and success.

By the end of this phase, you’ll have achieved Key Account Excellence, with robust partnerships driving your business to new heights.

The 30-60-90-Day Blueprint: Your Pathway to Sustainable Success

The 30-60-90-Day Blueprint is a valuable business tool. It redefined the way businesses approach Key Account Management. Through its sequential stages – understanding key accounts, delivering value, and fortifying relationships – it creates a path to achieve sustainable growth and attain Key Account Excellence.

One of its greatest qualities is its versatility. This Blueprint isn’t a rigid structure but a dynamic guide that can adapt to the evolving needs of your key accounts. The focus remains on understanding clients, creating value and building relationships for lasting success.

It’s important to keep in mind that this Blueprint isn’t a one-off process. It’s a cyclical journey during which you should mark your continuous progress and growth. Each cycle of the Blueprint pushes your business further along the path of success.

In essence, the 30-60-90-Day Blueprint is more than just a strategy – it’s an ongoing commitment to your key accounts. It’s a resolution to strive for excellence, to improve continually and to grow in your partnerships. It’s this commitment that will help propel your business and ensure that you achieve Key Account Excellence.

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About The Author

Milind is the COO & Co-Founder of DemandFarm. He co-founded DemandFarm to build smart software technology to bring Account Planning and Relationship Intelligence into your CRM, making Key Account Management data-driven, predictable and scalable.Milind has close to 25 years of experience in sales & marketing. He is an Electronics & Communication Engineer with MBA in Marketing. He enjoys long-distance running, loves reading history, and above all else, he is a humanist.

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Now you choose.

Key account management, by nature, is a process-heavy segment that demands the collaboration of cross-functional teams.

Each organization has unique processes and preferences, so ensure you pick a customizable tool with a great support team and one that is intuitive enough to encourage easy adoption within your organization.

If you’re evaluating KAM tools, you might find our Buyer’s Guide for Key Account Management Tools useful

If you want to find out why DemandFarm is the best People.ai alternative, see it for yourself

Successful 30-60-90 day plan

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist, Valamis

December 27, 2021 · updated April 2, 2024

17 minute read

A 30-60-90 day plan can help you prove to a new employer that you know your role within a new company. It demonstrates that you understand the position’s responsibilities and are prepared to tackle them, starting on day one.

A successful plan also helps you to better adapt to your new role and work environment.

What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

When to use a 30-60-90 day plan, benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan, 30-60-90 day plan template with example, 30-60-90 day plan example, tips for creating your own 30-60-90 day plan, 30-60-90 day plan tips for executives and managers.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a formalized document containing intents, goals, and actions that a new employee plans to execute to maximize his efficiency in a new role.

A 30-60-90 day plan can be used in any position or company.

For a regular employee, a 30-60-90 day plan is a way to show the interviewer that you know what to do and have a plan for this new role . It is a type of preparation that a prospective employee might opt to create before their interview, or it might be something an interviewer requests applicants to create.

For executive positions, the purpose of the plan is the same, the only difference is the scale of the plan, or the department level that it would apply to. A prospective manager would prepare the plan to show what they will do to succeed in the role.

The plan should demonstrate that new employees are able to set goals that are in line with the company vision.

This plan is ideal for those who are seeking to make a strong positive impression during an interview.

It demonstrates what you will bring to the job, highlights your seriousness about the position, and shows that your goals dovetail with those of the company.

No matter the level of the role, a strong 30-60-90 day plan can be an asset during the interview process.

Regular level employees can show the value that they will bring to the team, and higher level employees can demonstrate how their leadership will create positive effects within their team or department.

Many hiring managers want to see that their new hires are serious about their jobs and career. This plan gives insight into how a new hire plans to fulfill the goals of their new role, their understanding of various processes and how they tackle challenges.

While it is most commonly used for those who are beginning new positions, it can also be used to work on a new project. The same template can be helpful to set actionable goals and achieve them in regards to a new project that you are working on.

Career development plan template

This template helps employees and leaders plan together for career growth: set goals, assess skills, and make a plan.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a helpful tool for both the candidate and the organization.

When a candidate writes a good plan, they demonstrate competency, while potentially impressing hiring managers.

The organization can then use the plan to judge the potential candidate for suitability within the role, department or team.

Here are a few of the benefits of creating one:

1. Increased chances of being hired

Because you will be doing your homework before the interview, it proves that you are a committed team player.

This often impresses your interviewer and can give you a larger chance of being hired.

2. Positive impression on the interviewer

If you are a new employee or a potential hire, a 30-60-90 day plan can show to your employer that you know what you are doing. It demonstrates that you have a plan in place.

Prepare it prior to your interview even if your interviewer doesn’t request one.

3. Smooth onboarding

Starting a new job can be rough sometimes. A 30-60-90 day plan helps you to better integrate yourself into a new team and makes a smoother transition for you.

In creating this plan, you will have to research the role, the tasks you will be assigned, and set out plans for completing them.

In doing so, you’ll be formulating solutions, considering the best plan of attack, and gaining a deeper understanding of the job. This will help set you up for success from day one.

4. Increased productivity

Because you will have a clear goal to work toward in your first 90 days, you have better focus and increased productivity.

Each day, you should know exactly how your tasks fit into the bigger picture of your 30-60-90 day plan.

There are four key areas that should be included in your 30-60-90 day plan:

• Personal goals
• Actions and metrics

In each phase of your plan, you should have something that you are focused on learning.

This might mean meeting with your team to understand their pain points. It might mean learning the ins and outs of your company’s product to make better sales pitches.

Particularly in the first 30 day phase, you should be doing a great deal of learning.

This is part of your plan that should start to take shape. In what areas can you improve performance (either your own or the company’s)?

This should help you to better align your personal responsibilities with the mission of the team you work with.

Start to narrow down what the priority is so that you can better set personal goals in the next section.

This is the best place to mark down exactly what you want to accomplish.

Make sure that you have some insight into your goals and why they are essential to achieve.

This helps to keep your focus clear and doesn’t allow you to lose sight of the company’s mission.

Action and metrics

This is the stage where you determine how you will measure your progress toward your goals.

How will you know when you have achieved a goal? It is important to have specific qualifying action steps behind each one of your goals so that you do not lose momentum.

• If you want to improve your sales pitch, then you might sit in on a sales call with a seasoned salesperson three times this week.
• If you want to reduce the budget, you might have a goal to spend 10 percent less on office supplies.

Whatever your goal is, you need to have an action step associated with it to help you measure your progress.

During the first thirty days in your new position, you spend as much time as possible learning about your company processes, your team, product or the services you sell. This might involve things like:

• Interviewing team members to assess their strengths
• Joining staff on sales calls to learn more about the product or service
• Interviewing customers to learn more about their needs
• Spending time with customer service to determine where your product or services fall short
• Pinpointing current goals and seeing if progress is being made
• Reviewing the budget

Once you have a firm grasp on who you are working with and how you are expected to perform, it is time to implement new aspects of your role.

For regular employees , the focus should be stepping more fully into your role. You have taken the time to learn what that role is, now you should be beginning to deliver results and reaching good working performance.

For higher level employees , like executives or managers, you will start setting new goals for your team. Create goals based on the information you learned during the first thirty days. This is the time for you to share your new goals with the team and start to hold them accountable for the changes.

Regardless of the level of your role, this is a time for you to set goals along with actionable steps you can take to achieve them.

All goals should be specific and measurable. You should also be able to achieve them within a specific timeframe.

TIP: Set a clear metric so you will know when you have achieved each goal.

For example, if your goal is to improve your sales pitch, you might have a metric of observing a more seasoned sales professional in a number of phone calls. You might also have them listen in on a few of your sales calls to offer constructive feedback .

As you move into the first ninety days of your position, you should be ensuring that your performance is in line with company goals and the goals for your specific role.

You should have a solid foundation of knowledge regarding your job, the ability to complete your tasks properly, and an understanding of how your performance helps the organization.

For employees, this is a prime moment to look towards leadership opportunities. Ask yourself ‘what path do I want to take with this organization?’ and begin to set yourself up for that journey. Take initiative and reach out to stakeholders who may be able to help you.

For management level employees, this is when you can start to make bigger changes. Look at the overall picture of your company or department and determine where changes can be made. Ensure that each team member is where they are supposed to be, review the budget, and replace ineffective processes with new ones.

Much like your goals set for the first sixty days, all goals here should still be measurable, time-bound, and specific. While this is bigger picture thinking, each goal should still be realistic and attainable.

While some hiring professionals will come directly out and ask you for a 30-60-90 day plan, many will not.

It is still an excellent idea to create one to show just how you will stand out in the workplace.

