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Business plan templates

From competitive analysis to financial projections, business plans give your new business a roadmap for success. Download one of our free business plan templates and take your company to the next level.

Big Data Startup Business Plan Template

Create a professional Big Data Startup business plan with our customizable Startup Business Plan Template.

Virtual Assistant Business Plan

Strategize your way to success with this customizable AI virtual assistant business plan template.

Virtual Reality (VR) Business Plan

Our free virtual reality (VR) business plan helps you customize your document and create a winning strategy to land investors.

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Laundromat Business Plan

Create your success roadmap with a laundromat business plan template, designed to arrange the essentials of the laundry business.

5-Year Business Plan Template

Empower your path to long-term success with our 5-year business plan template.

Car Wash Business Plan Template

Launch and grow your car wash business with our customizable plan template.

Airbnb Business Plan Template

Unlock your path to success with our Airbnb business plan template, made to guide you in structuring the fundamental aspects of your Airbnb business.

Clothing Line Business Plan

Use this free and customizable clothing line business plan to appeal to investors and set up your fashion brand.

Gym Business Plan Template 

The Panda tips in this gym business plan template guide you through the process of researching and presenting information necessary to secure funding and partners for your business.

Handyman Business Plan Template

Start a new handyman business using a well-researched handyman business plan template to meet your goals faster.

Vending Machine Business Plan Template

If you’re starting a new vending machine business, a well-rounded vending machine business plan can improve your chances of success.

Bar Business Plan Template

Create your path to success with our bar business plan template, designed as a valuable tool to help entrepreneurs organize the bar business.

Massage Therapy Business Plan

This massage therapy business plan template helps you cover the basics of starting or expanding a massage business.

Bed and Breakfast Business Plan Template

Use a complete bed and breakfast business plan template to set up your business for growth and success.

Catering Business Plan

Chart your path to success with our catering business plan template designed to help entrepreneurs organize their catering business.

Event Venue Business Plan Template

Launch and grow your event venue with our customizable business plan template.

Event Planning Business Plan 

Prepare your event planning business for success with our ready-to-fill and easily downloadable event planning business plan template.

Rental Property Business Plan

Develop a rental property business plan tailored to serve as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs to organize their rental business.

Coaching Business Plan Template

If you want to grow your new or existing coaching business, use our free coaching business plan template as a roadmap to success.

Lawn Care Business Plan

Use a comprehensive lawn care business plan template that includes guidance and all critical information.

T-shirt Business Plan Template 

Craft a winning T-shirt business plan in a structured business format that attracts investors and funding.

Candle-Making Business Plan Template

Use a candle-making business plan template to get together all of the information you need to ensure that your candle business succeeds.

SBA Business Plan Template

Use our free and fully customizable SBA business plan template to get started when writing a successful proposal for an SBA loan.

Cleaning Business Plan Template

Discover a hassle-free way to document a roadmap for your cleaning business with this free business plan template.

Real Estate Business Plan Template

Start off your new real estate business on the right foot by using a real estate business plan template to ensure your goals, visions, and finances are sorted.

Trucking Business Plan Template

Empower your journey to success with our trucking business plan template, designed as a valuable tool to organize the essentials of your trucking business.

Food Truck Business Plan Template

Find a fully customizable, free food truck business plan template that helps you create an effective proposal for interested investors.

Simple Business Plan Template

This simple business plan template walks you through the stages of establishing a successful business or seeking funding.

Solar Farm Business Plan

Give your solar farm business the best start by creating a professional business plan to keep your company on the right track.

Ecommerce Business Plan Template

This Ecommerce Business Plan Template is tailored particularly to e-commerce companies, and all you require to do is add the elements related to your business.

Accounting Firm Business Plan

Use this Accounting Firm Business Plan to achieve your goals. Accounting firms are comparable to other industries and need the Business Plan to help their development.

Campground Business Plan Template

This PandaDoc Campground Business Plan Template has all the essential information to help you develop a successful business strategy.

Firewood Business Plan

This Firewood Business Plan Template perfectly outlines the company structure of a probable firewood venture. It highlights the budgets needed to start and manage the unique business.

Funeral Home Business Plan

A Funeral Home Business Plan covers detailed data on the courtesies offered by the company, market analysis, administration strategies, personnel procedures, budget and financing plans, and other applicable topics.

Community Center Business Plan

You can use this Community Center Business Plan Template, it is perfect for anyone desiring to open and run a society center. It gives the center’s owner an outline of areas that must be disseminated with the investors to earn an acquisition.

Gas Station Business Plan

Take the first step towards success in the fuel industry with our professionally crafted Gas Station Business Plan template.

Beauty Supply Store Business Plan

This Beauty Supply Store Business Plan Template covers all the appropriate sections needed to invest in a beauty supply store. The template will help you to raise money for your business.

Flower Shop Business Plan Template

The Flower Shop Business Plan Template is organized to help you achieve the awareness of various investors to invest in your company.

Electrical Contractor Business Plan

This Electrical Contractor Business Plan template include information about the services you offer, who your target consumers are, why they should prefer you over your opponents and how much capital you require to get started.

Car Dealership Business Plan

A Car Dealership Business Plan is a detailed plan that will help you take your business to the next level. Use this template to create your plan.

Farm Business Plan

Farm Business Plan gives an overview of the company, including corporation history, owner backgrounds, creations and more. Use this template to quickly develop your farm company plan.

Consultant Business Plan Template

An example of a document outlining your strategy for launching or expanding your consulting firm is a Consultant Business Plan Template. The essential elements include a summary of the company, team, sector, rivals, target audience, and an operations and marketing strategy.

Construction Company Business Plan

The objectives and tactics of a construction company are described in a business plan for a construction company. For the creation of your business plan, use this Construction Company Business Plan Template.

Fashion Business Plan Template

Structural and action plans for a fashion firm are laid out in the fashion business plan template.

Daycare Business Plan

The creation of a business strategy is the first step in starting a daycare. Use this Daycare Business Plan Template to describe your company’s objectives, as well as your target market, potential rivals, and your financing strategy.

Convenience Store Business Plan

Do you need a Convenience Store Business Plan Template? This plan includes all the details and information needed to secure funding for a convenience store.

Startup Business Plan Template

We offer you the steps and the tools to create a fantastic business plan. Attract investors with this sleek and free startup business plan template.

Business Plan Template

This business plan template is a great tool for your startup to customize to reflect your strong qualifications, experienced team, and marketable business idea.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document that helps small business owners determine the viability of their business idea. Combining market research and financial analysis, a professional business plan helps startup CEOs and potential investors determine if the company can compete in the target market.

Typically, a good business plan consists of the following:

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Mission statement
• Product and services
• Marketing plan
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion & appendix

Every section involved in a business plan is designed to help startup businesses reach their target market.

A business plan asks founders and entrepreneurs to detail their business strategy in a step-by-step process that makes sense from an operational perspective. This is essential if a startup is seeking a business loan or an investment from a venture capital firm.

However, even small businesses that are already economically viable can benefit from creating a business plan, since it encourages business owners and their management teams to examine their business model and reevaluate the best ways to reach their target customers.

Should I use a business plan template?

Yes.  If you’ve never written one, a business plan can be challenging to write.

Creating a successful plan that you can use to grow your small business can require weeks of market analysis and financial preparation. You may spend time using Microsoft Excel or Powerpoint in order to create documentation which better supports our operational decisions.

However, almost every professional business plan is structured in the same way and most ask for the same information. Because of this, using a business plan template is advisable to save time, money, and effort.

Business plan templates for free

Rather than spending time trying to figure out how to write a business plan , use a free template as a guide to completion.

Business plan templates from PandaDoc can help you reach an effective go-to-market strategy even faster by asking you to provide all the relevant information you need when creating an effective business plan.

Grab a free template to get started!

Frequently asked questions

How many pages should my business plan be.

This depends on the kind of business plan you need to write and how you intend to use the plan that you create.

For example, a plan for a small business seeking potential investors or a business loan will need to provide income statements, cash flow statements, and a balance sheet (usually for a three-year or five-year forecast period).

These financial statements can be omitted if a small business owner isn’t seeking funding and is instead planning to use their business plan as a guiding document for themselves and their management team members.

Some business plans may only run a few pages. Fully-developed business plans can be as long as 50 pages. Much of this depends on the type of business, the operational strategy, and the level of detail that goes into developing the business plan.

Who needs a business plan?

Every business should have a business plan. This is an essential guidance document for any founder or CEO.

Good business plans help a company determine the viability of its place in the market and can help the business develop better strategies for differentiating itself from its competitors.

Business planning also forces business owners to evaluate their marketing strategy, the cost of customer acquisition and retention, and how they plan to grow their business over time.

What is the best business plan template?

Business plans come in all shapes and sizes. The best business plan template for your business is one that you understand and that matches the size and legal structure of your operation.

If you’re a sole proprietor, a business plan template designed for a big corporation probably doesn’t make sense. However, a business plan that helps you build an effective roadmap to grow your business while protecting your intellectual property is a good starting point.

PandaDoc offers specialized business plan templates for common industries along with tips to help you get started with business planning.

Should I hire someone to write my business plan for me?

No. You’ll find freelance writers and business strategy companies out there who are happy to write your business plan for a fee.  These resources can guide you through the process, but you should write (or be heavily involved in) the creation of your business plan.

The reason for this is simple: You know the most about your business, and your business needs you to succeed.

A writer can work with you to make your business plan sound better to investors, and a consultant can help you fill in knowledge gaps — like how to conduct a SWOT analysis — and point out weaknesses in your plan. But, at the end of the day, you need to use the business plan to pitch investors and run your business.

Those ideas and guiding principles aren’t something you can outsource.

Should I use business planning software?

Software isn’t required when creating an effective business plan. Most business planning software is designed to help you navigate the outlining and writing process more effectively.

You don’t need software to write a professional business plan, but a solid template can help you get started. Download a free template from PandaDoc today and take your business to the next level.

Get started with PandaDoc today

Small Business Trends

How to create a business plan: examples & free template.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or launching your very first startup, the guide will give you the insights, tools, and confidence you need to create a solid foundation for your business.

Table of Contents

How to Write a Business Plan

Executive summary.

It’s crucial to include a clear mission statement, a brief description of your primary products or services, an overview of your target market, and key financial projections or achievements.

Our target market includes environmentally conscious consumers and businesses seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. We project a 200% increase in revenue within the first three years of operation.

Overview and Business Objectives

Example: EcoTech’s primary objective is to become a market leader in sustainable technology products within the next five years. Our key objectives include:

Company Description

Example: EcoTech is committed to developing cutting-edge sustainable technology products that benefit both the environment and our customers. Our unique combination of innovative solutions and eco-friendly design sets us apart from the competition. We envision a future where technology and sustainability go hand in hand, leading to a greener planet.

Define Your Target Market

Market analysis.

The Market Analysis section requires thorough research and a keen understanding of the industry. It involves examining the current trends within your industry, understanding the needs and preferences of your customers, and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.

Our research indicates a gap in the market for high-quality, innovative eco-friendly technology products that cater to both individual and business clients.

SWOT Analysis

Including a SWOT analysis demonstrates to stakeholders that you have a balanced and realistic understanding of your business in its operational context.

Competitive Analysis

Organization and management team.

Provide an overview of your company’s organizational structure, including key roles and responsibilities. Introduce your management team, highlighting their expertise and experience to demonstrate that your team is capable of executing the business plan successfully.

Products and Services Offered

This section should emphasize the value you provide to customers, demonstrating that your business has a deep understanding of customer needs and is well-positioned to deliver innovative solutions that address those needs and set your company apart from competitors.

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Discuss how these marketing and sales efforts will work together to attract and retain customers, generate leads, and ultimately contribute to achieving your business’s revenue goals.

Logistics and Operations Plan

Inventory control is another crucial aspect, where you explain strategies for inventory management to ensure efficiency and reduce wastage. The section should also describe your production processes, emphasizing scalability and adaptability to meet changing market demands.

We also prioritize efficient distribution through various channels, including online platforms and retail partners, to deliver products to our customers in a timely manner.

Financial Projections Plan

This forward-looking financial plan is crucial for demonstrating that you have a firm grasp of the financial nuances of your business and are prepared to manage its financial health effectively.

Income Statement

Cash flow statement.

A cash flow statement is a crucial part of a financial business plan that shows the inflows and outflows of cash within your business. It helps you monitor your company’s liquidity, ensuring you have enough cash on hand to cover operating expenses, pay debts, and invest in growth opportunities.

Tips on Writing a Business Plan

4. Focus on your unique selling proposition (USP): Clearly articulate what sets your business apart from the competition. Emphasize your USP throughout your business plan to showcase your company’s value and potential for success.

FREE Business Plan Template

To help you get started on your business plan, we have created a template that includes all the essential components discussed in the “How to Write a Business Plan” section. This easy-to-use template will guide you through each step of the process, ensuring you don’t miss any critical details.

What is a Business Plan?

Why you should write a business plan.

Understanding the importance of a business plan in today’s competitive environment is crucial for entrepreneurs and business owners. Here are five compelling reasons to write a business plan:

What are the Different Types of Business Plans?

Using Business Plan Software

Upmetrics provides a simple and intuitive platform for creating a well-structured business plan. It features customizable templates, financial forecasting tools, and collaboration capabilities, allowing you to work with team members and advisors. Upmetrics also offers a library of resources to guide you through the business planning process.

Business Plan FAQs

What is a good business plan.

A good business plan is a well-researched, clear, and concise document that outlines a company’s goals, strategies, target market, competitive advantages, and financial projections. It should be adaptable to change and provide a roadmap for achieving success.

What are the 3 main purposes of a business plan?

Can i write a business plan by myself, is it possible to create a one-page business plan.

Yes, a one-page business plan is a condensed version that highlights the most essential elements, including the company’s mission, target market, unique selling proposition, and financial goals.

How long should a business plan be?

What is a business plan outline, what are the 5 most common business plan mistakes, what questions should be asked in a business plan.

A business plan should address questions such as: What problem does the business solve? Who is the specific target market ? What is the unique selling proposition? What are the company’s objectives? How will it achieve those objectives?

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

How is business planning for a nonprofit different.

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Business plan template

If you’re looking for a way to start your business off on the right foot, a business plan template can help you establish the foundation for your strategy. Get started in a few clicks with Asana’s free business plan template.

Sign up to use this template.

INTEGRATED FEATURES

Recommended apps.

You’re pumped—you just thought of the greatest business idea ever. You want to get started, but you don’t have a plan laid out. You need a loan to get your idea off the ground, and the bank wants to see an in-depth business plan. We’re here to help.

What is a business plan template?

A business plan template is a framework that helps you solidify your ideas in an organized format. Our free business plan template walks you through how to create a new business from scratch, or re-imagine your existing business in a new market.

What components are included in a business plan template?

Our business plan template covers what an organization wants to achieve within three to five years. By using our template, you’ll have a place to capture all of the major information you need in order to complete your business plan. That includes:

Company description : Information like your executive summary , your company’s mission statement and vision, and your founder’s bio. 

Product and services: A high-level overview of what your company provides, including core products or services. This may also include how your product is developed, any potential screenshots or prototypes of your product, and pricing plans.

