Business plan template

Your free business plan sample in a Word document

A smart business plan helps to articulate your vision, clarify your business goals, and attract investors.

Wondering how to prepare a business plan which will help your company flourish?

Get all you need here with our helpful guide and a free simple business plan template to download and customize.

What is a business plan?

Your business plan sets out your company's purpose. It clarifies your goals, as well as how you intend to achieve them and in what timeframe. It's a guide and reference tool which allows you to thoroughly think through the actions you need to take, gives a smart way of measuring progress, and can help you show potential partners and investors how your business will grow.

Your own business plan is a unique document which can be tailored to the needs of your company. Usually business plans cover some or all of the following topics:

  • Executive summary
  • Company overview
  • Description of the problem your company solves
  • Market analysis including competitor overview
  • Details of your product or service
  • Marketing plans
  • Management overview
  • Milestones and metrics
  • Financial forecasts and performance information

The easiest way to get started is to use a small business plan template to guide you through the process.

How to prepare a business plan?

1. Structure your business plan to suit your needs
Our free business plan template comes with a list of suggested headings which you can edit and alter to suit your business. Choose the topics you want to focus on for your business plan, and then build your plan structure around these.

  • Edit headings as required
  • Set the heading format to Heading 1 or Heading 2 using the menu bar options
  • Click on the References tab and select Update Table to have your edits show through on the Table of Contents

2. Make your business plan more robust with financial metrics

If you're using your business plan to talk to investors or potential partners, you'll want to add in performance data or forecasts to show your projected growth.

If you have data in an Excel document you can simply copy paste into your Word format business plan. Use the Paste Special option to add tables as a picture. This means you can't accidentally edit the data once it is added.

Your business plan template in Word

Having a solid plan in place is the best way to make sure your company is successful. Whether you're a startup looking for investment, or an established business exploring new markets, a strong business plan is essential.

Business plans can be both internal and external facing documents. They're used to create a vision and engage employees, spot opportunities and threats in the market, and to onboard new recruits. However, the best business plans can also be used to show partners and clients how your company works, and to excite potential investors about your scope for growth.

Create your business plan using our easy Word business plan template. If you're already running an international business, or thinking of expanding overseas in future, you can also cut costs and boost your profits with a Wise business account. Make and receive international payments for less, and access currency conversion which uses the mid-market exchange rate with no markups.

Download a blank business plan sample in Word –>

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