As you begin to write this plan, you should ask yourself: What changes would you make and how would you go about your new role in the first ninety days? This will help you create a solid plan that will impress hiring managers.

1. Identify the company’s mission

You can’t create a plan until you have a clear idea of what the company is looking for.

You should spend a great deal of time researching its mission, core values, and any information you can find on its current processes or products.

Each plan should be catered specifically to the culture of the company you are applying to work for.

2. Thoroughly understand the job description

You should tailor your plan to the position that you are applying for instead of overreaching your bounds.

You might have many ideas for the company as a whole, but pay careful attention to the job description.

• What is the role?
• What would your responsibilities be?
• What expectations does the company have?
• Is there a probation period?

3. Explain your plan thoroughly

When you head into an interview, you must prepare a copy of your 30-60-90 day plan.

It can be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, slides, or paper.

However, you should do more than just slide it across the desk and hope that they understand it. Present it to the interviewer in detail.

4. Don’t be ashamed to brag

Present your plan in great detail.

When you discuss the goals you want to set, it is important to relate these goals to accomplishments you have had in the past.

What have you done that was similar at another company? Focus on your future at this new company but don’t forget about all of the amazing things you have done in the past!

5. Identify your priorities

Setting goals can be challenging if you aren’t aware of your priorities.

Why were you hired for this exact position? Maybe your goal is to solve a specific problem within the team, or perhaps you just need to be the best you can be with your current responsibilities.

Take a few moments to think about the bigger picture of what your job should look like, and then move forward from there.

6. Set measurable goals

All goals that make it onto your list should have a means for you to measure the outcome.

Make sure that you identify how you will measure success on each of the goals that you set.

Try to list quantitative data to support your goals, such as revenue increases, increased website views, and positive customer reviews.

7. Remember to course-correct

Sometimes, starting a new position or project can be overwhelming.

You might set up your plan with the best intentions, but things can change.

If a piece of your plan no longer seems relevant or helpful, it’s okay to have the flexibility to course-correct. Change up your goals if you need to.

8. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

You’ll never get to know your team members or your products unless you are willing to ask good questions.

Spend time with your interviewer or the company representative if they are eager to communicate with you.

Ask any questions you may have about your role and what is expected of you so that you can form clear goals for your plan.

If you are an executive or a manager who has direct reports, your version of a 30-60-90 day plan might look a bit different than a junior employee’s plan.

Here are a few tips to help you get started with your own plan.

1. Take time to learn about direct reports

During your first thirty days, you should be setting aside a large portion of your time to interview your direct reports.

Find out information about them as a person, such as their dreams and goals for their position.

• What are the pain points of their job?
• What barriers are there that stop them from achieving their goals?
• How would they solve those problems?

You should know what their strengths and weaknesses are so that you can see areas where they can improve.

In meeting with each person individually and attentively listening to them, you create a good impression, gain a deep, functional knowledge of your new department, and often will get insight on how to solve these problems.

All of this information can help you to see the current reality of the work environment.

As a new manager or executive, you might be able to help influence change in a way that would boost team morale and productivity.

2. Inform yourself

Consider this step as an extension of the previous one.

Not only should you gather all of the information possible from your recruits, you should spend a lot of time in your first 30 days reading reports, reviewing documentation, talking to other managers, and meeting with higher level executives.

This is the time to ask as many questions as you can, making notes on where you see issues or potential solutions.

3. Create an atmosphere of trust and alignment

During the first 30 days, work to gain the trust of those who will be working under you.

In many organizations, a new manager can represent a threat to how things work, and employees might be resistant to big changes.

You can build this atmosphere by making an effort to get to know them and listening to their thoughts, issues and solutions.

Never diminish the thoughts or opinions of your reports. If you think that they may be wrong, simply ask more questions to better understand their unique point of view. It could be that they are seeing a problem that you don’t.

By working hard at this, you can set yourself up to have a team that trusts that you will be working with their best interests in mind, as well as the organization’s.

4. Identify your strongest employees

By the end of the first 30 days, you should be able to pinpoint who your strongest employees are.

These people will form your A-team, and will be of great service to you.

These are the employees that you will want to include in important projects, as you can depend on them to drive other employees towards reaching their goals.

By having at least a few good employees who you can depend on, you can concentrate more easily on higher level issues, comfortable in the knowledge that your team will be fine without micromanagement.

Through this process, you should also be able to see where skills gaps are in your team, and begin identifying ways to close those gaps.

Plan out ways to invest in your team and grow their strengths.

5. Set SMART goals

Once you enter the second thirty days, it’s time to get some goals down on paper.

You have spent 30 days learning the lay of the land – now you should be in a position to identify issues and solutions.

Upon hiring, you will have been given a solid idea of what the organization expects of you.

After 30 days, you will be able to create actionable goals, begin implementing changes, and really stepping into your role.

6. Review processes

During the second thirty days, you should also be paying close attention to how the processes within your department work.

Often, a fresh set of eyes can see problems – and solutions – to processes that didn’t scale well, are no longer optimized, or otherwise simply don’t work as well as they could.

It is easy to get bogged down with ‘we’ve always done it this way’ and not see how change can be a positive.

As you learn how things are done, and why, you will likely be able to identify better ways of getting things done.

7. Implement changes to meet company goals

You should take everything you learned in the first 60 days, and implement changes in the final 30 days.

• Reduce bottlenecks,
• Implement new processes,
• Introduce new staff or training methods,
• Bring new ideas to achieve better performance.

From the executive level to the day-to-day management of your team or department, you should be leaning in, contributing what you can, asking questions, and generally participating to the best of your ability.

8. Identify your staffing needs

As you enter into your final 30 days, you should have a solid handle on how things are run in your department, and how capable your staff is.

Now is the time to take a close look at your staffing needs and see if they are being met.

• Are there bottlenecks in one department, holding things up for everyone else?
• Are there certain employees that need to take time for training before they can perform up to expectations?
• Could things be made smoother with new hires to help ease the workload?

Look at the short, middle, and long-term goals you have set. Create a hiring plan with those in mind.

9. Conduct regular meetings

Throughout this process, you should be checking in with your team on a regular basis.

You should have weekly meetings with your team to track progress and see how things are progressing on the goals set for the sixty- and ninety-day portions of your plan.

Depending on your work environment, these may be one-on-one meetings or a weekly team gathering.

Figure out what works best for your business, and then make these meetings a mandatory part of the company culture.

Try a 30-60-90 day plan template from Altassian in Trello.

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How to Give an Interview Presentation That'll Convince the Entire Room You're the One

As your career advances , you’ll find that closing that final interview with a bang and subsequently getting an offer takes more than strong answers, recognition of a good fit, and great chemistry with the hiring team.

In fact, for many higher-level jobs, you can probably expect to present some of your intellectual property. This is an opportunity for your future leadership team to see what they’ll really be getting if they hire you.

One smart way to differentiate yourself as a candidate is by developing a solid 90-day plan if you’re asked to present something in your final interview. This is an opportunity for you to articulate how you’ll show up to solve the problems the employer is hiring you to manage.

A 90-day plan shows the employer three key things: your understanding of the mission for which you’re being hired, evidence that you have the goods to make your manager look like a rock star for hiring you, and your ability to plan and execute quickly to make an impact for best results.

As you move up and your title changes, your time to deliver results is intensely scrutinized, and at a more accelerated rate. The truth is, you’ll have approximately 90 days to prove you’re an asset to the company. With that said, here’s what employers are looking for:

1. Clear Priorities

After an in-depth interview or two, you should have a very clear idea of the specific things you’ll be expected to deliver and how hot each issue is. You want to learn the pain points that are keeping the employer up at night.

Based on the interviews you’ve had, the research you’ve done, and the questions you’ve asked, you should be able to smoothly articulate the most important issues and priorities that you’ll address in the first 90 days.

2. SMART Actions

As you build your presentation out, you’ll want to include specific tasks you plan to accomplish and in what timeframe along with what people or resources you expect to need in order to make those things happen. Use the SMART acronym: Set goals that are specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. No time like the 90-day plan for that. And all of your actions should tie back to the priorities you’ve identified in the first step.

3. Well-Defined Success Measures

One benefit of creating this timeline is that it gives you the opportunity to set the definition of success as early as possible. You and your manager must align on that, or there’ll be tension. After all, you don’t want a to build a plan that delivers success in the form of improving time to market the latest app, when your future boss thinks success is doubling the revenue in six months. Make sure you have a very clear understanding of the company's wants and needs and have your goals reflect that knowledge.

4. Quantifiable Impact Measures

List specifically how you want to measure the success of your actions. And make sure you’re aligned with your boss and the organization on what that looks like.