Marketing plan: How you plan to bring your product into market at a high level. You can add information like a SWOT analysis , target market research, and brand positioning in this section.

Financial plan: Important financial information such as balance sheets, a break-even analysis, and your cash flow projections. 

Management and organization information: Information on your company’s founders, executive team, and the board of directors.

How to use our free business plan template

Using Asana’s free business plan template is simple. Start by creating a new project with our free template. From there, add relevant information for your specific business plan in the sections provided in our template. If there’s more information you want to include in your business plan, you’re free to add sections, custom fields, or additional tasks to make this template fit your needs.

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Reporting . Reporting in Asana translates project data into visual charts and digestible graphs. By reporting on work where work lives, you can reduce duplicative work and cut down on unnecessary app switching. And, because all of your team’s work is already in Asana, you can pull data from any project or team to get an accurate picture of what’s happening in one place.

Milestones . Milestones represent important project checkpoints. By setting milestones throughout your project, you can let your team members and project stakeholders know how you’re pacing towards your goal. Use milestones as a chance to celebrate the little wins on the path towards the big project goal. 

Project Overview . Project Overview is your one-stop-shop for all important project context. Give your team a bird’s-eye view of the what, why, and how of your project work. Add a project description to set the tone for how you’ll work together in Asana. Then, share any important resources and context—like meeting details, communication channels, and project briefs—in one place.

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Google Workplace . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

Gmail . With the Asana for Gmail integration, you can create Asana tasks directly from your Gmail inbox. Any tasks you create from Gmail will automatically include the context from your email, so you never miss a beat. Need to refer to an Asana task while composing an email? Instead of opening Asana, use the Asana for Gmail add-on to simply search for that task directly from your Gmail inbox. 

How do I create a business plan template? .css-i4fobf{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 200ms ease-in-out;transition:transform 200ms ease-in-out;-webkit-transform:rotateZ(0);-moz-transform:rotateZ(0);-ms-transform:rotateZ(0);transform:rotateZ(0);}

Instead of taking the time to create a business plan from scratch, start the process off with Asana’s free template.To further customize your template, add evergreen information about your specific business, such as your business model, company name, address, mission statement, value proposition, or target audience. Adding these details to your template lets you avoid documenting this information from scratch every time you create a new business plan.

What components should I include in a business plan template?

Business plan templates typically contain five main sections: a company description, products and services, a marketing plan, basic management and organization information, and your current financial plan.

How long should my business plan be?

Short answer—as long as you need it to be. The long answer is that your business plan should have the answers to specific questions on how your business is run, from the perspective of an investor. The goal of a business plan is to highlight your business strategy for the next three to five years. This means any important operational, financial, and strategic information should be included. 

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A PEST analysis template helps compile info on the external environment affecting your business. Learn how to prevent risk with a PEST analysis template.

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Learn how to create an OKR template in Asana so you can standardize the goal-setting process for everyone.

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Digital cost benefit analysis templates are a useful framework to see if a new project or idea is viable. Learn how to create your own in a few simple steps, with Asana.

Nonprofit business plan template

Success doesn’t just happen—it’s planned. Stay focused on your most crucial work with a custom nonprofit business plan template.

Contingency plan

Using a contingency plan template will help you create well-developed strategies to help you protect your business from potential risk. Learn how Asana can help.

Requirements traceability matrix

A requirements traceability matrix template is a tool to help organize project requirements in a concise manner. Learn how to create one for your team.

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Project closure template

Endings are important. Create a project closure template to help your team tie up loose ends and finish their projects with confidence.

Project reporting

Stay on top of your project’s performance. Keep everyone on the same page about what’s been completed and where your project is headed.

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What if you could create, share, and update your product roadmap in one place? Everyone could see you’re tackling the right priorities. Start planning your product roadmap with this template.

Program roadmap

Create a program roadmap template and know the exact structure of each program, how they operate, and their future plans—company-wide.

Operational plan template

Learn how Asana’s operations team uses standardized processes to streamline strategic planning—no matter how many stakeholders are involved.

Strategic planning template

When you’re launching a new product, team, or even a new business, strategic planning templates keep you laser-focused and on task.

Annual planning template

Set clear goals and streamline your planning process—so every level of your company is aligned on what’s important.

Competitive analysis template

The more you know about your competitors, the better your strategy will be. Competitive analysis templates use a data-driven approach to see exactly how your business, products, and features compare to your competition.

Crisis management plan

Does your team know what to do during a crisis? Using a crisis management plan template can help keep all your employees on the same page.

SIPOC template

Use your SIPOC template to ensure that the processes outlined in your SIPOC diagrams are consistent and up to your standards.

Small business, big goals

Coming up with your business strategy can be daunting, but Asana helps businesses of all sizes track and hit their goals. See how with a free trial.

Business Plan Templates

Free Download

2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business. Available as an interactive PDF or a Google Docs template.

With this business plan template, you'll be able to:

• Write a company description that sells your story
• Plan for the future: lay out goals and metrics for success
• Describe your product line in detail and plan for how to stand out from competitors
• Consider any legal formalities that require attention when starting your business
• Put together necessary financial projections to make a strong start
• Create your buyer persona and determine your product/marketing fit

Build A Business Plan That Works

Available as a one-page interactive PDF and a full template on both Google Docs and Microsoft Word!

Whether you’re starting a business or drafting a formalized document with  your current business goals, it’s important to clearly defi ne the scope of all aspects of the venture — from mission, to target customers, to fi nances, and beyond.

When just starting out, it can be tempting to think of a business plan as simply your company’s name and a description of your product or service. But in reality, planning a business involves thinking through a lot more details.

In this business plan template we’ll guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and fi nancial logistics. We've included a  plain text, designed , and  completed example version of this template. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you write a business plan.

A business plan is a formal written document that you can use to identify the purpose of your company, make important decisions about your future and help grow your company. HubSpot's free business plan templates provides guidance to establishing your company mission, customer research, competition, and a business strategy to profitability.

Why do I need to fill out the information requested?

We will always keep your personal information safe..

We ask for your information in exchange for a valuable resource in order to (a) improve your browsing experience by personalizing the HubSpot site to your needs; (b) send information to you that we think may be of interest to you by email or other means; (c) send you marketing communications that we think may be of value to you. You can read more about our privacy policy here .

Where can I get a free business plan template?

HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates are the best way to create a professional, thorough business plan. The templates include instructions and everything you need to know about starting your company.

Is this really free?

Absolutely.

Just sharing some free knowledge that we hope you’ll find useful. Keep us in mind next time you have marketing questions!

What are the basic format of a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that outlines the company's goals, strategy and implementation. The format of the plan varies depending on the type of organization (e.g., for-profit or nonprofit) and size, but most plans share some common features such as an overview, executive summary, and financial information.

What is the best business plan template?

A great business plan template clearly defines the scope of the venture -- from mission, to target customers, to finances, and beyond. HubSpot's business plan template will guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and financial logistics.

What is needed to start a business?

If you're thinking about starting a business, you'll need to do some research first. You can't just start a business without doing any market research. Market research will tell you if there's an opportunity to turn your idea into a successful business. After that, write your business plan so that you know how much money and time it will take for the project to succeed. Use HubSpot's free business plan template today!

Set yourself up for success with this business plan template

Download the free business plan template.

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Professional Business Plan Template to Customize

Create Your Business Plan

• Create a comprehensive business plan.
• Easily customize your slides to fit your needs.
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Professional business plan templates.

Create a presentation or document business plan quickly and easily with Visme's template options. Customize each page or slide to fit your vision and information to pitch to cofounders or investors. Get started today.

Data visualization made easy

Tell your story with the data to match using easy-to-customize charts and graphs. Select from 40+ chart and graph visualizations and find the one that proves your point clearly. Upload static data or connect to Google sheets for live data.

Customize every aspect of your presentation with your own images and text

Convey the exact mood you desire for your business plan with over a million images, thousands of icons, dozens of charts and data widgets to visualize information in an engaging way. Apply a color scheme to all your slides with one click. Add animation effects, transitions, interactivity, pop-ups, rollovers and third-party content to support your business case.

Speed things up with Visme AI Designer

Go from a text prompt to a ready-to-use design in mere minutes with Visme AI Designer (Beta). Do you need to create a business plan but lack the time? Let Visme AI Designer help you save time and effort. Describe your desired project to our AI Designer Chatbot, choose a style, and relax as AI Designer generates your project.

Apply our simple business plan template to give you a head start.

Meet the Team

Mission Statement

Product Overview

Value Propositions

Industry Landscape

Market Size

Customer Descriptions

Market Growth

Competitive Comparison

Competitive Advantage

Business Growth Projections

Marketing Mix

Conversion Funnels

Funding Needed

Share Your Business Plan

Finished your business plan and ready to share with the world? Visme’s business plan template makes it easy to publish, download and get feedback on your design. Simply download as a high resolution image or PDF, or publish it to the web and send a link to access it.

LEARN ABOUT BUSINESS PLANS

What is a Business Plan ?

A business plan is a written document or presentation that allows business leaders to share the business potential and goals, as well as your plans for the future. The business plan is a key step in working towards getting investors looking at your product.

If you're looking to flesh out a new business idea or venture in order to get cofounders or investors on board, you need a business plan. Get started with one of our templates to give you a starting point and framework for your own plan.

Why do I need a business plan?

Writing a business plan is a key step in securing funding and convincing high level executives that your business is worth their time. A well-executed business plan is crucial to the success of a business and it’s one of the first steps you should take.

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Take your business to new heights with a beautifully designed business plan. Our tools put the power of visual communication in the hands of entrepreneurs and business owners, no matter their level of design skills.

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Showcase in-depth data, statistics, and financial projections in a unique way. Harness the power of data visualization with Visme’s professional infographics, charts and graphs.

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Gain insight into the impact of your business plan with an analytics report. Track how many people have viewed your business plan and gauge its effectiveness.

HOW IT WORKS

How to Make a Business Plan in 5 Steps

If you are wondering how to write a business plan, you’ve come to the right place. Instead of starting your business plan from scratch, use our business plan templates to get you going in no time.

Learn more about creating your own business plan presentation or document by going through our step-by-step tutorial below or watching this quick video.

• Log into your Visme dashboard or create a new account, then click Create New Project.
• Access our business plan templates by searching for “Business Plan” in the search box.
• Select the template, then customize the content for your business.
• Update any charts and graphs to reflect your business goals.
• Once all your content is added, customize colors, logos, icons and more.

Questions About the Business Plan Template

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How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:59am

Table of Contents

Brainstorm an executive summary, create a company description, brainstorm your business goals, describe your services or products, conduct market research, create financial plans, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

Every business starts with a vision, which is distilled and communicated through a business plan. In addition to your high-level hopes and dreams, a strong business plan outlines short-term and long-term goals, budget and whatever else you might need to get started. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a business plan that you can stick to and help guide your operations as you get started.

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Drafting the Summary

An executive summary is an extremely important first step in your business. You have to be able to put the basic facts of your business in an elevator pitch-style sentence to grab investors’ attention and keep their interest. This should communicate your business’s name, what the products or services you’re selling are and what marketplace you’re entering.

Ask for Help

When drafting the executive summary, you should have a few different options. Enlist a few thought partners to review your executive summary possibilities to determine which one is best.

After you have the executive summary in place, you can work on the company description, which contains more specific information. In the description, you’ll need to include your business’s registered name , your business address and any key employees involved in the business. 

The business description should also include the structure of your business, such as sole proprietorship , limited liability company (LLC) , partnership or corporation. This is the time to specify how much of an ownership stake everyone has in the company. Finally, include a section that outlines the history of the company and how it has evolved over time.

Wherever you are on the business journey, you return to your goals and assess where you are in meeting your in-progress targets and setting new goals to work toward.

Numbers-based Goals

Goals can cover a variety of sections of your business. Financial and profit goals are a given for when you’re establishing your business, but there are other goals to take into account as well with regard to brand awareness and growth. For example, you might want to hit a certain number of followers across social channels or raise your engagement rates.

Another goal could be to attract new investors or find grants if you’re a nonprofit business. If you’re looking to grow, you’ll want to set revenue targets to make that happen as well.

Intangible Goals

Goals unrelated to traceable numbers are important as well. These can include seeing your business’s advertisement reach the general public or receiving a terrific client review. These goals are important for the direction you take your business and the direction you want it to go in the future.

The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you’re offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit in the current market or are providing something necessary or entirely new. If you have any patents or trademarks, this is where you can include those too.

If you have any visual aids, they should be included here as well. This would also be a good place to include pricing strategy and explain your materials.

This is the part of the business plan where you can explain your expertise and different approach in greater depth. Show how what you’re offering is vital to the market and fills an important gap.

You can also situate your business in your industry and compare it to other ones and how you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Other than financial goals, you want to have a budget and set your planned weekly, monthly and annual spending. There are several different costs to consider, such as operational costs.

Business Operations Costs

Rent for your business is the first big cost to factor into your budget. If your business is remote, the cost that replaces rent will be the software that maintains your virtual operations.

Marketing and sales costs should be next on your list. Devoting money to making sure people know about your business is as important as making sure it functions.

Other Costs

Although you can’t anticipate disasters, there are likely to be unanticipated costs that come up at some point in your business’s existence. It’s important to factor these possible costs into your financial plans so you’re not caught totally unaware.

Business plans are important for businesses of all sizes so that you can define where your business is and where you want it to go. Growing your business requires a vision, and giving yourself a roadmap in the form of a business plan will set you up for success.

How do I write a simple business plan?

When you’re working on a business plan, make sure you have as much information as possible so that you can simplify it to the most relevant information. A simple business plan still needs all of the parts included in this article, but you can be very clear and direct.

What are some common mistakes in a business plan?

The most common mistakes in a business plan are common writing issues like grammar errors or misspellings. It’s important to be clear in your sentence structure and proofread your business plan before sending it to any investors or partners.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

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

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Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.

Powerful business plan templates

Plan for the future, no matter what your business plans are or the size of your business with these designs and templates. whether it's just one big project or an entire organization's worth of dreams, these templates will keep you and your company on track from ideation to completion..

Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

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Develop your business plan

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Why you need a business plan

Use our business plan tool, download a detailed business plan template, tips to help you write your business plan.

Whether you've just started out or have been running your business for years, business planning can be the key to your success. Having a business plan:

• helps you to prioritise – it gives your business direction, defines your objectives, maps out how you'll achieve your goals and helps you to manage possible bumps in the road
• gives you control over your business – the planning process helps you learn about the different things that could affect your success. If you're already in business, it helps you to step back and look at what's working and what you can improve on
• helps you seek finance – if you're seeking finance for your business, you'll need to show banks and investors why they should invest in your business.

It will help you to develop a shorter business plan to:

• evaluate a new business idea
• set some goals for the year ahead
• keep your business on track.

Use this template if you are seeking finance for your business or want to include more detail in your business plan.

Business plan template

1. Determine what your plan is for

Does your business plan have more than one purpose? Will you use it internally, or will you share it externally, for example with potential investors or banks?

Deciding what the purpose is, can help you develop your plan for the right audience. If the plan has been developed for third parties, you will need to determine what they’ll be most interested in.

