Before you begin writing a business plan, it’s always a good idea to get ideas from solid examples that demonstrate the desired standard. Fortunately, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provides sample traditional and lean business plans. Let’s look at both of them.

 

Traditional Business Plan Example

For the full business plan, you can use the following formatting guidelines:

  • Include a cover page with the firm name, a notation indicating this is a business plan, the owner’s name, and the date the plan was developed.
  • The executive summary should have bolded headers for “Product,” “Customers,” and “Future of the Company,” with a few phrases explaining each beneath them.
  • The “goal statement,” “principle members,” and “legal structures” heading on the company description page, each with a brief text. Bullet points can be used to list the principal members.
  • Headers and separate sections for industry research, customer descriptions, corporate benefits, and the regulations your organization observes should be included in the market research section. This part should be comprehensive, with entire sentences and at least one paragraph per section.
  • There should be distinct sections in the product and/or service line section that define what the product or service is, the pricing structure, the product lifecycle, intellectual property rights, and research and development. This information can be conveyed using bullet points.
  • Bold text headings in the marketing and sales section must clarify your growth strategy, how you’ll connect with customers, and how you’ll handle sales. Each one should have bullet points and be no more than a paragraph long.

A fictional fledging toy firm is the focus of the SBA’s standard business plan template. Each part is well-organized and designed, with a bolded header in larger lettering and smaller text under it.

Lean Startup Business Plan Example

The typical lean startup business plan is straightforward. The complete plan is included in a single diagram, with each part including no more than three short sentences. Bullet points and sometimes unfinished phrases are used to make the writing more concise.

“Wood Grain Toys creates high-quality hardwood toys for children ages 3-10,” states the brand’s identification, which is far shorter than the conventional corporate description.

Another clear example of the contrasts between the two is market analysis. The market study portion of a standard business plan is lengthy and often includes information on your clients, competitors, and what you’ll do differently. In the case of the lean business startup plan, However, instead of numerous pages of text, this is condensed into two brief sections titled “the competition” and “target market,” each of which has four phrases.

You’re presenting quick data while also providing the essential information that someone would require at a look.

 

Final Thoughts

Whether you write the plan yourself or employ expert help, taking the time to produce a good, thorough business plan that can steer your business and encourage external team members to join is well worthwhile.

Connecting with financiers, partners, vendors, and investors requires business planning. They’re quite useful for a variety of reasons, including guiding your internal team on how to go forward throughout the early years of running a corporation. They can assist you in communicating why your company will succeed and why it is such a good investment for everyone involved.