You can also include a test for the “so what” factor in your presentation. The real measure of your work is the impact it has on the organization. As a result of the actions you’re outlining, do you anticipate sales increasing by X%? Expenses being reduced by Y%? Resolving a hiccup in the manufacturing process that saves $X per quarter?

An action without impact is a task. As you identify your specific action strategies, and how you’ll measure success, make sure you also tie it to the impact that action will have on the organization. Ask yourself, “How will the organization be better when I deliver on these outcomes?” and then show that!

5. Scorecard

An essential part of any 90-day plan is building a report out. As you put your thoughts to paper, be sure to include the summary of actions, progress, and updates your manager will see each week. Design your report out in an easy to follow summary you can update each week. Think of it as a mini billboard of your accomplishments.

When you do, you’ll be building a visual story of your pathway to success, enabling your future manager to easily share your success with higher ups, and report on what an awesome hire she’s made. And what boss doesn’t want to get high fived for that?

You don’t have to be in a VP or C-level interview to use this great technique for differentiating yourself from the competition. I encourage clients in even the early stages of their careers to think about how they would approach a new position, what their plan would be. If you can find an opportunity to show the hiring manager how you organize your thoughts, and how you’d develop a strategy for approaching the new position, you’ll give yourself an edge over the other candidates.

Whatever level job you’re applying for, it’s smart to think about how you’d make an impact in the first 90 days. Be aggressive but realistic about how you’d get quick wins, and address pain points you’re aware the employer needs your help with. This approach goes above and beyond the standard interview Q&A.

Photo of interview presentation courtesy of Jetta productions/Getty Images.

Use This Simple Business Plan Outline to Organize Your Plan

12 min. read

Updated April 10, 2024

When starting a business, having a well-thought-out business plan prepared is necessary for success . It helps guide your strategy and prepares you to overcome the obstacles and risks associated with entrepreneurship. In short, a business plan makes you more likely to succeed.

However, like everything in business, starting is often the hardest part. What information do you need? How in-depth should each section be? How should the plan be structured?

All good questions that you can answer by following this business plan outline. 

• What is a business plan outline?

A business plan outline is similar to most business plan templates . It lists the common sections that all business plans should include.

A traditional business plan typically includes an executive summary, an overview of your products and services, thorough market research, a competitive analysis, a marketing and sales strategy, operational and company details, financial projections, and an appendix. 

• Why is a business plan outline important?

Starting with a business plan outline helps ensure that you’re including all of the necessary information for a complete business plan. 

But, depending on what you intend to do with your plan, you may not need all of this information right away. If you’re going to speak with investors or pursue funding, then yes, you’ll need to include everything from this outline.

But, if you’re using your plan to test an idea or help run your business, you may want to opt for a one-page plan . This is a simpler and faster method that is designed to be updated and used day-to-day. 

If you’re unsure of which plan is right for you, check out our guide explaining the differences and use cases for each plan type . 

• 10 key sections in a standard business plan outline

No matter the type of business plan you create, these are the ten basic sections you should include. Be sure to download your free business plan template to start drafting your own plan as you work through this outline.

1. Executive summary

While it may appear first, it’s best to write your executive summary last. It’s a brief section that highlights the high-level points you’ve made elsewhere in your business plan.

Summarize the problem you are solving for customers, your solution, the target market, your team that’s building the business, and financial forecast highlights. Keep things as brief as possible and entice your audience to learn more about your company. 

Keep in mind, this is the first impression your plan and business will make. After looking over your executive summary, your reader is either going to throw your business plan away or keep reading. So make sure you spend the time to get it just right.

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2. Products and services

Start the products and services section of your business plan by describing the problem you are solving for your customer. Next, describe how you solve that problem with your product or service. 

If you’ve already made some headway selling your solution, detail that progress here—this is called “traction”. You can also describe any intellectual property or patents that you have if that’s an important part of your business.

3. Market analysis 

You need to know your target market —the types of customers you are looking for—and how it’s changing.

Use the market analysis section of your business plan to discuss the size of your market—how many potential customers exist for your business—and if your potential customers can be segmented into different groups, such as age groups or some other demographic.

4. Competition

Describe your competition in this section. If you don’t have any direct competitors, describe what your customers currently do to solve the problem that your product fixes. 

If you have direct competition, detail what your strengths and weaknesses are in comparison, and how you’ll differentiate from what is already available. 

5. Marketing and sales

Use this business plan section to outline your marketing and sales plan —how you’ll reach your target customers and what the process will be for selling to them.

You’ll want to cover your market position, marketing activities, sales channels, and your pricing strategy. This will likely evolve over time, but it’s best to include anything that clearly details how you will sell and promote your products and services. 

6. Operations

What’s included in the operations section really depends on the type of business you are planning for. If your business has a physical location or other facilities, you’ll want to describe them here. If your business relies heavily on technology or specific equipment or tools, you should describe that technology or equipment here.

You can also use this section to describe your supply chain if that’s an important aspect of your business. 

7. Milestones and metrics

In a business, milestones are important goals that you are setting for your business. They may be important launch dates, or a timeline of when you’ll get regulatory approval—if that’s something you need for your business. Use this section of your plan to describe those milestones and the roadmap you are planning to follow.

You can also describe important metrics for your business, such as the number of sales leads you expect to get each month or the percentage of leads that will become customers.

8. Company overview and team

The company and team section of your plan is an overview of who you are.

It should describe the organization of your business, and the key members of the management team. It should also provide any historical background about your business. For example, you’ll describe when your company was founded, who the owners are, what state your company is registered in and where you do business, and when/if your company was incorporated.

Be sure to include summaries of your key team members’ backgrounds and experience—these should act like brief resumes—and describe their functions with the company. You should also include any professional gaps you intend to fill with new employees.

9. Financial plan and forecasts

Your financial plan should include a sales forecast, profit and loss, cash flow projections, and balance sheet, along with a brief description of the assumptions you’re making with your projections.

If you are raising money or taking out loans, you should highlight the money you need to launch the business. This part should also include a use of funds report—basically an overview of how the funding will be used in business operations. 

And while it’s not required, it may be wise to briefly mention your exit strategy . This doesn’t need to be overly detailed, just a general idea of how you may eventually want to exit your business. 

10. Appendix

The end of your business plan should include any additional information to back up specific elements of your plan. More detailed financial statements, resumes for your management team, patent documentation, credit histories, marketing examples, etc. 

• Detailed business plan outline

If you’re looking for greater insight into what goes into specific planning sections, check out the following outline for a business plan. It can help you develop a detailed business plan or provide guidance as to what may be missing from your current plan. 

Keep in mind that every business plan will look a bit different because every business is unique. After all, business planning is to help you be more successful, so focus on the sections that are most beneficial to your business and skip the sections that aren’t useful or don’t apply. 

To help, we’ve marked sections that are truly optional with an *.

Executive summary

Company purpose / mission statement.

A very brief description of what your business does and/or what its mission is.

Problem We Solve

A summary of the problem you are solving and an identifiable need in the market you are filling.

Our Solution

A description of the product or service you will provide to solve the problem.

Target Market

A defined customer base who will most likely purchase the product or service.

Briefly describe who is behind the business.

Financial Summary

A short overview of revenue goals and profitability timeline.

If you’ve already started selling your product or service, highlight important initial details here.

Funding Needed*

If you are raising money for your business, describe how much capital you need.

Products & Services

Problem worth solving.

A thorough description of the problem or pain points you intend to solve for your customer base. 

A thorough description of your proposed product or service that alleviates the problem for your customer base.

Describe any initial evidence that your customers are excited to spend money on your solution. Initial sales or signed contracts are good signs.

Intellectual Property/Patents*

If this is important for your business, outline it here.

Regulatory Requirements*

If government approval is required for your business, explain the details and timeline.

Future Products and Services*

What products and services might you offer in the future once your initial products and services are successful?

Market Size & Segments

How many potential customers do you have and what potential groups of customers are separated by specific characteristics?

Market Trends*

How consumers in your target market tend to act including purchasing habits, financial trends, and any other relevant factors.

Market Growth*

The perceived potential increase or decrease in the size of your target market.

Industry Analysis*

If your industry is changing or adjusting over time, describe those changes.

Key Customers*

If your business relies on certain important customers, describe who they are here.

Future Markets*

A snapshot of the potential market based on the last few sections and how your business strategy works within it.

Competition 

Current alternatives.

A list of potential competitors. Identifying the competition isn’t always obvious and it may take some digging on your part.

Our Advantages

The strategic advantage(s) that makes your target market more likely to choose you over the competition. 