2. Prepare your finances

Use our detailed business plan template if you are seeking finance.

Lenders and investors will want to know if your finances are in order and your business is in a strong financial position. They'll want to know how much money you currently have, how much money you need and how much you expect to make in the near future. While a bit of extra funding will help you ensure you’re covered for unexpected costs, be realistic and avoid asking for more than you need.

If you're starting out and don't have financial information yet, our template provides resources to help you get your finances ready.

3. Write your summary last

Summarise the main points of your business plan using as few words as possible. You want to get to the point but not overlook important facts. This is your opportunity to sell yourself, but don't overdo it. The summary should include details about your business, market, goals and what makes you different from other businesses.

4. Get help

Don't leave your business plan to the last minute. It takes time, research and careful preparation to develop an effective business plan.

If you aren't confident in completing the plan yourself, consider getting a professional to look over it and provide advice.

There are a number of government services available to help you plan, start or grow your business. These services can provide general advice, workshops, seminars and networking events, and can even match you with a mentor or business coach.

Get expert help from a business adviser in your area .

5. Review your plan regularly

As your business changes, your plan will need to change to ensure your business is still heading in the right direction. Having your plan up-to-date can keep you focused on where you are heading.

It's a good idea to keep a record of each version of your business plan.

6. Protect your plan

Having an understanding with third parties when distributing a plan could be enough protection for some businesses. But if you have innovative business practices, products or services, you may want people to sign a confidentiality agreement to protect your innovations.

It may also be a good idea to include some words in your plan asking the reader not to disclose the details of your plan.

Start writing and developing your marketing strategy.

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Business.govt.nz, in association with, how to write a business plan.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula to write a business plan. But there are some key things to consider. Check out our free templates — one for start-ups and a quick-focus template for growing businesses.

Tips for preparing a business plan

• Be clear and focused about what you want to achieve – this will help align your team so you’re all working toward the same thing.
• Choose the type of business plan that works for you – you may like to have a document, or a business canvas might work better.
• Keep it short, simple and easy to understand.
• Keep your goals realistic and relevant to what is going on in the economy and in your industry.
• Use Stats NZ’s Data for Business website to find useful business tools and statistics.
• Contact Stats NZ to get useful business data.
• Get out and speak with your customers to gain understanding of how your product works for them and whether it’s something they would pay for.
• Do a SWOT analysis to determine your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
• Ask your advisor or mentor to review your plan and give you feedback and suggested improvements.

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Call Stats NZ toll-free on 0508 525 525

Use this free template to help you write a great plan for launching your new business.

A business plan helps you set goals for your business, and plan how you’re going to reach them. When you’re starting out it’s a good idea to do a full and thorough business plan.

Quick-focus business plan

Quick-focus planning to make sure you work on the right things for your growing business - every day.

It’s important to take time to reflect on your business strategies and plan. It doesn’t have to be a difficult or time-consuming task.

Business planning e-learning

Learn how to create a business plan that clearly sets out where you and your business are going and how you’ll get there.

Implementing your business plan

• Keep your business plan as a living document – don’t leave it to gather dust on a shelf.
• Make sure it’s easily accessible and top-of-mind for you and your team.
• Reflect your goals in the day-to-day operations of your business.
• Outline the most practical and cost-effective way to achieve each goal – make a note of any extra resources you’ll need.
• Make it clear these goals are the top priority for the business.

SWOT your business, and your competition

A SWOT analysis is a great way to assess what your business does well, and where you’ll need to improve. It can also help you identify ways you can exploit opportunities, and to identify and prepare for potential threats to your business success.

Strengths and weaknesses are typically inside your business — what are you good at, what are you not so good at — while opportunities and threats are external factors.

It can be as simple as drawing a large square, and dividing it into four quadrants – one for each element of the SWOT analysis.

Think about what you, your team, and your business are good at – all the attributes that will help you achieve your goals, for example, what you (and your team) do well, any unique skills or expert knowledge, what you/your business do better than your competitors, good processes and systems, and where your business is most profitable.

Think about the things that could stop you from achieving your objectives. This might include what costs you time and/or money, the areas you or your company need to improve in, what resources you lack, which parts of the business aren’t profitable, poor brand awareness, disorganised processes, or a poor online presence. Think about what you can do to minimise your weaknesses.

Opportunities

Think about the external conditions that will help you achieve your goals. How can you do more for your existing customers, or reach new markets? Are there related products and services that could provide opportunities for your business, and how could you use technology to enhance your business?

Consider the external conditions that could damage your business's performance – things like what’s going on in your industry, and in the economy, the obstacles you face, the strengths of your biggest competitors, and things your competitors are doing that you're not. Think about how you could try to minimise or manage the threats.

Repeat the exercise for your competition too – it’ll help you identify areas where you can beat them, to fine-tune your niche market, and make sure you’re prepared to address the challenge they pose.

Refine and review

Craig Jackson has dabbled in business planning before. But when he set up his ice pop business Dr Feelgood, he decided to work with a mentor.

“She was instrumental to pushing us to a very healthy product. Our first business plan was 47 pages long. It came down to four pages, which distilled down what we were doing and how we look at it,” says Jackson.

“It’s really important to ask ‘do people want your product’ and then ‘are there enough of them to buy it’? Our market validation was me going around gas stations, cafes, dairies and looking in freezers and talking to freezer managers and talking to our friends.”

Jackson regularly reviews progress against his business plan. “We’ve hit all our targets, but have learnt a lot in the first six months of operating. Places I thought we’d really sell, we don’t, and places I thought we’d never go is where we’re going.”

Review your business plan

• Check how you’re tracking to reach key milestones in your business plan every month, and celebrate when these have been reached.
• Stay on top of industry trends and stay connected with your customers – this will help you keep ahead of any changes needed in your business.
• Update your business plan with any changes affecting your business or industry.

Tips on when business planning is right for your business

Tips on types of advice you’ll need

Common mistakes

Not being able to clearly articulate your business and the value it offers to customers.

Making assumptions about your customers rather than speaking with them.

Not reviewing and monitoring your business plan.

Setting unrealistic or uninformed targets.

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Free Simple Business Plan Templates

Are you a business startup and want to get a free business plan template for your business? If yes, then you are at the right place. As a business plan writing company , we list out professional business plan templates for you so you can write your business plan easily. We have shared a wide range of templates for diversified business needs. You can choose one that suits your requirements

Free One Page Business Plan Template

Utilize this concise Free one-page business plan to systematically record your essential concepts. This template assists in constructing a simplified overview of your business plan, making it easily digestible for stakeholders. Consider this one-page plan as a starting point, serving as a reference for developing a more comprehensive business blueprint.

Simple Business Plan Template

This template guides you step by step through all the elements of a small business plan , covering areas like the company’s history, introducing the management team, conducting market analysis, presenting product or service details, outlining financial projections, and more. Additionally, it includes a pre-built table of contents to maintain the structure of your plan, and it’s fully adaptable to suit your specific needs.

Lean Startup Business Plan Template

The lean business plan template offers a simplified alternative to the traditional business plan Template. It includes concise sections for your company’s overview, industry context, problem-solving approach, unique value proposition, target market, and essential performance metrics. Additionally, there’s space to map out a timeline of crucial activities.

Free Business Plan Template

Boost your business with our collection of easy-to-use templates designed just for you.

Business Plan Templates By Business Category​

Potential Issues with Business Plan Templates & How to Address Them

Generic templates vs. industry specificity.

• Issue: One-size-fits-all business plan templates might not capture industry-specific details crucial for investors.
• Solution: Look for templates with industry-tailored sections or customize existing ones to highlight your industry’s nuances.

Lack of Financial Expertise

• Issue: Users might struggle with financial projections or terminology.
• Solution: Include clear instructions and financial guidance within the simple business plan template.. Users can also consult free online resources or financial advisors.

Data Accuracy and Consistency

• Issue: Inaccurate or inconsistent data can mislead investors.
• Solution: Double-check all data entries and ensure consistency across the plan. Consider using real financial data from your business (if applicable).

Overreliance on Templates

• Issue: Business Plan Templates shouldn’t replace critical thinking and analysis specific to your business.
• Solution: Use the template as a framework, but personalize it with your unique value proposition, competitive landscape analysis, and strategic goals.

Formatting and Readability

• Issue: Poor formatting can make your plan look unprofessional.
• Solution: Pay attention to formatting elements like fonts, spacing, and visuals. Ensure the plan is clear, concise, and easy to read.

Remember: Our Page includes 45 different kinds of business plan templates tailored for specific industries, So you can choose any format that suits your business with your ease.

Get Your One Page Business Plan Template from Wisebusinessplan Today!

Essential elements of a business plan.

• Executive Summary
• Business Description
• Market Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Marketing and Sales Strategy
• Organization and Management
• Product or Service Line
• Financial Projections
• Funding Request
• Appendix (optional)

Tips for Creating a Business Plan

Creating a business plan can seem like a daunting task, but the following tips aim to simplify the process as you develop your plan:

• Utilize a business plan template (choose from the options above) or refer to the previous section to establish a standard outline for your plan.
• Adapt your outline to suit the specific needs of your business. If you’re using a standard business plan outline, remove any sections that don’t apply to your situation or aren’t vital for running your business.
• Begin by gathering all the information you currently have about your business. Then, use this information to complete each section in your plan outline.
• Leverage available resources and conduct additional research to fill in any remaining gaps. (Note: You don’t have to fill out your plan in sequence, but remember that the executive summary, which summarizes key points, should be completed last.)
• Ensure your plan effectively conveys the interplay between your marketing, sales, and financial objectives.
• Include details in your plan that outline your strategic course of action, looking ahead three to five years.
• Regularly revisit your plan as strategies and objectives evolve.

At the very least, ensure your business plan addresses the following questions:

• What product or service are we offering?
• Who is the product or service for?
• What problem does our product or service solve?
• How will we deliver the product or service to our target customers?
• What makes our product or service superior to alternatives?
• How can we surpass our competitors?
• What is our unique value proposition?
• When will tasks be completed, and who is responsible for them?
• If funding is needed, how will it be utilized?
• When are payments due, and when will income be received?
• What is the ultimate purpose of your business?

To determine the type of business plan that suits your needs and for more helpful guidance, consult our guide on crafting a concise business plan.

Benefits of Using a Business Plan Template

Developing a business plan can be a time-consuming task, particularly if you’re unsure how to get started. However, utilizing the right template tailored to your business needs can prove highly advantageous. Here’s how using a business plan template, as opposed to starting from scratch, can be particularly helpful:

Facilitates Organized Planning

A template allows you to promptly jot down your thoughts and ideas in an orderly fashion. It provides a structured framework that simplifies the planning process.

Provides Clarity and Structure

Using a template gives your plan a clear structure, helping you outline your business objectives, strategies, and goals with greater precision.

Time and Resource Efficiency

Templates save you precious time and resources. They eliminate the need to create every section from the ground up, enabling you to focus on the content and strategy, rather than the format.

Prevents Oversight

Templates serve as comprehensive guides, helping you cover all the essential details your business plan should encompass. This reduces the risk of omitting crucial elements vital to your business’s success.

In essence, a well-designed business plan template streamlines the planning process, making it more efficient and ensuring that your plan is both thorough and well-organized.

Restrictions of Business Plan Templates

While a business plan template can be a helpful starting point, it comes with certain limitations, particularly if the template doesn’t align precisely with your business’s unique requirements. Here are some drawbacks to consider:

Lack of Customization

Every business is distinct, and your business plan should reflect that individuality. A template may not adequately cater to your specific needs, potentially resulting in an ill-fitting plan.

Impaired Collaboration

Using a template may hinder effective collaboration among different teams involved in the plan’s development, such as sales, marketing, and accounting teams. It might not be conducive to seamless teamwork.

Data Dispersal

Templates can lead to the creation of multiple files stored in various locations. This can make it challenging to maintain a centralized and up-to-date plan.

Chart and Graph Creation

Templates often require you to manually generate charts and graphs to support your strategic points. This adds an extra layer of work and complexity.

Multiple Updates

Keeping your plan, spreadsheets, and supporting documents synchronized can be cumbersome when using a template. Changes made may not automatically update across all documents, potentially causing version control issues.

In summary, while business plan templates can be a useful starting point, it’s essential to be aware of their limitations, especially when your business has specific requirements that may not be accommodated by a generic template.

A business plan template is a pre-written document that provides a structure and outline for writing a business plan. It can help businesses of all sizes save time and effort, ensure completeness, improve consistency, and make a better impression on potential investors and lenders.

To write a business plan using a template, simply follow the structure and outline provided. Fill in the blanks with information about your company, its products or services, its target market, its financial projections, and its marketing and sales strategies. Be sure to customize the template to fit the specific needs of your business.

The best business plan templates for small businesses are those that are tailored to the specific needs of small businesses. Some popular options include:

• Lean Startup Canvas
• Business Model Canvas
• One-Page Business Plan
• SBA Business Plan Template
• SCORE Business Plan Template

To customize a business plan template, simply add or remove sections as needed to fit the specific needs of your business. You can also change the wording and formatting of the template to match your company’s brand voice.

Here are a few tips for writing a successful business plan using a template:

• Be honest and realistic in your projections.
• Be clear and concise in your writing.
• Be specific about your goals and objectives.
• Tailor your plan to your target audience.
• Proofread your plan carefully before submitting it to potential investors or lenders.

Here are a few examples of good business plans written using templates:

• Tesla Business Plan
• Airbnb Business Plan
• Warby Parker Business Plan
• Glossier Business Plan
• Spotify Business Plan

Download Pack of 3 Business Plan Templates

One Page Business Plan + Lean Business Plan + Simple Business Plan Template

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7 Business Plan Examples to Inspire Your Own (2024)

Need support creating your business plan? Check out these business plan examples for inspiration.

Any aspiring entrepreneur researching how to start a business will likely be advised to write a business plan. But few resources provide business plan examples to really guide you through writing one of your own.

Here are some real-world and illustrative business plan examples to help you craft your business plan .

7 business plan examples: section by section

The business plan examples in this article follow this template:

• Executive summary.  An introductory overview of your business.
• Company description.  A more in-depth and detailed description of your business and why it exists.
• Market analysis.  Research-based information about the industry and your target market.
• Products and services.  What you plan to offer in exchange for money.
• Marketing plan.   The promotional strategy to introduce your business to the world and drive sales.
• Logistics and operations plan.  Everything that happens in the background to make your business function properly.
• Financial plan.  A breakdown of your numbers to show what you need to get started as well as to prove viability of profitability.
• Executive summary

Your  executive summary  is a page that gives a high-level overview of the rest of your business plan. It’s easiest to save this section for last.

In this  free business plan template , the executive summary is four paragraphs and takes a little over half a page:

• Company description

You might repurpose your company description elsewhere, like on your About page, social media profile pages, or other properties that require a boilerplate description of your small business.

Soap brand ORRIS  has a blurb on its About page that could easily be repurposed for the company description section of its business plan.

You can also go more in-depth with your company overview and include the following sections, like in the example for Paw Print Post:

• Business structure.  This section outlines how you  registered your business —as an  LLC , sole proprietorship, corporation, or other  business type . “Paw Print Post will operate as a sole proprietorship run by the owner, Jane Matthews.”
• Nature of the business.  “Paw Print Post sells unique, one-of-a-kind digitally printed cards that are customized with a pet’s unique paw prints.”
• Industry.  “Paw Print Post operates primarily in the pet industry and sells goods that could also be categorized as part of the greeting card industry.”
• Background information.  “Jane Matthews, the founder of Paw Print Post, has a long history in the pet industry and working with animals, and was recently trained as a graphic designer. She’s combining those two loves to capture a niche in the market: unique greeting cards customized with a pet’s paw prints, without needing to resort to the traditional (and messy) options of casting your pet’s prints in plaster or using pet-safe ink to have them stamp their ‘signature.’”
• Business objectives.  “Jane will have Paw Print Post ready to launch at the Big Important Pet Expo in Toronto to get the word out among industry players and consumers alike. After two years in business, Jane aims to drive $150,000 in annual revenue from the sale of Paw Print Post’s signature greeting cards and have expanded into two new product categories.”
• Team.  “Jane Matthews is the sole full-time employee of Paw Print Post but hires contractors as needed to support her workflow and fill gaps in her skill set. Notably, Paw Print Post has a standing contract for five hours a week of virtual assistant support with Virtual Assistants Pro.”

Your  mission statement  may also make an appearance here.  Passionfruit  shares its mission statement on its company website, and it would also work well in its example business plan.

• Market analysis

The market analysis consists of research about supply and demand, your target demographics, industry trends, and the competitive landscape. You might run a SWOT analysis and include that in your business plan. 

Here’s an example  SWOT analysis  for an online tailored-shirt business:

You’ll also want to do a  competitive analysis  as part of the market research component of your business plan. This will tell you who you’re up against and give you ideas on how to differentiate your brand. A broad competitive analysis might include:

• Target customers
• Unique value add  or what sets their products apart
• Sales pitch
• Price points  for products
• Shipping  policy
• Products and services

This section of your business plan describes your offerings—which products and services do you sell to your customers? Here’s an example for Paw Print Post:

• Marketing plan

It’s always a good idea to develop a marketing plan  before you launch your business. Your marketing plan shows how you’ll get the word out about your business, and it’s an essential component of your business plan as well.

The Paw Print Post focuses on four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place. However, you can take a different approach with your marketing plan. Maybe you can pull from your existing  marketing strategy , or maybe you break it down by the different marketing channels. Whatever approach you take, your marketing plan should describe how you intend to promote your business and offerings to potential customers.

• Logistics and operations plan

The Paw Print Post example considered suppliers, production, facilities, equipment, shipping and fulfillment, and inventory.

Financial plan

The financial plan provides a breakdown of sales, revenue, profit, expenses, and other relevant financial metrics related to funding and profiting from your business.

Ecommerce brand  Nature’s Candy’s financial plan  breaks down predicted revenue, expenses, and net profit in graphs.

It then dives deeper into the financials to include:

• Funding needs
• Projected profit-and-loss statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Projected cash-flow statement

You can use this financial plan spreadsheet to build your own financial statements, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement.

Types of business plans, and what to include for each

A one-page business plan is meant to be high level and easy to understand at a glance. You’ll want to include all of the sections, but make sure they’re truncated and summarized:

• Executive summary: truncated
• Market analysis: summarized
• Products and services: summarized
• Marketing plan: summarized
• Logistics and operations plan: summarized
• Financials: summarized

A startup business plan is for a new business. Typically, these plans are developed and shared to secure  outside funding . As such, there’s a bigger focus on the financials, as well as on other sections that determine viability of your business idea—market research, for example.

• Market analysis: in-depth
• Financials: in-depth

Your internal business plan is meant to keep your team on the same page and aligned toward the same goal.

A strategic, or growth, business plan is a bigger picture, more-long-term look at your business. As such, the forecasts tend to look further into the future, and growth and revenue goals may be higher. Essentially, you want to use all the sections you would in a normal business plan and build upon each.

• Market analysis: comprehensive outlook
• Products and services: for launch and expansion
• Marketing plan: comprehensive outlook
• Logistics and operations plan: comprehensive outlook
• Financials: comprehensive outlook

Feasibility

Your feasibility business plan is sort of a pre-business plan—many refer to it as simply a feasibility study. This plan essentially lays the groundwork and validates that it’s worth the effort to make a full business plan for your idea. As such, it’s mostly centered around research.

Set yourself up for success as a business owner

Building a good business plan serves as a roadmap you can use for your ecommerce business at launch and as you reach each of your business goals. Business plans create accountability for entrepreneurs and synergy among teams, regardless of your  business model .

Kickstart your ecommerce business and set yourself up for success with an intentional business planning process—and with the sample business plans above to guide your own path.

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Business plan examples FAQ

How do i write a simple business plan, what is the best format to write a business plan, what are the 4 key elements of a business plan.

• Executive summary: A concise overview of the company's mission, goals, target audience, and financial objectives.
• Business description: A description of the company's purpose, operations, products and services, target markets, and competitive landscape.
• Market analysis: An analysis of the industry, market trends, potential customers, and competitors.
• Financial plan: A detailed description of the company's financial forecasts and strategies.

What are the 3 main points of a business plan?

• Concept: Your concept should explain the purpose of your business and provide an overall summary of what you intend to accomplish.
• Contents: Your content should include details about the products and services you provide, your target market, and your competition.
• Cashflow: Your cash flow section should include information about your expected cash inflows and outflows, such as capital investments, operating costs, and revenue projections.

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Simple Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | April 2, 2020

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

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

Simple Business Plan Template

Download Simple Business Plan Template

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

One-Page Business Plan Template

Download One-Page Business Plan Template

Excel | Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

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

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

Simple Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Template

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

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

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

Simple Business Plan for Startup

‌ Download Startup Business Plan Template — Word

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

Simple Small-Business Plan Template

Download Simple Small-Business Plan Template

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

Lean Business Plan Template

Download Lean Business Plan Template

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

Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Download Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Word  | PDF

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

Simple Business Planning Template with Timeline

Download Simple Business Planning Template with Timeline

Excel | Smartsheet

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

Simple Business Plan Rubric Template

Download Simple Business Plan Rubric

Excel | Word | PDF | Smartsheet

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

Basic Business Plan Sample

Download Basic Business Plan Sample

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

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

Main Components of a Business Plan

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

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

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

Tips for Creating a Business Plan

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

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

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

Benefits of Using a Business Plan Template

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

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

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

Limitations of a Business Plan Template

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

Below are some limitations of using a business plan template:

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

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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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Write a business plan

Download free business plan templates and find help and advice on how to write your business plan.

Business plan templates

Download a free business plan template on The Prince’s Trust website.

You can also download a free cash flow forecast template or a business plan template on the Start Up Loans website to help you manage your finances.

Business plan examples

Read example business plans on the Bplans website.

How to write a business plan

Get detailed information about how to write a business plan on the Start Up Donut website.

Why you need a business plan

A business plan is a written document that describes your business. It covers objectives, strategies, sales, marketing and financial forecasts.

A business plan helps you to:

• clarify your business idea
• spot potential problems
• set out your goals
• measure your progress

You’ll need a business plan if you want to secure investment or a loan from a bank. Read about the finance options available for businesses on the Business Finance Guide website.

It can also help to convince customers, suppliers and potential employees to support you.

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• Building Your Business
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Simple Business Plan Template for Entrepreneurs

Follow This Business Plan Outline to Write Your Own

Susan Ward wrote about small businesses for The Balance for 18 years. She has run an IT consulting firm and designed and presented courses on how to promote small businesses.

Pros and Cons of Using a Business Plan Template

Do i need a simple or detailed business plan, how to use this business plan template, table of contents, section 1: executive summary, section 2: business/industry overview.

• Section 3: Market Analysis and Competition

Section 4: Sales and Marketing Plan

Section 5: ownership and management plan, section 6: operating plan, section 7: financial plan.

• Section 8: Appendices and Exhibits

Ariel Skelley / Getty Images

Think you have a great idea for a business? The best way to find out whether your idea is feasible is to create a business plan .

A solid, well-researched business plan provides a practical overview of your vision. It can be used to ground your ideas into workable actions and to help pitch your idea to financial institutions or potential investors when looking for funding.

The standard business plan consists of a single document divided into several sections for distinct elements, such as a description of the organization, market research, competitive analysis, sales strategies, capital and labor requirements, and financial data. Your plan may include more or fewer sections to best represent your business.

The template presented here will get you well on your way toward your simple business plan.

Ready-made layouts

Free downloads

Generic, not customized

No financial guidance

Additional skills needed

• Ready-made layouts : Templates offer general guidance about what information is needed and how to organize it, so you’re not stuck looking at a blank page when getting started. Especially detailed templates may offer instructions or helpful text prompts along the way.
• Variations : If you know what type of business plan you need—traditional, lean, industry-specific—chances are you can find a specialized template.
• Free downloads : There are many free business plan templates available online, which can be useful for comparing formats and features, or refining your own.
• Generic, not customized : Templates typically contain just the basics, and there will still be a lot of work involved to tailor the template to your business. For instance, you'll have to reformat, refine copy, and populate tables.
• No financial guidance : You’ll need enough industry knowledge to apply financial models to your specific business, and the math skills to generate formulas and calculate figures.
• Additional skills needed : Some degree of tech savvy is required to integrate charts and graphs, merge data from spreadsheets, and keep it all up-to-date.

A corporate business plan for a large organization can be hundreds of pages long. However, for a small business, it's best to keep the plan short and concise, especially if you're submitting it to bankers or investors . Around 35 to 50 pages should be sufficient, and more allowed for extras, such as photos of products, equipment, logos, or business premises or site plans.  Your audience will likely prefer solid research and analysis over long, wordy descriptions.

An entrepreneur who creates a business plan is nearly twice as likely to secure financing and grow their business compared with those who do not have a plan.

The business plan template below is divided into sections as described in the table of contents. Each section can be copied into a document of your own; you may need to add or delete sections or make adjustments to fit your specific needs.

Once complete, be sure to format it attractively and get it professionally printed and bound. You want your business plan to convey the best possible impression. Make it engaging, something people will to want to pick up and peruse.

Enter your business information, including the legal name and address. If you already have a business logo, you can add it at the top or bottom of the title page.

• Business Plan for "Business Name"
• Business address
• Website URL

If you're addressing it to a company or individual, include:

• Presented to "Name"
• At "Company"
• Executive Summary................................................Page #
• Business/Industry Overview.................................Page #
• Market Analysis and Competition.........................Page #
• Sales and Marketing Plan.......................................Page #
• Ownership and Management Plan.......................Page #
• Operating Plan..........................................................Page #
• Financial Plan............................................................Page #
• Appendices and Exhibits........................................Page #

The  executive summary introduces the plan, but it is written last. It provides a concise and optimistic overview of your business and should capture the reader's attention and create a desire to learn more. The executive summary should be no more than two pages long, with highlights or brief summaries of other sections of the plan.

• Describe your  mission —what is the need for your new business? Sell your vision.
• Introduce your company briefly, sticking to vital details such as size, location, management, and ownership.
• Describe your main product(s) and/or service(s).
• Identify the customer base you plan to target and how your business will serve those customers.
• Summarize the competition and how you will get market share. What is your competitive advantage?
• Outline your financial projections for the first few years of operation.
• State your startup financing requirements.

This section provides an overview of the industry and explains in detail what makes your business stand out.

• Describe the overall nature of the industry, including sales and other statistics. Note trends and demographics, as well as economic, cultural, and governmental influences.
• Explain your business and how it fits into the industry.
• Mention the existing competition, which you'll expand upon in the following section.
• Identify what area(s) of the market you will target and what unique, improved, or lower-cost products and/or services you will offer.

Many business plans cover their products/services in a standalone section to add more detail or emphasize unique aspects.

Section 3: Market Analysis and Competition

This section focuses on the competitive factor of your business and justifies it with financial models and statistics. You need to demonstrate that you have thoroughly analyzed the target market, assessed the competition, and concluded that there is enough demand for your products/services to make your business viable.

• Define the target market(s) for your products/services in your geographic locale.
• Explain the need for your products/services.
• Estimate the overall size of the market and the units of your products/services that the target market might buy. Include forecasts of potential repeat-purchase volume and how the market might be affected by economic or demographic changes.
• Estimate the volume and value of your sales in comparison with any existing competitors. Highlight any key strengths over the competition in easily digestible charts and tables.
• Describe any helpful barriers to entry that may protect your business from competition, such as access to capital, technology, regulations, employee skill sets, or location.  

You may opt to split the target market description and competitive analysis into two separate sections, if either (or both) portray your business especially favorably.

Here's where you dive into profits, giving detailed strategic view of how you intend to entice customers to buy your products and/or services, including advertising or promotion, pricing, sales, distribution, and post-sales support.

Product or Service Offerings

If your products and/or services don't take up a standalone section earlier in the plan, here is where you can answer the question: What is your unique selling proposition? Describe your products and/or services, how they benefit the customer and what sets them apart from competitor offerings.

Pricing Strategy

How will you price your products/services? Pricing must be low enough to attract customers, yet high enough to cover costs and generate a profit. You can base pricing decisions on a number of financial models, such as markup from cost or value to the buyer, or in comparison with similar products and/or services in the marketplace.  

Sales and Distribution

For products, describe how you plan to distribute to the customer. Will you be selling wholesale or retail? What type of packaging will be required? How will products be shipped? If you offer a service, how will it be delivered to the customer? What methods will be used for payment?

Advertising and Promotion

List the various forms of media you will use to get your message to customers (e.g., website, email, social media, or newspapers). Will you use sales promotional methods such as free samples and product demonstrations? What about product launches and trade shows? Don't forget more everyday marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, or brochures. Include an approximate budget.

This section describes the legal structure, ownership, and (if applicable) management and staffing requirements of your business.

• Ownership structure : Describe the legal structure of your company (e.g., corporation, partnership, LLC, or  sole proprietorship ). List ownership percentages, if applicable. If the business is a sole proprietorship, this is the only section required.
• Management team : Describe managers and their roles, key employee positions, and how each will be compensated. Include brief résumés.
• External resources and services : List any external professional resources required, such as accountants, lawyers, or consultants.
• Human resources : List the type and number of employees or contractors you will need, and estimate the salary and benefit costs of each.
• Advisory board : Include an advisory board as a supplemental management resource, if applicable.

The operating plan outlines the physical requirements of your business, such as office, warehouse, or retail space; equipment; supplies; or labor. This section will vary greatly by industry; a large manufacturer, for instance, should provide full details about supply chain or specialty equipment, while a therapist's office can get by with a much shorter list.

If your business is a small operation (like a one-person, home-based consulting firm), you might choose to eliminate the operating plan section altogether and include the operating essentials in the business overview.