Barriers to Entry*

If there’s anything that makes it more difficult for other people to start competing with you, describe those barriers.

Marketing & Sales

Market positioning.

Where do your products or services fit into the market? Are you the low-price leader or the premium option?

Unique value proposition*

What’s special about your offering that makes your customers want to choose it over the competition.

Marketing Plan

An outline of your marketing and advertising strategy including costs, advertising channels, and goals.

How do you sell your product or service? Self-serve or with a team of sales representatives?

Pricing Strategy*

Describe your pricing and how it compares to alternatives in the market.

Distribution*

Describe how your product gets in front of customers. Are you selling in stores and online? Which retailers?

SWOT Analysis*

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Location & Facilities

If you have a physical presence, describe where and what it is.

What technology is crucial for your business success?

Equipment & Tools

If special equipment or tools are needed for your business, describe them here.

Sourcing and fulfillment*

If you purchase your products or parts for your products from somewhere else, describe that sourcing and supply chain.

Partners and Resources*

If you have key partners that you work with to make your business a success, describe who they are and what services or products they provide.

Milestones and metrics

A detailed roadmap of specific goals and objectives you plan to achieve will help you manage and steer your business.

Key metrics

Performance measurements that help you gauge the overall performance and health of your business.

Company overview and team

Organizational structure.

An overview of the legal structure of your business. 

Company history and ownership

A summary of your company’s history and how it relates to planning your business.

Management team

The team that is starting or running your business and why they are uniquely qualified to make the business a success.

Management team gaps

Key positions that your business will need to fill to make it successful.

Financial plan and forecast

Projected profit and loss.

How much money you will bring in by selling products and/or services and how much profit you will make or lose after accounting for costs and expenses.

Projected cash flow

How and when cash moves in and out of your business. This also includes your overall cash position.

Projected balance sheet

Expected balances for business assets, liabilities, and equity.

Use of funds

If you are raising money either through loans or investment, explain how funds will be used. This is typically meant to be shared with investors or lenders.

Exit strategy

A brief explanation of how you intend to eventually exit from your business. This could include selling the business, going public, transitioning the business to a family member/employee, etc.

A repository for any additional information, including charts and graphs, to support your business plan.

Business plan outline FAQ

How do you organize your business plan?

There’s no real established order to business plans, aside from keeping the Executive Summary at the top. As long as you have all of the main business plan components, then the order should reflect your goals. 

If this is meant solely for your personal use, lay it out as a roadmap with similar sections grouped together for easy reference. If you’re pitching this to potential investors, lead with the stronger sections to emphasize the pitch. Then if you’re unsure of what order makes sense, then just stick to the outline in this article.

Should you include tables and charts in your business plan?

Every business plan should include bar charts and pie charts to illustrate the numbers. It’s a simple way for you, your team, and investors to visualize and digest complex financial information.

Cash flow is the single most important numerical analysis in a business plan, and a standard cash flow statement or table should never be missing. Most standard business plans also include a sales forecast and income statement (also called profit and loss), and a balance sheet.

How long should your business plan be?

There’s no perfect length for a business plan. A traditional business plan can be anywhere from 10 to 50 pages long depending on how much detail you include in each section. However, as we said before unless you intend to pursue funding, you likely don’t need a lengthy business plan at first.

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

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Written by Jesse Sumrak | November 21, 2023

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Building anything from scratch is a worthwhile challenge.

Baking bread, assembling a bookcase, shaping your career, forming a family—all start with next-to-nothing and end in marvelous works of art. It’s not easy to create something from scratch, but it’s oh-so rewarding.

Building a business is no different. You start with diddly-squat, throw in a bit of hard work and ingenuity, and bring a life-changing idea to existence.

But, where do you begin?

Ah, that’s a good question. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. Our CEO, Nathan Chan, built Foundr from the ground up 10 years ago, so we know a little something-something about building a successful startup with nothing but a seed of an idea and perspiration.

Below, we’ll walk you step by step through how to start a business from scratch. While it’s possible just to wing it and stumble upon success, we believe following a proven roadmap will lead to better odds of triumph—there’s a reason 90% of startups fail .

You won’t be part of that statistic, though, because you’re going to do things the right way. And we’re going to help.

How to Start a Business from Scratch: 10-Step Process

10 steps might sound like a bit much to learn how to start a business from scratch but bear with us. You’ll already know some of this information, and other parts will be brand-new. Feel free to skip around or take it step by step.

We link out to other robust pieces of content (blog posts, videos, and podcasts) to help you learn and absorb everything you need to know to get started. Consider this the go-to resource center for starting your business—we’ll direct you to every tool, lesson, and best practice you need, regardless of where you are in the process.

Use the table of contents below to jump to the right resources faster. Plus, bookmark this article so you can find what you need (when you need it) every step of the way.

Table of Contents

1. Find a Need

2. validate your idea, 3. identify your target market, 4. build your audience, 5. launch an mvp, 6. create a business plan, 7. secure your business and brand, 8. market your products, 9. sell like a boss, 10. scale efficiently.

AI Tools to Start a Business

How to Start a Business From Scratch FAQ

Most businesses fail because they start with a product, service, or brilliant idea. Scratch that and take a step back.

Forget about any innovative solutions or game-changing notions. First, you need to find a problem. It could be your problem, a neighbor’s problem, or a near-and-dear community’s problem. Find it.

Try out these 4 strategies to find inspiration for your business idea:

• Write Down Your Current Problems and Interests: What issues and concerns keep you up at night? What would you pay good money to have someone else fix for you?
• Check Out Product Review Blogs: Have you noticed an under-performing product with potential? What are customers complaining (and praising) about the product? Could you create something better?
• Explore Niche Communities on Reddit: Reddit is a gold mine of customer research. Browse around niche subreddits to see what’s generating hype. Notice any trends?
• Browse Consumer Marketplaces: Best-selling products on Amazon , Etsy, and eBay made it to the top spot for a reason. Analyze what they’re doing right, identify gaps, and see where you might fit in.

These are all just starting points. You’ll still need to validate these ideas to ensure they solve problems for a larger customer base and that they’re willing to pay for a solution. Once you’ve zeroed in on the problem, start brainstorming a product or service that solves it.

Here are a few characteristics of product ideas (that don’t suck) :

• Provides a Strong USP: Your product’s unique selling proposition (USP) makes it stand apart from the competition.
• Delivers Profit Potential: A product idea isn’t good if it can’t be scaled for profit. Think about pricing, expenses, supply and demand, and your audience to determine your product’s long-term profitability.
• Makes Customers Pay: Not every seemingly good idea is worth paying for—Snapchat Spectacles, anyone?
• Satisfies Demand: Some problems aren’t worth solving.
• Doesn’t Confuse Customers: If you can’t explain it to your mom in 60 seconds, it probably needs to go back to the drawing board.

Now that you have a solid business idea, it’s time to justify it. You’re going to be spending a lot of time, money, and energy on your business—it’s best to ensure it has a chance from the get-go before you invest too many resources.

Fortunately, validation isn’t too tricky. The hardest part is listening to feedback and analyzing your business idea objectively. Do that, and you’ll be fine.

Use the following methods to validate your idea. You don’t need to use all of them. Find one that works best for you, your industry, and your situation:

• Foundr’s 3-Step Validation Process: First, launch a survey to your target audience to ask them a few questions. Second, analyze the responses and look for trends and pain points. Lastly, pre-sell your product or service at a discounted rate to see if customers will put their money where their mouth is.
• Smoke Test: We use this method to validate all our online course ideas. Set up a landing page and drive traffic (using social media, email marketing, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements). You don’t even need a completed product yet—just market your idea and see how many people click the big red “Buy Now” button.
• Harry’s Consumer Research: Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield used insights research, focus groups, customer surveys, dummy brands, and live testing to validate Harry’s razors.
• Digital Tools: While these tools are used to validate blog post ideas, they can also substantiate your business. Post ideas on Quora, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit to see if there’s an appetite. If no one is interested in an idea, there’ll probably be crickets when you launch the actual product, too.

Your target market is the lifeblood of your business. You can’t succeed if you don’t come to know every teeny-tiny aspect of their wants, needs, fears, desires, problems, and aspirations.

How do they spend their day? Do they have kids? Are they lactose intolerant? Do they ride a bike or drive a car to work?