• Development : Explain what you have done to date to identify possible locations, sources of equipment, supply chains, and other relevant relationships. Describe your production workflow.
• Production : For manufacturing, explain how long it takes to produce a unit and when you'll be ready to start production. Include factors that may affect the time frame of production and how you'll deal with potential problems, such as rush orders.
• Facilities : Describe the physical location of the business. Include geographical or building requirements; square footage estimates (with room for expansion if expected); mortgage or leasing costs; and estimates of maintenance, utilities, and related  overhead costs . Include zoning approvals and other permissions that are necessary in order to operate.
• Staffing : Outline expected staffing needs and the main duties of staff members, especially the key employees. Describe how the employees will be sourced and the employment relationship (i.e., contract, full-time, part-time) as well as any training needs and how these will be provided.
• Equipment : Include a list of any specialized equipment needed, along with cost, whether it will be leased or purchased, and sources.
• Supplies : If your business is, for example, manufacturing, retail, or food services, include a description of the materials needed, reliable sources, major suppliers, and how you will manage inventory.

The financial plan is the most important section for lenders or investors. The goal is to demonstrate that your business will grow and be profitable. To do this, you will need to create realistic predictions or forecasts.

To avoid inflated expectations, a prudent financial plan underestimates revenues and overestimates expenses.

• Income statements : The income statement displays projected revenues, expenses, and profit. Do this on a monthly basis for at least the first year for a startup business.
• Cash-flow projections : The cash-flow projection shows your monthly anticipated cash revenues and disbursements for expenses. To be considered a good credit risk, it is important to demonstrate that you can manage your cash flow.
• Balance sheet : The  balance sheet  is a snapshot summary of the assets, liabilities, and equity of your business at a particular point in time. For a startup, this would be on the day the business opens.
• Breakeven analysis : Including a breakeven analysis will demonstrate to lenders or investors what level of sales you need to achieve to make a profit.

Section 8: Appendices and Exhibits

The appendices and exhibits section contains any detailed information needed to support other sections of the plan.  

Possible Appendix or Exhibit items include:

• Credit histories for the business owners
• Detailed market research and analysis of competitors
• Résumés of the owners and key employees
• Diagrams and/or research about your products and/or services
• Site, building, or office plans
• Copies of mortgage documents or equipment leases (or quotes)
• Marketing brochures and other materials
• References from business colleagues
• Links to your business website
• Any other material that may impress potential lenders or investors

SCORE. " Business Plan Template for a Startup Business ." Accessed April 28, 2021.

U.S. Small Business Administration. " Write your business plan ." Accessed April 28, 2021.

U.S. Small Business Administration. " SBA Recommended Business Plans and Length ." Accessed April 28, 2021.

Bplans. " Why Plan Your Business? Look at This Data ." Accessed April 28, 2021.

Marketing MO. " Pricing Strategy ." Accessed April 28, 2021.

Incorporate.com. " Write a Business Plan, a Step-by-Step Guide ." Accessed April 29, 2021.

Startup Nation. " The Five Costs You're Most Likely to Underestimate in Your Business Plan ." Accessed April 28, 2021.

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The Best Project Plan Template

• Michaela Rollings
• August 23, 2024

Table of Contents

In any organization, project plans are essential documents that outline the goals, objectives, scope, timelines, resources, and potential risks associated with a specific project.

These plans provide a roadmap for all team members to follow and help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal. Better yet, having a project plan template make that roadmap even more clear and replicable across teams.

The Main Benefits of Project Plans

One of the key benefits of project plans is that they provide a clear direction for all team members involved in the project. By clearly outlining the goals and objectives of the project, team members can understand what is expected of them and how their individual contributions fit into the bigger picture. This helps to align everyone’s efforts towards achieving the desired outcome – and that’s even easier with a project plan template.

Project plans also help to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. By outlining the specific timelines and resources required for each phase of the project, project managers can better track progress and make adjustments as needed to keep the project on track.

Hive’s to-do list view pictured above.

This helps to mitigate the risk of delays and cost overruns, which can have a significant impact on the overall success of the project.

Additionally, project plans help to identify potential risks and challenges that may arise during the project. By considering these factors early on, project managers can develop strategies to address them proactively and minimize their impact on the project.

This can help to improve the overall chances of success and reduce the likelihood of unforeseen issues derailing the project. Making project plans repeatable with a project plan template also helps the reduction of issues that could arise.

What Does A Project Plan Template Help You Do?

What’s even better than any old project plan? A free project plan template, built custom for your team and needs. When you’re just starting out, you don’t always have the money, time, or energy to spend on paying someone to build out a complex plan. But our free project plan plan template will cover that for you.

Set Clear Goals

One of the key reasons why project plans are important is that they help teams to clarify their vision and set concrete goals for their project. By outlining the project’s mission, objectives, and strategies, a project plan provides a framework for decision-making and helps to keep the team or organization on track towards its long-term goals – it can even help you automate them.

Without a clear plan in place, it can be easy for teams to lose focus and become overwhelmed by day-to-day operations. That’s why we’re helping you develop this project plan template – it will take you 60 seconds to create, and it will save you HOURS down the line. Here’s why it’s helpful to have a project plan template.

Communicate With Stakeholders

In addition to providing a roadmap for the business, a well-developed project plan also serves as a communication tool for stakeholders. Whether it’s potential investors, employees, or suppliers, a project plan can help to convey the project’s goals and objectives in a clear and concise manner. There’s no easier way to ensure you’re all on the same page than a project template.

This can be particularly important when seeking financing, as lenders and investors will want to see a well-thought-out plan that demonstrates the company’s potential for success.

Anticipating Future Challenges

Another key reason why project plans and a project plan template are important is that they help store and replicate successful past projects. If you’ve got a project template that has been battle-tested and used throughout the course of months and years, it’s easier to guarantee project success.

This level of preparation can also help the business to navigate unforeseen challenges and adapt to changing market conditions.

6 Steps to Writing A Project Plan

Writing a project plan is essential for effectively managing and executing a project. To ensure success, it is important to follow a systematic approach to develop a comprehensive and well-thought-out plan.

The following are the steps needed to write a project plan, whether it’s from a project plan template for Word, or something more complex, like an agile project plan template:

1. Define the project scope: Identify the objectives, deliverables, timeline, budget, and resources required for the project. Clearly outline what needs to be accomplished and the constraints that need to be considered.

2. Identify key stakeholders: Determine who will be involved in the project and their roles and responsibilities. This includes team members, sponsors, clients, and any other relevant parties.

3. Create a work breakdown structure: Break down the project into smaller tasks and subtasks to organize and prioritize the work that needs to be done. This will help ensure that all aspects of the project are considered and accounted for.

4. Develop a timeline: Create a schedule that outlines the start and end dates of the project, as well as key milestones and deadlines. This will help keep the project on track and ensure that tasks are completed in a timely manner.

5. Assign resources: Allocate resources, such as personnel, equipment, and budget, to each task in the project plan. This will help ensure that the necessary resources are available to complete the project successfully.

6. Monitor and control progress: Establish metrics and key performance indicators to track progress and measure the success of the project. Regularly review and update the project plan to address any deviations or issues that arise.

By following these steps, you can develop a well-structured and detailed project plan that will guide the successful completion of your project.

Get Hive’s Free Project Plan Template

We know how hard it is to get started with a business – we started one too! Hive has been around since 2016, but we know that it can be so tricky to get out of the gate.

The good news is that we’ve used our project planning and AI superpowers to bring you a free business plan template that can be customized to your EXACT needs. How you might ask? Our super impressive new AI tool .

All you have to do to get your own personal business plan is visit mind.hive.com and type in the following command: “Create a project plan for me.”

You’ll be able to add in the amount of days you’d like it to plan across, and you can also interact in real-time and add feedback to the AI planner. So if it spits out something that you don’t like, you can just ask the AI to change it.

From there, you can get and download your project plan, get started, and head for world domination. Getting a free business plan template has really never been easier. And you’re in total control!

Best Prompts to Generate a Great Project Plan

With Hive’s project action plan template generator, you’ll need to feed a prompt to the AI. Here are a few places to start:

• “Generate a project plan for a new startup in the cosmetics space looking to launch their first product”
• “Build out a project plan for a construction company looking to kick off three local house builds at once”
• “List the steps I’d need to take to start a business in Colorado”
• “Generate a free startup plan for a non-profit dog adoption agency in Minnesota”

These are just a few places to start! The sky is the limit, and we want this project plan template to be as customized as possible.

Have any feedback for us about project plans? Email us at [email protected].

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550+ Business Plan Examples to Launch Your Business

Need help writing your business plan? Explore over 550 industry-specific business plan examples for inspiration.

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Example business plan format

Before you start exploring our library of business plan examples, it's worth taking the time to understand the traditional business plan format . You'll find that the business plan samples in this library and most investor-approved business plans will include the following sections:

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your business plan and is ideally only one to two pages. You should also plan to write this section last after you've written your full business plan.

Your executive summary should include a summary of the problem you are solving, a description of your product or service, an overview of your target market, a brief description of your team, a summary of your financials, and your funding requirements (if you are raising money).

Products & services

The products & services chapter of your business plan is where the real meat of your plan lives. It includes information about the problem that you're solving, your solution, and any traction that proves that it truly meets the need you identified.

This is your chance to explain why you're in business and that people care about what you offer. It needs to go beyond a simple product or service description and get to the heart of why your business works and benefits your customers.

Market analysis

Conducting a market analysis ensures that you fully understand the market that you're entering and who you'll be selling to. This section is where you will showcase all of the information about your potential customers. You'll cover your target market as well as information about the growth of your market and your industry. Focus on outlining why the market you're entering is viable and creating a realistic persona for your ideal customer base.

Competition

Part of defining your opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage may be. To do this effectively you need to get to know your competitors just as well as your target customers. Every business will have competition, if you don't then you're either in a very young industry or there's a good reason no one is pursuing this specific venture.

To succeed, you want to be sure you know who your competitors are, how they operate, necessary financial benchmarks, and how your business will be positioned. Start by identifying who your competitors are or will be during your market research. Then leverage competitive analysis tools like the competitive matrix and positioning map to solidify where your business stands in relation to the competition.

Marketing & sales

The marketing and sales plan section of your business plan details how you plan to reach your target market segments. You'll address how you plan on selling to those target markets, what your pricing plan is, and what types of activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success.

The operations section in our business plan examples covers the day-to-day workflows for your business to deliver your product or service. What's included here fully depends on the type of business. Typically you can expect to add details on your business location, sourcing and fulfillment, use of technology, and any partnerships or agreements that are in place.

Milestones & metrics

The milestones section is where you lay out strategic milestones to reach your business goals.

A good milestone clearly lays out the parameters of the task at hand and sets expectations for its execution. You'll want to include a description of the task, a proposed due date, who is responsible, and eventually a budget that's attached. You don't need extensive project planning in this section, just key milestones that you want to hit and when you plan to hit them.

You should also discuss key metrics, which are the numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common data points worth tracking include conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, profit, etc.

Company & team

Use this section of your business plan to describe your current team and who you need to hire. If you intend to pursue funding, you'll need to highlight the relevant experience of your team members. Basically, this is where you prove that this is the right team to successfully start and grow the business. You will also need to provide a quick overview of your legal structure and history if you're already up and running.

Financial projections

Your financial plan should include a sales and revenue forecast, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement, and a balance sheet. You may not have established financials of any kind at this stage. Not to worry, rather than getting all of the details ironed out, focus on making projections and strategic forecasts for your business. You can always update your financial statements as you begin operations and start bringing in actual accounting data.

Now, if you intend to pitch to investors or submit a loan application, you'll also need a "use of funds" report in this business plan section. This outlines how you intend to leverage any funding for your business and how much you're looking to acquire. Like the rest of your financials, this can always be updated later on.

The appendix isn't a required element of your business plan. However, it is a useful place to add any charts, tables, definitions, legal notes, or other critical information that supports your business plan. These are often lengthier or out-of-place information that simply didn't work naturally into the structure of your plan. You'll notice that in these business plan examples, the appendix mainly includes extended financial statements.

Types of business plans explained

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. To get the most out of your business plan, it's best to find a format that suits your needs. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan

The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used for external purposes. Typically this is the type of plan you'll need when applying for funding or pitching to investors. It can also be used when training or hiring employees, working with vendors, or in any other situation where the full details of your business must be understood by another individual.

Business model canvas

The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

The structure ditches a linear format in favor of a cell-based template. It encourages you to build connections between every element of your business. It's faster to write out and update, and much easier for you, your team, and anyone else to visualize your business operations.

One-page business plan

The true middle ground between the business model canvas and a traditional business plan is the one-page business plan . This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business.

By starting with a one-page plan , you give yourself a minimal document to build from. You'll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences making it much easier to elaborate or expand sections into a longer-form business plan.

Growth planning

Growth planning is more than a specific type of business plan. It's a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, forecast, review, and refine based on your performance.

It holds all of the benefits of the single-page plan, including the potential to complete it in as little as 27 minutes . However, it's even easier to convert into a more detailed business plan thanks to how heavily it's tied to your financials. The overall goal of growth planning isn't to just produce documents that you use once and shelve. Instead, the growth planning process helps you build a healthier company that thrives in times of growth and remains stable through times of crisis.

It's faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your business plan is always up-to-date.

Download a free sample business plan template

Ready to start writing your own business plan but aren't sure where to start? Download our free business plan template that's been updated for 2024.

This simple, modern, investor-approved business plan sample is designed to make planning easy. It's a proven format that has helped over 1 million businesses write business plans for bank loans, funding pitches, business expansion, and even business sales. It includes additional instructions for how to write each section and is formatted to be SBA-lender approved. All you need to do is fill in the blanks.

How to use an example business plan to help you write your own

How do you know what elements need to be included in your business plan, especially if you've never written one before? Looking at business plan examples can help you visualize what a full, traditional plan looks like, so you know what you're aiming for before you get started. Here's how to get the most out of a business plan sample.

Choose a business plan example from a similar type of company

You don't need to find an example of a business plan that's an exact fit for your business. Your business location, target market, and even your particular product or service may not match up exactly with the business plans in our gallery. But, you don't need an exact match for it to be helpful. Instead, look for a business plan sample that's related to the type of business you're starting.

For example, if you want to start a vegetarian restaurant, a plan for a steakhouse can be a great match. While the specifics of your actual startup will differ, the elements you'd want to include in your restaurant's business plan are likely to be very similar.

Use a business plan example as a guide

Every startup and small business is unique, so you'll want to avoid copying an example of a business plan word for word. It just won't be as helpful, since each business is unique. You want your business plan to be a useful tool for starting a business —and getting funding if you need it.

One of the key benefits of writing a business plan is simply going through the process. When you sit down to write, you'll naturally think through important pieces, like your startup costs, your target market , and any market analysis or research you'll need to do to be successful.

You'll also look at where you stand among your competition (and everyone has competition), and lay out your goals and the milestones you'll need to meet. Looking at an example of a business plan's financials section can be helpful because you can see what should be included, but take them with a grain of salt. Don't assume that financial projections for a sample company will fit your own small business.

If you're looking for more resources to help you get started, our business planning guide is a good place to start. You can also download our free business plan template .

Think of business planning as a process, instead of a document

Think about business planning as something you do often , rather than a document you create once and never look at again. If you take the time to write a plan that really fits your own company, it will be a better, more useful tool to grow your business. It should also make it easier to share your vision and strategy so everyone on your team is on the same page.

Adjust your business plan regularly to use it as a business management tool

Keep in mind that businesses that use their business plan as a management tool to help run their business grow 30 percent faster than those businesses that don't. For that to be true for your company, you'll think of a part of your business planning process as tracking your actual results against your financial forecast on a regular basis.

If things are going well, your business plan will help you think about how you can re-invest in your business. If you find that you're not meeting goals, you might need to adjust your budgets or your sales forecast. Either way, tracking your progress compared to your plan can help you adjust quickly when you identify challenges and opportunities—it's one of the most powerful things you can do to grow your business.

Prepare to pitch your business

If you're planning to pitch your business to investors or seek out any funding, you'll need a pitch deck to accompany your business plan. A pitch deck is designed to inform people about your business. You want your pitch deck to be short and easy to follow, so it's best to keep your presentation under 20 slides.

Your pitch deck and pitch presentation are likely some of the first things that an investor will see to learn more about your company. So, you need to be informative and pique their interest. Luckily we have a round-up of real-world pitch deck examples used by successful startups that you can review and reference as you build your pitch.

For more resources, check out our full Business Pitch Guide .

Ready to get started?

Now that you know how to use an example of a business plan to help you write a plan for your business, it's time to find the right one.

Use the search bar below to get started and find the right business plan example for your business idea.

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How to Write a Small Business Plan

• Published August 26, 2024 August 26, 2024

Starting a small business can be both exciting and overwhelming. To set yourself up for success, start by creating a solid small business plan. A business plan not only helps you clarify your ideas but also serves as a roadmap for growth and a tool to attract investors and secure loans.

What is a Small Business Plan?

A business plan is a document that explains what your business does, how you intend to make money, and what your future strategies will be. According to the U.S. Small Business Association , “Your business plan is the tool you’ll use to convince people that working with you—or investing in your company—is a smart choice.” It often includes a mission statement, details about the products or services offered, and a timeline for achieving goals. They are also living documents, so you can—and should—change your business plan as your business evolves.

What to Include in Your Small Business Plan

As the U.S. Small Business Association notes, there is no right or wrong way to write a business plan. The key is to structure your plan to meet your business’s needs. Here’s a simple guide to help you write a small business plan (along with some essential business banking tips to keep in mind).

1. Executive Summary

What it is: A brief overview of your business, including your mission statement, the products or services you offer, and your business goals.

Why it matters: This section captures the essence of your business and is often the first thing potential investors or lenders will read. Keep it concise and compelling.

2. Business Description

What it is: A detailed description of your business, including its history, the market needs it will meet, and what sets it apart from competitors.

Why it matters: This section shows you have a clear understanding of your industry and your place within it.

3. Market Analysis

What it is: An analysis of your target market, including demographics, buying habits, and market trends.

Why it matters: Demonstrating knowledge of your market can help you craft strategies that resonate with your audience and help you stand out.

4. Organization and Management

What it is: A breakdown of your business’s organizational structure, including the roles of your team members.

Why it matters: This section shows that you have the right people in place to execute your business plan.

5. Product Line or Services

What it is: A detailed description of the products or services your business will offer.

Why it matters: Clearly defining what you’re selling helps investors and customers understand your value proposition.

6. Marketing and Sales Strategy

What it is: Your plan for attracting and retaining customers, including pricing, promotion, and distribution strategies.

W hy it matters: A strong marketing plan shows that you’re serious about reaching your target audience and generating revenue.

7. Funding Request

What it is: If you’re seeking financing, this section outlines how much money you need, what you’ll use it for, and how you’ll repay it.

Why it matters: Being clear about your financial needs and plans shows lenders that you’re responsible and prepared.

8. Financial Projections

What it is: Forecasts of your business’s future financial performance, including income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets.

Why it matters: This section shows potential lenders and investors that your business is financially viable.

9. Appendix

What it is: Additional information that supports your business plan, such as resumes, permits, and other legal documents.

Why it matters: The appendix provides credibility and additional context for your business plan.

Writing a small business plan might seem daunting but breaking it down into these sections makes it manageable. Remember, your business plan is a living document—update it regularly as your business grows and changes.

With a well-thought-out business plan and the right banking strategies in place, you’ll be better positioned to navigate the challenges of starting and growing your small business.

Small Business Banking Tips

• When seeking funding, consider opening both business checking and savings accounts to draw a clear line between your personal and business finances. This makes managing your finances easier and more professional.
• Use online business banking tools to monitor your cash flow regularly. Many financial institutions (including Maps) offer budgeting tools that can help you track expenses and income in real time, making it easier to stay on top of your financial projections.
• As your business evolves, your banking needs might change too. Regularly review your business bank account, credit options, and financial services to ensure they align with your current goals.

Want more small business strategies?

• Check out our article on how to minimize small business taxes (coming soon).
• Learn about the business banking tools Maps has to offer .
• Find out whether your  side hustle should become a small business .

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• Disaster recovery planning and management

Example disaster recovery plan for small businesses

Small businesses make significant investments in it infrastructure. they must protect those investments from unplanned and potentially destructive events with a dr plan..

• Paul Kirvan

Technology disaster recovery plans are necessary for businesses of every size. A small business disaster recovery plan protects and recovers critical IT infrastructure assets after a disruptive event.

DR plans provide step-by-step procedures for recovering disrupted systems and networks, helping them return to normal operations. The goal of these processes is to minimize any negative impacts to company operations. DR plans are essential for ensuring that a business can continue to deliver its products and services in the aftermath of a crisis.

The scale and details of a small-to-medium business ( SMB ) DR plan are typically less complex than those for a large enterprise but no less necessary. The key is to have the resources and procedures for recovering critical systems, networks and data the organization needs to function.

Included in this article is an example disaster recovery plan for small business. This template is a solid first step that can facilitate the initiation and completion of an IT DR plan. The structure of this article and the template is consistent with established national and international standards for IT disaster recovery .

Why create a DR plan specifically for small business?

Regardless of the type and size of the business, a DR plan provides a structured approach for responding to unplanned incidents that threaten an IT infrastructure. These can include threats to software, networks, processes and people.

Protecting an organization's investment in its technology infrastructure and its ability to conduct business are the key reasons for implementing an IT DR plan. Considering that businesses of any size depend on technology, DR plans should be on every CIO's short list. Support from senior management is the primary starting point for a small business DR plan, especially with funding and a project budget .

Get started with goals and analyses

Once management approval has been received to develop a DR plan, IT and DR teams should begin by completing a risk assessment to identify potential threats to the IT infrastructure. A risk assessment can also be used to identify potential vulnerabilities and single points of failure that could cause a disruption or outage.

The goal of a risk assessment is to determine which infrastructure elements are most at risk to the organization's business. For a small business with less than 100 employees, this could be any hardware in the data center, key applications the business uses, and networking resources. If the organization uses external cloud resources, the assessment should consider risks that might affect their ability to recover from an incident.

When an incident -- internal or external -- negatively affects the IT infrastructure, the business could be compromised, resulting in loss of business and reputational damage. Identifying risks and threats to the infrastructure is a key activity. For smaller organizations with fewer resources, attention to detail is critical.

It might be advisable to conduct a business impact analysis (BIA), which identifies the most important activities the organization performs. BIAs also correlate the key functions with the technologies needed to support them. This information, coupled with data from the risk assessment, results in a DR plan design that focuses on protecting the most essential systems and functions.

What do you need for a DR plan?

It is essential to have the right players during the planning process as well as a team ready to respond to system disruptions. Coordination with business unit leaders, particularly those who are responsible for the mission-critical functions, helps zero in on the technology requirements needed to sustain business operations. Senior leaders define recovery time objectives and recovery prioritization.

The DR planning process identifies critical IT systems and networks; links them to mission-critical business functions; prioritizes recovery times; and delineates the steps needed to restart, reconfigure, and recover operations.

A comprehensive IT DR plan also includes relevant supplier contacts and sources of expertise for recovering disrupted systems.

In today's business environment, both large and small businesses use cloud-based services to supplement existing IT resources. Data storage is a key use for cloud services, and many cloud vendors offer DR services of their own. The flexibility and relatively low cost of cloud DR make it a good option for small businesses.

In addition to securely protecting data, databases and applications, hardware devices must also be protected in a DR plan. Having one or two spare servers ready to use if an existing server fails is one way to minimize the consequences of a device failure. Backup power, such as uninterruptible power systems , is also essential.

Considering how much small business technology can be deployed today from hosted sources, one could make the argument that in-house DR is unnecessary for SMBs. Such a decision should be carefully made and in consultation with third-party resources to make sure they can support the technology needs of a business.

Limitations and benefits of a DR plan

Among the less tangible benefits of a DR plan is peace of mind. Aside from that, it is good to know how to manage disruptions to IT systems and return them to normal. In situations where the technology is on site, a DR plan -- even if it is only a few pages of who to call and what systems to fix first -- is far better than having no plan at all.

By contrast, SMBs using hosted systems for most of their infrastructure will still need to know who to call, what to say, and how to work on an interim basis while the third party fixes operations.

One of the key activities to perform with a DR plan is a periodic test . This will determine if the right systems are being addressed and the recovery steps have been validated. Periodic testing ensures that backup systems and data are accessible, and the organization has contact information for all necessary parties, within and outside the organization.

Regrettably, testing is perhaps the one activity most SMBs fail to perform, and it increases the risk of damage from a disruptive event.

Another challenge with DR plans is keeping them up to date. Changes in technology, installation of new patches, changes to storage devices, updates to key applications and other events should be added to DR plans but often are not.

Additional resources to develop an IT DR plan

In addition to the plan template attached to this article, the National Institute for Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-34, Contingency Planning for Information Technology Systems , is a helpful resource for building a DR plan.

This standard covers several areas of DR organizations can include in a plan. Helpful additions from this standard might include the following:

• Add a vulnerability assessment component to the risk assessment to identify and address any potential weak points.
• Identify preventive controls that reduce the effects of system disruptions and can increase system availability and reduce life cycle costs.
• Conduct plan testing, training and exercising to improve plan effectiveness and overall company preparedness.
• Consider the plan as a living document to be reviewed and updated regularly to remain current with system changes and business requirements.

SMB considerations

While this article addresses disaster recovery from a general perspective, the SMB template is designed to be flexible yet comprehensive enough to address the key business and technology issues an organization might face in a disaster. An SMB might decide that the focus is recovering critical system and network resources. As such, other sections of the template can be omitted.

Staffing can be a challenge in an SMB. In some organizations, there might be only one or two employees who can lead a recovery effort. Organizations with a one- or two-person IT department might be challenged to respond in an incident.

It might be necessary to consolidate DR plan data and procedures into a one- or two-page document. As long as emergency contacts are up to date for crisis communications , procedures are current, and backup resources are in place, SMBs can likely make it through all but the most devastating events.

How to use the template

The included template is designed to be flexible for most SMBs, and users can delete sections that don't apply to their business. Key sections to review include emergency contacts, recovery and restoration procedures, and any other activities needed to return the IT infrastructure to normal.

Following is a summary of the plan template and its sections:

• Information Technology Statement of Intent . This sets the stage and direction for the plan.
• Policy Statement. It is important to include an approved statement of the organization's policy regarding the provision of disaster recovery services.
• Objectives. These describe the main goals of the plan.
• Key Personnel Contact Information. Key contact data should be included early in the plan. It is the information most likely to be used right away and must be easy to locate.
• Plan Overview. This describes basic aspects of the plan.
• Emergency Response . This describes what needs to be done immediately following the onset of an incident.
• Disaster Recovery Team . This lists members and contact information of the DR team.
• Emergency Alert, Escalation and DR Plan Activation. These list steps to take through the early phase of the incident, leading to activation of the DR plan.
• Media. This includes tips for dealing with the media during and after a crisis.
• Insurance. This summarizes the insurance coverage associated with the IT environment and any other relevant policies.
• Financial and Legal Issues. This lists actions to take for dealing with financial and legal issues.
• DR Plan Exercising. This underscores the importance of DR plan exercising.
• Appendix A – Technology Disaster Recovery Plan Templates. This includes sample templates for a variety of technology recoveries. For some organizations, these templates might be sufficient by themselves as DR plans.
• Appendix B – Suggested Forms. These are ready-to-use forms that will facilitate the plan completion.

Paul Kirvan is an independent consultant, IT auditor, technical writer, editor and educator. He has more than 25 years of experience in business continuity, disaster recovery, security, enterprise risk management, telecom and IT auditing.

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Once only the responsibility of sustainability managers, ESG performance and sustainability are today considered key areas of strategic focus for organizations, often reflected in Sustainability Action Plans developed by organizations.

Looming investor pressure, consumer awareness and the understanding that sustainability is an important tenet in risk management and corporate governance has seen responsibilities shift and awareness ripple across both departments and management levels. The tidal shift has been embraced by organizations as they champion decarbonization. It presents ever-growing opportunities for innovation and increased investments towards green technologies, which ultimately accelerate sustainability.

Much like operational plans are developed to future-proof an organization’s success, so too are Sustainability Action Plans in helping to achieve a low-carbon business fit for the future. In this article, we lay out practical guidance on how to create a Sustainability Action Plan along with recommended inclusions and structure. We also provide a free Sustainability Action Plan template for download to support your sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

What is a Sustainability Action Plan?

A Sustainability Action Plan is created by an organization to detail how it will achieve sustainability goals over time, particularly if ambitious targets have been set, such as achieving net zero by a specific time frame. It is usually a static document that details a two to five-year timeline of objectives, although this period is at the organization’s discretion.

Its purpose is to embed ESG and sustainability across an organization, within all business operations. The path to a Sustainability Action Plan typically starts with a vision at an executive level, with the Sustainability Action Plan serving as the detailed strategy of how the vision will be achieved.

To complement the Sustainability Action Plan, organizations often release annual Sustainability Reports that detail the organization’s progress against the objectives. Together, Sustainability Action Plans and Sustainability Reports function as an important communications tool for organizations to illustrate their sustainability journey to a wide audience of stakeholders.

Sustainability Action Plans are not mandatory, rather, they are an initiative of an organization who wishes to make a positive impact on their sustainability performance.

In addition to planning and internal reporting, many organizations disclose their sustainability performance via various ESG reporting frameworks. In some instances, the data collected for the production of a Sustainability Action Plan can be used to support the reporting requirements of frameworks such as GRI, GRESB and SASB.

And vice-versa, organizations reporting detailed information to ESG reporting frameworks may export some of those responses to their Sustainability Action Plans to illustrate how they are performing against their goals.

This task is made easy with Envizi’s ESG Reporting Frameworks module which allows organizations to collate responses for both external and internal reporting frameworks in one place. In addition to collating responses, the module includes functionality to extract responses for use in documentation such as a Sustainability Action Plan.

Who needs a Sustainability Action Plan?

Organizations of all sizes can make steps towards making their business operations more sustainable and positively contributing to their community and environment. Smaller organizations should consider the resource requirements of developing a comprehensive Sustainability Action Plan and achieving those objectives over time.

For larger organizations, a comprehensive Sustainability Action Plan is ideal for outlining the long-term vision and plans to satisfy investor requirements, to change consumer attitudes and to take advantage of opportunities. This is especially the case once pledges have been made, as the next stage in the process is to work out exactly how the organization will achieve those pledges.