Use our Guide to Defining Your Target Market to help establish your audience and learn more about them. Here’s the TLDR:

• Start Specific, Then Broaden: Instead of starting broad with “Who is my target market,” begin narrow with “Who will be drawn to this product or service?”
• Analyze the Overall Market: Identify what’s trending and what might hurt or help your business. Other market factors will impact your target market, so it’s best to get ahead of the curve.
• Reference Your Competitors: Who are your competitors targeting? How do they approach their marketing? Have they left out any key niches?
• Use Your Social Media Data: Social media platforms (for better or worse) already collect tons of data about your followers. Reference this data to learn about their demographics and psychographics.

Once you’ve narrowed down your target market, it’s time to do additional segmentation. For example, if your audience is male soccer players, you’ll want to break that group down into smaller subsections. You might have:

• Recreational male soccer players
• High school male soccer players
• Competitive male soccer players
• Male soccer players who watch more than they play
• Male soccer players who coach

Your target market isn’t one homogenous blob. These segmented groups would likely respond to different marketing and sales approaches. The further you segment your audience, the more equipped you’ll be to create personalized messaging.

OK, now you have a validated idea and a framed portrait of your target market—that’s a great start! Next, you need to begin building an audience.

Your audience comprises social media followers, email subscribers, podcast listeners, phone numbers, blog readers, and interested shoppers—basically, anyone familiar with your brand that’s primed and ready to convert when your product launches.

Let’s start with building brand awareness. 8 Foolproof Strategies to Increase Brand Awareness walks you through plenty of budget-friendly ways to make your brand recognizable. Here are a few highlights:

• Tell a Story: People don’t remember products—they remember stories. Make your brand larger than life by making it about more than just money, products, and features.
• Solve a Problem: Solutions market themselves better than products. Your customer should be daydreaming about how your brand could improve their lives.
• Win the Right Keywords: Make your brand show up wherever your audience spends their digital time.

Check out the following guides for more channel-specific audience building:

• Build an Email List From the Ground Up (The Right Way)
• 16 Ways to Find (and Win) Your Dream Customers
• Facebook Ad Targeting: Find Customers Like a Marketing Eagle Eye
• How to Get More Views on YouTube
• Build a Podcast Audience

Time to make your idea a reality. Instead of spending months or years polishing the perfect product, launch fast and light with a minimum viable product (MVP) .

An MVP is the most basic version of your product that a customer can use. Take Facebook, for example. Facebook’s MVP was the original dumbed-down version that didn’t have a marketplace, groups, video, stories, gaming, or news—it was just a rudimentary social media network with friends and updates (imagine that).

Here are 3 ways to launch better MVPs :

• Shift to an MLP Mindset: MLP stands for minimum loveable product. Don’t just launch a product that works—launch something your customers love.
• Go Live with a Soft Launch: You don’t need a press release and fireworks when you first roll out your product. Keep things light and casual at first.
• Test Your Ideas First: Your MVP isn’t the validation. You should have already validated your idea before producing the product .

Writing a business plan might feel old-school and outdated, but it has a few data-backed benefits for businesses , including:

• Higher average annual growth
• Greater chances of success
• Improved business performance

Get out a pencil and some notepad and get to work. A business plan will keep you on track and ensure you’re headed in the right direction. It outlines your processes, goals, budgets, market research, financing strategy, and more.

Include these 6 essential elements in your business plan :

• Executive Summary: Summarizes your entire plan in a concise one-pager.
• Business Overview: Outlines the business details: structure, ownership, location, products, and mission statement.
• Products and Services: Breaks down your solutions in minute detail.
• Market Analysis: Describes the state of the market and key opportunities (and threats).
• Competitive Analysis: Analyzes competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Financial Strategy: Explains projected revenue, expenses, profits (or losses), and financing strategies.

Now that you have a product MVP, business plan, and target audience, you need to make your business official. The first step is to create a brand around your idea. A brand includes the name, logo, website, and social imagery, but it’s a continual practice you’ll need to focus on as much as product development, finding customers, and leading your team.

Here’s a list of brand-building guides to get you started:

• Coming up with a Business Name That Shines
• How to Choose the Right Color for Your Logo: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet
• What’s the Best Website Builder for Small Business?
• How to Set Up a Website in Less than 60 Minutes
• 3 Small Business Branding Tips to Rise Above the Competition
• 8 Foolproof Strategies to Increase Brand Awareness 

Making your business secure is more than buying a website URL and securing social handles (which are important). It’s about legally securing the necessary information to ensure your idea, logo, and name aren’t stolen. Plus, filing the correct tax information (depending on your business origin) can protect you from legal actions or owing on taxes.

Here’s a list of things you need to do to secure your business legally and make it official:

• Register your business with the state
• Get a tax ID number
• Create a business bank account
• Official licenses or certifications (if necessary)
• Obtain business insurance (if necessary)

At foundr, we always suggest consulting a tax professional in regard to registering your business.

Finally, we’ve made it to the marketing portion. For many entrepreneurs, this is the best part—and it’s a heck of a lot better than the next stage: selling.

Marketing includes the strategies and tactics ( not the same, by the way ) you use to get your brand in front of potential buyers. It includes elements like content marketing, advertising, social media marketing, video marketing, and ecommerce marketing.

Before you get too into the weeds, take a step back and approach your marketing strategy step by step with our guide: How to Create a Marketing Plan (Outline + Examples) . It’ll help you focus and ensure your strategy is cohesive and goal-driven.

Once you’ve identified the channels you want to use, check out the following guides and interviews to put your plan into action:

• Content Marketing: The Ultimate Content Marketing Strategy for Startups
• Social Media Marketing: Increase Social Media Reach
• Video Marketing: 5 Steps to a Successful YouTube Marketing Strategy
• Ecommerce Marketing: How to Start an Ecommerce Business
• Affiliate Marketing: Ultimate Guide to Affiliate Marketing
• Influencer Marketing: Influencer Marketing 101
• Podcast Marketing: Podcast Marketing Guide

Sales. Would-be entrepreneurs, don’t panic. You can do this.

Validating your idea, finding your niche, producing your product, and building brand awareness means nothing in the end if you can’t make money. Fortunately, selling your product doesn’t have to feel like an awkward encounter with a door-to-door solar panel representative.

Don’t worry—we hate cringe-worthy sales tactics, too. Check out these resources to help you monetize everything from your email list to your Instagram following (without selling your soul):

• How to Write a Sales Email That Converts
• 5 Best Sales Funnel Software Tools to Power Your Business
• How to Get B2B Leads for Your Online Business
• Need Shopify Help? Here Are 5 Ways to Increase Your Shopify Sales
• How to Create a Video Sales Letter (Tips and Tricks from a 7-Figure Copywriter)
• 12 Upselling Tips and Best Practices to Boost Your Sales

Once you’ve started making money, it’s time to scale your business. Scale looks different for everyone based on their goals, expectations, and bandwidth.

Scale for one entrepreneur could be launching new products, while scale for another might be reducing costs and maximizing profits for existing goods.

Remember why you wanted to start your business from scratch. Did you want to make more money, or did you want more free time? Did you want to control your career, or did you want to help your community with a problem?

At Foundr, we’re all about empowering would-be-business owners with scalable strategies. Here’s how our interviewees and students scaled their businesses:

• GrubHub Founder Mike Evans is Back to Fix the Home Repair Industry
• How Jessica Sepel Built JSHealth’s Women-Run Brand 
• How Zeb Evans Built ClickUp from Life-Threatening Moments 
• Why Kendra Scott Risked Everything on the Customer Experience
• How April Scott Started a Luxury Sleepwear Brand From Scratch
• How Samantha Brett Built Naked Sundays into Australia’s #1 SPF Skincare Brand

Use AI Tools to Help Start Your Business

AI tools give your startup the advantage it needs to compete with the big dogs. It’s no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity in today’s fast-paced and technology-driven business world.

These AI tools can streamline various aspects of launching and managing a startup, from ideation and market research to branding and customer engagement. Below, we’ll show you some of our favorite AI tools for starting and growing your business.

1. Ideating

• GravityWrite : Assists in brainstorming and ideation processes, providing creative suggestions and inspiration.
• Copy.ai : Utilizes AI to generate high-quality copy for various purposes, ideal for marketing, product descriptions, and more.
• Spin Rewriter : An AI-powered tool that rephrases existing content to enhance readability and uniqueness.
• Claude : Offers sophisticated editing and language enhancement features to refine your written content.
• ChatGPT : Provides versatile assistance in editing and improving text, from emails to business proposals.

3. Graphic Design

• Color Mind : AI tool for color scheme generation, perfect for branding and web design.
• Looka : Combines AI with design principles to create professional logos and brand assets.
• Booth AI : Offers automated photo editing and enhancement, suitable for product images and marketing materials.