How to create a Sustainability Action Plan

A Sustainability Action Plan requires dedicated commitment across all levels of an organization, and it can be transformational as it requires a top-down approach with cultural change, realignment of values and leadership endorsement. As a result, there are several considerations to take into account when developing a plan.

The consultation process and stakeholder engagement

Much like corporate annual reports require the input of an executive team, the Board, finance department and other internal departments, so too does the process of creating a Sustainability Action Plan.

It requires extensive consultation across the executive and leadership levels, committees and even the community (depending on the sector and type of organization) to establish targets and accountabilities. At the center of the consultation process is an organization’s Sustainability Manager. In many organizations, the person in this role is responsible for developing both the business cases and doing the work to support the implementation and management of programs within organizations to deliver on their objectives.

Whether the organization has a Sustainability Manager or not, they may also choose to use the services of a sustainability consulting firm to guide them on the process and support their objectives.

Other examples of stakeholders involved in the consultation and implementation process may include:

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Establishing benchmarks

The Sustainability Action Plan will involve setting outcomes, actions and targets. Therefore it’s important that an organization understands its current ESG performance with accurate data to inform future benchmarks. Using an ESG and sustainability reporting software platform such as Envizi can simplify emissions calculations and automate the collection of energy consumption data, which will be required when reporting on the progress of the plan.

What is included in a Sustainability Action Plan?

Inclusions in a Sustainability Action Plan can vary depending on the type of organization, its size, and the sector it operates in. For example, a start-up or an independent education center such as a school may choose to focus on smaller initiatives to start implementing changes at the business.

Examples of achievable initiatives at this level could include:

• Using water tanks
• Gardening, such as a vegetable garden
• Recycling system
• Turning off lights when not in use
• Using energy-saving bulbs
• Implementing a printing policy

Larger organizations with ambitious goals and extensive resources could include initiatives such as:

Councils and municipalities

• Reducing Scope 3 emissions from suppliers
• Implementing a mass tree planting scheme
• Providing a community shuttle bus
• Introducing cycle routes
• Installing LED lighting

Property developers and organizations

• Optimizing HVAC equipment performance
• Using local labor and materials
• Incorporating water and waste reuse strategies
• Ensuring sustainability is part of client consultation and scoping
• Incentivizing staff remote-work opportunities

Manufacturing

• Reducing GHG emissions in the upstream supply chain
• Reducing power usage in data centers
• Investing in renewable energy sources
• Electrifying the transport fleet
• Upgrading energy-intensive equipment

Commercial real estate

• Developing a demand-side energy management strategy
• Minimizing waste
• Implementing renewable energy
• Improving  GRESB score
• Implementing end-of-trip facilities

Structure of a Sustainability Action Plan

Whilst the structure, inclusions and scale of a Sustainability Action Plan are at the organization’s discretion and stem from the initial consultation process, there are a few inclusions we recommend to ensure a Sustainability Action Plan which reflects an organization’s commitment to sustainability:

Sustainability values

Background on the organization’s view of sustainability and its core values which motivate the development of the Sustainability Action Plan.

Executive message

Endorsement at the C-Level usually from the CEO, outlining the organization’s commitment to sustainability.

Mandatory frameworks

If the organization operates within a sector which legislates reporting to a framework, this section would outline the requirements of that legislation or policy to provide stakeholders with context around the motivations for the Sustainability Action Plan.

Consultation process

Outlines how stakeholders participated in the development of the Sustainability Action Plan (such as workshops and forums), and which stakeholders were involved.

Methodology and review process

Outlines how the targets will be measured and progress monitored, which could include how regularly a Steering Committee or other key stakeholders will be updated. A Sustainability Report could be one of the vehicles for communicating this progress.

These are broad outcomes that steer the detailed actions and targets in the Sustainability Action Plan. Examples of outcomes could be “Decrease energy usage by 2025” or “Educate stakeholders.”

• Secondary outcomes These could be complementary outcomes which help to group actions within the broader outcome. Examples of secondary outcomes could be “Transport” or “Energy and emissions.”
• Action The tangible actions that will be undertaken to achieve a specific target within that secondary outcome, and broader outcome. Examples of actions could be “Replace inefficient HVAC systems” or “Develop recycling policy.”
• Target Specific KPIs placed against the actions to ensure progress is made. Examples of targets could be “100% of older HVAC systems replaced” or “75% increase in electronics diverted to e-waste programs.”
• Responsibility Assigning champions to action the targets could include listing departments or position titles.
• Timeframe Assigning specific months or quarterly timeframes ensures that targets can be realistically achieved.

The structure of a Sustainability Action Plan varies widely, and care should be taken to ensure that the inclusions of the plan, including the targets, are achievable for the organization.

Download template

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Project Management

How to create a project plan in 5 steps (with examples & templates.

Erica Golightly

Senior Writer

March 21, 2024

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Project management documentation are non-negotiable resources that directly influence a project’s final outcome. To achieve a high success rate, the project plan serves as a dependable and effective roadmap that teams rely on throughout the entire project lifecycle, from initiation to completion. 📍

This guide is packed with the resources you need to send a project on the right path. We’ll break down the steps to build effective project plans, optimize resources, and coordinate communication efforts.

We know you’re a busy bee, so here’s a resource to jumpstart your project planning process right now: The ClickUp Example Project Plan Template . The List and Board views are already set up with key requirement fields, so all you have to do is add your project tasks! 

Check out more project roadmap templates !

Before we dive in, let’s explain what a project plan is. Because it gets chaotic with a revolving door of project documentation…

Ok if we’re honest, we like a little chaos. But only if Organized comes before Chaos. 😊

What is a Project Plan?

Benefits of writing a project plan, step 1: specify the expected deliverables and end results of the project, step 2: identify the key stakeholders and estimate budget expenses, step 3: create a work breakdown structure (wbs), step 4: add key milestones into a detailed project schedule, step 5: set expectations for communication , project plan examples, manage your team with project plans.

The project plan is a living document to provide a clear understanding of the project’s objectives, so stakeholders can align their efforts towards a collective goal. It defines the project’s scope , specifying what is included and what is not, to prevent scope creep and meet target deadlines.

At its best, it equips team members with the context to spend their time on the right things, including: 

• Risk assessment and mitigation strategies
• Individual and team responsibilities
• Resource management strategies
• Task dependencies
• Key milestones

A well-prepared project plan not only serves as a roadmap for project execution but also brings about various advantages that contribute to a project’s all-around success. 

Better Risk Management : A carefully written project plan provides room for risk identification and mitigation strategies right from the inception. By visualizing risks earlier, you can frame proactive measures to tackle them effectively and minimize their impact on the project’s outcome.

Increased Team Efficiency: A project plan outlines the roles and responsibilities of each team member, fostering clarity on what exactly is expected of them. This not only boosts individual productivity but also makes the team more cohesive and efficient.

Effective Resource Allocation and Cost Control: With a concrete project plan at hand, project managers can optimize resource allocation , minimizing wastages and ensuring that costs stay within the budget limit. It serves as a reference point for financial management, allowing managers to track and control expenses effectively.

High Client Satisfaction: A project plan structures the path to desired results, thereby enhancing the quality of the final deliverables. When clients receive value-driven results within the established time frame, they are more likely to be satisfied, leading

How to Create a Project Plan in 5 Steps 

From establishing clear project objectives to building the project timeline, we’ll get into practical insights and best practices to guide you in drafting project plans. 

Basically, here’s the over-caffeinated version of how to create a fail-proof project plan in 2023. 🏆

Not all requests in the queue should be full-scale projects. By prioritizing the right projects, teams can maximize their chances of success and optimize resource utilization for the best possible outcomes.

Do the deliverables and outcomes align with your organization’s growth goals?  When stakeholders see the relevance and alignment of a project with the organization’s KPIs, they are more inclined to actively participate, provide necessary resources, and advocate for project success. (More about project stakeholders in the next step!) 

Who will be the primary users or recipients of the deliverables? Customers or end users may have distinct preferences, expectations, or levels of expertise, and understanding their characteristics allows the project team to create deliverables that effectively meet their unique needs.

Are there any specific requirements, templates, or guidelines for the deliverables? This question upfront saves everyone time by providing a structured framework or starting point, so the project team can focus on the content and value-added aspects of the deliverables rather than spending unnecessary effort on formatting or presentation.

Now that you’re prepped with the project deliverables and goals, it’s time to begin drafting the project plan. 📃

Depending on your preferred project management methodology , the project plan’s format varies. Documents, tables, and Gantt charts are a few popular options. As long as it gives a clear description of each element in a project plan, you’re on the right track!

Here’s what you should have so far: 

• Project Title : Clearly state the name or title to capture the project’s essence. If you’re using an acronym, provide the full term 
• Project Description : Write a concise description of the project’s purpose, objectives, and scope
• Project Manager and Team : Identify the project manager responsible for overseeing the project and list the key members of the project team (e.g. the marketing team )
• Project Start, End, and Delivery Dates : Distinguish between the completion of internal project activities and the delivery of the final results to the stakeholders
• Project Objectives : State the specific goals and outcomes of the project. Give context to its impact on the organization’s KPIs and OKRs

Discover project planning tools to support any type of workflow! 

Project stakeholders typically include individuals or groups directly impacted by or having a vested interest in the project’s outcomes. Part of your project plan in this section should include approaches for stakeholder communication, involvement, and participation. 🧑‍💻

These may include project sponsors, end-users, clients, key project members, and the accounting partner.

Yes, accounting partners are stakeholders. Here’s why:

A small design project for an agency might cost a few thousand dollars, whereas a large infrastructure project for a multinational corporation could involve millions of dollars. 

In recent times of changing market conditions, it’s more important than ever to give stakeholders an idea of expenses related to resources, equipment, materials, and any other relevant costs. The plan also includes processes for tracking and managing costs throughout the project lifecycle.

This brings us to the next productivity resource to have on your radar. There’s a faster way to get out of building a budget report spreadsheet line by line every Friday afternoon: 

Give transparency into project budget utilization where the work is happening. 

Use free tools like Custom Fields in ClickUp to categorize project task resources, like contractors, project management software, and one-off purchases. (For example, purchasing a license for a song in a brand video.)

And this doesn’t take extra effort and, more importantly, email chains on your part. With ClickUp, all your project’s tasks and resources are recorded in one place. @Mention a stakeholder for purchase approval, upload a receipt image, and update the Custom Field to reflect how much funding is left. 💰

When Custom Fields are updated, task watchers (including accounting partners) are notified of the changes. They have the convenience of referring to the digital trail whenever they need to!

Now that we have project stakeholders and the budget added to the project plan let’s move to the next step!

A work breakdown structure (WBS) represents the project’s scope by breaking it down into team and individual tasks or activities. 

Starting with the most important project deliverable, the WBS progressively breaks it down into smaller work packages and subtasks. Each work package represents a distinct task or activity to be assigned, scheduled, and tracked. The hierarchical rundown continues until the work packages are at a level where they can be easily understood and executed. 🤩

The WBS is a collaborative process. Connect with your key project team members to fill in what’s missing for the project’s requirements and deliverables. As a project manager, your focus is on the project as a whole, including strategic planning , project scheduling , budgeting, and stakeholder communication. 

Here is a general outline of the WBS format if you want to build a simple project plan template:

The project team is the subject matter experts in their fields. Their perspectives on how long a task would take and what they would need from other team members to complete their work are invaluable for a successful project. 

Virtual whiteboards are a great option for a remote or in-person brainstorming session. With real-time editing, it’s a non-intimidating way to encourage participation from everyone. Add to your next project planning session the ClickUp Work Breakdown Structure Template . A beginner-friendly tool with rich text editing, embedding features, and actionable tasks! 🎯

When you’re at a good place with the WBS, it’s ready to be added to a project timeline. 

Bonus: Work Breakdown Structure Software !

The schedule will get updated weekly or monthly as the project progresses. To keep up with the changes, and, most importantly, communicate the changes, using intuitive tools like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and timelines will make managing ongoing changes less tedious. 

Gantt charts 

Offer a visual representation of the project schedule, allowing project managers to easily track task dependencies, durations, and milestones. When updates are required, they can quickly modify the chart, rearranging tasks or adjusting timelines with a simple drag-and-drop action.

Kanban boards

Provide a streamlined workflow view, allowing project managers to visualize tasks in various stages of completion. As changes occur, they can easily move tasks across different columns, reflecting the updated progress and priorities. 

Timelines 

Show a clear chronological view of project events, deadlines, and milestones. This enables stakeholders to stay informed about important dates and ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding project progress.

Check out our guide to creating a project timeline ! It’s packed with more templates and examples to help you build a powerful project visual. 🎨

Bonus: Construction scheduling software !

We’ve arrived at the final step of the project planning process!

Following up on task statuses and answering one-off status emails take up so much time and energy from a project manager’s work week. 

Chances are, everyone is working on multiple projects simultaneously. So replying to DMs is sometimes held off until the very end of the day. Or lost somewhere in the void for days. 

Status reports are essential for decision-making. They provide a digital record of the project’s activities, decisions made, and outcomes, which can be useful for future reference, audits, or lessons learned.

PRO TIP Use ClickUp AI to summarize comment threads and quickly see the main points of a long thread or comment! After the content is generated, you have the option to try for a slightly different AI response, copy the text, close the Summarize thread modal, or tell AI what to do next.

Replace long email chains with ClickUp tasks for your status reports. With a single ClickUp task, all the weekly updates are stored in one place. This simple shift to task-based communication eliminates the need to search across multiple apps. 🔍

However, if your team relies on messaging platforms like Slack for urgent updates and real-time problem-solving, use the Slack integration with ClickUp . Turn messages into tasks and comments from the Slack app and notifications about tasks to Slack channels of your choice!

Take project communication one step further by providing a project status report template to follow so all updates are organized and uniform for stakeholders: 

• Team Accomplishments : List key milestones or tasks completed during the week
• Current Status : Provide an overview of the project’s progress and any challenges or bottlenecks faced
• Upcoming Tasks and Deadlines : Note any important deadlines approaching in the following week
• Tasks at Risk : Highlight any issues or risks identified and their potential impact
• Resource Updates : Mention any changes or updates related to resource allocation
• Next Steps : Summarize the immediate next steps and priorities
• Assistance Needed : Specify any support or assistance required from team members or stakeholders

Bonus: Create a “Coordination” ClickUp task, which serves as the main channel where teams can expect the latest updates from you! 

Different departments may have unique workflows and requirements, hence different types of project plans are needed. Here are some project plan examples to get you started:

1. Marketing Team Project Plan Example

Goal: Increase website traffic by 30% in the first quarter.

Roles & Responsibilities: SEO manager leads keyword research and content optimization; Social media executive handles promotion; Email marketing manager sets up email drip campaigns; The marketing analyst tracks and reports progress.

Budget: $10,000 for software, content creation, promotion, and analysis.

Deliverables: SEO-optimized blog posts, social media campaigns, email newsletters, and a detailed analytics report.

Schedule: 3 months, with weekly check-ins.

Communication Plan: Weekly meetings for updates and month-end reports; Ad-hoc meetings as necessary; all communication documented in ClickUp.

2. Product Team Project Plan Example

Goal: Develop a new feature for the app within six months.

Roles & Responsibilities: Product manager defines feature requirements; Designer drafts interface; Developer builds feature; QA tester checks for defects; Feedback tracked by product analysts.

Budget: $50,000 for research, design, development, testing, and launch.

Deliverables: A new, tested, and fully-functional app feature.

Schedule: 6 months, with bi-weekly sprint reviews.

Communication Plan: Daily stand-ups for updates; Bi-weekly sprint review meetings; Ad-hoc meetings as necessary ; All communication documented in ClickUp.

3. Design Team Project Plan Example

Goal: Redesign the company’s website for better user experience and increased conversions in four months.

Roles & Responsibilities: UX researcher conducts user research; UI designer creates mockups; Front-end developer codes the design; Quality analyst performs UX tests; Project manager oversees all operations.

Budget: $20,000 for research, design, development, testing, and implementation.

Deliverables: A fully-responsive, tested, and live website offering a superior user experience.

Schedule: 4 months, with monthly iterations.

Communication Plan: Weekly catch-up meetings for updates; Monthly review meetings; Ad-hoc meetings as necessary; All communication documented in ClickUp.

Remember, these are just examples and your actual project plan might vary based on many factors like scope of the project, team size and other specific needs.

Leverage ClickUp to take the administration tasks off your workload so you can do what you do best. You are capable of handling every single request or question that comes your way, but you shouldn’t have to. Your team needs you in your most present self, driving the project toward success. 

Create a free ClickUp Workspace and invite team members to experience better project planning. If you need any support with building project workflows, we’re only a message away. Happy planning! ✍️

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20 Best Update & Project Status Report Templates for PPT (2024)

Working on a big project can be stressful if you've got no idea of how it’s progressing. It’s easy to keep everyone on the same page and updated. Present the status of your project with a project status report PPT format.

Creating a project status report for PPT may sound difficult and time-consuming. But you don’t have to start from scratch. You can find hundreds of modern and easy-to-edit project status report templates online. I'll share some of the best project status report templates for PowerPoint .

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Top 20 Project Status Report Templates for PPT From Envato Elements

How to quickly customize a premium project status template, 8 tips for creating a project status report, top 5 project status report design trends, common powerpoint questions answered (faq).

Take a look at some of the best project status report templates for PPT, all available on Envato Elements:

1. Imfea: Project Status Report Template for PowerPoint  

Looking for a professional and creative project status template for PowerPoint? This template will come in handy. The PowerPoint report template offers:

• 60 unique status update slides
• two color variations
• widescreen resolution
• image placeholders

This project progress report PPT also comes with custom icons and image placeholders.

2. Project Status Report PowerPoint Template  

This project status report template for PowerPoint has a modern design. It’s perfect for a project progress report PPT. The PowerPoint report template comes with many different slides to help you include relevant project details. It offers:

• five color variations for your project update slides
• download link to 800 vector icons

Start working with this project status update presentation PPT! 

3. Project Status Report Template (PPT)  

Project Status is a simple project status report for PPT. It comes with:

• 40 editable project status slides
• 10 color variations
• retina-ready format
• easy editing options

Designed in widescreen resolution to present a perfect project status report PPT, it also comes with custom icons and image placeholders. Likewise, this project status update template for PPT includes plenty of tables, charts, and other infographic elements. Use them to design a beautiful report.

4. Project Status PowerPoint Template  

Choose this project status update template for PPT. It's great if you’re looking for a bold and professional template. You’ll find:

• 20 unique status update slides
• based on master slides

The status report template PPT comes with icons, tables, and charts, plus plenty of infographic elements. 

5. A4 Vertical Project Status Report PowerPoint Template

Stand out with this vertical project status PowerPoint template. It includes many different project update slides. You'll find slides for an agenda, yearly Gantt chart, and task timeline. The template includes:

• five color variations
• 800 custom icons
• various infographic elements

6. Project Review PowerPoint Template

Wondering how to present your project status in PowerPoint? This template comes with modern and minimalist slide designs to make it easy to see the project status. It was designed in standard and widescreen resolutions. With this project update PowerPoint template, you'll get:

• 31 PowerPoint project status slides
• resizable graphics
• free web fonts 
• picture placeholders
• 16:9 widescreen ratio

7. Project Plan: A4 Vertical PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint report template has a versatile and modern design. Use the template to create status report updates for any type of project. This vertical template comes with:

• dark and white versions
• vector icons

Also, these project status presentation slides are suitable for print. Start working with this original project report PPT template! 

8. Retail Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Try this PowerPoint report template if you're in the retail business. Find versatility in your project report design with this template. It comes with modern and professional designs, and it also includes:

• plenty of slide designs to add your content, including a status update slide
• 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio 
• blue, green, orange, salmon, and lavender color themes
• user guide PDF

9. Animated Project Update PowerPoint Template

Looking for an animated project update PowerPoint template? This marketing project status PowerPoint template has everything you need. Create a detailed project status report with awesome infographics. The template comes with:

• 100 unique project update slide designs
• five pre-made color themes
• 3,000+ icon pack
• fully and easily editable

It's perfect for a complete project status report in PowerPoint.

10. Radit Business PowerPoint Template

Here’s a modern PowerPoint template for project status reports. The project status report PPT includes:

• 39 unique project status slides
• 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
• all graphics are resizable and editable
• documentation file

It also features a stunning design. Still thinking about how to present project progress in PowerPoint? This project status update PPT template is a great way to start.

11. Project Strategy PowerPoint Template

Looking for a more unique project status report in PPT? This PowerPoint report template comes with:

• unique and dark project status slides
• three color themes
• infographic elements

It's a great tool for project managers looking for work efficiency. This also works as a project update presentation sample. 

12. Brila Business PowerPoint Template

Create an original project progress presentation PPT with Brila. This project PowerPoint report template has a creative and colorful design and was designed in widescreen resolution. With this download, you'll get:

• all resizable graphics
• used and recommended free web fonts

Download this easy-to-edit project update presentation.

13. Company Profile PowerPoint Template

Wondering how to present project status in PowerPoint? This project status template also works as a company profile. It's easy to customize and edit. It comes with:

• five color themes (blue, red, green, orange, and grey)
• infographic elements, charts, and tables
• 800 vector icon set

Add your content to this project status update PPT. Insert your own photos in the image placeholders. 

14. Annual Report PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint report template can easily be used for a project status report in PPT. The project status report PowerPoint has a professional design. It includes:

• different project update slides
• widescreen format
• six color themes
• plenty of infographic elements

Still wondering how to present a project status in PowerPoint? This template is a great place to start.

15. Movea Project Status Report PowerPoint Template

Here’s another great project status PowerPoint template. Create a beautiful status update slide with this template, which comes with editable icons. Also, find image placeholders with this project update template PPT. With your download, you'll get:

• 100 presentation slides in total
• 50 unique and editable presentation slide designs
• two options of color theme variations
• 16:9 HD widescreen slide format (1920 x 1080 pixels)
• image placeholders with slide master

Looking for a sample project report PPT? Start working with this amazing status update presentation. 

16. Rima Business PowerPoint Template

This cool and modern PowerPoint template has all you need. Rima has enough project status presentation slides PPT for you to play. Create a stunning project report with this template. It comes with:

• 39 unique project update slides
• resizable and editable graphics
• free web fonts

The PowerPoint report template also has image placeholders. This is one of the best project status reports in PowerPoint you'll find. 

17. Project Status Report PowerPoint Template

Looking for a project update presentation sample? Here’s another complete project status report PowerPoint template. Use it to create great-looking project reports. The PowerPoint report template comes with:

• 30 unique slides
• light and dark versions
• easy customization options

Wondering how to present a project status in PowerPoint? This template includes charts and infographics to make it happen.

18. Web Design Project Status PowerPoint Template

Are you a web designer working for different clients? Learn how to present your project progress in PowerPoint with this awesome template. Here are some of its features:

• 5 PPTX files
• 5 pre-made color themes

This modern project status template for PPT also works for any type of presentation. It has everything you need for detailed project reports. 

19. Proposal Project Update PowerPoint Template

This is a beautiful project status update PPT PowerPoint template. Use it for different project status reports. It comes with:

• 30 slides for a complete project progress presentation PPT
• widescreen slide format
• fully editable elements

The status update slide comes with image placeholders. This is a great project status update template for PPT.  

20. Holi Project Status Template for PPT

Last but not least! Create an amazing project status report PPT with this template. Holi is a simple PowerPoint template with a clean and bold design. It includes:

• 39 unique project status update slides
• drag-and-drop image placeholders
• custom icons

Design a stunning project status report. This is one of the best project status update templates for PPT.

Found your project status report template for PPT? Now you’ll need to customize it to fit your project details. Take a look at how easy it is. Customize a premium project status report template below. 

For this tutorial, I’ll be using Movea: Project Status Report PowerPoint Template. Find it on Envato Elements. This template has a modern and clean design. It comes with 50 editable project status update slides in two color variations. 

Let's get started:

1. Choose Your Slides

To delete unwanted slides, click on the View tab and select Slide Sorter . Then, hold down the Shift key and click on each slide you don’t want to keep. After you've selected all the unnecessary slides, right-click and select Delete slide . Then, switch back to Normal view . 

2. Add Your Content

Add your own content. Double-click on any text area and press Control-A or Command-A to select all the text. Then, paste your own content or type it in. 

3. Customize Fonts

As you’re entering the content, it’s easy to update your fonts at the same time. While the text is highlighted, select a different font from the drop-down menu on the Home tab of the ribbon. 

4. Customize Colors

To change the colors, click on the Design tab and select a different color theme. Or right-click on any colored area and select Format shape . Then, click on Fill > Solid Fill and enter your own color code. 

5. Add Your Own Images 

The last step is to add your own images or photos. Most PowerPoint project status report templates come with image placeholders. It’s easy to do. Click on an image placeholder icon, choose an image from your computer, and click Insert .

Add the necessary project status update slides to your PowerPoint report template. Here are some tips that can help you work with a project report template:  

1. Use Gantt Charts

Gantt charts are an excellent way to illustrate a project schedule in the form of a bar chart. This type of chart is a staple for any project status report. 

2. Talk About Solutions 

Even when these details were laid out before the project was started, talk about how your project is solving problems. This helps connect your audience with the problem and solution again. 

3. Break Your Project Down

Project status reports are about breaking down the components of your project, so turn them into digestible pieces. Consider one slide that contains a road map, section breakdown, or project phases. 

4. Add an Expenses Page

The road map to achieving a particular goal is important, and so is including your expenses. This expense slide can be a simple list of all the expenses that you've accrued.

5. Add Milestones

On a project status report, include all the milestones that you've reached. Add any future milestones that you plan to reach with your project. This is essential for your audience to know what you've done and what you plan to do. 

6. Add a Summary Slide

Be it at the beginning or the end of your presentation, it's a good idea to add a summary slide. This can be where you highlight the essential topic you'll touch on or give a reminder of what you just mentioned. Either way, it can help your audience keep their attention on crucial aspects of your presentation.

7. Provide Helpful Links

A great PowerPoint presentation shares the key points of a specific subject. However, sometimes, project status reports require more information and data. To that end, it's helpful to include links to resources that can help your audience seek more information if they need it. Here's one example of how to do it:

8. Highlight Next Steps

Last but not least, highlight next steps. Knowing the basis of where the project is at is incredibly helpful. However, it's just as (or even more) important to let your audience know what actions you'll be taking to keep the project progressing. Don't forget to highlight the course of action so everyone can be on the same page.

Deliver the most up-to-date designs to your audience in your project status reports. We've collected five of the top design trends in 2024. Use them in your own PowerPoints:

1. Include Multi-Colored Charts

Make the charts more interesting. Use many complementary colors to highlight lines, bars, and tables. Blue, green, and red colors work exceptionally well here. 

2. Add Dimension

Make your design seem more interesting and appear to pop out of the slides. Layer your elements on top of each other. This gives a sense of dimension in your slides that looks visually pleasing. Add solid shapes on your slides as this is one standard design that always looks great.

3. Use Highlight Colors

This can really help give a hierarchy to your slide design. This color can be a highlight color that's used for on the various shapes on your slides. Draw attention to a particular section on the slide, and display the most important information on that slide. 

For more color combinations that work well together, check out this article:

4. Include Various Types of Charts

Get creative with the different types of graphs in project status reports. Use them to highlight specific data for your project in your project status PPT. Pie charts, line graphs, bar charts, timelines, and infographics. All work well in a project status PPT. Only include charts that fit the particular content that you're presenting.

5. Use Icons

Most types of PowerPoint presentations come with icons in their slides. Create a complete project report PPT using icons as visual aids. They also work for a project progress presentation PPT.

Need even more PowerPoint templates? We'll cover even more premium templates that you can download.

Discover More Great PowerPoint Templates

Looking for a different PowerPoint template? Or need more inspiration for your project status report template design? The articles below will be useful:

Microsoft PowerPoint is a complete slideshow application. It's got all the features you could ever want in this type of software. To help you get the most out of PowerPoint for your presentations, we'll cover five frequently asked questions:

1. Can I Print My PowerPoint Presentations?

Absolutely! Need to print out hard copies of your PowerPoint presentations? You can easily do this within the software. But keep in mind that all your animations and videos won't be shown. 

For more information on how you can print your presentations, check out the article below:

2. Can I Customize Templates Easily?

All PowerPoint templates are fully customizable, regardless of what template you use. Templates will help you start with a professional design. Customize every aspect of the design to fit your particular presentation.

Learn how to edit your PowerPoints from the article below:

3. Can You Create Infographics in PowerPoint?

Infographics are a great way to add interest to your presentations, especially in project status reports. They give the viewer something to look at, while providing useful information about your project.

The best way to get started with infographics is with templates. Choose the ones that have them designed and ready to customize. For more templates that feature infographics, check out the article below:

4. How Can I Make My Presentations More Interesting?

PowerPoint presentations can be quite stale, but there are many different ways that you can spice up your slides. Here are some tips to create a captivating presentation:

• declutter your slides
• change up the colors
• use images for interest

Check out this article to find out how you can add interest to your slides:

5. Can I Record a PowerPoint Presentation Via Zoom?

Virtual meetings are a staple for any business in 2024. Don't miss any detail by recording a presentation on Zoom.

To begin a recording of a PowerPoint presentation, move your cursor over the menu bar in Zoom. To record your PowerPoint in Zoom, click Record .

For a more detailed explanation, follow the tutorial below: 

Learn More About Making Great PowerPoint Presentations

Creating great presentations can be tricky. Ready to learn more about making great PowerPoint presentations ? We've got you covered. Check out the tutorials below: 

Where to Find Great Project Status Report Templates

Are you looking for the best project status report templates? Envato Elements should be your first stop. This marketplace offers thousands of top-quality project status report templates for PowerPoint, as well as thousands of design assets.

Explore PowerPoint Status Report Templates

Browse our collection of the best project status report templates for PowerPoint, and find your next favorite presentation template!  

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Daniel Strongin , Janila Castañeda and Dacia Egurrola . Daniel is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+. Janila is the Associated Editor of the Tuts+ Business channel. Dacia is a staff writer with Envato Tuts+.