4. Video/Audio

• Runway ML : An AI platform for video editing and motion graphics, simplifying complex video production tasks and letting you create video from text.
• Descript : Provides audio and video editing capabilities using AI, with features like auto transcription.
• Dall-e : AI tool for generating custom, high-quality images and artwork, useful for video thumbnails and visual content.

5. Ecommerce and Marketing

• Short Script : Assists in creating concise, compelling scripts for marketing and promotional videos.
• Rizz : An AI-driven tool for optimizing marketing strategies and customer engagement.
• Printful : Integrates AI in print-on-demand services, aiding in product customization and ecommerce operations.

6. Business Assistants

• Browse AI : Automates web data extraction and analysis, useful for market research and competitor analysis.
• Mem : AI-powered memory tool that helps organize and recall important business information.
• Rapidely : A versatile AI assistant designed to streamline various business operations, including scheduling and task management.

How to Start a Business from Scratch FAQ

How much of my business should i be involved in.

It's easy to get caught micro-managing every nitty-gritty component of your business, but you have bigger fish to fry. Outsource your trivial to-do list (invoicing, calendaring, procurement, and the like) to a full-time hire or a freelancer.

What's the best time to start a business from scratch?

There's no perfect time to start a business from scratch. The important thing is to start and stay persistent through all the steps.

Should I start my business alone?

Nobody truly starts a business alone. You need a support system to help you along your entrepreneurship journey, even if that's a friend, spouse, or parent. Many of the iconic businesses you know today began with a cohort of co-founders, but having one is not necessary. What is essential are trusted people around you to help bring your vision to life.

Exclusive Training to Help Launch Your Business

Congratulations! If you follow the 10-step process above, you’ll start a business from scratch that’s ready to join the 10% of startups that don’t fail.

Don’t worry—we’re still here to help. We won’t throw you into the deep end and expect you to figure everything out on your own.

That’s why we built foundr+, an all-access pass of training courses that will teach you everything you need to start and grow your business—whether you need to finance your startup, grow your Instagram following, or launch a profitable ecommerce store.

About Jesse Sumrak

Jesse Sumrak is a writing zealot focused on creating killer content. He’s spent almost a decade writing about startup, marketing, and entrepreneurship topics, having built and sold his own post-apocalyptic fitness bootstrapped business. A writer by day and a peak bagger by night (and early early morning), you can usually find Jesse preparing for the apocalypse on a precipitous peak somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

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Everything you need to know about using Instagram for business — from setting up your account to creating a winning strategy.

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Is your business still “like”-ing the idea of using Instagram, rather than confidently sliding into the DMs of the platform’s full potential? It’s high time to stop scrolling and start strategizing.

If you’re wondering how to use Instagram for business in 2024 , we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll share the top strategies to help your brand thrive on the ever-evolving platform.

Bonus: Claim your free pack of 15 creative Instagram post templates made by Hootsuite’s professional graphic designers. Easily customize them in Canva, and start getting more engagement today.

How to set up Instagram for business in 4 steps

Using Instagram for business is a bit different than using a personal account. But don’t worry, it’s not rocket science! Follow these 4 simple steps to get your brand up and running on Instagram.

1. Switch to an Instagram business account

Before you start using Instagram for business, you need to create an Instagram account for business. It’s free and anyone can do it.

Here’s how to switch your existing Instagram account to a business account:

• From your profile, tap the hamburger (three lines) menu icon in the upper-right corner.
• Tap Settings and privacy . Then, scroll down until you see the Account type and tools menu.
• Next, click Switch to a professional account to change the account you’re logged into into an Instagram business account.
• Tap Continue (you may need to tap it multiple times as Instagram previews the available features of a professional account).
• Select a Category and use the slider to choose whether to show it on your profile, then tap Done .
• Choose Business (unless it makes sense for you to choose Creator ), and tap Next .
• Use the slider to opt in or out of promotional emails from Instagram for professional accounts, then tap Next .
• Add or edit relevant contact details, then use the slider to choose whether to show your contact information on your profile, then tap Next (or tap Don’t use my contact info to skip this step).
• If you plan to connect your Instagram business account with a Facebook business page, follow the prompts to connect your account to your Facebook Page. This is technically optional, but it’s necessary in order to use Instagram shopping features or run ads on Instagram .
• Next, you’ll be prompted to add additional features to your account, like telling Instagram your goals, adding details to your portfolio, and growing your audience. If you want to save this for later, tap the X in the top left corner to close this window and return to your profile.

If you’re interested in making an Instagram account for business simply sign up for a new Instagram account , and convert it to an Instagram business account.

You can have up to five Instagram accounts , so go ahead and keep your personal Instagram account personal if that’s what you prefer. Learn more about the difference between Instagram business and creator accounts .

2. Add business information to your bio

In 150 characters or less, your Instagram bio should describe your brand and showcase your brand voice . We’ve got a full guide to creating an effective Instagram bio for business (complete with templates), but here’s a quick video to walk you through the basics:

Also be sure to make the most of the other components of your Instagram business profile:

• Profile pic: Most brands use their logo. Your profile photo displays as 110 x 110 pixels (cropped to a circle), but it’s stored at 320 x 320, so that’s the size you should upload.
• Link in bio: Link to your website, your latest blog post, a current campaign or a Link Tree .
• Contact information: If you didn’t add contact info during your account creation, you can do so at any time by tapping Edit profile . Instagram will then add a Contact button to your profile.
• Action buttons: If relevant, you can add a button that allows customers to book or reserve appointments or to order food. To use this feature, you need an account with one of Instagram’s partners . Tap Edit profile , then scroll down to Action Buttons.
• Story highlights and covers: Instagram Story highlights are another way to maximize your profile real estate by providing more information about your brand, products, or services. Organize Stories into saved collections, then add some polish with Highlight covers.

Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.

3. Connect your product catalog

To tag products in Instagram content, or to run certain kinds of Instagram ads, you need to create a product catalog. You can do this in Meta’s Commerce Manager.

• Head to Commerce Manager and click Start Now , then select Create a catalog and click Get started again.
• Select Ecommerce , then click Next.
• If you have a shop on an ecommerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce, click Connect to an ecommerce platform and follow the prompts to create your catalog. Otherwise, click Upload product info , name your catalog and click Next.
• Click View catalog to open your catalog, then Add items to start adding products.

We’ve got a whole post on using Commerce Manager if you’d like more details on how this tool works.

4. Turn on Instagram shopping

Once your catalog is full of products, it’s time to turn on Instagram’s shopping features.

• Go to the Get started page.
• Select Get started .’
• Click Create a shop , then Get started , then Next.
• Review the pre-selected sales channels and add or subtract accounts as needed.
• Choose the account/sales channel you want to connect your shop to. If you’re already selling on Shopify or another partner platform, change your Checkout method to reflect this . When everything is set up, click Next.
• Next, choose the countries you want to ship your products to. Note that Instagram Shopping is not available everywhere. You can choose from available countries in the drop-down menu.
• Add in your business email . This is where you’ll get any communication about your Instagram Shop.
• Select your business portfolio or create a new one. Click Next .
• Select the catalog you want to use for your shop and click Next . To select a catalog, it must meet catalog eligibility requirements for shops. You can’t switch this catalog later. Note: If you don’t have a catalog already, you won’t see this step.
• Look over your shop details, review and agree to the Seller Agreement and click Finish setup to complete creating your shop.

We’ve got a full blog post explaining everything you need to know about Instagram Shopping if you want to focus on this particular aspect of using Instagram for business.

How to use Instagram for business: 8 strategies

Standing out as a business on Instagram can be, well, tough. Use these Instagram for business tips to make it easier.

1. Research your audience

A good social media strategy starts with a sound understanding of your audience.

Instagram’s audience demographics give you an overall picture of who uses the platform. For example, 18-34-year-olds represent the largest ad audience on the site.

However, that doesn’t mean your specific audience on Instagram will be made up of 18-to-34-year-olds. For example, looking at the audience insights for my own Instagram account, I can see that my audience skews older than the Instagram average:

You can find demographic information on your existing audience using Instagram Insights , Meta Business Suite , or Hootsuite Analytics . But, if you’re just getting started using Instagram for business, you might not have a large enough following to gain meaningful insights here yet.

In that case, take a look at the demographics of your audience on other social channels and of your existing customer base. While this won’t translate exactly to Instagram, it should give you a sense of who’s interested in your business and what you have to say.

Understanding your audience puts you in a better position to create targeted content and business captions for Instagram that resonate. Since audience research is an important foundation for your content strategy, we’ve got a whole post dedicated to helping you find your target market .

2. Figure out your content mix

Now that you know who your audience is, you need to determine what to share with them. Rather than posting random content whenever the mood strikes, you need to develop a content strategy that speaks to your audience and keeps them engaged, all while contributing to real business goals .

While you should certainly post some promotional content to get people excited about your products and drive sales, you also need to provide content that builds community and sparks engagement.

That might mean including user-generated content or other curated resources , sharing insider expertise about your industry, or joining in on a trending meme. (But tread carefully here—only join in on trends that are appropriate for your brand voice.)

i am wearing a disguise pic.twitter.com/HlWFQb8P22 — no name (@nonamebrands) October 31, 2022

Look for opportunities to develop themes or regular installments that you can build into a series. “Content buckets” allow you to check certain boxes without having to overthink creation. The more planning you do upfront, the better you’ll be able to produce regular content and respond to last-minute or unplanned events.

3. Schedule your content in advance

From Reels to Stories to posts, there are many options when it comes to Instagram content.

The best way to create a unified strategy is to schedule your content across all Instagram surfaces (and other social platforms) using a content calendar . Or, take it up a level and schedule all your content to publish automatically at the right time using a tool like the Hootsuite Publisher . Yes, you can even schedule Stories and Reels in advance.

The added advantage here is that you can create your content in dedicated blocks of time and schedule it to post at the best time for your audience . Even if that time is outside business hours, on the weekend, or in the middle of the night.

4. Tag products

When you share content about your products on Instagram, tagging makes it much easier for people to learn more or buy. You can tag up to 20 products in a photo feed post.

Source: Tory Burch

To tag products, create your Instagram post or Reel as usual. Then, on the final screen before posting, tap Tag products . You can tag products from your own shop or someone else’s, which creates great opportunities for collaboration and cross-promotion.

In Stories, you can tag products using the Product link sticker.

Source: Pat McGrath

5. Track your results (and learn from wins and losses)

With an Instagram for business account, you have access to the platform’s built-in analytics tools to help you understand how well different types of content perform.

There are several other analytics tools available, including Hootsuite’s , that can track longer time frames, automate reporting and make it easier to compare Instagram metrics across other social media platforms.

No matter which social media marketing tools you use, the important thing is to check in regularly to learn what kind of content resonates best with your target audience. You’ll start to see patterns about what generates the most engagement, as well as what kinds of social media content increase views beyond your existing follower base. ( Hint: Try Instagram Reels .)

Use these lessons to hone your content strategy over time.

6. Treat Instagram as a customer service channel

Success on Instagram requires you to engage with your followers rather than just blast content out and hope someone likes it. One important component of this two-way communication is monitoring your DMs for questions, comments, and customer service requests.

Instagram business accounts have access to a couple of DM features that make managing customer service easier on the platform. First, your inbox is divided into Primary and General tabs to make it easier to keep track of your messages. And second, you can create saved replies to commonly asked questions that you can access via keyboard shortcuts.

Hootsuite Inbox makes it even easier to manage your DMs by allowing you to assign messages to the appropriate team members . Or, create templated replies to common questions to save your team time and effort.

Manage all your messages stress-free with easy routing, saved replies, and friendly chatbots. Try Hootsuite’s Inbox today.

7. Automate content creation

The average Instagram business account posts 1.55 times per day on the main feed.

That’s a lot of content!

Luckily, manual content creation is now a thing of the past. These days, it’s easy to speed up content creation processes like copywriting and graphic design with the help of generative AI tools .

OwlyWriter AI is Hootsuite’s latest generative AI tool, free to all Hootsuite users. Use OwlyWriter to generate quick social media captions , and get inspiration for your posts across platforms.

You can also leverage outside tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney, and more. But, because OwlyWriter is oh-so convenient in your Hootsuite dashboard, we recommend starting there. Check out our blog on the best AI content creation tools here .

Always remember, content generated by AI should always be seen as a starting point, not a finished product . Be sure to check over any AI generated content for accuracy, brand voice, style, and tone before posting.

OwlyWriter AI instantly generates captions and content ideas for every social media network. It’s seriously easy.

8. Elevate your grid aesthetics

Looking to make your Instagram grid stand out from the crowd? With Hootsuite’s Instagram Grid integration , you can make a totally aesthetic Instagram grid in just a few clicks.

Here’s how it works:

• Seamless planning: Planning your grid layout has never been easier. With Instagram Grid, you can visualize how your posts will look together , ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing grid.
• Drag-and-drop simplicity: Want to rearrange your grid? No problem. With easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality , you can experiment with different layouts until you find the perfect arrangement.
• Scheduled posts: Say goodbye to last-minute scrambling. With Hootsuite, you can schedule your grid posts in advance , ensuring that your grid remains active and engaging even when you’re busy.
• Curate like a pro: Discover and curate high-quality content right from the Hootsuite dashboard. Whether it’s user-generated content, AI hashtag suggestions , or trending topics, we’ve got the tools you need to keep your grid fresh and relevant.
• Track your success: With Hootsuite’s analytics dashboard, you can track engagement metrics and understand what resonates with your audience. Use these insights to refine your grid strategy and drive even more engagement.

FAQs about using Instagram for business

Is instagram for business free.

It’s free to set up an Instagram business account, promote your business, and even set up an Instagram shop.

The only fees for Instagram business accounts are ad costs if you choose to run Instagram ads , and selling fees if you use Commerce Manager to allow your customers to check out and complete their purchase within the Meta platform.

There is also no fee to use Instagram Shopping to tag products and direct users to your website to buy them.

What is the difference between personal and business Instagram?

The difference between personal and business Instagram accounts is pretty straightforward. Personal accounts are great for sharing your daily life and connecting with friends and family. But, if you’re running a business or want to promote or sell a product, a business account on Instagram offers tools like analytics, shopping, and advertising to help you reach your goals.

What is the best time to post on Instagram for business?

The best time to post on Instagram for your business depends on who you’re trying to reach and what you’re sharing. Mornings generally bring the most engagement for brand accounts, though certain industries, like real estate, retail, or entertainment accounts, may see more success posting in the evening.

Check out our comprehensive guide on the best times to post on every social network to learn more.

How does Instagram work for business?

By switching your personal profile to a business account, you unlock a treasure trove of tools to boost your business. Get free access to features like Instagram Insights, which lets you peek into who’s engaging with your business on Instagram, or Commerce Manager, which lets you tag and sell products directly on Instagram. It’s like having your own personal business assistant right at your fingertips!

What are the disadvantages of using Instagram for business?

While business Instagram accounts are a great way to sell products and be seen, there are a few drawbacks to consider.

First, increased competition among businesses on the platform can make it tough to secure organic reach. Second, managing a business account requires consistent effort, and eventually you may want to consider hiring a social media manager . Third, unlike personal accounts, where updates are more flexible, business profiles carry the weight of reputation and customer perception. Be sure to read up on managing social media crises before you get started.

Save time managing Instagram for business using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts, carousels, Stories, Reels, and ads directly to Instagram — and engage your audience, measure performance, and handle all your other social media profiles. Try it free today.

Easily create, analyze, and schedule Instagram posts, Stories, Reels, and Threads with Hootsuite. Save time and get results.

Become a better social marketer.

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Hannah Macready is a freelance writer with 12 years of experience in social media and digital marketing. Her work has appeared in publications such as Fast Company and The Globe & Mail, and has been used in global social media campaigns for brands like Grosvenor Americas and Intuit Mailchimp. In her spare time, Hannah likes exploring the outdoors with her two dogs, Soup and Salad.

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For recent developments, see the tax year 2023  Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax .

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• Your prior tax year covered a 12-month period

You had no tax liability for the prior year if your total tax was zero or you didn’t have to file an income tax return. For additional information on how to figure your estimated tax, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax .

How to figure estimated tax

Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, and S corporation shareholders, generally use  Form 1040-ES , to figure estimated tax. Nonresident aliens use Form 1040-ES(NR) to figure estimated tax.

To figure your estimated tax, you must figure your expected adjusted gross income, taxable income, taxes, deductions, and credits for the year.

When figuring your estimated tax for the current year, it may be helpful to use your income, deductions, and credits for the prior year as a starting point. Use your prior year's federal tax return as a guide. You can use the worksheet in Form 1040-ES to figure your estimated tax. You need to estimate the amount of income you expect to earn for the year. If you estimated your earnings too high, simply complete another Form 1040-ES worksheet to refigure your estimated tax for the next quarter. If you estimated your earnings too low, again complete another Form 1040-ES worksheet to recalculate your estimated tax for the next quarter. You want to estimate your income as accurately as you can to avoid penalties.

You must make adjustments both for changes in your own situation and for recent changes in the tax law.

When to pay estimated taxes

For estimated tax purposes, the year is divided into four payment periods . Each period has a specific payment due date. If you don’t pay enough tax by the due date of each of the payment periods, you may be charged a penalty even if you are due a refund when you file your income tax return.

If a payment is mailed, the date of the U.S. postmark is the date of payment. If the due date for an estimated tax payment falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the payment will be on time if you make it on the next day that isn’t a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

How to pay estimated taxes

You may send estimated tax payments with Form 1040-ES  by mail , or you can pay online , by phone or from your mobile device using the IRS2Go app . You can also make your estimated tax payments through your online account, where you can see your payment history and other tax records. Go to IRS.gov/account . Visit IRS.gov/payments to view all the options. For additional information, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax .

Using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is the easiest way for individuals as well as businesses to pay federal taxes. Make ALL of your federal tax payments including federal tax deposits (FTDs), installment agreement and estimated tax payments using EFTPS . If it’s easier to pay your estimated taxes weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. you can, as long as you’ve paid enough in by the end of the quarter. Using EFTPS, you can access a history of your payments, so you know how much and when you made your estimated tax payments.

Corporations must deposit the payment using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System . For additional information, refer to Publication 542, Corporations .

Penalty for underpayment of estimated tax

If you didn’t pay enough tax throughout the year, either through withholding or by making estimated tax payments, you may have to pay a penalty for underpayment of estimated tax. Generally, most taxpayers will avoid this penalty if they owe less than $1,000 in tax after subtracting their withholdings and credits, or if they paid at least 90% of the tax for the current year, or 100% of the tax shown on the return for the prior year, whichever is smaller. There are special rules for farmers, fishermen, and certain higher income taxpayers. Please refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax , for additional information.

However, if your income is received unevenly during the year, you may be able to avoid or lower the penalty by annualizing your income and making unequal payments. Use Form 2210,  Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts  (or Form 2220, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Corporations ), to see if you owe a penalty for underpaying your estimated tax. Please refer to the  Form 1040 and 1040-SR Instructions  or Form 1120 Instructions PDF , for where to report the estimated tax penalty on your return.

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• You retired (after reaching age 62) or became disabled during the tax year for which estimated payments were required to be made or in the preceding tax year, and your underpayment was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. For information on how to request a waiver, see Form 2210 Instructions PDF .

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How to Establish a Performance Improvement Plan

A performance improvement plan (PIP), also known as a performance action plan, is a tool to give an employee with performance deficiencies the opportunity to succeed. It may be used to address failures to meet specific job goals or to ameliorate behavior-related concerns.

Outcomes may vary, including improvement in overall performance; the recognition of a skills or training gap; or possible employment actions such as a transfer, demotion or termination.

HR's role includes:

• Determining whether a PIP is the appropriate action for the situation.
• Administering all PIPs in conjunction with the manager to prevent bias.
• Providing ongoing guidance to both the manager and employee throughout the plan.

Step 1: Determine if a PIP is appropriate

A PIP should be used when there is a commitment to help the employee improve, not as a way for a frustrated manager to start the termination process. Used as the latter, it's nothing more than a document trail that should already exist, and it signifies to all employees that no such help is available. Bottom line: HR needs to assess if a structured plan with time-sensitive goals is the appropriate next step, or if a PIP will be more of a detriment than an aid.

To assess whether a PIP is warranted, HR should consider the following:

• Is there an actual performance or behavioral issue that can be substantiated? Ask the manager to create a list of the performance deficiencies, including dates, specific data or detailed explanations, and any previous guidance given to the employee. Review the most recent performance appraisal to see if the issue is new or ongoing. Has the manager met expectations to prevent the need for a PIP?
• Do you feel the manager is committed to helping the employee succeed, or is his or her intention focused on terminating the employee? This can be tricky to assess, but listen for whether the manager is concerned about the employee and wants to help, or if he or she is at the end of their rope and no longer able to manage the situation. Insecure managers may feel threatened by some employee's behaviors or may not understand that managing includes supporting and developing employees. If the manager doesn't want employees to succeed, there is little point in starting a PIP.
• Is it likely that the issue can be "fixed" through a formal improvement plan? Problems with sales goals, quality ratings, quantity objectives and similar issues may be well-suited to a structured plan that helps identify why the deficiencies occur. Insubordinate and insolent behaviors, on the other hand, might not lend themselves to improvement using the goal-oriented process of a PIP.
• Does it appear the employee has received proper training to succeed at the task? A leave of absence or other time off may have resulted in missed training or informative meetings that were not later made available to the employee. Additional training may be warranted to correct the oversight.
• Is there a known personal issue that may be affecting the employee's performance? When personal difficulties strike, employees may have a dip in performance that employers often accommodate. If the reasonable time frame for accommodation has ended, a PIP may serve to help a capable employee get refocused and back on track.

Step 2: Develop a Draft Plan

Once the need for a PIP has been established, have the manager create a draft of the plan for HR to review. An improvement plan should include:

• Information on what acceptable performance levels are and how the employee's current performance is deficient. Specifics regarding the unacceptable performance should be given, including dates, data and detailed explanations. Attach the job description and any relevant employer policies to further clarify expectations.
• Specific and measurable objectives that are achievable, relevant and time-bound (otherwise known as SMART goals). PIPs usually last 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on how long it would reasonably take to improve the specific issue. Examples might be:
• In May, June and July, Jane Smith's quality errors must not exceed 3 percent each month, and she must produce at least 150 units each month .
• During this 90-day performance evaluation, John Smith must have perfect attendance, with the exception of approved medical or family absences. This means that he must clock in and be ready for work by the start of each scheduled shift, return from all scheduled breaks on time and remain at work for his entire shift.
• Guidance on what management will do or provide to assist the employee in achieving these goals, such as additional resources, training or coaching.
• Details on how often the manager and employee will meet to discuss progress. This is often done once a week, but may vary depending on the circumstances.
• Clearly stated consequences for not meeting the objectives of the plan. Options may include demotion, transfer to a different position or termination.

Employers may choose a letter format or use a standard form when creating a PIP. See two samples below:

Performance Improvement: Action Plan (PIP #1)

Performance Improvement: Action Plan (PIP #2)

Step 3: Review the Plan

HR should review the plan with a focus on removing any bias against the employee. Is the performance issue clearly stated and well-substantiated? Are the objectives fair and the time frames reasonable? For example, is a salesperson given a sales goal that far surpasses the projected sales of the clients assigned? Is the employee being given the proper tools and training needed to improve? If it's a relatively new employee, was an adequate onboarding effort in place to help the employee become acclimated? If HR has a role in making those provisions, that process should start immediately. The key to this step is to ensure that the plan is attainable and fair and not just a means to terminate an employee.

Step 4: Implement the Plan

It's time to meet with the employee to discuss the plan and expectations. While not the most pleasant of meetings, it helps if the manager conveys his or her own commitment to the plan and to the employee's success. Employee feedback should be encouraged to help identify areas of confusion and to help foster ownership. Be open to changes based on the employee's input; the perspective of a valued employee (one worth the time and effort of a PIP), is no less valuable here and may lead to a more-effective plan.

After fully discussing the plan, the manager may make modifications based on employee feedback. Once HR has reviewed any changes, the final plan should be signed by both manager and employee and forwarded to HR for approval.

If the employee is unable to commit to the PIP process at this point, the employer will need to determine whether termination, demotion or another appropriate employment action should be taken.

Step 5: Monitor Plan Progression

The manager should ensure all progress meetings are scheduled and occur on time. Cancelling meetings or showing up late would convey a lack of importance and commitment on the manager's part. Progress toward goals should be documented and discussed, seeking to identify why improvements have or have not been made. If gaps in training or required tools become apparent, provide those as soon as possible. Encourage employees to lead these meetings, to self-report on how they believe they are doing and what realizations they might have made, or what else they feel they need to succeed.

Successful progress made toward the goal should be recognized as a means of motivating the employee to continued improvement.

Step 6: Plan Conclusion

When the employee has responded positively by meeting plan objectives, possibly before the expiration date of the plan, the employer should formally close the PIP, recognize the employee's success and allow the employee to continue employment. While a positive occasion for the employee, the manager must be sure the employee understands that continued good performance is expected.

If an employee is unable to improve or if his or her performance worsens, the PIP should be closed, and a possible reassignment, demotion or termination should be considered, based on the specific circumstances.

When the employee is committed to improvement, but falls short of the objectives within the established timeline, it may be worthwhile to extend the plan to give him or her a bit more time to succeed. Additionally, if objectives were found, in retrospect, to not be realistic or fully within the employee's control, the plan might be ended successfully, based on the improvements achieved.

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